Lieutenant Hunt: “The detail orders for each element of the battalion, giving the designation of the organization and the particular part that it is to play in the operation. There will be orders for Company A, the right assault company; Company B, the left assault company; Company C, the battalion reserve, and Company D, the machine gun company. Then the orders for the elements of the Howitzer Company hold off to support the attack. I believe that would complete paragraph 3 of the order.”
The Director: “What would you include in paragraph 4, Lieutenant Williams?”
Lieutenant Williams: “I would include the location of the station for slightly wounded. I do not know of anything else.”
The Director: “And paragraph 5 would contain what?”
Lieutenant Williams: “The location of the regimental and battalion command posts.”
Explanation
The Director: “I think we have discussed everything that must be included in the battalion order. If you will compare all of this with some of the battalion orders you, as Company Commanders, received in France, you will see how sadly lacking some of them were. What we want to do is to prevent a repetition of those conditions and that is why we are devoting our time and attention to these things now. We want to be prepared to solve these problems if the time ever comes when we have to do so again.”
Procedure
The Director: “Now, I want each member of the class to write out the Major’s order on his pad. See how much of the details that we have discussed you can get into the order.”
Sufficient time is allowed for the purpose.