The Problem
Situation No. 2:
You, Lieutenant M, have joined your platoon here. The platoon has been designated to form support No. 1. The Captain’s order was as follows:
“Lieutenant M, with the first platoon will form support No. 1, which, posted on the road at ——, will cover the front from —— (inclusive) to —— (inclusive).”
Required:
Carry out your mission.
Procedure
The Director reads Situation No. 2 aloud and explains that each member of the class should now consider himself to be Lieutenant M, commanding the first platoon, designated to form support No. 1.
Solution
The Director: “Lieutenant Hunt, how would you go about carrying out your mission?”
Lieutenant Hunt: “I would first size up the situation and arrive at a decision as to what I am going to do and how I am going to do it.”
The Director: “How is security provided for during the time that the outpost is being posted?”
Lieutenant Hunt: “By sending out some troops to cover the posting of the outguards. This is sometimes provided for by the outpost commander detailing a unit for the purpose of covering all the outguards and then withdrawing to the reserve. The alternative is to have each support cover the posting of its own outguards. The latter system has been adopted in this problem, and we will have to provide our own covering troops.”
The Director: “What troops would you detail for this duty?”
Lieutenant Hunt: “I would send out the first section (less the squad on duty as point) under the section commander. I would have the point withdraw to the support as soon as the covering troops have taken over the duty of security.”
The Director: “That seems to be a reasonable solution. Into what parts is an outpost support divided, Lieutenant Barry?”
Lieutenant Barry: “Into the support proper and the outguards. From the outguards sentinels are posted.”
The Director: “What are the duties assigned to each of the component parts of the support?”
Lieutenant Barry: “The support proper is the fighting element of the outpost. It is posted on the line where the outpost will make its stand. The outguards with their sentinels from the observation element. They are posted on the line of observation.”
Captain Hall: “That may be the usual line up for the support. But is it not a fact that sometimes the outguards are posted on the fighting line?”
The Director: “Yes. It may be that the line of observation is also the best fighting line for the supports. In that case we say ‘the line of observation and the line of resistance coincide’—that is, they are the same. When we issue the order for the support we make provision for that by stating: ‘In case of attack the outguards will be supported.’ This means that the outguards will hold their positions and the supports will come up to them in case the enemy attacks.”
Captain Hall: “In that case, why not place the support right up on the line of resistance in the first place?”
The Director: “Lieutenant Baker, can you answer Captain Hall’s question?”
Lieutenant Baker: “I believe I can give a reason for it. If we should place the support right up on the line of outguards we would commit it to one position, and in case of attack it would be difficult to move it to meet the enemy’s main effort. If we keep it at a central point to the rear of the line, we can readily move it to any point where it may be most needed.”
The Director: “You are right. We do not want to commit our support to action until we find out the direction of the enemy’s attack. The shifting of troops along a front line is a most difficult and hazardous operation. I hope you see the point, Captain Hall.”
Captain Hall: “Yes, sir. I do.”[[12]]
The Director: “How many outguards do you think are required on the front assigned to the support, Captain Jones?”
Captain Jones: “I should have one on the main road leading toward the enemy; another on the right of the road in the vicinity of —— (indicating); and another to the left of the road in the vicinity of —— (indicating). I think this would be sufficient for observation purposes.”
The Director: “Upon what main elements do you base the strength of these outguards?”
Captain Jones: “On the number of sentinel posts they must maintain. If a double sentinel post is required, a sentry squad should be allotted to the outguard. If only a single sentinel is required, the outguard should be a cossack post.”
The Director: “That is exactly the point I wanted to bring out. We will take it up in detail later on in the problem. Let us assume that three outguards will be required to cover the front. No. 1, on the right of the road, is to be a sentry squad; No. 2, posted on the road, is also to be a sentry squad; and No. 3, posted on the left of the road, is to be a cossack post. How many men in a cossack post, Captain Hodges?”
Captain Hodges: “A non-commissioned officer and three men. This number furnishes a commander for the post and three reliefs for a single sentinel post.”
The Director: “That is correct. Are there any questions on the points that we have been discussing?”[[13]]
Solution
The Director: “We are now ready to issue Lieutenant M’s order for the establishment of support No. 1. Captain Hodges, please tell us the first and second paragraphs of the order.”
Captain Hodges: “I would tell the men about where the enemy is and all I know about our own troops and then tell them what we are going to do.”
The Director: “All right. Now, assume that you are Lieutenant M, and the rest of us here are the members of your platoon. Put all you have said in the form of an order to us.”
Captain Hodges: “You want me to do everything I would do if I were Lieutenant M?”
The Director: “Exactly.”
Captain Hodges: “I would give the command: 1. Platoon, 2. ATTENTION, and order CLOSE UP. I assume that the men are in columns of files, one on each side of the road. I then give the command AT EASE, and caution the men, ‘Let me have your attention.’ I direct, ‘Noncommissioned officers assemble here.’ I then give the order for the establishment of the support as follows:
“‘Small detachments of the enemy have been reported at (h) and (i). Our 3rd Battalion is halted for the night at (k). Our regiment (less the 2nd and 3rd Battalions) is halted for the night at (l). Our Battalion halts for the night at (m). Our company furnishes the outpost with the second platoon (less one section) as support No. 2 at —— and the remainder of the company as reserve at —— March conditions have ceased.
“‘This platoon forms support No. 1.’”
The Director: “Captain Harvey, what does the third paragraph of the order deal with?”
Captain Harvey: “With the disposition of troops.”
The Director: “Will you state what you think should go into it?”
Captain Harvey: “Yes, sir. I think it should be as follows:
“‘Sergeant X, with the first section (less one squad), will cover the posting of the outguards, and on completion of that duty withdraw to the support.
“‘Corporal W, with the fourth squad, will form outguard No. 1, which, posted in the vicinity of ——, will cover the front from —— (inclusive) to —— (inclusive).
“‘Corporal V, with the fifth squad, will form outguard No. 2, which, posted on the main road at —— will cover the front from —— (exclusive) to —— (exclusive).
“‘Corporal T, with the front rank of the sixth squad, will form outguard No. 3, which, posted at ——, will cover the front from —— (inclusive) to —— (inclusive). Communication with outguard No. 1 of support No. 2 will be maintained.
“‘The remainder of the platoon will be posted at —— as support.
“‘In case of attack the outguards will be supported.’”
The Director: “Lieutenant Ralston, what elements does the rest of the order contain?”
Lieutenant Ralston: “The next paragraph contains the administrative arrangements. In the platoon the main thing is the messing of the men. They will all want to know about the arrangements for meals. I would say:
“‘Meals will be distributed to the outguards by details from the support.’
“The next item is the designation of the place where to send messages.
“Message to the support.”
“I would then direct: MOVE OUT.”
Procedure
The Director: “I believe we have gone over and discussed the salient features of the problem. Now, I desire each member of the class to write out Lieutenant M’s order on his pad. Try to get it in the proper form and use as far as possible the wording as stated by Captain Hodges, Captain Harvey and Lieutenant Ralston.”
When the written orders have been completed they are disposed of in the same manner as indicated under Situation No. 1.
Outpost Card No. 2
Director’s Key
1. Conduct class to point on road where advance party is halted.
2. Hand out Situation No. 2. Read and explain that each member of the class is now supposed to be Lieutenant M.
3. Security while outpost troops are getting into position.
4. Main elements of support line—observation, resistance. When they coincide. Location of support.
5. Number of outguards required. Basis of strength of outguards; sentinel posts; sentry squads; cossack posts.
6. Details of Lieutenant M’s order. Information of enemy and own troops. Plan of commander. Disposition of troops: Three outguards, location, strength, front each is to cover, location of support, action in case of attack. Meals. Messages.
7. Have class write order. Collect solutions and redistribute them. Read and discuss solutions.
Explanation
The Director: “The next phase of our problem deals with the matter of covering the posting of the outguards. In the posting of the outguards there will unavoidably be more or less moving around and exposure to view of the enemy’s patrols, should any be lurking in the vicinity. The non-commissioned officers will be seeking out the best positions for their outguards, selecting observation posts for their sentinels and making arrangements for defense. The officers will be moving from point to point along the line making inspections, pointing out errors, rectifying the position of the various elements and making a sketch of the sector covered.
“In order that all of this may be accomplished in security, it is necessary to have covering detachments well out to the front to prevent small parties of the enemy interfering with the work in hand or making observations that would enable them to form an estimate of the position occupied by the outposts.
“There are two methods by which the covering force may accomplish its mission:
“1. It may deploy as a line of skirmishers at greatly extended intervals.
“2. It may cover the front with a number of small patrols.
“No hard and fast rule can be laid down that will provide for all contingencies. The first method has the disadvantage of being most difficult for the non-commissioned officers to control the action of the men. The second method possesses the great advantage of having each group directly under the control of a leader, so that in case the enemy’s patrols are encountered and it is necessary to drive them back, there can be concert of action instead of dependence on the decisions of individual men as to what is to be done in the emergency. The method to be employed will depend upon circumstances, the nature of the country, the number of men available for the duty and the proximity of the enemy. It may be advisable to use a combination of the two systems.”