These embrace instructions from higher authority; his detailed plans; information of the country and enemy; the countersign, if any; the point where the patrol will a.s.semble if scattered.
He will see that the men understand the prescribed signals.
It must always be remembered that it makes no difference how valuable may be the information that the patrol gets, it is worthless if not sent back in time to be of service. Herein is where most patrols full. This applies particularly to the information obtained by patrols acting as a point or flankers of advance, rear, and flank guards. Whenever the patrol gets any information, the leader must think whether the commanding officer would change his plans or issue new orders if he had the information. If he would, the information should be sent back at once. If the distance is great or the inhabitants are hostile, it is well to send two men with the message. These men should not travel side by side, but as a patrol of two men. If the information is very important, and the danger of capture is considerable, the message should be sent by two parties, each traveling by a different route.
A message from a patrol should always show (a) the place from which it is sent; (b) the time it is sent (date, hour, and minute); (c) to whom it is sent; (d) the message itself; (e) what the patrol intends doing after sending the message; (f) the name of the sender. Under (d) care must be taken to separate what has actually been seen by the patrol from information received from other sources. Care must also be taken not to exaggerate what is seen, but to report only the exact facts.
In their conduct patrols exercise the greatest vigilance to prevent discovery. No formal formation is or should be prescribed. Under the leader"s guidance it moves so as to guard against surprise, usually with point and flankers. To extend the sphere of its observation, still smaller patrols (one or two men) may be sent out for short distances, communication with the leader being maintained by signals. Whatever the formation adopted, it should favor the escape of at least one man in case of surprise.
In patrols of two to five men the commander generally leads.
In this formation few signals are necessary, the men simply regulating their movements by his.
In questioning civilians caution is observed not to disclose information that may be of value to the enemy. Strangers are not allowed to precede the patrol. Patrol lenders are authorized to seize telegrams and mail matter, and to arrest individuals, reporting the facts as soon as possible.
Patrols should observe everything for signs of the enemy. Even apparent trifles may be of great value. The finding of a collar ornament showing a man"s regiment may enable the chief of staff to determine that the enemy has been reenforced.
Patrols should not travel on the main roads if they can observe them and at the same time make the necessary progress by moving some distance to the side of the roads.
Unless in case of attack or of great personal danger, no member of the patrol should fire on hostile troops without orders from the patrol leader. When sent out to gain information, patrols should avoid fighting unless it is absolutely necessary in order to carry out their orders.
Villages and inclosures involving danger of surprise are entered with precaution, and for brief periods only. Halts are made at points affording good view, and the country is studied in all directions, landmarks to the rear being impressed on the minds of the men so that the way back can be readily found; the leader consults his map and locates himself thereon.
When a patrol is scattered it rea.s.sembles at some place previously selected; if checked in one direction, it takes another; if cut off, it returns by a detour or forces its way through. As a last resort, it scatters so that at least one man may return with information. Patrols nearing their own lines should march at a walk unless pressed by the enemy.
Occasionally it is advisable fur the leader to conceal his patrol and continue the reconnoissance with one or two companions.
Patrols far from their commands or in contact with the enemy often remain out overnight. In such cases they seek a place of concealment, proceeding thereto after nightfall or under cover.
When the enemy is encountered it is very necessary to locate his main force. Information is particularly desired of his strength, whether he has infantry, cavalry, and artillery, the route and direction of his march, or the location of his camp and line of outposts.
Dust clouds indicate moving bodies. Infantry raises a low, thick cloud; cavalry a high thin cloud; artillery and wagons a broken cloud. The kind of troops, direction of march, and approximate strength may thus sometimes be roughly estimated. If from some position a body of troops can be seen marching along in column, the exact time in minutes and seconds it requires for them to pas a certain point should be noted, together with the formation they are in, thus: Infantry, column of squads, three minutes and twelve seconds; cavalry, columns of twos at a trot, one minute and twenty seconds; wagons, four-mule, five minutes. From this information the strength can be determined by the following rule:
a.s.suming that infantry in column of squads occupy half a yard per man, cavalry in column of fours 1 yard per man, and artillery and wagons in single column 20 yards per gun, caisson, or wagon, a given point would be pa.s.sed in one minute by about--
175 infantry.
110 cavalry at a walk.
200 cavalry at a trot.
5 guns, caissons, or wagons.
For troops in column of twos, take one-half of the above estimate.
Patrols should always observe the country marched over, with a view to making a report on the same. The following information is always of value:
ROADS.--Direction; kind, whether dirt, gravel, macadam, etc.; width, whether suitable for column of squads, etc.; border, whether fenced with stone, barbed, wire, rails, etc.; steepness in crossing hills and valleys; where they pa.s.s through defiles and along commanding heights. etc.; crossroads.
SURROUNDING COUNTRY.--Whether generally open and pa.s.sable for infantry, cavalry, and artillery, or whether broken and impa.s.sable, due to fences, woods, crops, ravines, etc.
RAILROADS.--Single or double track, narrow or broad gauge, tunnels, bridges, cuts, direction, stations, etc.
BRIDGES.--Material, wood, stone, steel, etc.: length and breadth; number and kind of piers or supports.
RIVERS.--Direction; width, depth; kind of bottom, such as mud, sand, rocky, etc.: banks, steep or gentle, open or wooded; rapidity of current; variations in depth at different times as indicated by driftwood and high-water marks; islands; heights in vicinity commanding streams.
WOODS.--Extent and shape; kind of trees; free from underbrush or not; clearings, roads, swamps, ravines, etc.
TELEGRAPH LINES.--Number of wires, along ronds or railroads, stations, etc.
VILLAGES.--Size, kind of houses, nature of streets, means of defense, etc.
HILLS AND RIDGES.--Whether slopes are gentle or steep; whether top is narrow or wide; whether ground is broken or smooth, wooded or clear; whether difficult or easy to cross, etc.; whether commanded by other hills.
DEFILES.--Their direction, length, and width; whether surrounding heights are pa.s.sable for infantry and artillery; kind of country at each opening of the defile, etc.
RAVINES, DITCHES, ETC.--Width and depth; banks, whether pa.s.sable for infantry, cavalry, and wagons; whether suitable for trenches, or for movement of troops therein, etc.
In general, every soldier should be constantly on the lookout to obtain information that might be of some military value. Remember that information of the enemy and of the country is worthless unless made known to the proper officials in time to be of use.
Every soldier should be able to find his way in a strange country; should know how to use a compa.s.s; should know how to locate the North Star; should be able to travel across country, keeping a given direction, both by day and by night, and by observing landmarks he should be able to return to the starting point either over the same route or by a more circuitous one. This can easily be learned by a little practice.
It adds a great deal to the value of a soldier if he knows how to use a map to find his way. If he knows how to make a rough sketch of the country, showing the position of roads, streams, woods, railroads, bridges, houses, villages, fields, fences, hills, etc., he has added to his value as a soldier very much, indeed, because a rough sketch of a country will give more and better information at a glance than can be obtained by reading many pages of written description.
PATROLLING is one of the most important duties a soldier can learn. Any enlisted man who understands thoroughly his duties as a member of a patrol will understand also most of his duties when with advance or rear guards or when on outpost duty. Patrolling can not be learned merely by reading books nor by work indoors.
Thoroughness comes only by actually going out in the country and acting as a patrol.
In carrying out this idea the following scheme is recommended:
Let four or more men and a noncommissioned officer act as a patrol.
They a.s.semble at a certain time, at a convenient point on some country road. An officer, whom we will call Captain A, acts as the director; the noncommissioned officer, whom we will call Sergeant B, acts as patrol leader; and the others (Privates C, D, E, etc.) act as members of Sergeant B"s patrol.
a.s.sume that the company (battalion. etc.) has just made camp in this vicinity find that the inhabitants are friendly (or hostile).
Captain A indicates to the rest of the men where the camp is situated and points out where the various sentinels are posted.
(This in itself affords an opportunity for much discussion and for teaching many valuable lessons.)
Captain A then calls up Sergeant B and tells him--
(a) Just what information Captain A has of the enemy, and also any information of the country or of friendly troops in the vicinity that might be of service to Sergeant B.
(b) How many men he shall take for the patrol (this is another problem for Captain A to solve). Any men present not used as part of the patrol go along with Captain A as observers.
(c) How far he shall go and what country he shall cover with the patrol.
(d) Just what information it is particularly desired he shall obtain.
(e) Where he shall send his messages and when he shall return.
Example 1:
"Sergeant B, it has just been reported to me that a company of hostile infantry was in camp last night at X, about 5 miles from here on this road. Take 5 men and proceed toward X and find out whether the enemy is still there, and if not, when he left and where he went. Send messages to me here, and return by 8 o"clock this evening."