The Problem
Situation No. 4:
You, Corporal V, have been given the fifth squad, and ordered to establish outguard No. 2 in this vicinity. You have arrived at this point with your squad.
Required:
How will you carry out your mission?
Procedure
The Director reads the problem aloud and calls upon one or more members of the class to explain their understanding of it.
The Director: “Now, I want each member of the class to visualize this situation—to consider himself as being Corporal V. You have arrived here with your squad to establish outguard No. 2. Just how do you propose to go about it? Captain Hastings, what would you do?”
Captain Hastings: “Well, sir, I would first decide where I am going to post the outguard and then decide upon the number of sentinels I am to post and where I am to post them. I have the limits of the front assigned to me definitely pointed out. I must first find a location for the outguard that will cover this front.”
The Director: “Have you decided upon such a location?”
Captain Hastings: “Yes, sir. My outguard posted at —— would accomplish the desired results. In the first place, any considerable body of the enemy must travel at night on a well defined road or trail. He cannot strike off across country unless elaborate preparations are made for guiding his columns. We would know about any such preparations and could counter them. If I cover this main road and the country adjacent to it, I will be able to accomplish my mission.”
(Note.—The Director should bring out all the elements connected with the selection of the position of the ground in question. There will be many small points that may be brought up for consideration such as: Is the position selected a good one for defense? Is there a good field of fire? Is there cover for the enemy to conceal a formation for attack? Is the position naturally strong; if not, can it be made so? Can obstacles be so placed as to hold the enemy under effective fire of the outguard? Is there ground to the front or flanks within rifle or machine gun range that commands the position? Are there good approaches to the sentinel posts from the outguard? Is it possible to provide for mutual supporting fire with the other outguards? Are there good communications with the adjoining outguards and with the support? While it is not contemplated that an outguard position will fulfill all of these conditions, it should be selected so as to fulfill as many of them as possible.)
The Director: “In your discussion a minute ago you stated that you would determine the number of sentinels to be posted. Just what do you mean by that?”
Captain Hastings: “I will want to post a sufficient number of sentinels to keep the sector of the front allotted to me under observation at all times. I have not yet decided how many will be required.”
The Director: “That is just the point I wanted to bring out. The number of sentinels that you can post is determined by the strength of your outguard. You can post only one double sentinel post from a squad. If more than one is required your outguard must be allotted additional men for the purpose. Now, let us see how this proposition works out in practice. You have seven men besides yourself. This will provide three reliefs for one double sentinel post and give you one spare man. The outguard is to be on duty until the march is resumed tomorrow morning. You cannot expect to keep all the men on post all the time. They must have their rest if they are expected to march tomorrow. Sentinels are ordinarily on post for two hours, after which they are given a four-hour period of rest before going on post again. To do otherwise is to wear your men out and render them unfit for further service. Let us all get this system firmly fixed in our minds. A squad furnishes three reliefs for a double sentinel post. If only a single sentinel is required, a cossack post will furnish three reliefs for it. I hope you will all see the point.”
Captain Hastings: “I understand the system now. But, suppose I should determine that at least two double sentinel posts are necessary, what should I do?”
The Director: “Lieutenant Williams, can you answer the captain’s question?”
Lieutenant Williams: “I would send a report to the platoon commander setting forth my views of the situation and request that another squad be sent to the outguard.”
The Director: “That would be a proper procedure. The initial disposition of the outguard is only tentative. Soon after the outguards are posted the support commander will be out to make his inspection of them. At that time the situation may be represented to him, and he can make his decision as to whether or not he deems it necessary to supply the additional men.”
(Note.—The exact location of the outguard should be decided upon at this time, and the tentative position of the sentinels should be determined.)
Solution
The Director: “We have decided upon the location of the outguard, and the dispositions to be made. It is now necessary to embody these in the form of orders to the members of the squad. Lieutenant Hunt, what should this order contain?”
Lieutenant Hunt: “Do you want me to give the entire order for the posting of the outguard?”
The Director: “Yes. If any point comes up that is not fully understood by a member of the class, he should feel free to interrupt with a question.”
Lieutenant Hunt: “The men have all the information about the enemy and our own troops. It is not necessary to repeat that. I would cover this by saying:
“‘You have heard the information about the enemy and our own troops. The first section is out in front covering the posting of the outguards.’
“I would then state the mission of the squad.
“‘This squad forms outguard No. 2 of support No. 1.’
“The tactical dispositions are next in order. The reliefs have to be told off and other arrangements made.”
“‘Hanna and Crow (riflemen), first relief; Smith and Carney (riflemen), second relief; Harris and Welch (riflemen), third relief; Rainer (automatic rifleman), spare man.
“‘Rainer, you select the tentative positions for your automatic rifle and get ready to prepare them for occupation.
“‘The members of the second and third reliefs will prepare the bivouac for the outguard and the firing positions which I will designate later.
“‘In case of attack we will be supported.’
“The administrative arrangements are simple. They will relate to the messing of the men.
“‘Meals will be sent up from the support.’
“Then the location of the outguard commander will be stated:
“‘Messages to me, here.’
“I will then direct the men to remove their packs and order:
“‘First relief, FOLLOW ME.’”
Procedure
The Director: “You seem to have covered the essential points of the order of an outguard commander. Now, in order to impress it on your minds, I want each member of the class to write out the order on his pad. Follow the form of the five paragraph order and try to get the wording just as was given by Lieutenant Hunt.”
When all have finished writing the order the papers are collected and distributed again. Members of the class are called upon to read and comment on the order they have in their possession.
(Note.—The Director should insist that members of the class prepare these orders with great care and attention to detail. It will be found that there is a tendency to slight them and take a lot for granted.)
Outpost Card No. 4
Director’s Key
1. Conduct class down the road to location of outguard No. 2. Indicate limits of front of outguard.
2. Hand out Situation No. 4. Read and explain it to class.
3. Location of outguard. Defense. Field of fire. Cover. Strength of position. Obstacles commanding ground. Approaches and communications.
4. Number of sentinels supplied by outguard. Explanation of.
5. Tentative dispositions.
6. Orders for posting of outguards: Information of enemy and own troops; mission; disposition—division into reliefs; action in case of attack; messing; messages.
7. Write out orders. Collect. Distribute. Read.
Explanation
The Director: “We are now ready to proceed with the next step of the problem, the posting of the first relief. Before we go into that I want to make a few remarks about the location of sentinel posts.
“By day the sentinel must be able to see the whole of the ground allotted to him for observation. He should be provided with sufficient cover so that the enemy’s patrols will not be able to locate him. He should have good communication with the outguard and the adjoining sentinels. Excellent observation posts may sometimes be found in large trees, one of the sentinels of the double post being located in a tree and the other on the ground near the foot of the tree. It may be that the best location for observation is also the best for resistance, in which case the sentinels may be posted on or very near the actual locality to be defended by the outguard. There is no objection to this, provided the members of the outguard, as well as the sentinel, are well concealed from the view of the enemy.
“The location of the sentinel post at night requires the most careful consideration. It depends considerably upon the degree of darkness, and consequently the value of eyesight as compared with hearing. On a very dark night, when the sentinel can see only a few yards in front of him, it is evident that his ears will be more useful than his eyes. Furthermore, the difficulties of the enemy will be increased by the darkness, and he is likely to make more noise by stumbling over unseen obstructions. On a still night a sentinel posted on high ground can hear better than when on low ground, because there is likely to be less obstruction in the way of trees and other objects to interfere with the sound waves passing through the atmosphere. It therefore appears that on a very dark night, when the ears are more efficient than the eyes, the sentinel should be posted on high ground, with low ground to his front.
“When the darkness is not so great and the powers of sight more nearly approach in value the powers of hearing, it is better to place the sentinel on low ground, with the sky line to his front. This is because approaching persons will be silhouetted on the sky line and that it is difficult to see when looking down from a height into a dark valley.
“The night post should always be provided with an obstacle placed from 10 to 30 yards to the front of the sentinel. It must be low, so that it will not be seen by an approaching enemy. Its value is increased if a wire or rope is attached to some object that will fall down with a loud noise when anyone trips over the obstacle.”
Procedure
The class is now conducted to the place where the sentinel post is to be established.
The Director: “Lieutenant Barry, where would you locate your sentinel post?”
Lieutenant Barry: “I would locate it at ——”
(Note.—The location of the sentinel post should be determined upon after careful consideration of all the factors that enter into the problem.)
The Director now distributes the sheets containing Situation No. 5.