The Problem
Situation No. 4:
You, Major A, have arrived at this point. You have had a conference with the commander of the 2nd battalion, made a reconnaissance of the position and determined the location of the units to be relieved.
The latter are as follows:
Company E occupies the right half of the sector with all three platoons on the firing line.
Company F occupies the left half of the sector with two platoons and a part of the third in the firing line and the remainder of the third as local support.
Company C is located in fox holes at —— (indicate the location) as battalion reserve. A part of the company has participated in the day’s action but the men are all now at the location indicated.
Company D has one platoon divided among the assault companies, and the company (less this platoon) is with the battalion reserve with guns located to cover approaches and to execute overhead harassing fire on enemy back areas.
Detachments of the Howitzer Company are in position in the platoon sectors and are to remain with the 1st battalion for tomorrow’s attack.
The battalion headquarters company has taken over the intelligence duties, the communications net and the message center.
It is now —— o’clock p. m.
The enemy occupies the —— (give general location of front lines).
There is considerable shelling throughout the area and occasional bursts of machine gun and rifle fire along the entire battle front.
Your company commanders are assembled here in accordance with the instructions contained in your last order.
Required:
Your orders and instructions.
Procedure
The Director will read the situation aloud, make such explanations as may be necessary and point out the places mentioned. One or more members of the class will be called upon to state their understanding of the tactical situation at this time.
Solution
The Director: “Lieutenant Wallace, we have now to consider the orders and instructions that Major A would issue to his assembled Company commanders. What is the first thing you would put into the Major’s order?”
Lieutenant Wallace: “The Major has been out to the front and made a personal reconnaissance as far as practicable. He has interviewed the Commander of the 2nd battalion and the officers of his staff who have detailed information as to the situation. He ought to have pretty definite information of just how the different elements of the 2nd battalion are disposed. He should give his Company Commanders all of this information in the first paragraph of the order. We note that this information is all contained in Situation No. 3.”
The Director: “What would you include in the next paragraph of the order, Lieutenant Ralston?”
Lieutenant Ralston: “My plan, to the effect that our battalion is to relieve the 2nd battalion.”
Captain Harvey: “But we are going to do more than that. We are going to make the attack tomorrow morning. It seems to me that the Major would include in the order all the instructions he wants to give the Company Commanders not only for the relief, but for the attack also. What do you think about that, sir?”
The Director: “The Major would certainly not let his Company Commanders get away without giving them all the instructions possible regarding the part they are to play in the attack tomorrow morning. But there are several things that he must get from higher up before he can complete his plans for the attack and give them to his Company Commanders. He must know the time the attack is to begin. He must know about the artillery preparation and the rate of advance of the rolling barrage. He must have information regarding the cooperation of the tanks. While he is waiting for this information, which he momentarily expects, he will go ahead and issue his orders for the relief. Then if the other essential information is not at hand by the time the Company Commanders must join their companies, he will issue as much of the attack order as possible and leave the rest to go out later. He certainly will not let his Captains get away until they have all the instructions it is possible to give them up to the time it is necessary for them to leave—the arrangements to continue the attack tomorrow morning.”
Captain Harvey: “Those are the points I wanted to know about.”
The Director: “Now, Captain Hodges, what is the next part of the order?”
Captain Hodges: “The tactical dispositions. Orders for each element of the battalion. Designate the relieving unit and the unit to be relieved. For example: ‘Company A will relieve Company E.’ This same form will pertain with all the elements of the battalion.”
The Director: “Just how much detail would you include? To what extent would you go in prescribing the formation of the company when the relief is completed? For instance: Company E has all three platoons in the assault echelon at this time. Would you want Company A to do the same and hold out no company supports?”
Captain Hodges: “Now, that is quite a point. I had not thought of it. I might assume that Captain A would take up the proper formation without my specifying it, but to make sure I believe I would add another sentence or two and specify the formation. I should say he ought to have two platoons in the assault echelon and one held out as local support. I think it would be better to specify that. There would be less chance for a misunderstanding. I would also give these same instructions to the Captain of Company B.”
The Director: “I think you are right. It will certainly do no harm. In any event you have no doubt as to what you want done. Now, what about the machine gun company, Captain James? You will note that there is only one platoon up on the lines now. The rest of the company is back with the reserve with their guns covering the approaches and set up for overhead fire on back areas. Do you want to leave them that way?”
Captain James: “No, sir. I think I would need the supporting fire of all the machine guns in the ‘jump off’ tomorrow morning. I would assign one platoon to support Company A and the company (less 1 platoon) to support Company B. I think that would be better. If the attack goes over with a good gain in ground tomorrow morning the machine guns will not be able to keep up with it, and the Major will have an opportunity to make an adjustment of their position in the battalion. I certainly would want the advantage of their fire in the ‘jump off.’”
The Director: “I think you are right. Let us decide on that disposition.”
Explanation
The Director: “Now, there is another point I want to bring out at this time. You have pictured in your own mind this formation and advance of one battalion of Infantry and the relief and retirement of another. Along side of you to the right are two other battalions going through the same process. The same is happening to your left and all along the line. Behind you there are other battalions effecting reliefs. There are batteries of artillery and transport vehicles, innumerable. In other words the back area of a force in action is crowded with troops. There is much activity effecting reliefs, getting up supplies and ammunition and evacuating the wounded.
“The enemy is doing these same things. His back areas are just as crowded as our own. He is no better off than we are in this respect.
“It is our job to interfere with him as much as possible—to prevent or curtail movement, and inflict losses on him. The wounding or killing of one man by harassing fire will have no effect on the outcome of the war, but if we can kill and wound a thousand every night it will in time have its effect.
“The enemy can get away from artillery fire by avoiding shelled areas but he cannot get away from rifle and machine gun harassing fire for he never knows when and where it is going to come.
“If there is sufficient small arms ammunition available and it can be gotten up to the riflemen and machine gunners on the front lines the back areas of the enemy can be made a perfect ‘hell-hole’ by means of systematic harassing fire.
“Many of the men whom our men will relieve tonight will have ammunition in bandoliers with them. By having our men take over this ammunition and expending it tonight we can get a big increase in fire over the enemy back areas. Our ammunition supply for tomorrow will not be impaired. The men being relieved will be re-supplied when they get back to the regimental reserve. I think arrangements should be made for this procedure by the Major.”
Procedure
The Director: “The Major has made arrangements with the Commanding Officer 2nd battalion as to when the command of the sector is to pass to the 1st battalion. He will now have to tell his company commanders when their full responsibility is to devolve upon them for their respective sectors within the battalion. What would you do about that, Lieutenant Baker?”
Lieutenant Baker: “When a relief is made in larger commands the orders state the hour when the command is to pass to the relieving troops. But in a case like this I judge that it passes when the relief is completed. In order to make sure that the point is understood I would specify:
“‘Command of company sectors will pass when reliefs have been completed.’”
The Director: “I think that would be a good idea.”
Lieutenant Baker: “There is another point that should be included in the order. Let us say I am Captain B. My company is relieving Company F on the lines. The Captain of Company F either has not received definite orders as to what he is to do on being relieved or has overlooked the instructions in the confusion. It seems to me that it might be well for the Major to tell us just what Major B’s instructions are as to that point. It might save a lot of confusion in getting the 2nd battalion troops disengaged and out of the battalion sector. It might save a lot of casualties from men wandering around in the darkness for my section and squad leaders to be able to tell the men they are relieving just where to go.”
The Director: “I do not know that such instructions have a place in the regular order form. But I see no objection to putting it in. It can do no harm I am sure.
“Now, the Major will want to know when the reliefs have been completed and he will give instructions to that effect. He will then announce the location of the battalion command post and this will complete the details of the order.
“Now, I want each member of the class to write out Major A’s orders for the relief of the 2nd battalion.”
The necessary time is allowed for this. When completed the Director will call upon one or more of the members of the class to read his orders aloud and comments are invited from other members of the class.
The Director will then distribute the mimeograph sheets containing the Major’s order and an opportunity will be given the members of the class to compare the work with the solution presented.
The Major’s order will be as follows:
Solution
“The enemy occupies (describe the enemy’s front line in the necessary detail in the light of information gained by the Major’s reconnaissance).
“Our 2nd battalion is in close contact all along the line. Troops are disposed as follows in the battalion sector:
“Company E, right half of sector, with all three platoons on the line. Right of company at —— (describe location).
“Company F, left half of sector, with two platoons and part of the third on the line and the remainder as local support. Left of company at —— (describe location).
“Company G is located at —— (indicate location of company).
“Company H has one platoon divided among the assault companies and the company (less 1 platoon) is in the battalion reserve with guns now located to cover approaches and execute overhead harassing fire in the enemy back areas.
“This battalion will relieve the 2nd battalion.
“The Headquarters’ Company will relieve the Headquarters’ Company, 2nd battalion, and take over the duties pertaining thereto.
“Company A will relieve Company E in the right sector with two platoons in the assault echelon and one as local support.
“Company B will relieve Company F in the left sector with two platoons in the assault echelon and one as local support.
“Company C will relieve Company G as battalion reserve.
“Company D will relieve Company H, one platoon will support Company A and the company (less 1 platoon) will support Company B.
“Detachments of the Howitzer Company are to remain with the battalion. Company commanders will confer with the commanders of detachments in their respective sectors and arrange for the support of their special weapons. Men of Companies A and B will take over from the men of Companies E and F whom they relieve, all ammunition in bandoliers, which will be expended to keep up harassing fire during the remainder of the night, with a view to curtailing movement within the enemy lines. Company D will take over surplus ammunition from Company H and expend it for the same purpose. The regular ammunition supply will be reserved for the action tomorrow.
“Command of company sectors will pass when reliefs have been completed.
“When relieved, troops of the 2nd Battalion are to fall back to the line —— (describe).
“Report when reliefs are effected.
“Battalion C. P. at ——.”
Approach March and Deployment Card No. 4
Director’s Key
1. Conduct class to the point where the company commanders have been ordered to assemble to meet the Major.
2. Distribute Situation No. 4, read aloud, and make necessary explanations.
3. Contents of Order: Information of enemy obtained by reconnaissance and reports; plan of commander; question of including orders for attack also; zero hour; artillery preparation; progress of barrage; tactical dispositions; orders for each element of command; orders for machine gun units; when command passes; action to be taken by troops when relieved.
4. Have members of class write out the Major’s order. When completed distribute the mimeograph sheets containing the solution. Read orders and compare.