Elsewhere he makes the following statement in regard to a normal attack: “I believe that the normal attack should be regarded as the basis of troop training--a solid foundation for further development. In carrying out the spirit of this procedure, further work should be done on varied ground. This spirit aims at the unity of the attack. The formations taught on the drill-ground should be retained as long as possible. The training of officers and men must be such, however, that they will deviate, whenever necessary, from these normal formations. But if the formations, as well as the training and drill, are truly practical and adapted for war, departures from the scheme laid down in the regulations will be insignificant. This, briefly, is my idea of the normal attack or uniform procedure, which not only does not have a detrimental effect, but, on the contrary, is absolutely necessary in order to facilitate the work of the higher leader.” General von Scherff states:[212] “It would contribute to clearness and to proper division of responsibility if the regulations would definitely prescribe:-- “1. That only the superior commander who makes dispositions for battle according to his own judgment, be charged with assigning appropriate missions; “2. That the subordinate leader, charged with the execution of a mission, determine, by an independent choice of any expedient provided by the regulations, the formation in which his organization is to carry out the task assigned; and, finally, “3. That the subsequent conduct of such an organization be governed by a definite normal procedure, familiar to the men from the drill-ground, so as to ensure mutual coöperation of its component parts.” [212] _Einheitsangriff oder individualisierter Angriff_, Berlin, 1902. 2. CONCENTRATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEPLOYMENT FOR ACTION.[213] [213] _Aufmarsch_, _Entfaltung_, _Entwicklung_. Column tactics, which influenced us even after the Franco-German war, required that troops be concentrated, prior to an action, from the narrow route column into a broad combat formation. This tedious systematic =concentration=[214] was invariably employed before entering an action, except when, in critical situations, companies and battalions had to be launched into the fight directly from route column. The commander of a force could reduce the time required for going into action only by approaching the field of battle in assembly formation.[215] [214] “By _concentration_ is meant the passage from route column to a broader close order formation. It is employed for the purpose of decreasing the depth of a column and for assembly.” (Par. 315 German I. D. R.) [215] Examples: The approach of the IInd Army to the battlefield of Gravelotte, see _Taktik_, III, p. 305.