PROBLEMS IN THE VERBAL FIELD ORDER

1.—You are Colonel Foote, halted with your regiment in Goldenville. You have previously sent out Lieutenant Lasker toward Gettysburg for information. He has just sent you a message. You have made up your mind from the facts in his message that you will march south at once and that you will march in the direction of Gettysburg. You desire the first battalion and the Machine Gun Company to be the Advance Guard for your regiment. The remainder of the regiment will follow the first battalion in order as follows: second battalion, third battalion, band, and ambulances. The field trains are not to move out but are to stay behind until they get orders from you. They are to remain at Texas. The message from Lieutenant Lasker stated that about a regiment of the enemy was throwing up intrenchments north of Penn College. The message also stated that about half of the regiment of the enemy consisted of recruits. You want the main body of your regiment to follow the tail of the Advance Guard so that there will be a distance of a half mile between the tail of the Advance Guard and the head of the main body. You want to notify your troops where the Regimental Headquarters will march so that the troops will know where to send messages. You decide to have the Headquarters march between the Advance Guard and the main body. The Advance Guard is to march at once and it is to proceed south by way of the Hamilton Farm and the Boyd School House. You assemble your majors, their staffs and your staff, and you issue verbally the decision which you have just made. You issue it in the shape of a verbal order.

2.—You are Major Black in command of the Advance Guard mentioned in the preceding problem. It is now your mission, of course, to form the advance guard and to tell your captains that you are going to do so, and that you are going to be reinforced by the machine gun company. You ought also to tell them just where your regiment is going to march. You want Companies C and D and the machine gun company to march in the order mentioned, and they are to follow Company B as soon as that company has got its distance. Company C will be the company which is to regulate the pace. Company A is to go out and act as a left flank guard. It is to move by way of the eastern branch of the Carlisle Road while it is on this duty. You ought also to let your captains know all the information about the enemy which has been given to you by your colonel. You want Company B to be the advance party; you want it to go ahead of the remainder of the battalion so that there will be four hundred yards distance between it and the main body. You want to attach Lieutenant Kay, the Battalion Adjutant, and his orderly, to Company B. You want to direct the march of the advance party so that it will know where it is to go. You decide that it shall go by the railroad to the Carlisle Road, and then by the Stock Farm, and on down to the Boyd School House. You are going to be right behind the advance on the march. You want the combat wagons to move out right away, and you want them to go by the cross-roads which is one-quarter of a mile west of Goldenville, and then south on the Carlisle Road, and finally, to join the tail of Company D where the railroad crosses the road.

3.—You are the Company Commander of Company A of the preceding problem. You call your officers and non-commissioned officers together and you give them a verbal order. You tell them that your company is to march as the flank guard of the battalion to which you belong, and you tell them that the enemy possibly has about a regiment in Gettysburg; at least, that is the belief of the Regimental Commander. Your regiment is on its way to Gettysburg. The First Battalion and the machine gun company is going as the advance guard. You want to let your command know that all of the battalion, except yourselves is leaving on the road to the west. You want Lieutenant Johnson, the Second Lieutenant of your company, and the Fourth Platoon, to act as the advance guard to the flank guard, which is the duty on which the company is acting. You want this platoon to march by the country road east of the knoll marked 651, and then you want it to march along the east branch of the Carlisle Road. The distance you decide upon for the advance guard to be in front of the main body is 500 yards.

4.—You are Major Simpson, and you are halted with your battalion at the cross-roads 621, near Goldenville. Your mission is, with your battalion, to act as outpost during the coming night for your regiment; you have the machine gun company attached to you. You are operating toward the south. You want company C and one of the platoons of the machine gun company to take station on the ridge north of the point where you are. This ridge has the figure 707 on it. It shall be the duty of this detachment to secure that sector between Goldenville and Five Forks, just a little off the map, about 1,500 yards west of the Carlisle Road. You want Company C to establish communication with Texas by signals on this hill, where they are to be located. If you are going to be attacked on that hill, instead of falling back, you want them to hold the ridge. You want a platoon of Company C to be sent over to Hamilton Farm to act as a picket there. You have received reports from Lieutenant Finley of your command that there are no detachments of the enemy or patrols which have come north of the Stock Farm at any time. You want to tell your captains that the remainder of the outpost is going into camp at Texas, and that the regiment itself is moving into camp just north of the Conewago. You want the rations and baggage of Company C to be sent up to the company, but you want the wagons to be returned immediately after they have been there, to Texas for the night.

5.—You are in command of Company C which was to go to Hill 707 in the preceding problem. You want to notify your company what you are going to do; in other words, you want to deliver to them verbally your field order. For this purpose you assemble your officers and non-commissioned officers and the lieutenant who is in charge of the machine gun. You state that the outguards will be posted as follows: Corporal Browning, with his squad as No. 1, is to be posted at the Five Forks 679, three-quarters of a mile west of where you are; Corporal Martin, with his squad as No. 3, is to be posted at the road-fork numbered 621, which is on the Carlisle Road; Corporal Denton, with Privates Noonan, Ogden, and Prince will go as No. 4. His post will be posted at the railroad crossing in Goldenville. You, as Company Commander, deliver the information about the enemy which has been received through your major. Corporal Calhoun, with Johnson, Kelly, and Latham are to go as No. 2, and they are to be posted at the cross-roads 648, which is 500 yards west of the point where you are located—Goldenville. You state that this company and that a platoon of machine guns is to take station on the ridge to the north of the road on which you are located, and is to go as support to the outpost. Lieutenant Haskins will take the 4th platoon and will proceed as a picket down to the Hamilton Farm. This farm is a mile and a quarter south of here on the Carlisle Road. Lieutenant Haskins is to get some sort of flag communication with Hill 707. He is also to send small patrols down as far south as Boyd’s School House. Corporal Roberts will go to the top of Hill 707; he will take four signalers with him. He will get in communication with Texas and keep in communication. He will do the same for each one of the outguards and he will also do the same for Lieutenant Haskins’ picket.

6.—You are Major Perkins and you are in command of a squadron of cavalry. You are between Goldenville and the bottom of the map. You receive word that the enemy is somewhere to the north, and you get messages from your commanding officer stating that you are to go as independent cavalry for your brigade. Reports also come in to you that the enemy, which consists of about 1,000 men, is occupying Carlisle. You have assembled your captains, and you state to them that Troop A will make up the Advance Guard. You state also, that it will keep a small patrol about two or three miles to the front in the direction in which it is going. You tell Troop A, also, that its average rate of speed should be about four miles per hour, and that this rate includes halts. You know that your main body is going to march at 6 o’clock the next morning in the direction of Carlisle and you know that it is only going to advance 15 miles on that day. You know, also, that it is going by the Gettysburg—Table Rock—Center Mills—Carlisle Road. You want your main body to follow the advance guard, which you have already mentioned, so that there will be a distance between the advance guard and the main body of about a mile. The main body is to march from front to rear—Troops B, C, and D. You wish to inform everybody present that Lieutenant Butler and Sgt. Clifford are out with patrols and that these patrols are very far out to the flank of the line of march. You decide to ride in this march of the independent cavalry near the head of the main body. You want your officers to know that both of the patrols which you have just mentioned are going to send reports to you, and that these reports should arrive at the squadron when the main body is about two miles north of the Conewago. You desire wheel transportation of all kinds to join the advance of the main body of infantry back near Gettysburg.

7.—You are Captain Small in command of Troop A of the preceding problem. You are to constitute, as you remember, the advance guard of the squadron of independent cavalry. You wish to tell your officers and non-commissioned officers, whom you have assembled, that Lieutenant Butler and Sgt. Clifford are out with patrols, and you want to give them the information you have got from your major in regard to your own troops and the enemy. You want Corporal Dillingham to take four men and to go ahead of the troop. He is to go at a rate of about six miles per hour until Conewago Creek is crossed; after that, he is to go about four miles an hour. When he gets about a mile north of Gettysburg he is to take the right-hand road which goes through Table Rock and Center Mills. He is to give quick and prompt warning of the appearance of any of the enemy or hostile troops which he encounters. He is also to report promptly any places in the road which cannot be crossed by troops or vehicles. In fact, he is to report any information which will interfere with the march of the squadron. You, as the captain of the troop, are going to march between the advance party and the support.

8.—You are Major Adams and you are in command of a squadron of cavalry which is mounted and ready for action at D-6. You see a squadron of the enemy in an open field to the west, about 600 yards west of the woods where you are located. You see the guidons mounted, and you see that the remainder of the men are leading their horses into line or are saddling up. You note, also, through your glasses, that the guidons are facing in your direction. You note, also, that the wagons have left the camp and have gone around the woods just north. You call your captains together and you issue a verbal order—you have decided to attack the hostile squadron at once, and to attack that squadron while you are mounted. You want Troops D and C, commanded by Captain Denton, who is senior to Captain Clifford, to form the main attacking line. You want Captain Denton to take advantage of an opening in the woods which is about 150 yards to your front. He is to attack the enemy in close order, mounted, as soon as he has cleared the woods in which you are all located. You give to the captains the information which you have got through your field glasses. You also state that Captain Billings with his troop, Troop B, is to go in rear of Troops D and C and form the supporting line, keeping a distance of about 150 yards, and at the same time he is to look out for the right flank. You want Lieutenant Fink, who is the squadron adjutant, and who has seen the same things through his glasses as you have seen, to accompany Captain Denton with his two troops to the edge of the woods, where he is to point out to Captain Denton the enemy’s position. You yourself are going to be with the reserve. Captain Andrews with his troop, Troop A, is to constitute the reserve. Captain Andrews with his command is to follow the attacking line at a distance of 400 yards. He is to echelon his command with the left flank. You want the whole command to move out at once.

9.—You are General Temple and you are 700 yards northwest of Hermans with your brigade when you receive a message from Lieutenant Kline, Aeroplane No. 7. The substance of this message states that the left of the enemy has extended itself by a battalion from a regiment which is northwest of 501 cross-roads. He also states that there is another battalion from a regiment near 504, and that this battalion is moving toward Varney. He states that there is a regiment of artillery posted on Oak Ridge, and that there is another regiment of artillery which has its right flank at the Stock Farm and its left flank near 531 road fork. You assemble your regimental commanders and your cavalry commander; also, your artillery commander. You state that the artillery battalion which is with you is to go into a position near where you are and that it is to operate against the artillery of the enemy and the attacking infantry of the enemy. This your artillery battalion is to do at first, but later it will support your attack. The first battalion of the first infantry you want to have assigned as a support to the artillery. You want the first infantry, minus its first battalion which is going to go as support to the artillery, to advance in the direction of Herman’s Farm House; then it is to deploy and attack. It is to attack so that the right of the regiment will pass through the J. Weaver Farm House. The third infantry is to be the reserve; it will be under your command and it will move out and go forward to the Good Intent School House. The first platoon of Troop A and the first cavalry will take a position on the hill which is designated by the figures 651. This platoon will cover your right flank and report immediately any changes which take place in the disposition of the enemy. Your station for the slightly wounded will be at Table Rock. You are going to be at the Good Intent School House, where messages are going to reach you. Of course, you give your officers whom you have assembled, the contents of the aeroplane message which you received. You want the infantry combat wagons to assemble at Table Rock, and you want them to go there after all the troops have cleared the road. You want the second infantry to get under cover from the enemy and to go toward Hill 586; this hill is northeast of Varney. When they are deployed they will attack so that their left will pass through Hill 586.

10.—Major Quincy, in charge of the artillery battalion of the preceding problem, assembles the captains of his batteries and issues his instructions covered by the following data: he wishes Batteries A and B to attack the hostile artillery, and he wishes them to take up a position on the north end of the field near where the brigade is halted. He wants Battery C to go to Hill 592. From that point he wants that Battery to attack the hostile infantry. He gives to his commanders the information which was contained in the aeroplane message of the preceding problem. He also states that the enemy in superior force is attacking from the west. He points out also that between 3,000 and 4,000 yards to the southwest can be seen a long line of artillery of the enemy and that this artillery is in action. He also states that the first battalion of the first infantry, which is now marching down the road, which is the support of the artillery, will occupy Hill 592. Battery A’s target is to be the further half of the line of the enemy’s guns, and Battery B’s target is to be the nearer half. He states to his Battery Commanders that he has already marked the position that they are to occupy with their commands, and he tells them that they are to occupy this position at once and prepare for immediate action. He tells Battery A that the adjutant will give them the firing data and they are to range by volleys. They are to report to him when ready, and they are to be on the alert and await his order to commence firing. He also states that the advance cavalry is on the Hill 651 south of Goldenville, and that they are covering the right of the line. He wishes to tell his battery commanders that the infantry is marching in a general direction south, and that it is going from here to begin an attack against the left of the enemy. He wishes to tell them also that he is to be, during the action, on the left of Battery A.

CHAPTER X
THE OPERATION ORDER, ORDERS, LETTERS OF INSTRUCTION

Before August, 1914, the Operation order was the English term for our Field order. Both orders had the same functions and about the same form. At times, the term operation order was used by us to include only battle orders, but on the whole, the terms Operation orders and Field orders practically amounted to American and English designations of the same thing.

In the beginning of the present war, after a few weeks of open conflict, this kind of fighting in France gave way to a vast siege. The English found themselves, after some cross-country fighting, in the trenches. There the operation order which had provided for situations of march, halt, bivouac, and battle, was gradually made over to suit the peculiar needs of defenses, raids, and frontal attacks. The barrage fire, bombs, mortars, machine guns, and intricate lines of communication added to the number of details to be considered. Little by little the will of the commander expressed itself in such completeness that the former size of his operation order passed all bounds. It was natural, then, that although the scope and character of the English order steadily changed, its name remained the same.

When the Americans came to take part in the war, the operation order had during the previous years of struggle developed out of all resemblance to its former self. It was no longer a field order as we know the term. It was fully grown to meet the tremendous progress of English experience in the trenches. The consequence was that the American, finding both the state of siege and the order to cover it beyond his experience, associated the English name with the novel warfare. Thus, today, the operation order is a term used in connection with the disposition of troops on the battle fronts of Europe.

We should bear in mind, then, that the operation order is nothing more than a field order fitted to trench conditions. We must not gain the idea that it has supplanted the order which goes with mobile exercises on open ground. Open warfare began this conflict, and will, provided it be ended by martial victory, bring it to a close. Open warfare has been the rule on the long Russian, Italian, Serbian, Turkish, and Roumanian fronts. We must not be led astray in our estimate of the proportions because the front in France and Belgium is the most vital one to us from a strategic standpoint. Field orders, which are the accompaniments of open warfare, should still form the larger part of our study.

Nevertheless, the operation order is the order next in importance to the field order. It must be framed with mathematical precision under fire.

It has the greatest conciseness, but is not brief. It goes into the minutest details, but its details are tersely put. In certain parts it is telegraphic like the field message; in others it has completed sentences like those of the field order. It has an orderly arrangement of paragraphs and brief and unmistakable language. If we are able to compose a good field message and order, we should find, after we have familiarized ourselves with the technique of the trenches, that the construction of the operation order will fall naturally into place in our minds.

Unfortunately, we are forbidden to place an example of one of our own operation orders upon these pages. But we may have the opportunity of viewing a German one, which contains the principles of our own. The example given was issued by a regimental commander for a raid. The action actually took place near La Boisselle, April 11, 1916.

110th Reserve Infantry Regiment. In the field, 6th April, 1916.

Regimental Orders for a Raid on the Spion

1. The raid will probably take place at dusk the 11th of April.

2. Organization of the raiding party—

In command.—Captain Wagener, assisted by Lieutenant Boening, Assistant-Surgeon Wisser, one bugler and six stretcher bearers.

Patrol commanders.—Lieutenants Stradtmann, Freund, Dumas, and Böhlefeld.

Raiding party.—50 men of the 110th Reserve Infantry Regiment and four Pioneers of the 1st Reserve Company, 13th Pioneer Battalion.

3. Upon the day fixed, the raiding party will be assembled in Dug-outs Nos. 1-10, on the right wing of the left-hand battalion. Dug-out No. 9 will be used as advanced regimental command post.

The assaulting party must not exceed three officers and 30 men. The remaining officers and men will be at Captain Wagener’s disposal for use as supports.

Captain Wagener’s Orders—Appendix 1.

Shortly after dusk the assaulting party will leave the Blaue Stellung by Sap No. 3 with the object of breaking into the enemy’s position in the neighborhood of the Süd Spion, from which point the enemy’s trenches will be cleared northwards, if possible, as far as the Spion. Unless prevented by the enemy’s fire, the raiding party will return to our Blaue Stellung by the same way.

Table of distribution of artillery fire—Appendix 2.

4. For 25 minutes before the commencement of the raid, the artillery will prepare for the assault by shelling the enemy’s trenches between Besenhecke and the Windmühle, and also the Weisse Steinmauer. During the raid the artillery will control by its fire all the enemy’s trenches likely to prove a source of danger to the enterprise.

Special Orders for feint attack—Appendix 3.

5. In order to draw the fire of the enemy’s artillery away from the spot to be raided, a feint attack against the enemy’s position just north of La Boiselle Cemetery will start 15 minutes after the artillery opens fire.

Special Orders for this bombardment—Appendix 4.

6. In order that the registration of the objective by the heavy artillery and Minenwerfer shall not be apparent, on the morning of the day before the raid—probably the 10th April—a feint bombardment of Target-sectors 76-79 will be carried out, combined with a mine explosion, with the object of misleading the enemy. The exact time will be fixed beforehand by the artillery commander, Officer Commanding Ersatz Abteilung, 76th Artillery Regiment.

7. The machine gun officer will arrange that, during the whole time of the raid, the enemy’s rear trenches in Target-sectors 76-81 are kept under a constant fire, with a view to causing him all possible loss, and, at the same time, to safeguarding our patrol against counter-attacks.

8. The Officer Commanding 1st Reserve Company, 13th Pioneer Battalion, will arrange for a gallery of the left-hand minefield to be ready charged by the morning of the day before the raid, and for a gallery of the right-hand minefield to be ready charged by the evening of the raid. The former will be sprung at the conclusion of the feint bombardment, the latter as an introduction to the feint attack.

From today, the “earth mortars” (Erdmörser) will systematically cut the enemy’s wire opposite the Blinddarm. On the day before the raid, they will coöperate with all other close-range weapons to assist in the feint bombardment of Target-sectors 76-78. On the evening of the raid, they will assist in the feint attack by bombarding Target-sectors 76 and 77 (see Appendices 3 and 4).

Throughout the raid, the “ Albrecht-Mörser,” in position on the Lehmgrubenhöhe, will heavily bombard the enemy’s trenches in the Nordrondell. Particular care will be taken that the enemy’s machine guns do not interfere with the raid from that quarter (see Appendix 1).

9. The Officer Commanding 228th Minenwerfer Company will register the enemy’s wire at the point of entry with one heavy and two medium Minenwerfer in the course of the feint bombardment on the day before the raid. He will also take part in this bombardment and fire 30 medium Minenwerfer shells at the Weisse Steinmauer (see Appendix 4). On the afternoon of the same day, with both medium Minenwerfer mounted in the Minenwerfer Weg, he will cut the enemy’s wire at 76y, and throughout the whole night and the following day will keep up a desultory fire.

On the evening of the raid, the wire in front of the point of entry of the raiding party will be cut on a width of 50 meters by the heavy and two medium Minenwerfer (see Appendix 1). Meanwhile, the two other medium Minenwerfer will take part in the feint attack against 76y (see Appendix 3). The light Minenwerfer at the disposal of the 228th Minenwerfer Company will take part in the feint bombardment and in the feint attack, in accordance with the orders (para. 8) issued for the close-range weapons of the 1st Reserve Company, 13th Pioneer Battalion (see Appendices 3 and 4). The Officer Commanding 228th Minenwerfer Company will receive further detailed instructions from Captain Wagener.

10. On the evening of the raid, battalions will hold themselves in a state of readiness for an alarm. Arrangements will be made that, in the event of the enemy opening a barrage on our trenches, as may well happen, the number of sentries will be reduced to a minimum. Gas masks and other gas equipment must be held ready for use.

11. I shall be at the regimental command post from the morning of the day before the raid. From 6 p. m. of the evening of the raid, I shall be in the advanced regimental command post in Dug-out No. 9 on the right wing of the left-hand battalion. Captain Wagener will maintain constant communication with me. The artillery liaison officer will also be with me.

(Signed) FRHR. V. VIETINGHOFF.

Distribution
{ Headquarters2
{ 3 Battalions3
110th Reserve
Infantry
Regiment		{ 12 Companies12
{ Labor Company1
{ 1st Machine Gun Company1
{ 2nd Machine Gun Company2
{ 55th Machine Gun Section1
{ Captain Wagener2
29th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment1
Ersatz Abteilung, 176th Field Artillery Regiment1
1st Abteilung, 29th Regiment Field Artillery1
1st Reserve Company, 13th Pioneer Battalion1
228th Minenwerfer Company1
Division1
Brigade1
109th Reserve Infantry Regiment1
111th Reserve Infantry Regiment1
Spare copies5
37

APPENDIX I

Special Orders for the Raid on the Spion

1. Organization of the raiding party—

Commander.—Captain Wagener; with him, Bugler Held.

Stradtmann’s patrol.—Lieutenant Stradtmann and 10 men.

Dumas’ patrol.—Lieutenant Böhlefeld and 10 men.

Supports, at my disposal.—Lieutenant Freund and 24 men.

In addition to the latter party, at my disposal—Boening, and Assistant-Surgeon Wiser and six stretcher bearers.

2. Dress and equipment.—Attack order without greatcoat or cap, belts to be worn without pouches, gas masks to be slung and tucked into tunic.

The Stradtmann, Dumas, and Böhlefeld patrols will each be equipped, half with rifles and half with pistols and wire-cutters.

The supports will carry rifles, five men will carry pistols, each man will carry two grenades.

As a distinguishing mark each man will wear a triangle of white linen sewn on the breast and back.

Minutes. O′ The time of starting will be communicated, in good time, on the day of the raid.

3. Time table.—The artillery will open fire with gas shells on the enemy’s trenches on both sides of the point of entry and on the objectives opposite the southwest corner of La Boisselle, where the feint attack is to take place.

For a quarter of an hour, all the enemy’s trenches likely to prove of importance to the raiding party will be brought under fire. At the same time, the close-range weapons of the 1st Reserve Company, 13th Pioneer Battalion, with the two medium and the light Minenwerfer of the 228th Minenwerfer Company, will fire with maximum rapidity on the enemy’s trenches opposite the southwest corner of La Boisselle.

7′

The one heavy and two medium Minenwerfer of the 228th Minenwerfer Company will open fire with the object of cutting the wire in front of the point of entry.

14′45″

On the right flank of the minefield a shallow gallery will be fired.

15′

The artillery, which was firing on the southwest corner of La Boiselle, will increase its range and shell the trenches in rear.

The close-range weapons will cease fire.

The machine guns will sweep communication trenches in this sector and in the Galgen.

15′30″

In the Blinddarm and just south of the same, isolated groups of dummies will be exposed in order to make the enemy think an attack is pending. From now on, artillery and Minenwerfer fire will increase to its maximum intensity on the real objective.

The “Albrecht-Mörser” of the 1st Reserve Company, 13th Pioneer Battalion, in position on the Lehmgrubenhöhe, will bombard the Nordrondell with the utmost intensity.

20′

The patrols will leave their dug-outs and take up their positions in readiness, in accordance with direct orders received from me, in the Hohlweg by Sap No. 3.

23′

Stradtmann’s patrol will leave the Hohlweg at “a” and crawl forward as far as “b.”

Lieutenant Boening will post the stretcher bearers as connecting files between Stradtmann’s patrol and myself.

25′

The artillery will lift its fire from the objective between Besenhecke and the Windmühle to the targets in rear, and will open a barrage on those of the enemy’s trenches which may prove a source of danger to the raid.

The Minenwerfer will cease fire.

The machine guns will open fire on positions in rear and on the communication trenches which lead to the objective from both sides.

The “Albrecht-Mörser” of the 1st Reserve Company, 13th Pioneer Battalion, on the Lehmgrubenhöhe, will continue to bombard the Nordrondell. All close-range weapons and the artillery, which from 0′ to 15′ had been bombarding the enemy’s position opposite the southwest corner of La Boisselle, will reopen fire on these targets with renewed vigor.

25′15″

Stradtmann’s patrol will break into the enemy’s trenches at the Süd Spion and, at point 1 (see Sketch No. 1), will defend the point of entry from the direction of the enemy.

On orders received from me personally, Dumas’ patrol will follow Stradtmann’s patrol and advance southwards along the enemy’s trench as far as point 2.

On orders received from me personally also, Böhlefeld’s patrol will follow Dumas’ patrol and, once in the enemy’s trench, will push on towards the Spion.

The stretcher bearers will act as connecting files between Stradtmann’s patrol and myself.

The supports will hold themselves in readiness at 4, so as to be able to push on after the other patrols immediately on receipt of an order from me.

If the enemy opens a barrage on our position and on the Hohlweg before the patrols come out of their dug-outs, I shall either lead the patrol to the enemy’s position by another route, or cancel the raid.

4. Duty of the patrols.—As many of the enemy as possible must be made prisoners; in addition, rifles, machine guns, rifle grenade stands, trench mortars, etc., as well as filled packs are to be brought back. Should it be found impossible to carry back all the booty owing to the small numbers of the raiding party, but if, as far as regards the enemy’s fire it could be done, report will be passed on to me by Stradtmann’s patrol.

5. Return.—On a signal given by Lieutenant Stradtmann, or on the “Charge” being blown by my bugler, the raiding party will make its way back from the Süd Spion to the Hohlweg by the shortest way, and immediately make for the same dug-outs whence it started. In the dug-outs, I shall ascertain whether everyone has returned. Prisoners and booty will be taken into the dug-outs.

During the raid, if the enemy should open a heavy barrage on the trenches on the Schwabenhohe and on the Hohlweg, the raiding party will remain in the enemy’s trench and acquaint me of the fact by firing a red flare. I shall then endeavor to reach the party and lead them back by some other way. Should I not arrive, the senior officer present will lead the entire party.

6. Assistant-Surgeon Wisser will organize No. 1 Dug-out as a first aid post and will remain there until the conclusion of the raid.

7. Until the 15th minute I shall be in the advanced regimental command post; after that time in the Hohlweg, which will be connected by telephone with the advanced regimental command post.

(Signed) WAGENER,
Captain and Company Commander.

Verbally and in writing to
participants in the raid.

Copy to the regiment.

W.

To quote Appendices 2, 3, and 4 would take up too much space and would add very little to the purpose of the example. Number 2 consists of a five-page table of the kinds and time of fire, the batteries of fire, and the targets; number 3, of detailed orders for a feint attack; and number 4, for a feint bombardment.

The object of the quotation is to show the accuracy and detail of an operation order. Since the German subject matter and treatment are about the same as our own, we ought to gain from it a conception of the requirements of framing an operation order.

Note.—The meager space devoted to the Operation Order in this course of lessons should in no way reflect on its relative importance among military communications. Only because the treatment of our own examples is forbidden and because our experience is slight, do we leave it without further practice. Those who are armed with the confidential documents of the War Department may look into our own operation order more closely; and those who have conscientiously applied themselves to the work of the preceding lessons ought to have no trouble with its composition.