The following are the various types of military communication:
Field messagesconvey verbal or written information by messenger or wire.
Reportsare written accounts of some enterprise, undertaking, or event, such as a reconnaissance, march, or battle.
War diariesare daily records of events kept during campaign by each battalion and higher organization. From the entries in these diaries the facts of our military history are obtained.
Letters of instruction, issued by higher commanders, regulate in a general way movements covering much time and space. Army and Corps commanders may, by visits and conferences, often communicate verbally the substance of letters of instruction.
Field orders, issued verbally or in writing by commanders of tactical units, regulate the tactical actions of troops, and such strategical actions as are not covered by letters of instruction.
General ordersare written directions having to do with the general administration of a command. They contain the necessary details for carrying out injunctions from higher authority, for keeping up standing instructions, and for publishing results of special and general courts-martial.
Orders(when not used as a general term) refer to the instructions communicated to troops by commanders ofdivisions and of separate brigades in regard to combat, field, ammunition, supply, sanitary, and engineer trains.
Special orderscover such matters in regard to individuals as are not necessary to be communicated to the entire command.
Operation orders, as we now use the term in reference to trench warfare, are the orders governing a certain enterprise along a given sector of the front. Although they are even more precise than field orders, they contain more details on account of the wide difference between trench and open warfare.
Circularsare printed from time to time by various bureaus and departments of the War Department, and by purchasing officers, for the publication of data pertaining to the business of a bureau or department.
Bulletinspublish, usually in pamphlet form, information for the military service.
Bothcircularsandbulletinshave the force of orders.
Memorandaare published from time to time by commanding officers to embody directions not vital or sweeping enough for general or special orders.Memorandahave the force of orders.
Official correspondenceconsists of official letters, returns, rolls, estimates, requisitions, and certain routine reports.
These types of communication have been defined in order to give a general survey of the many kinds of written and oral expression of which military men should become masters. Although the task appears huge, proficiency can be gained by attention to the hints suggested inChapter I.
In order to apply those suggestions in a practical way, we must now sort out from all of the above types those which should press themselves most upon our attention.Certainly all these types cannot be equally necessary for our immediate study. Possibly if we classify them from the point of view of the occasion for their use, we may see more clearly how to treat them.
It is evident that we are going to have to write messages, field orders, and operation orders when the enemy is upon us, and when every second is vital. If we must stop in that crisis and putter over the forms and methods of drafting our thoughts, how useless we shall be! When that time comes, one thing alone should occupy our consciousthought—our military idea. That will be sufficient to keep busy the most brilliant intellect.
In order that we shall have, then, perfect freedom to grapple with tactical, strategical, or logistical difficulties on the field of battle, let us learn the forms and methods of messages, field orders, and operation orders as soon as possible.
In so doing we shall discover two things,—
(1) That messages, field orders, and operation orders have a bearing upon each other in the sequence given, and
(2) That the work of framing them will give us the greatest possible practice in writing all other types of communication.
The message.—The general termmessagemay refer to (1) any informal or short communication, (2) any directions or orders too abbreviated to be known as field orders, or (3) any piece of information transmitted in the presence of the enemy.
Number 1 is too broad for treatment here. Moreover, the ready skill in composing anything of its nature should follow easily from what we are about to practice.
Number 2 is to be considered in connection with field orders.
Number 3, then, is the important one for us to take up now. From its definition it is already familiar to us as
Since it deals entirely with the communication of information, it might be well to inquire from what sources this information is to be derived, in order that we may know something about the kind of material with which we are going to deal. Just as a stenographer acquaints herself with some of the workings of her employer’s business inorder to attain the greatest amount of usefulness, so we should now look over the vast amount of territory which the contents of field messages cover in order to gain the maximum efficiency in composing these communications. Accordingly, we find that higher commanders, adjoining troops, inhabitants of the country, newspapers, letters, telegraph files, prisoners, deserters, spies, maps, and reconnaissances, are all sources of valuable military information. It is from these that we shall obtain our data.
Most of all, however, will the fighting man obtain his from reconnaissance—the work of gathering information in the field. From the moment of entering the theatre of operations to that of abandoning it, there is necessary a constant quest of knowledge of the enemy’s composition, morale, material, disposition, and activities. No leader can act intelligently without this information, and, since he cannot hope to get it in person, he must depend for its acquisition upon certain reconnaissance units, chief of which is the patrol.
Our concern with these reconnaissance units lies in the fact that the information which they gather must be sent to the commander by messages. If no one in the patrol is capable of sending back accurate and timely written information, the reconnaissance has failed, and the patrol might as well have remained in camp. The good field message is the strong link between the reconnoitering party and the main body. The poor field message is a gap which no amount of courageous effort in ferreting out facts from a wary enemy will bridge. The ideal reconnaissance, then, is one which keeps a constant stream of accurate and reliable messages flowing back to the proper recipient.
The main factors which go to make up accuracy and reliability of field messages are keen observation and faithful expression. Both of these faculties can be cultivated,and indeed are so closely allied that they ought to be considered together. It is quite difficult at times to tell where one leaves off and the other begins. If a man puts in his message, “The enemy was seen over the hill,” and another, witnessing the same occurrence, states that “seven hostile infantrymen lay down on the military crest of hill 307 at 4-17 p. m.,” which one has keenly observed? Which one has faithfully expressed himself? Is it possible that the first man did not see any of the details of the second message? Or did he fail to put them down faithfully? In whatever way we answer these questions, we are brought to the realization that the second man applied both faculties to an equal extent. And, therefore, we are led to the conclusion that from the standpoint of complete expression we must take things quickly, precisely, and accurately, and put them out certainly, specifically, concretely, unmistakably, and faithfully.
The field message is not used by the reconnaissance unit exclusively. An exchange of communications might be necessary between commanders to tell of changing conditions. The enemy has developed an unexpected attack, reinforcements are urgently needed, etc. This message will differ slightly in form from the ordinary field message which will be analysed below, but it will be of the same essential type, and will make the same demands upon brevity and clearness.
The Infantry Drill Regulations state that “the authorized message book should be used and the form therein adhered to.” This book, issued by the Signal Corps, contains fifty message blanks with fifty duplicating sheets, so that fifty messages may be sent and a copy of each retained. The front of the blank appears as on next page.
The back of the blank is divided into squares. By means of a ratio between the size of these squares and certain scales for maps, a fairly accurate sketch is possible.
Caution.
Remember that a message may not always go direct from sender to receiver, but may be relayed by several methods of communications—buzzer, helio, or flag. Think how errors may creep in at each change of method, and guard against them by making your message one of telegraphic brevity and unmistakable clearness.
By means of this sketch, the message may often be shortened, for the sender can refer by letter or number to various points on the sketch, whereas he would otherwise be compelled to describe positions or to go into detail at length. When he does draw a sketch, he should refer to it somewhere on the bottom of the face of the message thus: (See sketch over) or (See sketch reverse side).
The sketch is not usually duplicated.
The reverse side of the message blank appears thus:
Scale of Sketch...ins. = 1 mile.grid of 25x35 squaresWhen scale is 6 ins. = 1 mile, each small square is 50 yards.When 3 ins. = 1 mile, each one is 100 yards.When 6 ins. = 1 mile, V.I. = 10 ft. When 3 ins. = 1 mile, V.I. = 20 ft.
Scale of Sketch...ins. = 1 mile.grid of 25x35 squaresWhen scale is 6 ins. = 1 mile, each small square is 50 yards.When 3 ins. = 1 mile, each one is 100 yards.When 6 ins. = 1 mile, V.I. = 10 ft. When 3 ins. = 1 mile, V.I. = 20 ft.
The form of address of the regulation envelope for this message appears below. It is probably best explained by an extract from paragraph 36, Field Service Regulations, which reads as follows: “Messages carried by a messenger are usually enclosed in envelopes properly addressed. Theenvelope when not marked ‘confidential’ is left unsealed, so that commanders along the line of march may read the contents. Upon the envelope is written the name of the messenger, his time of departure, and rate of speed. The last is indicated as follows: Ordinary, rapid, or urgent. Ordinary means five miles an hour for a mounted man; rapid, about 7 or 8 miles an hour; and urgent, the highest speed consistent with certainty of arrival at destination. The recipient notes the time of receipt upon the envelope and returns the latter to bearer.”
UNITED STATES ARMY FIELD MESSAGE
To. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. . . . . . . . . . . . . .(For signal operator only.)
When sent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rate of speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Name of Messenger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When and by whom rec’d. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This Envelope Will Be Returned to Bearer
We should certainly be armed with a Field Message Book when the crucial moment for writing a message arrives. But it so happens, especially in open warfare, that that article of equipment may have been left in the saddlebags, or have been borrowed by a friend. At any rate it is not present for duty when we want it. However, we are always able to produce a piece of paper or clothing—something upon which to write—from someone of the party present. It behooves us, then, to learn to compose a message without the aid of a blank. Indeed, this idea is contained in the latter part of the quotation from the Infantry Drill Regulations—“and the form therein adhered to.”
We are not compelled to memorize the form of the Field Message Blank. We can, however, analyse it so that it will fix itself in our memory and will be a part of what we must know in regard to the field order. And we can gain a knowledge of this form rather by adhering to the field message blank than by departing from it. Yet we need not know its entire form but simply what contents are necessary and what order they must have.
In the first place the field message may be divided into three parts:
The Heading,The Body,The Ending.
The Headingshould contain:
The Name of Sending Detachment,The Location of Sending Detachment(Place),The Date,The Hour of Issue,The Number of the Message.
For example, the whole heading would appear something like this:
Combat Patrol, 318th Infantry,Cross Roads 500 yds. south of CLINTON SCHOOL HOUSE.No. 3.9 Jan. 18.9-45 p. m.
Combat Patrol, 318th Infantry,
Cross Roads 500 yds. south of CLINTON SCHOOL HOUSE.No. 3.9 Jan. 18.9-45 p. m.
Location of sending detachment means theexact spotupon which sender is located at time of writing.
The date should be given always as above in the sequence, day, month, year. This combination prevents the numerals from being confused. In naming a night both days should be mentioned thus: Night 4/5 Feb. 18.
The time should always have the dash between the hour and minutes.
Messages sent on the same day from the same sending detachment are numbered consecutively. Each day or each mission starts a new series.
If a map referred to is not the one on the reverse side of the message, the sender should designate the name or number of the map used, immediately below the number of the message.
The Bodyof the message contains the following:
To Whom Sent,The Body Proper.
The Body Properhas the following sequence for its information:
1.Enemy.2.Your Own Troops.3.Terrain.4.Your Plan.
The body then would appear something like this:
“To Commanding Officer, Advance Guard, 71st Brigade:Squadron of enemy’s cavalry encamped in meadow 600 yards southeast of here. Our officer’s patrol, which we met at ZION CHURCH at 8-10 a. m., reported two regiments enemy’s infantry intrenched at railroad one mile south of here. Tail of our second battalion at PARKSBURG steel bridge 7-20 a. m. Battalion was marching south. MARTIN’S CREEK unfordable at any point between SMITH’S CORNERS and GREENSBURG. Will move southeast from here along creek bed in order to complete mission.”
“To Commanding Officer, Advance Guard, 71st Brigade:
Squadron of enemy’s cavalry encamped in meadow 600 yards southeast of here. Our officer’s patrol, which we met at ZION CHURCH at 8-10 a. m., reported two regiments enemy’s infantry intrenched at railroad one mile south of here. Tail of our second battalion at PARKSBURG steel bridge 7-20 a. m. Battalion was marching south. MARTIN’S CREEK unfordable at any point between SMITH’S CORNERS and GREENSBURG. Will move southeast from here along creek bed in order to complete mission.”
On account of lack of space, paragraphing is impossible: but if this sequence is followed the thought is easily gained. If some one of our own troops tells us concerning the enemy, this information should come between 1 and 2, and should be definitely shown to be hearsay and not our own observation.
Of course, all of the parts, 1, 2, 3, and 4, do not always occur. The order is nevertheless followed.
The Endingconsists of
The Signature
which, in turn, consists of the sender’s surname and his rank, thus,
FLETCHER,SGT.
The outline of the whole message construction, then, would be as follows:—
The message we have composed, when assembled, would appear as follows:
Combat Patrol, 318th Infantry,Cross Roads 500 yds. south of CLINTON SCHOOL HOUSE.No. 3.9 Jan. 18.9-45 a. m.To Commanding Officer Advance Guard, 71st Brigade:Squadron of enemy’s cavalry encamped in meadow 600 yards southeast of here. Our officer’s patrol, which we met at ZION CHURCH at 8-10 a. m., reported two regiments enemy’s infantry intrenched at railroad one mile south of here. Tail of our second battalion at PARKSBURG steel bridge 7-20 a. m. Battalion was marching south. MARTIN’S CREEK unfordable at any point between SMITH’S CORNERS and GREENSBURG. Will move southeast from here along creek bed in order to complete mission.FLETCHER,SGT.(See sketch reverse side.)
Combat Patrol, 318th Infantry,
Cross Roads 500 yds. south of CLINTON SCHOOL HOUSE.No. 3.9 Jan. 18.9-45 a. m.
To Commanding Officer Advance Guard, 71st Brigade:
Squadron of enemy’s cavalry encamped in meadow 600 yards southeast of here. Our officer’s patrol, which we met at ZION CHURCH at 8-10 a. m., reported two regiments enemy’s infantry intrenched at railroad one mile south of here. Tail of our second battalion at PARKSBURG steel bridge 7-20 a. m. Battalion was marching south. MARTIN’S CREEK unfordable at any point between SMITH’S CORNERS and GREENSBURG. Will move southeast from here along creek bed in order to complete mission.
FLETCHER,SGT.
(See sketch reverse side.)
Caution.—Remember that “your own troops” means friendly supporting troops and not the troops of which you are in immediate command.