=COMMENT: The failure of patrols in these instances stems from a lack of appreciation on the part of NCO’s and junior officers of their ~missions~. In patrol actions, as in the operations of larger units, the ~mission~ must be kept uppermost in the minds of all ranks, and no action should be undertaken which does not contribute directly to the accomplishment of that mission. Conversely, no incidental or inadvertent contact with the enemy should deter or divert patrols from the complete accomplishment of their missions, to include compliance with ~all~ instructions given, where humanly possible.= ★ =Team Up!= _Captain William T. Gordon, Infantry, ~Sicily~_: “I have found that men in position must fight in pairs; an order that 50 per cent stay awake is thus easily enforced; it bolsters morale and nerves. =Rally Point= “In every company attack order a reserve force must be prescribed; I always do even though sometimes this force consists only of myself and my First Sergeant. Often a soldier who a moment before has run away is converted into a fighter by leadership. A reserve force gives him a rallying point.” ★ =Fear is Normal= _Colonel George Taylor, Infantry, ~Sicily~_: “_Fear of being afraid_ is the greatest obstacle for the new man in battle to overcome. There is no reason for shame in being afraid. Men who have had excellent battle records freely admit they are scared stiff in battle. The important thing is that every soldier must be taught all he needs to know so well that battlefield thinking is reduced to a minimum; automatic, disciplined reactions to battlefield problems must be the rule. “In battle the worst element is mental and nervous exhaustion. There is no real rest under fire. The ability to withstand fire is more important than all the knowledge in the world.” SICILY--ITALY--ATTU NIGHT ATTACK =Surprise Saves Lives= _Major John R. Patterson, Infantry, ~Sicily~_: “The mission of our battalion after landing south of GELA in Sicily was to capture the airport at BISCARI. The battalion used the _silent night attack_. The three rifle companies were in line with the heavy-weapons company in reserve. To reach its line of departure, the battalion crossed two precipitous ridges using two control lines, then climbed the cliff at the airport to the line of departure. All this was done silently under cover of darkness. [Illustration] “The attack was started with a hand grenade. We didn’t fire until the Germans counterattacked. We went in with bayonets and hand grenades and caught some of the Germans undressed and dressing. The MK IV tanks fired their guns but wouldn’t close on us. The enemy knew their men were all about, so fired their machine guns and rifles mainly into the air.