The choice between the two will usually be dictated by the ground; and in most cases there will be a combination of the two. Thus a brigade is advancing towards a crest, the brigadier ahead. He sends his guns away to the high ground on one flank, and his squadrons over or round the ridge and down to the level ground on the other.
9. When both Forces get away from their Guns.—Both sides will usually drop the trails on the same, say, the west side, and move eastwards, opposite to each other, to attack. If working along a ridge, both sides will usually keep their guns on the higher ground.
Other things being equal, the squadrons which move farthest, fastest, and in the best order will have an advantage—(1) because they will put the enemy’s squadrons between themselves and the enemy’s gun fire; (2) because they will compel the enemy’s squadrons to form so that they are fired on by artillery and very probably enfiladed.
It becomes obvious, then, that if these tactics are adopted, and the squadrons of both sides act in exactly the same way, they will meet on perfectly level terms.
10. Formations for moving to a Flank.—The point then to aim at is to bring some deciding factor in the attack. In what formation is it best to move the squadrons away to the flank?
11. Column of Regimental Masses compared with Column of Squadrons.—Let us compare column of regimental mass with column of squadrons, and let the pace be a trot. Allow thirty seconds for the shoulder of a regimental mass, five seconds for the wheel of troops. At the end of four minutes the head of the mass will have gone 820 yards; the head of the column 920 yards. But if there are twelve squadrons, with a front of 64 yards, nine intervals of 8 yards, and two of 16 yards, the last squadron will have only gone 50 yards; while in the mass the rear squadron will have gone 630 yards. It follows, then, that the leader who adopted column of regimental masses practically has all his squadrons within reach of his voice, and they have moved well away from his guns.
Column of Squadrons
1. Stationary Target for 4 minutes.
2. Difficult Target thereafter.