Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-07-24
FORCES SHOWED UP WELL
SIX COMPANIES ON OFFENSIVE
AND FOUR ON THE DE-
FENSlVE
MORE EVOLUTIONS TOMORROW
CITIZEN SOLDIERS KEPT ON THE
JUMP AND ARE MAKING BEST
OF ENcAMPMENT


of the New Mexico National Guard
participated in a field maneuver in
which the intrenchment system Of
attack, utilized so effectively by the
Japanese in their. recent war with
Russia, was exemplified. The in
trenchment system of defense was al
so used by battalion under the com.
mand of Major Ludwig William Ilfeli
and known as the Reds. Major Arthur
Bail, with six companies, conducted
the attack. The defending force was
made up OF four companies
The maneuver as arranged by First
Lieutenant Young and General
Brookes was as follows:
Maneuver No. 2.
Camp Mills, July "a, 1911.
GENERAL SITUATION
A blue division is in camp twenty
miles northeast of Las Vegas. A red
force is advancing from the west.
SPECIAL SITUATION
RED
A red battalion which on July %
attacked blue force in Sibley, re-
tired westward on the same day to
Abeyta's ranch where it had sent
small force to accumulate supplies.
On July 23 two companies were sent
back to San Geronimo with the wagon
train carrying a portion of the sup
plies so gathered while the rest OF
the battalion remained at Abeta's
to guard the remainder. At a. m.
on the morning of July "a a patrol re-
ported the advance of a force Of
blues over battalion strong from the
north into Sibley where it halted.
The battalion commander believes
the enemy IS advancing to attack.
Notwithstanding his small force he
decides to hold his ground entrench,
and send for reinforcements.
SPECIAL SITUATION
BLUE
north from Sibley on July %, fell
back to a position near cemetery hill
to await reinforcements. These ar
rived on July 23 at a. m. On July
"a it was learned the red battalion
had vacated Sibley and had gone to
Abeytas ranch; further that It hao
accumulated large quantity of sup.
plies there and had sent two compa-
nies with a wagon train to San Geron-
imo, leaving the rest of the battalion
at Abeyta's. The battalion COM
mander decides to move at. once by
the bley-Ortiz-Abeyta road, drive
off the enemy and seize the supplies.
In conformity with the conditions
governing the maneuver the reds took
a defensive position in the valley north
of the target range covering the road
leading from Sibley to the Ortiz ranch.
This position was prepared for defense
by constructing hasty intrenchments.
The trenches were of the kneeling
type with a command of two and one
half feet and a thickness of parapet
of two and one-half feet. Each trench
was sufficient to hold twenty-five men.
Excellent cover for support was found
ir swale in the rear of the center
of the line of trenches. The construc-
tion took about two hours. The i'm
plements used were army regulation
intrenching tools augmented by some
additional standard size picks and
shovels. The trenches were screen
ed from view by mass of bushes
grass and shrubbery and in one in
stance, a small tree was planted on
the parapet.
The trenches controlled the valley
for distance of 1000 yards and al
the time of the beginning of the ma
neuvers they were occupied by the de
fense and the support placed in the
rear. All the men knelt down in the