Military Instructors Manual Part 47

Required:

Your instructions and dispositions.

Situation III:

The _advance guard_ has resumed its march. When the point reaches Bridge S.H., it is fired upon from the woods 400 yards to the east.

About ten cavalrymen are hurriedly mounting, others are already riding into the woods.

Required:

Your instructions and dispositions.

Third Problem: An Advance Guard Flank Patrol--

Situation:

The situation is the same as in the _First Problem_, and follows _Situation III, Second Problem_.

When the _advance party_ is two hundred yards from the roadfork where unimproved road leads northeast, about 600 yards southeast of Bridge S.H., Lieutenant Allen gives the following instructions to Corporal Adams, 3d Squad:

_Corporal, about fifteen Blue cavalry have been driven back through those woods (pointing out woods to east). When we reach the roadfork in front of us take your squad and comb the woods until you reach southern edge. From there go east until you observe the crossroads (616) which are about 1200 yards beyond. Return over first improved road running southwest to the crossroads (666) about 1-1/2 miles south of here and just under the hilltop, where you will rejoin advance party._

You are Corporal Adams.

Required:

Your instructions, dispositions, and route of the patrol.

MAP READING. VISIBILITY PROBLEMS.

MAP: GETTYSBURG--ANTIETAM (HUNTERSTOWN SHEET).

NOTE.--_Observation points 707 and 712 are the hills referred to in the First Problem under Minor Tactics._

_Where one point is invisible from another, state points of interference._

_Problem 1_. Can a sentinel standing at 707 see the roadfork 535 (about 1500 yards south)?

_Problem 2_. An enemy patrol is marching north on the 544-616 road, and has crossed the stream (750 yards north of 544). Can this patrol see the Red outguard at 707 from any point between stream and crossroads 616?

_Problem 3_. Can the sentinel at 712 see the roadfork 581 (1850 yards southwest from 712)?

_Problem 4_. Can the sentinel at 712 see the crossroads 561 (about 1200 yards southeast)?

General Situation--Hunterstown Sheet.

The _Harvard Regiment_ camps the night of May 31-June 1 on Opossum Creek just west of Friends Grove S.H. (A-7) in hostile territory. The regiment is part of a brigade, the remainder of the brigade being in camp one day's march north of Center Mills.

Problem I: An Advance Guard Point:

At daylight of June 1st the regimental commander receives the following message from brigade headquarters: "Our aeroplanes report a large force of the enemy near Hunterstown. Move at once on Hunterstown. Develop the strength of this enemy and locate his exact position. I will send reinforcements to you by motor-train if necessary."

Officers call is sounded, and this information transmitted to all the officers of the regiment. The _First Battalion_ is designated as _advance guard_ and ordered to move out at once by crossroads 554 and 561, and road forks 535 and 552 towards Hunterstown. Major A, commanding the First Battalion, designates the first two platoons of "D" company as advance party and C company and the remainder of D company as support.

Lieut. X, commanding the advance party, calls up all his non-commissioned officers and explains the situation to them. He then says: "Sergeant Mason, take 4 men and move out on that road (pointing) as the point. At crossroads and road forks semaph.o.r.e W.W. and I will indicate the direction. The remainder of these two platoons will be the advance party. I will be with it. Move out."

You are Sergeant Mason.

(_a_) What instructions, and information do you give the point before you reach crossroads 554?

After pa.s.sing crossroads 561 about 300 yards one of your men reports about a squad of hostile cavalry on the road south of road fork 544, 1500 yards east of you.

(_b_) What do you do?

Problem II: An Advance Guard Connecting File:

Situation as in preceding problem.

After the advance party has moved out about 100 yards, Captain Y, commanding the support, says: "Smith, you take Jones and move out as connecting file." After Smith and Jones have moved about 100 yards, he says: "Donnelly, you take Burke and move out as connecting file."

You are Donnelly.

(_a_) What instructions do you give Burke before reaching crossroads 554?

After pa.s.sing crossroads 561 you go about 150 yards without seeing the connecting file in rear of you.

(_b_) What do you do?

Problem III: An Advance Guard Flank Patrol:

Situation as in preceding problem.

On arriving at crossroads 561 Lieut. X commanding the advance party calls up Sergeant Clifford and says: "Sergeant, the point has just reported a squad of hostile cavalry about a mile down this road (pointing toward road fork 544). Take _your squad_ and scout down this road. I will take the next road to the left leading to Hunterstown.

Rejoin me on that road."

You are Sergeant Clifford.

(_a_) What formation do you adopt for your patrol?

Nothing happens until you arrive near road fork 544, when you hear firing from the woods southwest of you. This fire is not directed toward you. There is evidently about a squad firing. You can see no enemy in any direction.

(_b_) What do you do?

Problem IV: Platoon as an Advance Party:

General situation same as before.