The Plattsburg Manual Part 33

The average American makes a first-rate soldier. He wants his officers to be efficient and high-toned leaders. It thrills him to have their actions pitched in a high key. He wants to be well instructed. He wants to be led with tact and diplomacy. He wants them to be neat, to dress immaculately, and to be military in bearing. He wants to feel that there is no favoritism; that justice prevails.

Be stern in discipline. Exact nothing less than the best in a man.

Tolerate no slovenliness. Deal laziness a sharp rebuke. The great majority of your men are doing their level best. Let them know that this is what you expect, but at the same time you appreciate them for it.

When a thing is wrong, say so. Explain the correct method. Do so calmly and efficiently. You have made worse mistakes yourself. Your men did not want to make the mistake. They did so from ignorance. It is possible that you have not made the matter clear to them, or the fault is yours not theirs.

Don't be too intimate with your men. Experience has proven that you cannot fraternize with an enlisted man one minute and then punish him for misconduct the next.

When you discipline a man, first make him see his error from your point of view, and then, reprimand him or decide on his punishment in an absolutely impersonal manner.

Grow impatient, become excited, and irritable, rebuke too severely an uninstructed man who has made a small, unintentional mistake, use any words unworthy of your position--and you demonstrate clearly to your men your unworthiness to hold your office.

When there is peace and harmony and efficiency in your organization, you are responsible for it. When there are grumblings, lack of enthusiasm and esprit-de-corps, be honest and sensible and see if you are also not responsible for it. No matter how badly things are going at drill, never lose your temper with the company.

When things are going well, let your men feel that you are proud of them. A company should be like a good football team: every man in it right behind the captain.

A FINAL WORD

Now it is proper to consider your relation to your immediate superiors.

You have no business commanding unless you have first learned how to obey. The finer the training and caliber of an officer, the more sensitive is he to the wishes of his commanding officer, however, informally they may be expressed.

The ideal officer is a Christian gentleman who has no task too small to faithfully perform, whose country's welfare is above his own, ready for any sacrifice great or small; whose thoughtfulness and efficiency last twenty-four hours a day, whose relations with his superiors are based on modesty, cheerfulness, and loyalty.

A message from the Father and Mother whose son is to serve under you:

"I want my boy to do his bit. I want him to willingly submit to all sacrifices. I don't limit them. I expect him to become efficient. I expect him to obey orders. That means all orders. Wrong orders as well as right orders.

But I want him to have a fighting chance. I don't want him to serve under an inefficient officer who is playing to the galleries; who is in the habit of doing things wrong instead of right. If the worst should come, I want my boy to perish for a good cause. I don't want there to be any blunders about it.

In willingly placing my boy under your orders, I charge you with a sacred task. I charge you to lead him efficiently."

SUPPLEMENT

ADVANCE WORK

SUPPLEMENT

CHAPTER I

THE THEORY OF SECURITY

(Copied from the Field Service Regulations)

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Security embraces all those measures taken by a command to protect itself from observation, annoyance, or surprise by the enemy.

Ordinarily this security is provided in part by cavalry. But as a command is not always preceded by cavalry, and as this cavalry can not always prevent sudden incursions of the enemy or discover his patrols, additional security becomes necessary. This is obtained by covering the immediate front of the command with detachments.

On the march these detachments are called advance, flank, or rear guards; in camp or bivouac they are called outposts.

The object of the former is to facilitate the movement of the main body and to protect it from surprise and observation; the object of the latter is to secure the camp or bivouac against surprise and to prevent an attack upon it before the troops can prepare to resist.

On the march these detachments facilitate the advance of the main body by promptly driving off small bodies of the enemy who seek to hara.s.s or delay it; by removing obstacles from the line of advance; by repairing roads, bridges, etc., thus enabling the main body to advance uninterruptedly in convenient marching formations.

They protect the main body by preventing the enemy from firing into it when in close formation; by holding the enemy and enabling the main body to deploy before coming under effective fire; by preventing its size and condition being observed by the enemy; and, in retreat, by gaining time for it to make its escape or to reorganize its forces.

As the princ.i.p.al duty of these bodies is the same, viz., that of protecting the main body, there is a general similarity in the formations a.s.sumed by them. There is (1) the cavalry covering the front; next, (2) a group, or line of groups, in observation; then (3) the support, or line of supports, whose duty is to furnish the observation groups, and check the enemy pending the arrival of reinforcements; still farther in rear is (4) the reserve.

An advance or flank guard commander marches well to the front, and, from time to time, orders such additional reconnaissance or makes such changes in his dispositions as the circ.u.mstances of the case demand.

In large commands troops from all arms are generally detailed, the proportion from each being determined by the tactical situation; but commanders detail no more troops than the situation actually requires, as an excessive amount of such duty rapidly impairs the efficiency of a command. As a general rule troops detailed on the service of security vary in strength from one twentieth to one third of the entire command, but seldom exceed the latter. When practicable, the integrity of tactical units is preserved.

In mixed commands infantry usually forms the greater part of the troops detailed to the service of security. Cavalry is a.s.signed to that duty whenever advantage can be taken of its superior mobility. The kind and amount of artillery are determined by circ.u.mstances.

The field trains of troops on this duty generally remain with the field train of the command, but if conditions permit they may join their organizations.

Troops on the service of security pay no compliments; individuals salute when they address, or are addressed by, a superior officer.

ADVANCE GUARDS

An advance guard is a detachment of the main body which precedes and covers it on the march.

Its duties are:

(1) To guard against surprise and furnish information by reconnoitering to the front and flanks.

(2) To push back small parties of the enemy and prevent their observing, firing upon, or delaying the main body.

(3) To check the enemy's advance in force long enough to permit the main body to prepare for action.

(4) When the enemy is encountered on the defensive, to seize a good position and locate his lines, care being taken not to bring on a general engagement unless the advance-guard commander is empowered to do so.

(5) To remove obstacles, repair the road, and favor in every way possible the steady march of the column.