Terrain ExercisesWaldron, William H. (William Henry)
History
Terrain Exercises
Waldron, William H. (William Henry)
Tactics
_The Director_: “I think this order will get our patrol under way in the
proper formation. I hope you see and understand the necessity for going
into the minute details of these situations. Herein lies one of the
greatest values of the Terrain Exercise. It not only teaches the student
of Minor Tactics the principles, but affords practice in giving the
orders to meet the various situations and fixes all indelibly on the
mind. When you conduct a Terrain Exercise yourself you cannot be too
particular about going into the details of every situation.”
* * * * *
=Visiting Patrol= =Card No. 2=
=Director’s Key=
1. Distribute sheets containing Situation No. 2. Each member of class
is now Corporal Canes. Explain why this Terrain Exercise is
given to officers.
2. Orders for squad. Failure to use five paragraph order. Information
of enemy and own troops. Plan of commander. Tactical
dispositions and order for each element; detail each patrol,
time of going out, supernumerary, equipment—only rifle and belt
of ammunition, no bayonets, canteen, messages.
3. Meaning of supernumerary.
4. Necessity for following five paragraph order system.
5. Men get ready for patrol duty before dark. Corporal Canes goes over
route of the patrol.
6. State special situation. Now 11:50 p. m. Ready to start. Formation
of patrol. Corporal leads. Load rifles.
7. Orders for patrol:—Formation, communication, second in command.
8. Explain necessity for going into details. Great value of Terrain
Exercise.
* * * * *
The Problem
=Situation No. 3=:
You, Corporal Canes, the leading man of your visiting patrol, have
arrived at this point. Outguard No. 1 is right there (indicate); the
double sentinel post is there (indicate).
_Required_:
What do you do?
Procedure
The class is conducted to the point selected for Situation No. 3, which
should be located between the outguard and the sentinel post if
practicable. The Director reads the situation aloud and points out the
position of the outguard and that of the sentinels posted from the
outguard.
Solution
_The Director_: “Captain Hall, let us assume you are Corporal Canes. You
have arrived right here, the other members of your patrol are in the
original formation behind you. Now just what would you do under the
circumstances?”
_Captain Hall_: “I would go to the sentinel post and ask the men.”
_The Director_: “Wait a minute. Let us not go too fast on this
proposition. You have the other men of your patrol with you. What are
you going to do with them?”
_Captain Hall_: “That’s right. I would have to tell them what to do. I
would say to Manley in a low tone;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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