VI. Surprises.

When only a few men are on parade, advanced education, combined with some amusement, may be got by experimenting in the best ways of laying out obnoxious persons, such as hostile patrols, who have to be rushed in silence (F.S.R., 138 (5)). Before beginning a stalk, the quarry should be kept under observation to see which way he looks when halted, and any other idiosyncrasies. The assailant should creep up to him either on his flank, or from behind, moving one foot at a time, and bending down, though not on all fours. If the sentry looks his way, he must stay absolutely motionless, till he again looks away. My informant on this matter was a friend of a successful rifle thief in Upper India.

After putting the company through the above daylight course, you should, of course, put theory into practice and do some real night work whenever you get the chance, putting out a skeleton enemy or some observers to tell you how much noise you make, and follow out the full instructions as to orders, watchwords, etc., given in F.S.R., 138 and 139. Test your men as to their ability to see in the dark; some men can see much more than others; spot these men and tell them off as “Night Scouts.” Even if they are not otherwise qualified as scouts, they are most useful in guiding the company over rough ground.

A SCHEME OF A COMPANY TRAINING.

I give below, as an example of the application of the foregoing exercises, a scheme of company training which I actually carried out. This was in the days before platoons, so I have altered the scheme to show what I should have done had the company organisation been what it now is. I was given from Monday in one week to Saturday the next week to march out into camp, about 10 miles, and get back, i.e., two days of march, and ten halted working days. I had thirty-five rounds per man of ball cartridge available for field practice musketry, and a sufficiency of blank for the requirements of skeleton enemy and for use with the men in one or two of the exercises. My men were Regulars, and during the previous furlough season I had grounded them piecemeal in field work.

DAY.Forenoon Work.Afternoon Work.
1MondayMarch out to camp. March discipline and work of connecting files. Advanced guard. Sanitation. Water piquet and sanitary patrols. Pitched a perimeter camp as for savage warfare. Trenched tents against rain, and made a shelter trench round camp. Alarm posts.
2TuesdayIndividual advance in extended order. Retirement by pairs.Improved and deepened camp entrenchments, made loop-holes, night rests, and obstacles.
3WednesdayPlatoon and Section in attack as part of Company.Field practice Musketry:—Individual advance in extended order. 7 rounds ball per man.
4ThursdayPlatoon in independent attack.Field practice Musketry:—Section in independent attack, 7 rounds ball per man.
5FridayPlatoon in retirement.Preliminary training for Company attack. Fire discipline and control.
6SaturdayCompany in attack with the battalion.Prepared target positions and markers butts for snapshooting.
7MondayCompany in attack with Battalion.Snapshooting, 7 rounds per man.
8TuesdayCompany in attack acting alone.Snapshooting, 7 rounds per man.
9WednesdayOutposts.Company in attack, 7 rounds ball.
10ThursdayDefence.Company in retirement.
11FridayNight attack. Parade at 2.30 a.m.Hasty expedients.
12SaturdayMarch back to quarters.

Transcriber’s Notes