The second plan is that which is always advocated, as, though it demands more _sang-froid_, practice, and experience on the part of the squadron leader. Its advantages are considerable; they are as follows: (_a_) It gives more space and consequently more time to the leader. (_b_) The enemy’s squadron, if already formed, will usually shoulder towards the attacker, and thus become disintegrated. (_c_) The movement does not entail the disorder consequent on front forming; on the contrary, a wheel into line generally ensures well-ordered and cohesive ranks. (_d_) The squadron is usually successful in striking the flank of the enemy. Von Schmidt says: An attack direct to the front must be an exceptional thing; to advance and at the same time gain ground to a flank must be the rule. General Sir D. Haig says: The efficacy of flank attack is so universally admitted as to need no argument to support it. A more difficult question is--how should we protect our own flanks from attack? 3. _Defensive and Offensive Flanks._--Usually the best protection is afforded by either a defensive or an offensive flank; that is, a portion of the unit, say, a troop from a squadron, a squadron from a regiment, should drop back or be ready to drop back in echelon; or, on the other hand, should be thrown forward. The duty of the defensive flank is to act against an enemy overlapping or taking in flank the unit in front. The object of the offensive flank is to threaten even more completely than with the remaining force the flank of the enemy, who will be tempted to edge across to meet it. What is true for a squadron is true for a regiment, and is still more true for a brigade, because with this comes in the question of artillery fire. II. THE REGIMENT 4. Let us then picture a regiment moving in “mass” from the south to the north of the paper, map, or ground. Our regimental commander seeing the enemy’s mass in front and bearing down on him, say, eight hundred yards away, gives the command, “Left shoulders,” and moves N.E. The first effect is that the enemy have a moving mark to hit, and to do so must “shoulder” or change direction; while at the same time they are deploying to the front. Both forces move three hundred yards. Then our regimental commander gives the command, “Echelon attack to the Left.” The squadron nearest to the enemy wheels into line and attacks; the remaining squadrons continue their direction and wheel into line in succession and attack as required. The attack eventuates somewhat as in the diagram. [Illustration: DIAGRAM I.]