The Problem
Situation No. 3:
You, Sergeant K, commanding the 2nd section, have been ordered to organize and hold the front from —— (indicate) to —— (indicate).
The section is to connect up and cooperate with the 2nd platoon on the left.
Your section is to furnish its own outguards along the general line —— (indicate).
You have arrived at this point.
You have with you your section guides.
Required:
How do you carry out your mission?
The Director: “While it is not expected that any member of the class will ever be called upon to command a section of Infantry, it is nevertheless important for you to know what happens when you issue an order which requires the action of a section leader.
“Let us visualize this situation. Let us consider ourselves as being Sergeant K. He is the fellow that all the orders finally get down to and the one that has to do the real job out here on the line. You hear the claims of certain staff corps, from time to time, about the necessity for having high-class men for the key positions in their enlisted personnel. Can you show me in any branch of the Army where a high-class man is required any more than he is right here? Here is a doughboy sergeant face to face with a problem, the proper solution of which means more to the success of the operations than any so-called “highly technical”position in the back areas. Upon what he does and how he does it may depend the success or failure of this whole military operation. The lives of the men under him are absolutely in his hands. If he blunders he may lose all of them.
“With these few remarks let us proceed with the problem.”
The Director will read the situation aloud, and make such explanations as may be necessary. He will call on one or more members of the class to state his understanding of the situation.
The Director: “Lieutenant Williams, how would you go about your task?”
Lieutenant Williams: “In the first place, I would look over the front and see what it affords in the way of a field of fire. I would next locate the section groups on the right and left and see where their fire could help to protect my front and how fire from my position could help to protect their fronts. I would see how the bands of fire from the machine guns in the area lay with relation to my front.”
(Note.—The Director will point out the location of the adjacent section groups on the right and left and the position of the machine guns. He will also indicate the direction of the bands of fire of the machine guns. All of this should be indicated by flags of distinctive color if it is possible to do so.)
The Director: “You have done all of the things you mention and the whole layout is clear to you. What is your next step?”
Lieutenant Williams: “I would search out the vacant spaces—the uncovered ground of the machineguns and so arrange my dispositions to cover them. I would first determine where my automatic rifles may be employed to the best advantage. I will want them for flanking fire to cover the adjacent combat groups and will expect the support of their automatic rifles to help cover my own front. I will want them to cover exposed places to the front that the enemy will have to pass over in making his attack. I will want them to cover certain lines along my wire entanglements. All of these things will have to be taken into consideration in locating them. I will next consider my other special weapons, the rifle grenade and the hand grenade. They are both valuable adjuncts to the defense, especially the rifle grenade. They will both serve well to cover dead spaces that are difficult to reach with machine gun and rifle fire. Such features as ravines, sunken roads and places where enemy troops may seek cover can be made untenable by the rifle grenade up to about 200 yards.”
The Director: “All right, let us assume that all of these things have been taken into consideration. How may the troops be disposed to best meet them, Lieutenant Wallace?”
Lieutenant Wallace: “We have three squads in the section. We are required to furnish our own outguards in addition to furnishing the garrison for the firing line. I should say that one squad employed on the outpost line would be sufficient. That would leave two squads for the firing line.”
The Director: “Now, there are two plans by which the outguards may be furnished. One is to have each squad cover its own front with an outguard and theother is to have a complete squad detailed as outguard for the section. Which of these plans do you prefer to use in this instance, Lieutenant Ralston?”
Lieutenant Ralston: “I think it would be better to employ one squad as the outguards for the section rather than have each squad do it.”
The Director: “What factors lead you to such a decision?”
Lieutenant Ralston: “If we have each squad furnish an outguard for its own front it would take half of the squad for that purpose. The least that could be sent out would be a cossack post of four men—a leader and three reliefs for a single sentinel post. I would not want to send our automatic riflemen on that duty and interfere with our arrangements for flanking fire. We would not desire to send our rifle grenadier under ordinary circumstances. This would leave only two rifles in the squad and one of these is the squad leader. If we send one squad out to furnish the outguards it can furnish two cossack posts, which are sufficient to cover our front, and it will leave the other two squads intact to occupy the firing line with all their weapons. If the enemy attacks and the outguards are driven in they will fall back on the flanks so as not to mask the fire of the squads on the firing line. This will enable them to drift toward an assembly point or trench in rear of the firing line proper where they will be available to the section commander as a small local support to be thrown in any of the squad firing positions where casualties have been relatively heavy or to put them in where they are most needed to repel the attack.”
The Director: “Of course it is always problematical as to how many men of the outguards will beable to get back; your points are well taken and convincing. I agree with you that the outguards may best be furnished by a complete squad, and this leaves the other units intact for the firing line proper. This now brings us down to the location of two small groups of a squad each. Captain Hodges, what factors will you consider in locating these two groups?”
Captain Hodges: “I would want one near each flank of the area where they can help cover the front of the adjacent groups, and I would want also to cover the front of the position. In order to do this I would break each squad into two groups of four men each. In the right group I would have the automatic rifleman and three riflemen of the 1st squad. The automatic rifleman would have a fire position from which he can cover the front of the adjacent section on the right, and if the one position does not serve the purpose I will have another fire position for him from which he can fire to the front. In the next group of four men I would have the rifle grenadier and three riflemen. They will be charged with covering the front. The group that the squad leader will remain with will depend upon circumstances. He would not be definitely assigned, but would go where his presence is most required. I would have a group of four men of the 2nd squad next to the left with the rifle grenade in it, and near the left of my line I would have another group similar to the one on the right with the automatic rifleman in it. The 3rd squad will furnish the outpost—two cossack posts.”
The Director: “I think you have made a very good distribution of troops. I do not think you can say off hand that you would have the rifle grenadier always in the interior groups. His position must dependupon the prospective targets that he may have. Now, the distribution brings us down to the proposition of the preparation of four short sections of trench sufficient to shelter four men each. This makes it a comparatively simple proposition. You see, when you divide all of this work up in the way we have how it gradually clears up and becomes perfectly simple.
“Let us now locate on the ground the four short sections of trench that will have to be prepared.”
The class will now be conducted to the right of the section area and then along the front, and the exact location of the four short trenches will be determined upon. Each will then be traced on the ground so that the members of the class may see just the sector front that it may cover. If additional pits are required for the automatic riflemen they will also be indicated on the ground. One or more members of the class may be required to lie down on the ground and verify the field of fire from each trench.
The Director: “Captain James, we have made a mark on the ground for each of these short trench lengths; we call that a trace; what do you mean by that?”
Captain James: “That the line we have made is the upper edge of the interior slope of the parapet of the trench. It is the firing line of the trench.”
The Director: “Now we have located these trenches; you have noted the distance apart they are. Would we try to connect them up with a continuous trench under the circumstances, Lieutenant Baker?”
Lieutenant Baker: “No, sir. I think not. If anycontinuous trench is to be constructed it seems to me that it should be dug a few feet to the rear and parallel to our line of short trenches. Our short trenches can then be connected up with it by communication trenches running obliquely, to give cover from fire. I think this parallel trench should be traced now so that work can be commenced on it tonight after the fire trenches are completed. It should be a zigzag trench. The 3rd squad can get some work done on it before they have to go on outpost.”
The Director: “I think we have covered everything that is necessary preliminary to issuing the order of the section commander except the location of the command post. Where would you locate it, Captain Hall?”
Captain Hall: “I would locate it here (indicates). The questions of observation and communication are the determining factors in its selection.”
The Director: “Now I want each member of the class to write out this order that Sergeant K would issue to his section guides. Make it simple and to the point.”
The members of class will write out the order on their pads and when all have completed it the sheets are passed to the officer on the left for criticism.
The Director will read aloud the order he has prepared and the members of the class compare their work with it.
“There is no further information of the enemy. You know the location of the machine guns in this area; the location of the 37 mm. gun and light mortar of the Howitzer company and the location of adjoining groups.
“Our section will organize and hold this area.
“The 1st squad will prepare the two fire trenches we have traced in the right of the area. Sergeant F, you will superintend the task.
“The 2nd squad will prepare the two fire trenches we have traced in the left of the area. Sergeant G, you will superintend the task.
“The 3rd squad will furnish the outguards along the line ——. I will give Corporal B detailed instructions later.
“When the fire trenches have been completed work will be started on the parallel that we have traced.
“Work will begin as soon as we get the section up and pushed to completion as rapidly as possible tonight.
“Section C. P. at ——.”
The Director: “The section leader will return to the company and get the section ready to come to the front. He will go himself rather than send one of the guides. There may be some new orders or instructions from the company or platoon commander, and he will want to get them first hand. He will want to be sure that the section is supplied with the intrenching tools that are necessary for the rapid prosecution of the mark.
“The section guides will each mark the cutting lines for the section of trench that he is responsible for and those of the communication parallel. They will have everything in readiness to start work as soon as the men get up to the position.
“We have gone into considerable detail in the solution of the problem, but I am sure every member of the class now realizes the necessity for it and how simple the final solution is. When we started out with the problem I am sure you all felt like we wereentering upon a hopeless task but when you finally get down to the last analysis of it and find that the pressing problem is the digging of four short sections of trench capable of sheltering four men each and getting started on the communication parallel you realize that it is not such a big proposition after all.
“All of this shows the necessity for the systematic training of officers and men in these things. I am sure you can see what would happen to an untrained outfit blundering into a proposition of this kind. You can readily imagine a company rushing madly to the front with no one to tell the men where to go or what to do. These tactical situations that confront troops in time of war require time and forethought for their solution. Unless the proposition is gone about in a systematic and orderly manner the task is hopeless. I feel sure that if any of you were confronted with the task of organizing a defensive position in the face of the enemy you are better equipped for the solution of the task for having had this Terrain Exercise.”
Defensive PositionCard No. 3Director’s Key1. Conduct class to area assigned to the 2nd Section.2. Explain purpose of giving this small problem to class. Distribute Situation No. 3, read and explain.3. Point out location of all defensive elements that have a bearing on the area allotted to the 2nd Section. Disposition of troops—factors affecting outpost line, firing line.4. Location of groups, automatic rifle, rifle grenadier.5. Locate trenches on the ground and trace them. Locate parallel communication trench.6. Issue order. Collect and redistribute. Present order for discussion.7. Explain necessity for training in tactics.
Defensive PositionCard No. 3
Director’s Key
Director’s Key
Director’s Key
1. Conduct class to area assigned to the 2nd Section.
2. Explain purpose of giving this small problem to class. Distribute Situation No. 3, read and explain.
3. Point out location of all defensive elements that have a bearing on the area allotted to the 2nd Section. Disposition of troops—factors affecting outpost line, firing line.
4. Location of groups, automatic rifle, rifle grenadier.
5. Locate trenches on the ground and trace them. Locate parallel communication trench.
6. Issue order. Collect and redistribute. Present order for discussion.
7. Explain necessity for training in tactics.