(Note.—Captain James’ solution will depend upon the Terrain and the cover available.)
Procedure
The Director will point out to the class and dwell upon the principle that, having decided to avoid the enemy’s patrol, the all-absorbing duty of the patrol leader is to conceal his patrol so that the enemy will have no information that it is anywhere in the vicinity. The measures to accomplish this will then be worked out in the minutest detail. It may be well to have members of the class take post to represent the members of the patrol and have other members of the class to go out and represent the enemy’s patrol and advance just as they would under service conditions. Then have Captain James solve the problem of getting his patrol under cover without being discovered by the enemy.
Explanation
The Director: “We must give the enemy’s patrol credit for being on the alert and for having such a knowledge of tactics that he will do the reasonably proper thing. If he sees one member of our patrol, the difficulty of avoiding him will be doubly increased. Our task, then, is to get to cover as quickly as possible. It is this seeming trivial action that sometimes calls for all the ingenuity that the patrol leader may possess. The road may be open for a considerable distance, so that if one of the members of our patrol crosses from one side to the other he will be seen and the position disclosed to the enemy. It may be necessary for the patrol to fall back a short distance in order to secure the necessary cover. It may be necessary, in order to avoid discovery, to direct all men on one side of the road to take cover on their side and the remainder to seek cover on the opposite side. This means a dispersion of the patrol and the consequent danger of getting lost and also the difficulties of assembling again. This points to the advisability of training the men to all take cover on the same side of the road when the enemy is encountered as in this case.”
Procedure
When members of the class are in place to represent the enemy and our own patrol, the Director will give a signal and the movement starts. The enemy patrol moves along as it would naturally and Captain James proceeds to get the members of his patrol under cover. His method should be discussed by the class and the defects of it pointed out. It may be necessary to enact the solution several times before a satisfactory one is found.
The demonstration completed and the class again assembled, the Director proceeds with the problem.
The Problem
The Director: “Lieutenant Baker, would you send back any message to the support commander about the enemy patrol?”