Solution
Captain Hodges: “I would first send a runner to Lieutenant M, commanding the advance party, telling him to report to me here. While waiting for Lieutenant M to come back I would size up the situation and decide upon my tactical dispositions.”
The Director: “What would be your primary dispositions?”
Captain Hodges: “I would have a line of supports on which I would employ one platoon and one section and a reserve consisting of the rest of the company.”
The Director: “That would be a reasonable disposition. How many supports would you have Captain Harvey?”
Captain Harvey: “I would have three supports—one on the main road and one at a suitable interval on each side of the road. There would be a section in each support.”
The Director: “Lieutenant Ralston, do you agree with that disposition?”
Lieutenant Ralston: “No, sir. It seems to me that two supports would meet the situation better. In the first place, this main road is the route on which any considerable force of the enemy must advance after dark, and I would want to cover it with a relatively strong force. I would put one support on the road and have it extend over to the right for a sufficient distance to cover the front and the immediate right flank. It would extend its front to the left of the main road. I would have support No. 2 off to the left to cover that flank.[[10]]
“Support No. 1 would consist of one platoon and No. 2 of one section.”
The Director: “Explain why you extend the front of your support No. 1 to the left of the road?”