Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1914-10-07
GUARDING AN army
Order of Advance of a Division
on the March.
TACTICS IN TIME OF BATTLE,
Careful and Elaborate Disposition Of
the Detached Troops to Secure the
Main Body Against surprise-The
Flanks and the Rear Guard.

SdfCiut ote LAW ~ StoHOSIIICn OF
the Detached Troops to Secure the
Main Body Against surprise-The
Flanks and the Rear Guard.
The civilian in reading stories of
battles and accounts of marches and at
tacks by an army in times of war
finds many expressions that he does
not clearly understand-such, for in
stance, as references to independent
cavalry. the advance guard. advance
cavalry. point and flank patrols. the
support. the reserve, the main body,
flank guard and rear guards-and it is
reasonable to believe that there is con-
fusion In many minds as to signif.
canoe and relation of these things"
said an army officer.
Let us assume that a division is on
the march, and, by the way. a division
is the basis in the United States or,
ganization for the mobile army and is
a unit made up of all necessary arms
and services complete for independent
action incident to ordinary operations.
"One or two marches ahead goes the
independent cavalry. which seeks to
check the enemy's cavalry and send
back information as to the enemy's
movements and his intentions. This
cavalry is so far to the front that it
could not prevent the enemy slipping
In between it and the following army
mi could not prevent the enemy's
patrol from observing the movement
Of the troops. Thus other precautions
are taken, and one or two marches be
the advance guard.
First in the advance guard is the
advance cavalry. commonly one squad
ron, which sends ahead a point or
leading patrol and sends on both sides
to march across country OF on roads
paralleling the line of march small
bodies called 6anking patrols. All this
Is to clear the country of the enemy or
give timely notice of his approach or
bis presence. Four or FIVE miles in the
rear of the leading patrol rides the ad
vance party of the advance cavalry
III Tic real VI the duthIte CdNdlIt
marches the support. commonly form
ed of n regiment of infantry and Il
mounted detachment of engineers
Five hundred yards ahead of the sup
port marches its advance party, com
posed Of one company. and from 30c
party is its point patrol. and other
patrols may be sent out on the tanks
or to places on the line of march
where they can get good views of the
country.
About 1000 yards behind the sup
port marches the reserve in the fol
lowing order In the United States
army: One battalion of infantry. one
battalion of artillery. one regiment OF
infantry, one company of engineers
less the detachment with the support
an ambulance company and perhaps
two miles behind the reserve marches
the main body. If danger is suspected
on either flank. flank guards are sent
out, and they may be mere patrols OF
attachments Of all arms. according to
the requirements of the situation Be
hind the main body marches the rear
guard. Its component parts are gen
orally as far behind the main body as
those of the advance guard are in front
of 1t, though OF a night march it dra VS.
closer to the main body.
This careful and elaborate disposi
ton of troops on the march is to Sc
cure the division against surprise. to
prevent small parties of the enemy de
laying the march and, if the enemy is
encountered in force. to hold him long
enough for the main body to prepare
for action and take up the best posi-
ton offered by the country.
THE arrangement and position of
the various forces as given above"
concluded the military man, 'are. as !
said at the beginning, the usual dis
position of advance troops Of a di
vision OF the march, and for larger
commands than a division you want
to increase the strength of the indie
pendent cavalry. advance cavalry and
patrols. support and reserve. and also
increase the distances. In this you will
see the reason for all the relatively
small but frequent and sharp collisions
during the early stages of a big bat
tie. "-Washington Star.