Terrain ExercisesWaldron, William H. (William Henry)
History
Terrain Exercises
Waldron, William H. (William Henry)
Tactics
_Captain Burt_: “Yes, sir; I would instruct them to replenish their
ammunition before sending their ammunition carts forward. They probably
would do this any way, but I would play safe and order it. There has not
been a long period of firing so that one cart from each section probably
would be all that it would be necessary to send to the rear. This would
leave plenty of ammunition with the guns and get additional ammunition
forward much sooner than if the ammunition carts were permitted to
advance without refilling.”
_The Director_: “Captain Howe, would you give any further instructions
to the platoon leaders?”
_Captain Howe_: “Yes, sir; I would direct them to move forward with the
guns on carts. The carts have been placed at the disposal of the platoon
leaders so they should employ them without instructions, as there is no
danger in so doing. However, the captain usually determines when the
guns shall be moved forward by hand, so I think it is safer to caution
them to use their carts. There is a great tendency to continue advancing
the guns by hand for the rest of the fight when it has once become
necessary to dismount them from the carts.”
_The Director_: “Captain Smith, give the complete messages that should
be sent to the platoon leaders to carry out the decisions we have made.”
_Captain Smith_: “Captain M would send the following verbal messages:
“To the commander of the 2nd platoon:
“‘Move forward at once with guns on carts to the position from which
the enemy has just been driven. Replenish ammunition.’
“To commander of 1st platoon:
“‘Replenish your ammunition. Remain in position until 2nd platoon
reaches position from which enemy has just been driven and then move
forward with guns on carts.’”
_The Director_: “We have covered the different situations that are
likely to occur in an attack with the exception of the opening phases of
a prepared attack and the consolidation. The former is most frequently
an indirect fire problem and should be treated as a separate exercise.
The latter can be handled best as the first phase of a battalion on the
defensive.”
* * * * *
=Machine Gun Co.= =Card No. 4=
=Director’s Key=
1. Pass out Situation No. 4. Have members of the class explain their
understanding of it.
2. Explain the responsibility of the captain for acting on his own
initiative in the absence of orders from the major.
3. Have a member of the class give the orders issued by Captain M.
4. Have members of the class discuss: Different methods of advancing
the company. Necessity for retaining some guns in position to
meet counter-attack. Replenishment of ammunition. Use of carts.
5. Concluding statement by the Director.
* * * * *
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