Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-10-15
PROFIT
FROM EXPERIENCE
ON THE Frontier
Officers and Men Alike Are
Benefited Because Of
Chance For Training.

Field Headquarters, American Pu-
nitive Expedition in Mexico, Oct. IA
"Fire control" drills, which, in a
months time have increased the eff
fectiveness OF cavalry regiments fire
100 per cent, are important factors in
the field manoeuvres being held by the
American punitive expedition.
Far from being period of stagna-
ton for the expeditionary troops, the
hiatus during the last few months in
the pursuit of Villa has been of al
most inestimable benefit to the, par
ticularly to the mounted arm. 1t has
given commanding officers opportun-
tiles to handle larger bodies of men
under conditions more nearly akin to
those of war than have obtained at
any time since in the past SO years.
The manoeuvres, which are varied,
progressive and in accordance with
we'll defined plans, include such simple
exercises as horse training and ascend
to solving Of warfare problems that
involve the handling of brigades. Fire
control, although classed among the
elementary exercises, is virtually new
to the cavalry, although the infantry
has been working on it for several
years.
Pamphlets issued by the School of
Musketry fire at Ft. Sill, Okla, have
been furnished commading officers and
problems they contain in SHELTON
form are amplified and worked out.
Exercises suggested in these pam
phlets also are being tried out and
suggestions for improvement, result
ing from actual practice, are being
noted. Recommendations by regi-
mental officers are being studied by
General ]. j. Pershing and his chief
Of staff, Colonel De R. G. Cabell, and
tohse considered worth while are be-
ins Incorporated in tentative manuals.
Studying developments of the Eu-
ropean war, and realizing that, under
modern conditions of warfare, cav
airy does most of it's fighting on
foot, commanders of that arm Of the
service are giving their troops great
deal of dismounted work, paying par
ticular attention to attack. In this
connection it is noticeable that the
ringing bugle no longer sounds the
charge, for every manouvre is made
by signal. Save for the ramp of hoofs
and the leather softened rattle of
equipment, troop movements are made
silently, not a voice being raised in
command.
When a problem, prepared by the
commanding general or his staff, is
given out, an observer accompanies
eahc of the opposing leaders and an
umpire watches the operations. After
each mimic combat, critique is held.
Tactical errors observed are pointed
out and suggestions made relative to
better manoeuvres that might have
been employed. = w
Full advantage is being taken of the
fact that there are four regiments of
cavalry at headquarters camp "a cir
cumstance without parallel in army
annals for years. All the regiments
being used, it also is observed, are
being manoeuvred at full war strength
as provided under the new army re-
organization bill. This affords the
first opportunity American command |
ers have had Of handling troops Of this
size in manoeuvres.
The war game will reach climax
when the manoeuvres progress to the
point where every fighting man avail
able will be marched against an i'm
aginary enemy under conditions that
almost approximate real war;
Drilled from six to eight hours a |
day and performing duties which, if |
not carried out, might turn healthy |
camp into dangerous one, the ex-
petition thus far has not stagnated.