The asking of questions is delaying. It mars efficiency; and it points either to faulty expression on the part of the commander or to inattention on the part of his audience.
After the subordinates have returned to their commands and have set out upon the accomplishment of the mission, it is of course impossible to reassemble them during the progress of the engagement. Often, too, the colonel or major desires to issue instructions to but one or two officers of the command at a time. Number 2, therefore, becomes the natural means of communication until the conflict is over or the situation is passed. When a new situation arises the commander assembles his officers as before, and the procedure throughout is repeated.
Let us suppose, now, that a colonel, faced with a new or changed situation, wishes to make his will known to his subordinates. When his officers are assembled he speaks as follows:
“It is reliably reported that two battalions of the enemy are entrenching on that hill (he points out the hill) one mile to the southeast of here. Their position extends from the Jordan River to the Wellington Road, both inclusive. Our main body is at Tarrytown. (He points toward Tarrytown both on the ground and map.) We will attack at once enveloping the enemy’s left.
The First Battalion will attack the hostile trenches from the Jordan River, exclusive, to the Darlington House, exclusive. The Second Battalion will attack the hostile trenches from the Darlington House, inclusive, to the west, and will envelop the enemy’s right. The Third Battalion and machine gun companies, in reserve, will follow the Second Battalion. Ambulances and combat wagons will assemble at Main Station. Battalions will maintain semaphore communications with the reserve where I shall be.”
The Regimental Adjutant writes down this order immediately after its issue, gives it its proper heading and ending, and files it away. It thus becomes a written field order and a part of the records of the regiment. Copies of it are sent to higher commanders.
Let us imagine that the attack is well under way, and that the regiment is holding its own, but is not progressing as it should. The colonel decides to increase the size of the enveloping body. He therefore calls a staff officer to him and says:
“Go over to Major Swift, in command of the third battalion, and tell him to send K and L Companies to extend our right. Repeat.”
The staff officer replies,—“I am to go to Major Swift, in command of the third battalion and am to say to him that the Regimental Commander directs him to have K and L Companies extend the right of our line.”
We must notice that the initial field order, when spoken, has exactly the same arrangement and brevity of expression as when written. Of course, the heading and ending are omitted. But the distribution of troops, if necessary for small units, would follow what would be paragraph 2 in a written order. The relation which exists between the verbal and written message holds true in principle for the field order.