_Lieutenant Ralston_: “He must size up the situation, arrive at a decision as to what he is going to do and then put this decision in the form of an order.” _The Director_: “What is the first part of his Estimate of this Situation?” _Lieutenant Ralston_: “He will determine upon his mission. I would say that the immediate mission is to relieve the 2nd battalion and that the next phase of it is to prepare to continue the attack tomorrow morning.” _The Director_: “Very good. What is the next point he will consider, Captain Harvey?” _Captain Harvey_: “He must consider the enemy. The enemy has been retreating before our attack for the past two days. This shows that he is inferior in strength and morale. His defense arrangements must be very much impaired and the confusion that exists behind his lines may readily be imagined. The fact that he is doggedly contesting our advance and that his retreat has nowhere broken down to the extent that we have been able to break through his lines with a deep penetration shows that he still has a lot of fight in him. As soon as it is sufficiently dark to preclude the possibility of aerial observation the enemy will begin shifting his defense elements with a view to preparations to resist our advance again tomorrow. He will be effecting a relief of his worn-out troops, shifting his machine guns to more advantageous positions, changing his artillery so as to more effectively cover the ground which we will have to pass over tomorrow if our attack is a success. All of this will consume several hours. During the period of readjustment and redistribution of troops the hostile activity and fire will naturally be very much diminished. During this same period from dusk until several hours later these same things will be happening in our lines, as you can see. Our artillery will have to be brought up to new positions for the destructive bombardment and the barrage. Our machine guns have to be placed in position to better support the riflemen. Our tanks have to be gotten up ready for the ‘jump off’ tomorrow morning and our worn-out troops on the front lines have to be relieved. It will be a period of lessened activity on both sides. During this period we will take advantage of the opportunity to effect the relief of the 2nd battalion on the line.” (Note.—The terrain over which the approach march and the relief should now be discussed.) _The Director_: “That is a very good discussion of the consideration of the enemy and our troops. Captain Hodges, what other factors enter into the estimate of the situation?”