The English of military communications

by William Addleman Ganoe

6.—You are Major Perkins and you are in command of a squadron of cavalry. You are between Goldenville and the bottom of the map. You receive word that the enemy is somewhere to the north, and you get messages from your commanding officer stating that you are to go as independent cavalry for your brigade. Reports also come in to you that the enemy, which consists of about 1,000 men, is occupying Carlisle. You have assembled your captains, and you state to them that Troop A will make up the Advance Guard. You state also, that it will keep a small patrol about two or three miles to the front in the direction in which it is going. You tell Troop A, also, that its average rate of speed should be about four miles per hour, and that this rate includes halts. You know that your main body is going to march at 6 o’clock the next morning in the direction of Carlisle and you know that it is only going to advance 15 miles on that day. You know, also, that it is going by the Gettysburg—Table Rock—Center Mills—Carlisle Road. You want your main body to follow the advance guard, which you have already mentioned, so that there will be a distance between the advance guard and the main body of about a mile. The main body is to march from front to rear—Troops B, C, and D. You wish to inform everybody present that Lieutenant Butler and Sgt. Clifford are out with patrols and that these patrols are very far out to the flank of the line of march. You decide to ride in this march of the independent cavalry near the head of the main body. You want your officers to know that both of the patrols which you have just mentioned are going to send reports to you, and that these reports should arrive at the squadron when the main body is about two miles north of the Conewago. You desire wheel transportation of all kinds to join the advance of the main body of infantry back near Gettysburg.

7.—You are Captain Small in command of Troop A of the preceding problem. You are to constitute, as you remember, the advance guard of the squadron of independent cavalry. You wish to tell your officers and non-commissioned officers, whom you have assembled, that Lieutenant Butler and Sgt. Clifford are out with patrols, and you want to give them the information you have got from your major in regard to your own troops and the enemy. You want Corporal Dillingham to take four men and to go ahead of the troop. He is to go at a rate of about six miles per hour until Conewago Creek is crossed; after that, he is to go about four miles an hour. When he gets about a mile north of Gettysburg he is to take the right-hand road which goes through Table Rock and Center Mills. He is to give quick and prompt warning of the appearance of any of the enemy or hostile troops which he encounters. He is also to report promptly any places in the road which cannot be crossed by troops or vehicles. In fact, he is to report any information which will interfere with the march of the squadron. You, as the captain of the troop, are going to march between the advance party and the support.

8.—You are Major Adams and you are in command of a squadron of cavalry which is mounted and ready for action at D-6. You see a squadron of the enemy in an open field to the west, about 600 yards west of the woods where you are located. You see the guidons mounted, and you see that the remainder of the men are leading their horses into line or are saddling up. You note, also, through your glasses, that the guidons are facing in your direction. You note, also, that the wagons have left the camp and have gone around the woods just north. You call your captains together and you issue a verbal order—you have decided to attack the hostile squadron at once, and to attack that squadron while you are mounted. You want Troops D and C, commanded by Captain Denton, who is senior to Captain Clifford, to form the main attacking line. You want Captain Denton to take advantage of an opening in the woods which is about 150 yards to your front. He is to attack the enemy in close order, mounted, as soon as he has cleared the woods in which you are all located. You give to the captains the information which you have got through your field glasses. You also state that Captain Billings with his troop, Troop B, is to go in rear of Troops D and C and form the supporting line, keeping a distance of about 150 yards, and at the same time he is to look out for the right flank. You want Lieutenant Fink, who is the squadron adjutant, and who has seen the same things through his glasses as you have seen, to accompany Captain Denton with his two troops to the edge of the woods, where he is to point out to Captain Denton the enemy’s position. You yourself are going to be with the reserve. Captain Andrews with his troop, Troop A, is to constitute the reserve. Captain Andrews with his command is to follow the attacking line at a distance of 400 yards. He is to echelon his command with the left flank. You want the whole command to move out at once.

9.—You are General Temple and you are 700 yards northwest of Hermans with your brigade when you receive a message from Lieutenant Kline, Aeroplane No. 7. The substance of this message states that the left of the enemy has extended itself by a battalion from a regiment which is northwest of 501 cross-roads. He also states that there is another battalion from a regiment near 504, and that this battalion is moving toward Varney. He states that there is a regiment of artillery posted on Oak Ridge, and that there is another regiment of artillery which has its right flank at the Stock Farm and its left flank near 531 road fork. You assemble your regimental commanders and your cavalry commander; also, your artillery commander. You state that the artillery battalion which is with you is to go into a position near where you are and that it is to operate against the artillery of the enemy and the attacking infantry of the enemy. This your artillery battalion is to do at first, but later it will support your attack. The first battalion of the first infantry you want to have assigned as a support to the artillery. You want the first infantry, minus its first battalion which is going to go as support to the artillery, to advance in the direction of Herman’s Farm House; then it is to deploy and attack. It is to attack so that the right of the regiment will pass through the J. Weaver Farm House. The third infantry is to be the reserve; it will be under your command and it will move out and go forward to the Good Intent School House. The first platoon of Troop A and the first cavalry will take a position on the hill which is designated by the figures 651. This platoon will cover your right flank and report immediately any changes which take place in the disposition of the enemy. Your station for the slightly wounded will be at Table Rock. You are going to be at the Good Intent School House, where messages are going to reach you. Of course, you give your officers whom you have assembled, the contents of the aeroplane message which you received. You want the infantry combat wagons to assemble at Table Rock, and you want them to go there after all the troops have cleared the road. You want the second infantry to get under cover from the enemy and to go toward Hill 586; this hill is northeast of Varney. When they are deployed they will attack so that their left will pass through Hill 586.

10.—Major Quincy, in charge of the artillery battalion of the preceding problem, assembles the captains of his batteries and issues his instructions covered by the following data: he wishes Batteries A and B to attack the hostile artillery, and he wishes them to take up a position on the north end of the field near where the brigade is halted. He wants Battery C to go to Hill 592. From that point he wants that Battery to attack the hostile infantry. He gives to his commanders the information which was contained in the aeroplane message of the preceding problem. He also states that the enemy in superior force is attacking from the west. He points out also that between 3,000 and 4,000 yards to the southwest can be seen a long line of artillery of the enemy and that this artillery is in action. He also states that the first battalion of the first infantry, which is now marching down the road, which is the support of the artillery, will occupy Hill 592. Battery A’s target is to be the further half of the line of the enemy’s guns, and Battery B’s target is to be the nearer half. He states to his Battery Commanders that he has already marked the position that they are to occupy with their commands, and he tells them that they are to occupy this position at once and prepare for immediate action. He tells Battery A that the adjutant will give them the firing data and they are to range by volleys. They are to report to him when ready, and they are to be on the alert and await his order to commence firing. He also states that the advance cavalry is on the Hill 651 south of Goldenville, and that they are covering the right of the line. He wishes to tell his battery commanders that the infantry is marching in a general direction south, and that it is going from here to begin an attack against the left of the enemy. He wishes to tell them also that he is to be, during the action, on the left of Battery A.

CHAPTER X
THE OPERATION ORDER, ORDERS, LETTERS OF INSTRUCTION

Before August, 1914, the Operation order was the English term for our Field order. Both orders had the same functions and about the same form. At times, the term operation order was used by us to include only battle orders, but on the whole, the terms Operation orders and Field orders practically amounted to American and English designations of the same thing.

In the beginning of the present war, after a few weeks of open conflict, this kind of fighting in France gave way to a vast siege. The English found themselves, after some cross-country fighting, in the trenches. There the operation order which had provided for situations of march, halt, bivouac, and battle, was gradually made over to suit the peculiar needs of defenses, raids, and frontal attacks. The barrage fire, bombs, mortars, machine guns, and intricate lines of communication added to the number of details to be considered. Little by little the will of the commander expressed itself in such completeness that the former size of his operation order passed all bounds. It was natural, then, that although the scope and character of the English order steadily changed, its name remained the same.

When the Americans came to take part in the war, the operation order had during the previous years of struggle developed out of all resemblance to its former self. It was no longer a field order as we know the term. It was fully grown to meet the tremendous progress of English experience in the trenches. The consequence was that the American, finding both the state of siege and the order to cover it beyond his experience, associated the English name with the novel warfare. Thus, today, the operation order is a term used in connection with the disposition of troops on the battle fronts of Europe.