The highest attribute in a general is that he should be able to order the elements of disorder. War is the acme of disorder. The instant conversion of the available remnants out of disorder, chaos, a hundred wishes, shouts and orders, broken legs, loose horses, dead or wounded, men fierce and reckless, constitutes the triumph of discipline and the guiding foreseeing mind.
In minutes, perhaps seconds, the enemy’s support or reserve, taking advantage in turn of our disorder, will be upon us; we who have ceased to be a wall, and are now scattered masonry, must be built up, so as at any rate to look formidable and to make those of the enemy, who as individuals still bravely dispute the ground, turn and fly, and perhaps throw into disorder the ranks of those who are coming to their support. More than this, we must move in the direction of the enemy, as though we still wished to fight. As wind is caught, stunned men regain their senses, disabled horses exchanged for sound ones captured at hazard, broken weapons replaced, the ranks refill, order at last prevails.
We have laid stress on the rally of the squadron,[22] but hardly less important is the maxim that the victory rests with those who can last throw a formed body into the combat. This may be the support of which De Brack says:[23]
Almost all the failures of charges are due to the slowness or ignorance of the supports. A charge badly supported, no matter how bravely begun, becomes only a bloody affray, whilst one well supported is always victorious and decisive.
Let us, then, for our guidance, and before considering larger forces, formed of many squadrons and supplied with another element of offence in their horse artillery, consider what conclusions are arrived at from the fight of squadron v. squadron. They appear to be:—
1. Provided that there is space to manœuvre and fight, that cavalry which can manœuvre with cohesion at the greatest pace will win.
2. The element of surprise affects the result.
3. The utilization of terrain is a sine qua non.
4. A flank attack is the object to be aimed at.
5. On the quickness with which the rally is carried out much depends.
6. A skilled direction of the support influences the action.