The Problem

General Situation:

A Blue battalion has bivouacked at (a). An outpost with support along (b) has been established. Support number (c) under the command of Lieutenant A is at (d). It is now 2 o’clock p. m. The posting of the outguards has been completed. The support commander has made his inspection and sent in his report to the outpost commander. The covering troops have been withdrawn to the support. There has been no contact with the enemy.

Situation No. 1:

At 2:05 o’clock p. m., a Mr. ——, who lives at (e) comes to you, Lieutenant A, and gives you the following information:

I have just had a telephone conversation with a friend of mine, who lives about (f) miles (g) of here. He states that there is a Red force in the vicinity of (h). The telephone went out before I could get any further information.

Required:

What action do you, Lieutenant A, take?

Explanation of Symbols

(a) State the location of the bivouac of the main body of the battalion. This should be at a logical point with reference to the location of the outpost line.

(b) State the location of the general line of outpost supports.

(c) The number of the support commanded by Lieutenant A. This should be given a logical number with reference to the whole line of supports.

(d) The location of support (c). The point where the Terrain Exercise is to start.

(e) State where Mr. —— lives.

(f) The number of miles from the support to where Mr. ——’s friend lives. This should be several miles away.

(g) The direction stated by points of compass (North, South, East, West).

(h) The general location of the enemy. This should be in the direction which it is intended to send the reconnoitering patrol.

Procedure

The members of the class are assembled at (d), where the outpost support is located.

The Director will distribute copies of the problem to members of the class. A few minutes are allowed them to read it. The Director then reads the problem aloud and points out the places mentioned. One or more of the members of the class are called upon to state their understanding of the situation.

The Director: “Now, I want each member of the class to consider himself as being Lieutenant A, commanding the outguard located at this point. Mr. —— has just given you the information as stated in the situation. What are you going to do about it? Lieutenant Williams, just what would you do?”

Lieutenant Williams: “I would send out a patrol.”

The Director: “How do you arrive at this decision so quickly?”

Lieutenant Williams: “Well, sir, I think that would be the thing to do. I have gotten some important information about the enemy. Details are lacking. I would want to know more about how many troops he has, what kind of troops they are and what he is doing. I can see no better way to get this information than by sending out a patrol to secure it for me.”

The Director: “Captain Hastings, what do you think about that?”

Captain Hastings: “There is always a question in a case like this as to whether a pair of scouts should be employed or whether a patrol is to be sent out. I should size up the situation a few minutes. Examine my map, if I had one, and then decide what measures I would take. Another point that presents itself to me is the question as to whether I should send out the men from this support or whether it would be better to send the information back to the outpost commander and let him decide what is to be done.”

The Director: “Patrolling is usually conducted from the supports. I think you would be justified in taking the initiative in this case. At all events, let us assume that you would.”

Captain Hastings: “Can the Director give us some information on the question of the employment of scouts or patrols.”

The Director: “There are no hard and fast rules that may be invoked in arriving at such a decision, but there are certain principles that may be applied, and when reconnaissance enterprises are to be undertaken the condition should be examined closely. The scout or pair of scouts would, as a rule, be preferred when concealment is highly essential, and usually when concealment, though not essential, is possible throughout the reconnaissance, or when the enemy habitually conducts his reconnaissance with strong patrols and scouts have a better chance of eluding him.

“In the following cases a patrol should be employed: When information has to be sent in at intervals; when it is desired to capture prisoners; when concealment is deemed impossible; when the reconnaissance is to be extended over such a period of time that relief of scouts will be necessary; when an urgent mission has been assigned and it is necessary to push through the enemy’s covering troops.

“In some cases it may be advisable to employ a patrol for the first part of the reconnaissance and at a certain point break up into scouting parties of a single scout or pair of scouts.

“If possible, the individual preferences of the most efficient scouts should be considered. Some men lose self-confidence if attached to a patrol and are limited in their actions by the direction of the patrol leader; others dislike the responsibility of uncontrolled action.

“These are only general rules and cannot be followed blindly. The circumstances of each occasion must be taken into consideration in arriving at a decision.

“Now, considering the points I have stated, would you employ scouts or a patrol in the case under consideration, Captain Hastings?”

Captain Hastings: “I think a small patrol would be more suitable. There will probably be messages to send back and the patrol may have to remain out for a considerable length of time. I believe a patrol would be more suitable than individual scouts.”

The Director: “Let us then decide that we are to send out a reconnoitering patrol to secure the information we desire.

“Before going further with the problem, I want to say a few words about the patrol.”

Explanation

The Director: “The first duty of a patrol is to get information, and information is greatly increased in value if the enemy does not know that it has been obtained. The patrol is required, primarily, to discover whether or not the enemy is in a certain locality. This information is only useful to the officer who sent the patrol out. It is, therefore, the next duty of the patrol to get the information back as soon as possible, especially when the enemy is met.

“Next of importance in the duties of the patrol is to continue to observe the enemy when once discovered, to follow him up and ascertain the direction taken if he retires, or to fall back if he advances in strength, endeavoring to keep even with him on a flank. The enemy is certain to send out scouts to his front, but may neglect his flanks.

“Boldness must be tempered with caution. It is useless to obtain information if you cannot get it back where it will do some good. A little information sent in in time to be of use is clear gain to your side. A patrol that finds out all about the enemy and ends up by falling into the hands of the enemy is a dead loss not only in men but in time as other patrols will have to be sent out to get the same information on which important decisions may depend.”

Procedure

The Director: “Lieutenant Wallace, one of the first questions that will present itself to the support commander is the selection of a patrol leader. What factors would you consider in this matter?”

Lieutenant Wallace: “In the first place I would want a non-commissioned officer for patrol leader; further, I would want to send out the best qualified one in the platoon. To meet this requirement I would select the platoon sergeant to lead this patrol. The importance of the mission is such as to warrant sending him.”

The Director: “Lieutenant Ralston, do you agree with this solution?”

Lieutenant Ralston: “No, sir. I realize the importance of the mission of the patrol. I know we should have a qualified man to lead it, but I should hesitate to send my platoon sergeant out.”

The Director: “I think you are right and when Lieutenant Wallace reflects on the matter I think he will agree with you. The platoon sergeant has a multitude of duties to perform in connection with the interior administration of the platoon. In his administrative capacity he is to the platoon what the first sergeant is to the company. In addition, he has his tactical duties to perform. He is the second in command, and should anything happen to the platoon leader he automatically assumes charge. There is no other man in the platoon who is so familiar with all the details of the dispositions of the support and the orders under which it is operating. I do not believe it would be good policy to send the platoon sergeant out on a reconnoitering mission which may well extend into the night.

“Now, having rejected the idea of sending the platoon sergeant, what man would you send in charge of the patrol, Captain Harvey?”

Captain Harvey: “I would send a section leader. The one whose section is on the line of outguards. He seems to me to be the most available man for the duty.”

The Director: “I agree with you. Ordinarily in an outpost support of this kind we take the outguards from one of the sections of the platoon and hold the other section to form the main body of the support. This leaves the commander of the outguard section surplus in a way, and makes him available for important patrol duty, such as that we have under consideration.

“The next question that comes up is the strength of the patrol. This is a reconnoitering patrol. Its mission is to gain information of the enemy. It need not be made strong to give it fighting power, for it will not engage the enemy in combat except as the last resort. It must not have any more men than are absolutely necessary to carry out its mission, for every additional man is a drag on the patrol leader and subject the patrol to just that much more danger of detection by the enemy. There will be messages to be sent back, at least one and possibly two or three. The patrol must be sufficiently strong to provide these messengers without reducing it below two men.

“Having all of these points in mind, what would be the strength of the patrol, Captain Harvey?”

Captain Harvey: “I should say there would be at least two messages to be sent back, and it may be necessary to send one of them by two messengers. I would not want the patrol leader to be left out alone. These factors would indicate a strength of 5 men. The patrol leader and 4 men.”

The Director: “Has any member of the class a different idea than this?”

Captain Hodges: “In my own mind I had tentatively decided to send a complete squad. It seems to me that we should send enough men so that if they have to fight their way through to get the information desired they could do it. Four men would not be sufficient for the purpose. I should like some enlightenment on this phase of the subject.”

The Director: “Captain James, can you answer Captain Hodges?”

Captain James: “In the first place, a reconnoitering patrol does not fight except as a last resort to escape capture or to give warning of the approach of the enemy and to delay him by firing on him. In the next place, I do not see how this patrol will ever get close enough to the enemy to get any really important information if it starts to fight its way through the Red covering troops. Once a shot is fired the Red commander will send out sufficient patrols to keep your patrol at a distance, and it will get no information whatever. My idea is that any information this patrol gets will be by avoiding the Red covering troops and not by fighting.”

The Director: “I think you are correct. The smaller the patrol, within limitations, the better. I think a leader and four men is about right. Lieutenant Baker, tell us what you would include in your order to the patrol leader.”

Lieutenant Baker: “I would first tell the patrol leader all the information I have about the enemy and our troops. I would give him general direction as to where I want the patrol to go. I would tell him what information I want regarding the enemy. Tell him in general terms where to return and where to send messages.”

The Director: “The final question that comes up is that of the equipment of the men. How would you have them equipped, Captain Hall?”

Captain Hall: “I would want them to go lightly equipped. They should have a ration in their haversack; not over 40 rounds of ammunition and their rifle. I would have them leave the bayonets with their packs. They will not need them.”

Explanation

The Director: “You see the process we have gone through to determine that we are going to send out a patrol of five men from the support. You see how many things you have to consider in arriving at a decision as to what you are going to do. This is what we call making an ‘Estimate of the Situation.’ It is merely a process of sizing up the situation and deciding on what you are going to do to meet it. An officer who fails to do this will in the end make a failure of the soldier game. The one who does it habitually has far greater chances for the operations he is conducting to turn out a success. Just a few minutes’ systematic thought will save you a lot of military blunders.

“Based on this estimate of the situation we arrive at a decision to send out a patrol of five men to secure information of the enemy. Lieutenant Barry, assume that you are Lieutenant A, commanding the support. Can you give us the orders necessary to put the decision into operation?”

Solution

Lieutenant Barry: “I will try, sir. I will order:

“‘Sergeant C (platoon Sergeant) turn out a reconnoitering patrol of four privates, with Sergeant B (section leader) as patrol leader. Have the men carry a ration and 40 rounds of ammunition. Leave bayonets here. Have Sergeant B report to me as soon as he is ready to go out.’

“I will frame up my orders to the patrol leader, and as soon as he reports to me I will give them to him:

“‘I have just received information that there is a Red force in the vicinity of (h). Here is the point. Here is the road leading in that direction. (Indicating on the map.)^[15]

“‘There are no other patrols out from this support. I will notify the other supports that you are going out.

“‘You will take this reconnoitering patrol of four men and proceed toward (h) and find out what you can about the enemy. Information as to his strength and composition and what he is doing is particularly desired.

“‘Return when you have accomplished your mission.

“‘Carlin will be second in command.

“‘Here is a map.

“‘Send messages here.’

“I will send a runner to the other support commanders to inform them of the fact that I am sending out a reconnoitering patrol and give them the information we have about the enemy.

“I will send the citizen who gave me the information to the outpost commander accompanied by a runner and a message:

“‘I am sending you a Mr. ——, who lives at ——. He informs me that he just had a telephone conversation with a friend of his who lives —— miles —— of here and who states that a Red force is in the vicinity of (h). The telephone went out before he could get any further information. I am sending out a reconnoitering patrol of four men under Sergeant B to find out what they can. I will notify other supports of the action I have taken.’

“I will explain to Mr. —— that the information he has given me is very important and tell him that it will be necessary for him to go back to the outpost commander with the runner.”

Procedure

The Director: “That is very good. Are there any questions? Please do not hesitate to ask questions. They are the very life of the Terrain Exercise.”

The Director endeavors to answer any question that may be asked.

Each member of the class is now required to write out the orders of the support commander to Sergeant B, the patrol leader, and the message that he would send back to the outpost commander by the runner who conducts Mr. —— to him.

The orders and messages are collected and distributed again. One or more members of the class are required to read those in his possession.

Procedure

The Director: “Each member of the class will now consider himself to be Sergeant B. who has been designated as the patrol leader. Lieutenant Hunt, what equipment would you carry?”

Lieutenant Hunt: “I would not want to be encumbered with a rifle, so I would not carry one. I would want a pair of field glasses, a compass, a watch, a wire cutter, pencils and a book of field message blanks. If one were available I would want a map of the country over which the patrol is to operate. Each member of the patrol should be provided with a compass and a wire cutter. At least one man should carry a combination flag kit for wigwag and semaphore signaling——”

Lieutenant Williams: “I have understood that visual signaling is about to be discarded in the service. Can the Director give us some information on that point?”

The Director: “There is a tendency to throw it into the discard, but I am not so sure that it is right. There are times when visual signaling has its place and will save a lot of time and trouble. The codes are easily learned and any intelligent man can master the process within a comparatively short time. I think there should be a few men in every rifle platoon who are good signalers. Going back to the equipment of the patrol, I think Lieutenant Hunt has enumerated the essential items of equipment.

“Lieutenant Williams, suppose you were out on patrol duty and captured one of the enemy scouts, what is the first thing you would look for on him?”

Lieutenant Williams: “I would look for some marking that would give me an identification—that would give me information as to the outfit to which he belongs.”

The Director: “That is right. During the war both sides took exceptional measures to secure identification of units that were opposed to them. Of course, much of this work was done during the period of so-called trench warfare, but the same idea holds good in open warfare. Identification of the units to which prisoners belong is always sought after by the intelligence service. Now, Lieutenant Williams, what does all of this point to with respect to our own patrol?”

Lieutenant Williams: “That the members of the patrol should carry nothing with them that will serve to give the enemy an identification, should one of them be captured.”

The Director: “You are right. Should one of our soldiers be captured, the enemy should be able to secure from him only his name and rank. The prisoner should give no other information whatever.

“Before going out with a patrol the patrol leader makes an inspection of his men. What is included in this inspection, Captain Hastings?”

Captain Hastings: “If I were making the inspection I would satisfy myself that every man is physically fit for the duty to be performed. I would not want a man who has been on some strenuous duty and is all worn out. I would see that every man is properly armed and equipped, that each man has a ration, 40 pounds of ammunition and a canteen full of water. I would not allow a man to carry his roll. I would see that the equipment is arranged so that it will not rattle or glisten in the sunlight. I would see that no man carried anything that would give the enemy an identification or information that would be of value to him. I will verify my own equipment and make sure that I have everything that I will probably require.”

The Director will now hand out the slips bearing special situation No. 2:

The Problem

Situation No. 2:

You, Sergeant B, have been designated to command the reconnoitering patrol, consisting of Privates Anderson, Bailey, Carlin and Davis. Lieutenant A has given you your orders and turned the men over to you.

Your orders are:

“I have just received information that there is a Red force in the vicinity of (h). (The point (h) and the road leading toward it are pointed out on the map or on the ground.)

“There are no other patrols out from this support. I will notify the other supports that you are going out.

“You will take this reconnoitering patrol of four men and proceed towards (h), and find out what you can about the enemy. Information as to his strength and composition, and what he is doing is particularly desired.

“Return when you have accomplished your mission.

“Send messages here.”

Required:

The orders that you give.

Solution

The Director: “Lieutenant Wallace, we will assume that you are Sergeant B. You have made the inspection of your patrol and corrected all deficiencies. You are ready to give your orders and arrange for the patrol to move out. Just what would you say and what would you do?”

Lieutenant Wallace: “I would spread my map out on the ground where the men could see it. In the presence of the support commander I would give my orders:

“‘Information has been received that there is a Red force in the vicinity of (h). Here is the place on the map (indicating). We are here (indicating). This is the road that we will guide on (indicating). There are no other patrols out from our support.

“‘We are going out as a reconnoitering patrol. We will find out what we can about the enemy. Our special mission is to find out his strength, his composition and what he is doing.

“‘Anderson, you will be advance man; march on the left-hand side of the road.

“‘Bailey, you follow Anderson at a distance of 25 yards, on the right-hand side of the road.

“‘Carlin, you will march with me.

“‘Davis, you are get-away man. Follow me at a distance of 75 yards.

“‘I will indicate the route and assembly places as we go along. Drill regulation signals will be used.

“‘Messages will be brought to the support commander here.’

“I will then inquire: What time has the Lieutenant? I will set my watch to agree and direct:

“‘All men who have watches set them at —— (time).’

“I will then command:

“‘1. Squad, 2. ATTENTION, and follow with 1. With ball cartridges, 2. LOAD.’

“I will then direct:

“‘MOVE OUT.’”

Procedure

The Director: “That is very good. I think you have covered all the points that should be included in the patrol commander’s order. I wish each member of the class would compare this order with the kind that is usually mumbled out to members of a patrol by the average patrol leader at maneuvers. It is a fact that most patrols go out, either with orders that they do not understand or with no orders at all. Do not allow this to be done under any circumstances. You can well afford to hold up the departure of the patrol until the patrol commander can dope out his orders and give them properly. And you must insist on this being done. If you do not do so it will never be done properly.

“Now I want each member of the class to write our Sergeant B’s orders to his patrol. Try to get the order in the language that Lieutenant Wallace used in his solution.”

When this is completed the papers are collected and redistributed as indicated in previous exercises. The class is now ready to proceed with the next situation.

Procedure

The class is now conducted to the front to the point where one of the outguards of the support is supposed to be posted.

The slips bearing Situation No. 3 are handed out.

Situation No. 3:

At this point is posted Outguard No.... of Support No. (c). The main body of the outguard is (Indicate). The outguard commander is here.

Required:

What do you, Sergeant B, do.

Explanation

The Director: “The commander of a patrol will see the commander of the outguard at the place where he crosses the line of observation and give him information as to where he is going and what he is going for. In addition to this he secures any information that the outguard commander may have of the country to the front and the enemy.

“This procedure is especially necessary in the present case. Sergeant B’s mission will probably keep him out late, so that it will be after dark when he comes back through the lines. In order to avoid chances of being mistaken for the enemy a recognition signal should be arranged for at this time.”

Solution

The Director: “Lieutenant Ralston, you are Sergeant B, the patrol leader. The outguard commander has come out to meet you. Just what would you do with respect to your patrol and what would you say to the outguard commander?”

Lieutenant Ralston: “In the first place I will signal the patrol to halt. I will then tell the outguard commander where we are going and all about the mission of the patrol. I will arrange a recognition signal with him. I will find out any information about the enemy that he may have.”

The Director: “All right. You have told us all about what you will do. Now let us do it. Assume that I am the outguard commander. Now just what will you say to me?”

Lieutenant Ralston: “I will say:

“‘Information has been received that there is a Red force in the vicinity of (h). (Indicating on the map.) We are going out as a reconnoitering patrol, guiding on the... road. (Indicating on the map.) We are to determine the enemy’s strength, and composition and what he is doing. I have four other men with me.

“‘We will probably be out until after dark and I want to arrange a recognition signal with you. If agreeable to you it will be the call 3—4 or the same tapped on the rifle stock.

“‘Have you any information about the enemy?’

“After doing all of this I will signal the patrol FORWARD MARCH and proceed on my way.”

The Director: “That is very good. I wish you would explain to the class just how you propose to employ the recognition signal.”

Lieutenant Ralston: “In this case we agreed on the signal 3—4. When any of us approach the sentinel post of the outguard after dark we will use the recognition signal. If there is no danger of enemy patrols lurking in the vicinity the man approaching the post calls out 3—4; the sentinel on post answers the call by calling 3—4 and they both know that everything is all right and it is safe for the scout to proceed. If there is danger of enemy patrols discovering the signal should it be called out, the man coming in would approach the sentinel post cautiously. He would tap 3—4 on the stock of his rifle until it is recognized by the sentinel and the signal returned by the latter tapping 3—4 on the stock of his rifle.” (The method should be illustrated.)

The Director: “Captain Harvey, why do we go to all this trouble?”

Captain Harvey: “A sentinel on post, after he has been harassed by enemy scouts for a while, takes no chances. He generally shoots first and then challenges. The recognition signal is simply an expedient to lessen the chances of accident.”

The Director: “Now all of these details may seem to be small affairs to you. But the man who knows them and requires them to be carried out in service is the man who will be successful in military operations. Almost any dub can blunder through, paying the price in the lives of his men. It is the man that knows all of the little details of tactics that will come through successfully with his command without the sacrifice of a man more than is necessary to accomplish his mission. The proposition of measuring accomplishment by the number of casualties is old stuff and will not go with the commander that is up to his job. It is the man who accomplishes his mission with the least number of casualties that is the successful military leader.”

Procedure

The class is now conducted along the route of the patrol for a distance of some 600 yards, where it is halted.

Explanation

The Director: “It is assumed that the patrol has advanced a distance of some two miles from the outpost and has arrived at this vicinity. This assumption is made in order to save time and energy. We can get just as much training out of our Terrain Exercise by coming this 600 yards as we could by walking the entire two miles. The idea is that we get into new terrain for each phase of the problem.”

Procedure

The Director now distributes the papers bearing Situation No. 4 to the members of the class.

The Problem

Situation No. 4:

You, Sergeant B, the patrol leader, have arrived at this point. There has been no contact with the enemy.

Required:

What is the formation of your patrol at this moment?

Explanation

The Director: “Before going into the details of this situation, I desire to say a few words about the conduct of the operations of a patrol. It is impossible to lay down any hard and fast rule for the conduct of a patrol. Each situation will have to be worked out by itself. Each solution will vary with the nature of the country over which you are operating and what the enemy does. A few general principles only may be enunciated.

“The patrol leader, as he advances toward his objective, will mentally make note of various intermediate objectives to serve as stepping stones for his further advance. He can never be certain that he will not encounter the enemy, and must be prepared at all times for such an event.

“If the patrol advances in one body, a hostile patrol will allow them to approach and then ambuscade and capture them. Further, all the members of the patrol would not be able to see much more than one man. If the patrol advances in an extended line of skirmishers, capture is rendered much more difficult, but each man will be acting more or less independently, and it will be most difficult for the patrol leader to control the operations.

“A patrol should assume the general formation of a column on the march, i. e., there is an advance guard, a main body, flankers, and a rear guard. These several elements may be represented by only one man, but the principle is exactly the same. The advance man is necessary to give warning of the approach of the enemy. The flankers are necessary to watch toward the flanks and prevent the enemy from ambuscading the patrol or working around its rear unobserved and cutting off its line of retreat. The main body is necessary to back up the advance man and protect him. The rear man is the “get-away man,” so that in case the patrol is surprised by the enemy, at least one man will have a good chance to escape and carry the news back to the support commander. You must always remember that a patrol that goes out and does not return, or is not heard from within a reasonable time, is the cause for a great deal of uneasiness and anxiety back at the outpost line.

“Some authorities advocate that the patrol commander march as the advance man of the patrol. This is not believed to be good tactics. He should be centrally located so that he will be able to control the operations of the patrol. The patrol leader has been selected for this particular line of work. The officer who sent him out is depending on him to carry out the mission upon which he has been sent and to get information back. He should not, therefore, needlessly make himself a target for the enemy marksman who may be lying in concealment at the turn of a road or trail. If he is the leading man he will be so busily occupied with the task of observation, that he will have little time available for conducting the operations of the other members of the patrol. Furthermore, if anything happens at the front that needs his attention, he can go there in a very short space of time.

“When a small patrol is advancing along a road which is more or less winding and has brush and trees along the side, it is believed that the Boni point formation will usually meet the requirements. In this formation the leading man walks along one side of the road, close up to the brush. The next man follows him at a distance of about 25 yards on the opposite side of the road. The remaining men follow at varying distances on alternate sides of the road. The rear or get-away man should march at least 75 yards in rear of his next preceding man. Flankers are sent out when necessary and where it is possible to do so.

“You will be surprised to see how admirably this formation will meet the situation under the conditions stated. The next time you are out on a winding road through the woods, step over to one side and observe to the front. Then go to the other side and repeat the operation. You will find that from one side your view will be very much restricted, while from the opposite side it will be much more extended. One trial will convince you of the suitability of this formation.”

Procedure

The Director: “Now, having in mind what I have just said, I want each member of the class to determine for himself just where each member of the patrol would be at the moment he, himself, arrived at this point. (The Director indicates the point on the ground where the patrol leader is.) Make a rough sketch of this vicinity to show the solution.

(Note.—The location selected for this situation should be one where there is something that will test the tactical knowledge of the student. To base it otherwise would be of little value.)

“We will allow a few minutes for the solution of this part of the problem, during which time you should look over the ground and decide upon the disposition of your patrol, just where each man will be at this particular moment.”

When the members of the class have completed this solution they will be collected and discussed.

(Note.—The discussion will depend upon the solution. The points included in the Director’s explanation should be brought out and fully discussed.)

Procedure

The members of the class are now conducted along the line of march of the patrol to a point where the road may be observed for a distance of some several hundred yards.

The Director distributes the papers containing the following situation:

The Problem

Situation No. 5:

The patrol has arrived at this point. You, Sergeant B, are here. The leading man halts, crouches down, points down the road, and holds his rifle horizontally above his head.

Required:

What action do you, Sergeant B, take?

Solution

The Director: “Lieutenant Ralston, just what would you do under the circumstances?”

Lieutenant Ralston: “I would interpret the actions of the leading man to indicate that he has observed the enemy and that they are in small numbers. I would signal the patrol to halt and then signal ‘DOWN,’ which would indicate to the men that they are to take cover. I would then join the leading man to see for myself what is happening out in front.”

The Director: “I think we may all agree that your solution up to this point is correct. Now, let us assume that the leading man is at —— (indicate exact location) and you are here. I want you to show the class exactly how you would join him.

(Note.—Lieutenant Ralston gives the practical demonstration and the class moves up to where the leading man is supposed to be.)

“Is there any member of the class that would do it differently?”

(Note.—If any member has any criticism of the solution, have him go back to the starting point and demonstrate how he would do it.)

Solution

The Director: “Captain Harvey, let us assume that you are Sergeant B. You have joined your leading man here and he points out to you what he has seen. You observe six enemy infantrymen marching down the road in a formation similar to the one your patrol is now in. The leading man is at ——. (The Director points out the exact location of the enemy’s leading man, which should be at least 500 yards distant.) Apparently they have not observed you. What is your reaction to this situation?”

Captain Harvey: “At this moment I would have no means of telling whether these men are an enemy patrol or the point of an advance guard. The formation would be about the same. Can the Director give us definite information on that point?”

The Director: “All right. Let us assume for the moment that it is an enemy patrol. What would you do?”

Captain Harvey: “Under those circumstances, I would have my patrol take cover and let the enemy patrol go on by.”

The Director: “That would be the logical thing to do. Now, let us assume that the enemy are the point of an advance guard. What would you do?”

Captain Harvey: “In that event I would open fire on them immediately.”

The Director: “What would be your object in doing that?”

Captain Harvey: “By opening fire I give warning to our outpost that the enemy is advancing and I delay him because he will have to stop and make more or less reconnaissance before proceeding.”

The Director: “Captain Hodges, do you agree with that solution?”

Captain Hodges: “No, sir. This is a reconnoitering patrol. Its mission is to get information of the enemy’s strength and composition. If we fire on the point of this advance guard, all hope of getting any information of what is behind it is gone. It will not take the advance party commander very long to discover that we are only a patrol and he will simply run over us. Sufficient patrols will be sent out to the flanks to keep us away and we will get no information of any value to our own commander. I most certainly would not fire on the enemy at this time.”

The Director: “What action would you take?”

Captain Hodges: “I would wait a few minutes to try and determine the strength of the enemy’s advance party. This would give me a general line on his strength. I would then send my leading man, who has seen the enemy himself, back to the support commander as fast as he could go with the information we have. This would be a verbal message. I would have no chance to write it out. I would then conduct the rest of my patrol off to the —— flank under cover with a view to working around abreast of the enemy’s main body to secure information of his strength and composition. I would keep in contact with him to try and discover the direction of his deployment and what his intentions are. I would make strenuous efforts to get all of this information back to my support commander.”

The Director: “Those are the points I wanted to bring out. I do not think our patrol would be justified in opening fire on the enemy under the circumstances. We will assume that the enemy troops are a patrol, and that we have decided to avoid them and let them go on by. Just how would you go about that task, Captain James?”

(Note.—Captain James’ solution will depend upon the Terrain and the cover available.)

Procedure

The Director will point out to the class and dwell upon the principle that, having decided to avoid the enemy’s patrol, the all-absorbing duty of the patrol leader is to conceal his patrol so that the enemy will have no information that it is anywhere in the vicinity. The measures to accomplish this will then be worked out in the minutest detail. It may be well to have members of the class take post to represent the members of the patrol and have other members of the class to go out and represent the enemy’s patrol and advance just as they would under service conditions. Then have Captain James solve the problem of getting his patrol under cover without being discovered by the enemy.

Explanation

The Director: “We must give the enemy’s patrol credit for being on the alert and for having such a knowledge of tactics that he will do the reasonably proper thing. If he sees one member of our patrol, the difficulty of avoiding him will be doubly increased. Our task, then, is to get to cover as quickly as possible. It is this seeming trivial action that sometimes calls for all the ingenuity that the patrol leader may possess. The road may be open for a considerable distance, so that if one of the members of our patrol crosses from one side to the other he will be seen and the position disclosed to the enemy. It may be necessary for the patrol to fall back a short distance in order to secure the necessary cover. It may be necessary, in order to avoid discovery, to direct all men on one side of the road to take cover on their side and the remainder to seek cover on the opposite side. This means a dispersion of the patrol and the consequent danger of getting lost and also the difficulties of assembling again. This points to the advisability of training the men to all take cover on the same side of the road when the enemy is encountered as in this case.”

When members of the class are in place to represent the enemy and our own patrol, the Director will give a signal and the movement starts. The enemy patrol moves along as it would naturally and Captain James proceeds to get the members of his patrol under cover. His method should be discussed by the class and the defects of it pointed out. It may be necessary to enact the solution several times before a satisfactory one is found.

The demonstration completed and the class again assembled, the Director proceeds with the problem.

The Problem

The Director: “Lieutenant Baker, would you send back any message to the support commander about the enemy patrol?”

Solution

Lieutenant Baker: “I think that is a point that the patrol commander should consider. I am not clear in my own mind just what should be done under the circumstances. I would be pleased to have the Director enlighten us on the subject.”

The Director: “We assume that this is a small enemy reconnoitering patrol. It would have the same mission as our own patrol. The point to be considered is whether or not anything in the message you send back would materially assist in the defense of the outpost line, or whether it could contain any information of special value to the outpost commander. Our covering patrols sent out from the supports will keep the enemy away from the outpost line. They will soon discover that it is only a small patrol and will drive it off. We have only a few men with the patrol. If one is sent back with a message at this time it may leave the patrol leader shorthanded when there is something really important that must be sent back. The mission of the patrol is to secure information of the enemy’s main body. That is the information that is of importance to the support and outpost commander. I do not believe the patrol commander would be justified in sending back a message at this time.”

Lieutenant Baker: “I see the point.”

(Note.—Should any members of the class insist that a message should be sent back, he may be called upon to compose the message, and it should be examined to see whether it contains information that is vital to the defense of the outpost.)

Procedure

The class is now conducted to a point where they have a view of an open field some 1,200 yards distant. It may be assumed that the patrol has marched several miles in order to arrive at this place.

The Director now distributes the sheets containing Situation No. 6.

Situation No. 6:

The patrol successfully evaded the enemy’s patrol, continued the march, and without encountering any other enemy troops has arrived at this point. The enemy patrol proceeded on down the road toward the outpost line.

On arriving here you observe a force of the enemy marching into that field. They are apparently going into bivouac. You estimate the enemy to be one regiment of Infantry.

Required:

What action do you take?

Procedure

The Director should point out the location of the enemy and should indicate the exact location of each member of the patrol, so that all members of the class will make their solutions on the same basis.

The Director: “Captain Hall, what would you do under the circumstances?”

Captain Hall: “I would send a message to the support commander telling him what I have seen.”

The Director: “Is there anything that you would do before starting to compose your message?”

Captain Hall: “I do not think so. I have located the enemy and want to get the information back as quickly as possible.”

The Director: “That is true. But there are certain things that must be done in connection with it. You have discovered what you estimate to be the enemy’s main body. You know the strength and composition of it. You know what he is doing for the time being. The members of your patrol are still in patrol formation and must be told what to do. In other words, there are several things to be done. In the first place, you want to dispose your men for observation of the enemy and to prevent surprise. Enemy patrols may be operating in the vicinity. One of these may pick you up and prevent you from getting any information back. This is the thing you must guard against. You must consider the contents of your message and you must figure out how you are going to get it back considering the fact that there is an enemy patrol of six men operating between you and the outpost line.

“When the patrol has encountered the enemy the disposition must be such as to permit the leader to observe the hostile force for the purpose of forming an estimate of its strength and composition, dispositions, and probable intentions. With this end in view, the leader must go to a vantage point from which he may obtain a good view of the enemy. The remaining members of the patrol must be so disposed as to guard all the avenues of approach from the known direction of the enemy’s forces, in order to prevent surprise.

“Lieutenant Barry, what disposition would you make of the members of the patrol?”

Solution

Lieutenant Barry: “I would select a good observation point where I can see the enemy and what he is doing. I would select two of the men to carry the message back. I would post a man to watch for enemy patrols and post a get-away man somewhat to my rear.”

The Director: “All right. Select your observation post and give the orders necessary to carry out what you have just said.”

The solution will depend upon the lay of the ground. The points to be brought out are that patrol leaders must be able to observe the enemy in security and not have to bother about being surprised by enemy patrols. The lookouts will be posted so that they can watch the approaches. The men that are to carry the message should be with Sergeant B while he is composing it so that they will be able to tell the support commander all about the situation when they get back with the message. The get-away man will be posted in such position as will make sure that he will not be included in any disaster to the patrol.

Procedure

The dispositions having been completed, the next question is that of the contents of the message.

The Director: “I want each member of the class to write out the body of the message that he would send back to the support commander.”

When the message has been completed and turned in by all the class they are distributed and various members called upon to read and comment on the one in his possession. The points that should be included in the message are:

1. Information of the strength and composition of the enemy main body. What he is doing.

2. Information of the strength and composition of the enemy patrol that was passed.

3. The future action of the patrol in so far as it can be determined.

The Director should then compose a message covering the above requirements and submit it to the class for discussion.

“Have observed a force of the enemy, estimated one regiment of Infantry at —— (give location). They are now going into bivouac. A hostile patrol of six men passed my patrol at —— (give location) at —— (time) which proceeded in the direction of the outpost line. I will remain in observation until forced to retire or darkness prevents further reconnaissance.”

The Director: “Lieutenant Hunt, how would you get the message back to the support commander?”

Lieutenant Hunt: “I have had Anderson and Bailey here with me while making my observations and composing the message. I will send it back by them, each man taking a different route. I will read the message to them. I will indicate on the map the general route that each man is to take in going back to the support and caution each of them to look out for the enemy patrol that is between us and the outpost line. By sending the message by two men going over different routes I am almost sure to get it through. If one of them runs into the enemy, it is pretty safe to say that the other will not.”

The Director: “I think your sizing up of the situation is very good. You have taken all the precautions possible for getting the message back safely to the support commander.”

Procedure

The Director now distributes the sheets containing Situation No. 7 to the members of the class. A few minutes are allowed to read it over, and it is explained.

The Problem

Situation No. 7:

You are still observing the enemy. Nothing has happened to cause you to change your estimate of his strength and composition. His outposts are being established and they are pushing out patrols to the front and flanks. Your position is becoming untenable. You have heard distant firing in the direction of the Blue troops.

Required:

What action do you, Sergeant B, take?

Solution

The Director: “Lieutenant Williams, what would you do?”

Lieutenant Williams: “I estimate that it is about time for me to be getting out with what is left of my patrol. I have accomplished my mission in so far as the main body of the enemy is concerned. His bivouac for the night has been located. He has established his outposts, which indicates that he will probably not make any more moves today. The operations of the hostile patrols will soon make my position untenable. There is little to be gained by my staying here any longer and taking a chance on being picked up. I would get on my way back to my own troops.”

The Director: “Has any member of the class any criticism of that solution?”

Captain Hastings: “It seems to me that Sergeant B would now have another mission imposed upon him by the conditions. It is that of intercepting enemy scouts from getting back with information from the patrol that passed us. How about that?”

The Director: “That is true. It is the point that I was going to bring up next. The fact that you have heard firing from the direction of our own troops indicates that contact has been gained and the enemy patrol has gotten some information of our forces. This he will endeavor to get back to his own commander. In view of the fact that the patrol leader does not know that our patrol is between him and his own troops he may not think it necessary to take the precautions to send it by two messengers, and I think it is reasonable to assume that he will direct his messenger along the main road where he can make the better time than he can in going across country. You now have two men with you, Carlin and Davis. How would you manage the withdrawal and what would be your formation on the way back? What route would you take? How would you solve all of these points, Captain Hastings?”

Captain Hastings: “I would signal Carlin, who is observer, to join me. This accomplished, I would signal Davis to move out toward the main road. I would make my withdrawal as rapidly as possible and when we get away some little distance I would signal Davis to slow down until we caught up with him. I would get on or near the main road and march with Davis as the leading man, following him at a distance of about 25 yards and have Carlin follow me at the same distance. I would keep a sharp lookout for enemy scouts with a view to intercepting them.”

The Director: “I think your solution meets the situation very well. Are there any questions?”

Procedure

The class is now conducted back along the main road to a point selected for Situation No. 8.

The Problem

Situation No. 8:

When you arrive at this point you observe an enemy scout coming down the road in your direction at a walk. You can see some distance beyond him and he appears to be alone. (The Director will point out the location of the enemy scout.)

Required:

What do you do?

Solution

The Director: “Lieutenant Ralston, how do you size up the situation?”

Lieutenant Ralston: “I estimate that the man is carrying a message from his patrol leader to the commander of the Red forces. My mission is to capture him and prevent the message going back. If practicable the capture must be effected without resorting to firing. If we have to fire it will give warning to the enemy’s patrol operating toward our outpost and the patrol commander would assume that his messenger is in trouble and would send another message by another route. Furthermore, firing at this time would give the alarm to the patrols operating from the hostile outpost, and they would rush to the rescue of their comrades.”

The Director: “Tell us just how you would go about the capture of the messenger?”

Lieutenant Ralston: “I would form an ambuscade here with Davis and myself on one side of the road and Carlin on the other side about 25 yards in rear of us. When the messenger arrives at about 10 yards from us, Davis and myself will jump out into the road and order him to surrender. We will endeavor to surprise him and take him without firing a shot. If by any chance he should get by us, Carlin would be in position to intercept him.”

The Director: “Just what would you say when you order him to surrender?”

Lieutenant Ralston: “I would jump out on the side of the road, level my rifle at him and yell at him as loud as I could, ‘Drop your rifle—throw up your hands.’ If he did as ordered I would explain to him that he is now a prisoner of war and that resistance is useless. If he did not do as I told him on the instant or if he made any attempt to escape or move to fire on me I would open fire on him at once. I would take no chances with him.”

The Director: “That seems to be a reasonable solution. This is a very simple proposition and presents little difficulty. It is brought before you at this time merely to show you the procedure that makes for reasonable chances for success. The capture of several scouts or a patrol is a much more difficult undertaking.

“It is a general rule in the attempt to capture members of a patrol that the situation we desire to produce when we meet them is that they should be marching and that we should be halted. By adopting this method, we form an ambuscade.”

Remarks:

(h)

Mounted on horse.

(m)

Mounted on mule.

(a)

Includes: 35 Privates 1st Class, 80 Privates.

Summary of Specialist Ratings: 4th Class, 2; 5th Class, 3; 6th Class, 6.

(b)

Section Headquarters includes 1 sergeant.

(c)

Reconnaissance Officer.

(d)

Signalmen, runners, agents and orderlies, 1 bicyclist.

(e)

Stable orderly.

(f)

Includes 2 drivers for gun and ammunition carts.

(x)

Second in Command. Not authorized for War Strength Companies organized in time of peace.

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1. See explanation of Letter Symbols.