The Problem
Situation No. 3:
It is assumed that the advance guard has been marching for a period of two hours.
You, Captain A, marching at the head of the support of the advance guard, have reached this point. Nothing has occurred to change the initial formation of the advance guard.
Required:
Point out the formation and location of the various elements of the advance guard at this moment.
Procedure
A few minutes are allowed the members of the class to look over the situation and get their new bearings. The Director reads the situation aloud and inquires whether there are any questions, which he endeavors to answer.
Explanation
The Director: “You will note that the situation indicates that the advance guard is assumed to have been marching for two hours. This would make the distance we have marched a little more than 5 miles. As a matter of fact, we have only come a few hundred yards from our starting point. You will have to draw on your imagination in this matter, disregard all things behind you, and consider only those to the front. It would consume too much time to actually go the distance assumed and it is not necessary to do so, for we are now on new terrain, which serves our purpose equally as well as if we were the full distance of 5 miles farther to the front.”
Procedure
The Director: “What are the several elements of the advance guard, Lieutenant Williams?”
Lieutenant Williams: “First, we have the point, which is the small body of men farthest to the front; next, we have a connecting file between the point and the advance party; next comes the advance party, then the connecting files between the advance party and the support, and finally the support, which is right here on the road.”
The Director: “Captain Hastings, what is the strength and disposition of these several elements of the advance guard?”
Captain Hastings: “The point is composed of one complete squad commanded by a sergeant. It is in patrol formation, marching on the road with a distance of about 20 to 25 yards between each pair of men. The point precedes the advance party by a distance of about 150 to 200 yards. The connecting file between that point and advance party marches so that he can keep both of these bodies in sight. He has no fixed place where he is to march—”
Lieutenant Wallace (interrupting): “Right there is a point that I want to bring up. I can conceive of a situation where the connecting file could not keep both bodies in sight all the time—for example, on a winding road or in hilly country. What does he do in that case?”
The Director: “Under those circumstances the commander of the advance party would have to send out a sufficient number of men for this duty, so as to insure communication being kept up at all times. It is simply a problem to be solved by the advance party commander. Captain Hastings, proceed with your discussion.”
Captain Hastings: “Next comes the advance party composed of the first platoon, less one squad and connecting file, commanded by Lieutenant W. It is marching with a column of files on each side of the road at easy marching distances. The connecting files between the advance party and support march so that they can keep both bodies in communication with each other all the time. The distance between the advance party and support is about 400 yards. Now comes the support, composed of the company, less the first platoon and connecting files with the advance party, which marches in a column of squads on the road. Following is the main body of the battalion, at a distance of about 500 yards.”
The Director: “Lieutenant Ralston, what provisions are made for flank protection?”
Lieutenant Ralston: “I do not think that any flank protection is necessary at this time. No considerable body of the enemy will get between our column and the main body of our brigade. If they did they would be doomed to destruction. On the other flank the country is open, so that no patrols are needed in that direction. I do not believe in wearing men out on flank patrol duty when there is no necessity for it.”
Explanation
The Director: “That is exactly the point that I wanted to bring out. There is no necessity for wearing men out on flank patrol duty beating their way over rough country and climbing fences, when they accomplish no useful purpose. Never send out a flank patrol unless there is some sound tactical reason for it. Then when the time comes and there is necessity for patrols, your men will be found ready to put forth superhuman efforts, if need be, to help you accomplish your mission. If you are in contact with the enemy, or there is immediate danger of such contact, flank patrols may be necessary and a commander should not hesitate to send them out. On the solution of these small tactical problems, that confront a commander in actual service, will determine your success or failure as a leader. You must ever keep in mind that it is a combination of these small tactical situations that go to make up the big military operations on which the fate of a nation may depend.”
Procedure
The Director: “Now, I want each member of the class to make a rough sketch of the road occupied by the advance guard and show on it the dispositions of the advance guard.”
Some 10 or 15 minutes should be allowed for this. After the sketches are completed they should be collected and passed back to the members of the class—taking care to see that no man gets his own solution back again. The members of the class should be invited to make any criticism of the sketch he has in his possession and following this the next situation should be proceeded with.
Advance Guard Card No. 3
Director’s Key
1. Conduct the class to the place where the situation is to be taken up for solution.
2. Hand out Situation No. 3. Read Situation aloud.
3. Explain why Situation is taken up at this point instead of five miles farther on.
4. Proceed with problem: Elements of the advance guard; strength and disposition of the elements of the advance guard; connecting files; flank protection.
5. Explain flank patrols.
6. Make sketch of road showing the formation of the advance guard.
Procedure
The class is now conducted to the point selected for the next tactical situation. This should be several hundred yards in advance of the point where Situation No. 3 was staged. The slips bearing Situation No. 4 are passed out to members of the class.