The Problem
Situation No. 2:
You, Sergeant B, have been designated to command the reconnoitering patrol, consisting of Privates Anderson, Bailey, Carlin and Davis. Lieutenant A has given you your orders and turned the men over to you.
Your orders are:
“I have just received information that there is a Red force in the vicinity of (h). (The point (h) and the road leading toward it are pointed out on the map or on the ground.)
“There are no other patrols out from this support. I will notify the other supports that you are going out.
“You will take this reconnoitering patrol of four men and proceed towards (h), and find out what you can about the enemy. Information as to his strength and composition, and what he is doing is particularly desired.
“Return when you have accomplished your mission.
“Send messages here.”
Required:
The orders that you give.
Solution
The Director: “Lieutenant Wallace, we will assume that you are Sergeant B. You have made the inspection of your patrol and corrected all deficiencies. You are ready to give your orders and arrange for the patrol to move out. Just what would you say and what would you do?”
Lieutenant Wallace: “I would spread my map out on the ground where the men could see it. In the presence of the support commander I would give my orders:
“‘Information has been received that there is a Red force in the vicinity of (h). Here is the place on the map (indicating). We are here (indicating). This is the road that we will guide on (indicating). There are no other patrols out from our support.
“‘We are going out as a reconnoitering patrol. We will find out what we can about the enemy. Our special mission is to find out his strength, his composition and what he is doing.
“‘Anderson, you will be advance man; march on the left-hand side of the road.
“‘Bailey, you follow Anderson at a distance of 25 yards, on the right-hand side of the road.
“‘Carlin, you will march with me.
“‘Davis, you are get-away man. Follow me at a distance of 75 yards.
“‘I will indicate the route and assembly places as we go along. Drill regulation signals will be used.
“‘Messages will be brought to the support commander here.’
“I will then inquire: What time has the Lieutenant? I will set my watch to agree and direct:
“‘All men who have watches set them at —— (time).’
“I will then command:
“‘1. Squad, 2. ATTENTION, and follow with 1. With ball cartridges, 2. LOAD.’
“I will then direct:
“‘MOVE OUT.’”
Procedure
The Director: “That is very good. I think you have covered all the points that should be included in the patrol commander’s order. I wish each member of the class would compare this order with the kind that is usually mumbled out to members of a patrol by the average patrol leader at maneuvers. It is a fact that most patrols go out, either with orders that they do not understand or with no orders at all. Do not allow this to be done under any circumstances. You can well afford to hold up the departure of the patrol until the patrol commander can dope out his orders and give them properly. And you must insist on this being done. If you do not do so it will never be done properly.
“Now I want each member of the class to write our Sergeant B’s orders to his patrol. Try to get the order in the language that Lieutenant Wallace used in his solution.”
When this is completed the papers are collected and redistributed as indicated in previous exercises. The class is now ready to proceed with the next situation.
Reconnoitering Patrol Card No. 2
Director’s Key
1. Each member of the class to consider himself as being Sergeant B.
2. Equipment of patrol leader: Field glass, compass, watch, wire cutter, pencil, message blanks. Members:—Compass, wire cutter, flag kit.
3. Visual signaling. Identification.
4. Inspection: Physically fit for duty; arms and equipment; equipment rattle or glisten; verify own equipment.
5. Hand out Special Situation No. 2. Explain.
6. Map. Information of enemy and own troops; mission of patrol; tactical dispositions; signals; second in command; messages; synchronize watches; load rifles; move out.
7. Explain necessity for training in giving these verbal orders.
8. Write out the orders of Sergeant B. Collect and redistribute them.
Procedure
The class is now conducted to the front to the point where one of the outguards of the support is supposed to be posted.
The slips bearing Situation No. 3 are handed out.
Situation No. 3:
At this point is posted Outguard No. ... of Support No. (c). The main body of the outguard is (Indicate). The outguard commander is here.
Required:
What do you, Sergeant B, do.
Explanation
The Director: “The commander of a patrol will see the commander of the outguard at the place where he crosses the line of observation and give him information as to where he is going and what he is going for. In addition to this he secures any information that the outguard commander may have of the country to the front and the enemy.
“This procedure is especially necessary in the present case. Sergeant B’s mission will probably keep him out late, so that it will be after dark when he comes back through the lines. In order to avoid chances of being mistaken for the enemy a recognition signal should be arranged for at this time.”
Solution
The Director: “Lieutenant Ralston, you are Sergeant B, the patrol leader. The outguard commander has come out to meet you. Just what would you do with respect to your patrol and what would you say to the outguard commander?”
Lieutenant Ralston: “In the first place I will signal the patrol to halt. I will then tell the outguard commander where we are going and all about the mission of the patrol. I will arrange a recognition signal with him. I will find out any information about the enemy that he may have.”
The Director: “All right. You have told us all about what you will do. Now let us do it. Assume that I am the outguard commander. Now just what will you say to me?”
Lieutenant Ralston: “I will say:
“‘Information has been received that there is a Red force in the vicinity of (h). (Indicating on the map.) We are going out as a reconnoitering patrol, guiding on the ... road. (Indicating on the map.) We are to determine the enemy’s strength, and composition and what he is doing. I have four other men with me.
“‘We will probably be out until after dark and I want to arrange a recognition signal with you. If agreeable to you it will be the call 3—4 or the same tapped on the rifle stock.
“‘Have you any information about the enemy?’
“After doing all of this I will signal the patrol FORWARD MARCH and proceed on my way.”
The Director: “That is very good. I wish you would explain to the class just how you propose to employ the recognition signal.”
Lieutenant Ralston: “In this case we agreed on the signal 3—4. When any of us approach the sentinel post of the outguard after dark we will use the recognition signal. If there is no danger of enemy patrols lurking in the vicinity the man approaching the post calls out 3—4; the sentinel on post answers the call by calling 3—4 and they both know that everything is all right and it is safe for the scout to proceed. If there is danger of enemy patrols discovering the signal should it be called out, the man coming in would approach the sentinel post cautiously. He would tap 3—4 on the stock of his rifle until it is recognized by the sentinel and the signal returned by the latter tapping 3—4 on the stock of his rifle.” (The method should be illustrated.)
The Director: “Captain Harvey, why do we go to all this trouble?”
Captain Harvey: “A sentinel on post, after he has been harassed by enemy scouts for a while, takes no chances. He generally shoots first and then challenges. The recognition signal is simply an expedient to lessen the chances of accident.”
The Director: “Now all of these details may seem to be small affairs to you. But the man who knows them and requires them to be carried out in service is the man who will be successful in military operations. Almost any dub can blunder through, paying the price in the lives of his men. It is the man that knows all of the little details of tactics that will come through successfully with his command without the sacrifice of a man more than is necessary to accomplish his mission. The proposition of measuring accomplishment by the number of casualties is old stuff and will not go with the commander that is up to his job. It is the man who accomplishes his mission with the least number of casualties that is the successful military leader.”
Reconnoitering Patrol Card No. 3
Director’s Key
1. Conduct class to point where outguard is supposed to be posted. Hand out Situation No. 3.
2. Explain what is done by patrol leader. Tell outguard commander about patrol going out. Arrange for recognition signal. Get information of enemy.
3. Proceed to solution. Require member of class to state exact words used by patrol commander.
4. Explain the method of using the recognition signal.
5. Explain necessity for details. Measure success by number of casualties avoided.
Procedure
The class is now conducted along the route of the patrol for a distance of some 600 yards, where it is halted.
Explanation
The Director: “It is assumed that the patrol has advanced a distance of some two miles from the outpost and has arrived at this vicinity. This assumption is made in order to save time and energy. We can get just as much training out of our Terrain Exercise by coming this 600 yards as we could by walking the entire two miles. The idea is that we get into new terrain for each phase of the problem.”
Procedure
The Director now distributes the papers bearing Situation No. 4 to the members of the class.