The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-24
blue AGAINST RED.
A British Practice Campaign OF Invasion and
Def,nce.

BLUE AGAINST RED.
A british Practice Campaign OF Invasion and
Defence.
The British tactical operations in Sussex
which followed those of Aldcrshot seem to have
been important principally to the commanders.
The AlGershot operations employed only troops
associated for a considerable time at or near
that station, whereas the Arundel operations in
Sussex brought in troops from various dis
tricts. Indeed, the force under Major-Gen. Sir
W. Butler included two divisions, OF two bril-
sades each. and q detached brigade, tho infantry
alone counting sixteen battalions. The First
Division. Gen. Burnett's, included the Firs.
Brigade, Lord Falmouth's, comprising the Sec
ond Grenadiers, First Coidstrcam1 and Second
Scots Guards; tho Second Brigade, Col. Wau-
chope's; the Third and Fourth Hussars forming
Col. Beckett's cavalry brigade; finally, three
batteries, the Eighty-ffth, Eighty-sixth and
Eishty-seventh. This was tie Blue army in
the which, Mt the outset, was
canipel at Lavington, on tho northern slope of
the South Downs. Six or eight miles southwark,
at Aldingbourne, lay the Second Division. Gen.
Gossct's, with RaperIs and Lagos infantry
brigades, Lockhart's cavalry brigade. including
Battery U. OF the horse artillery. and six bat
ferries OF field artillery. This was the Red army.
Finally, two miles southeast Of the Blue army,
near Sutton, was II detached brigade. neither
Red nor Blue, under Col. Parr, comprising four
infantry battalions, a hussar squadron, and a
horse battery. The engineers were at Arundel.
under Lieut.-Col. Barker, and looked after tho
telegraphing and bridging work. The senior
umpire was Gen. Kelly Kenny, while Sir Red
vers Buller and Sir Evelyn Wood represented
the army headquarters staff.
The general idea of the campaign was that the
Blue army had invaded England. landing near
Hastings and marching on London. Tho Red
army had moved from Portsmouth against
Blues communications, thus making the coun-
OF operations. Tho Red force was the stronger,
especially when Lord Falmouth's brigade was
t tiSns. tire Ia to =; p dIac,nSS c ins t axe d on tnS opssIF ae
side By CO.. PARIS detached brigade already
spoken o. IT w9s nota anS strSngfr, 100, as mas mas
a. it struck the enemy, on the Downs, 1t began
an az ]aTtil;ery tS duel sr Which Sav ooeTTbb n a,a a good ID part art
Red commander was thought TO be not so vigor-
Gus as it ought to have been; however. the Blue
fall back and bivonsc 1t Arundel. IFe next
& v, Tuesiay, she Blues sought 20 recover the
been driven. This they did not succeed IN
doing, So that the Reds occupied at night the
Arundel camp OF their enemy.
The next step of the Red defensive force was
Blue invaders had retired, presumably destroy;
Ing the bridges. The engineers were Mt hand
with, %rontoons for the purp9sei hn; Gen; ,ioss,,,
,lo Red commander; found that Gen. Burnett.
Of the river. had decided to risE his defence
some, distance beyond, at the old Roman in.
occu:'ed; Lut the Blue detencC was also crit.
ci7ed. and, altogether, Wednesdays operations
had not disputed the river eros sing. as he was
EXPECTED to do, and Red had;advanced only fee:
h'y. The cavalry had certainly been hindered
Blu, the following day the weather was fine,
f fhe g Taas exp eHper sHas, the Sn woFS o. 81 tk feG two a @ns
ie- improved. The5i:ets, 10 has been seen, had
crossed the Arun on "s%nesday. and they now
with Hastings. But Blue had received rein.
torcements during the night, nd accordingly
who had intrenched himself on Wepham Down.
expecting such an attack; As a result, tn. as.
especially with the strong force OF Red artl.
However. on Thursday night, after the battle
OF WephAm. Gen, .Gosset Withdrew tho Red
Increase OF tho Blues strength. to the other side
Of the Arm. and blew up the bridge. Tho re-
S passc sgS; o # f the rlte q 'sf ATsn ID i" Wns th to ch LEE
Ircne of operations, and 1t was shown clearly
that the river was an obstacle enough to have
ItE"rLssagc contested. But the Blue force WIS
strong; ard. wniie PARIS brigade made a demon
s%trati9n in front, a large boy of troops WAS
forty minutes, and, although one Red battery
and sFpr TsafS INIT" into Arandei GF.a544Ek, en- car = fn2S dist
may to tho Ter and wqnter to ,Ls phs.saNt5a
,S"bhiu"o "us ~ eINil IL luSl uhI. Inc
Blue army, as has been seen. was weak in cav
airy ord horse artillery compared to the Red
defender, as would naturally bU the cage in an
Invasion Of England. Hence the Red "ommand
cr's policy WIS TO screen his movements b. his
cavalry, whilc the Blue commander could not
Away get correct information Thus 1t turned
ont that on Saturday the latter made a desper.
the main body OF the enemy was not there. but
IA long distance away: However, tho Reds in
general seem TO have been on the retreat. with
II heavy loss In cavalry when the cease lire"
signal closed the operations. Yet they were
sharply contrasting the Blue attacks, and in
fiicting much loss. while taking up a strong po-
siIion on Kithurst Hill TO resist an advance.
Reviewing the operations as a whole, their
novelty, to begin with, is seen to consist in EN-.
pioying u new scene instead Of the familiar
one around .Aldershot, and the public spirit
with which many of the land owners offered 10
permit the tramping hithrr and thitAcr OF
these forces, perhaps lg;Ooo strong, over their
the least satisfactory, partly from the woodland
character of thesterritory; but the Improvement
in the last three was evidence OF the good re.
suits o! greater familiarity, though there were
other clements aiding 1t.
Tho three arms did not always work In con.
cert, the cavalry being especially slow in gath,
cring information and transmitting Il. SO dc.
made, Sir Evelyn Wood said that the cavalry
charges he had witnessed were begun TOO rapid
", instcad.of at a trOt, with the pace gradually
accelerated. while Sir X. Butler tlui mt That
tue brigdLes should have given erch Other
more support Blt on the whole tho week.
work was commended; and. N fact, even the fla
grant shortcomings showed how much IL Lad
!, becn needed by the English troops.