The English of military communications

by William Addleman Ganoe

PROBLEMS

1. On January 27, 1926, you are Corporal Peck in charge of a reconnoitering patrol from the advance guard of the third battalion of the 177th regiment of Infantry. You are proceeding along the road east to Hunterstown from 549 (D, 5 and 6). You arrive at the east edge of J. Bell’s orchard when you see several men at the zero in 602. With the aid of your field glasses you make out four field pieces and limbers to be turning to the north off the road just opposite to, and south of, the men. The vehicles soon disappear behind the knoll of 602. You can see that the men are wearing the enemy’s uniform. After five minutes of observation, the men go out of sight on the far side of the hill, and nothing further happens. After you have written your message at half past four o’clock in the afternoon, you travel under cover of the creek and fields in the general direction of Henderson Meeting House, in the hope of finding out more about the force in the vicinity of 602.

2. On August 27, 1920, you are Sergeant Fenton of a left flank patrol sent out from the second battalion (27th Infantry) which is marching north, as an advance guard to its regiment, toward 546 from Hunterstown. As you come out into the open to the west of the J. Bell farm house, you receive a volley from about twenty rifles from the woods at the north. Two of your men are killed. With the remainder of your men you retire hastily under cover of the Bell orchard to the stream bed which you follow to the north until half way between the Bell house and the “R” in Beaverdam. There you go through the fields to the west until you get a glimpse of the high ground in the vicinity of 574. You can make out through the corn-rows infantrymen deployed and lying down facing you. They extend along the fence for fifty yards on each side of the dirt road. You can see a field piece half way between the ends of the fence and at the edge of the woods. You go back to where you left the stream and write your message. You hand it to one of your men at 20 minutes past two in the afternoon for delivery. You then crawl forward leaving your men under cover in the stream, and remain in observation in the corn-field.

3. You are 1st Sergeant James in charge of a combat patrol from the 38th Infantry which is on outpost duty for the 8th Division at Granite Hill (5, bottom). In passing the house at 5-E the farmer tells you that yesterday at noon he saw about one hundred and fifty saddle-horses in a lot near the cross-roads in Hunterstown. On questioning him further he tells you that there were quite a lot of soldiers about, having a good time, and wearing the enemy’s uniform. You keep on your course. When you arrive at the orchard near 603 it is after nightfall. You hear voices and laughing at the northern edge of the orchard just south of the “6” in 603. You sneak up until you can make out four of the enemy’s infantrymen sitting about a little fire. You charge with bayonets fixed, kill three and capture one. He is half drunk on apple-jack and talks freely. He says his brigade is in bad shape, has marched four days and nights without stopping, has a big outpost at Woodside School House, and that he himself is with a bunch of the advance cavalry in the town. At a quarter of ten at night you hand your message to a member of your patrol for delivery. You then proceed along the road toward 549, looking for more information. You arrive there, having seen nothing of value, the next day at 7 a. m., July 18, 1940.

4. On June 21, 1920, you are a first lieutenant in charge of an officer’s patrol from the 80th Cavalry which is operating as Independent Cavalry for the 190th Division. It is six o’clock in the evening when as you are riding along the road from Texas to Biglerville, three of the enemy jump out upon you. In the struggle which ensues the three are overpowered and sabred by your superior force. You search the dead men, but find nothing upon them but ornaments indicating they belong to the 27th Cavalry. You dismount, tie your horses in the orchard near the word Stiner, and proceed with two of your men along the railroad track toward Biglerville. Near 626 you look toward the town to find the space between you and it well dotted with tents. Placing your men well under cover in the woods, you lie down in the culvert at 626. Before taps is blown in the enemy’s camp, from conversations which have gone on in your vicinity, you have learned that a regiment of cavalry has been encamped there for two days, that no other force is about, and that the regiment will move out at five the next morning, marching toward Goldenville. You write your message at 9:15 p. m. After it is sent, you take up your position again in the culvert.

5. On the 19th of February, 1940, a visiting patrol in charge of Corporal Eaton sent out from 2d Battalion, which is acting as outpost for the 81st Infantry, is on its way to a picket of friendly troops. Its route lies from Boyd School House, E-8 toward McElheny. As it approaches the bridge near the 4 in the 480 contour, it hears footsteps of men hurrying into the timber to the east. The suspicions of the patrol being aroused, it looks about and discovers loose earth scattered over the snow at the abutments of the bridge; upon further investigation it finds fuses leading from the center of the pile of fresh earth. The message is finished on the spot at exactly midnight. After the messenger has departed the corporal and one man remain on guard over the mines whose fuses were cut before the messenger left.

6. You are Corporal Peters sent out with a visiting patrol from Company A, 2d Battalion of your regiment. Your company is Support number 2 of the outpost at the “K” in Oak Ridge, E-8. As you approach Boyd School House, you are not challenged as you expect. You hurry on to where the sentry of the picket should be posted at the cross-roads, only to find him dead of a bayonet thrust. You go to the south side of the school house and there find the remainder of the picket in their blankets in the same condition. You put your hand on one of the men and find that his body is still warm. At fifteen minutes to three, September 30, 1932, you complete your message at the spot where you found most of the picket dead. You then take your remaining man with you and together perform double sentry duty at the cross-roads.

7. On July 4, 1925, you are Sergeant Black in charge of an harassing patrol sent out from the 68th regiment of Infantry which is acting as outpost for the 12th Division. At a quarter to twelve at night, you have just fired two volleys from Boyd School House in the direction of Oak Ridge, and are proceeding toward C. Topper’s to do the same there, when, as you cross the railroad one hundred yards south of the “r” in Topper, you stumble upon a wagon wheel imbedded in the earth. Cautious inspection reveals four howitzers camouflaged. With the aid of known measurements upon your hand you find that the calibre of each is 6 inches. You finish a message at a quarter to one and then proceed as you intended.

8. On the 21st of August, 1919, you are Sergeant Stuart sent out in charge of a contact patrol from the 99th Infantry acting as outpost of the 32d Brigade. After hard work during which you are nearly captured at the cemetery near Henderson Meeting House, you arrive with your patrol, at ten minutes to nine in the evening, at 601 just west of Hunterstown. A regiment of the enemy’s infantry has been defeated by your troops during the day and it is your duty to find out what you can about the enemy’s whereabouts and intentions. As you look across to the west you see lights in the fields between R. Smith’s farm house and J. Bell’s. You make your way carefully down the hill to the farm house at D-6. As you lie in the edge of the woods nearest the house you count fifteen rows of tents by the glow from the fires. You see no animals or picket lines. The fires die down shortly and the talking ceases. You take turns on watch with the senior man of your patrol. At a quarter to one while you are on watch, fires begin to spring up at the ends of the company streets. Shortly afterwards a young soldier comes to the nearby farm house to get water. He grumbles loudly that he must get up in the middle of the night and complains that the first sergeant has ordered the company to be in ranks at one fifty. You get your message off at five minutes after one and remain in observation of the camp.

9. (Two messages.) On May 31, 1940, you are Corporal Decker in charge of a reconnoitering patrol from the 71st Regiment of Cavalry acting as Advance Cavalry to the 18th Division. You are proceeding toward Heidlersburg from Friends’ Grove School House, and you arrive at 5-A. When, proceeding to the east, you are half way through the woods, you hear hoof-beats on the road to the north. Having proceeded due east, you now arrive at the edge of the woods. There you see several mounted men of the enemy halted near the road fork 545, but the trees in the ravine make it difficult for you to see them clearly. Near the main cross-roads of the town you see a hundred or more dismounted men holding their horses. After watching them for a few moments you realize that the horses are being watered. At five minutes to five you start to write your message where you are. After sending it off you remain to see what is going to happen further.