Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1917-08-08
WHEN THE SQUAD IS ACTING
ALONE IN EXTENDED ORDER.

The squad in combat drill is what
might be called subsidiary first unit.
The squad is not the regulation first
unit-this is the platoon (one-fourth
of q company roughly Speaking), as
will be explained later. But within
platoon, a closer fire control is often
necessary, and to this the squad organ
ization is adapted. Particularly is this
essential to firing by squads which
is, under certain circumstances, the
most effective way in which the fire
can be delivered.
In addition, the squad is most
practicable unit for patrol and out
post duty, since it places a small and
flexible body of men in charge of
noncommissioned officer for work
which requires discretion and conceal
ment. This is not to say that patrol
or outpost duty is confined to squads,
but it is often subdivided finally upon
the squad basis. In any event, the
squad in extended order work of all
kinds has many occasions to work in
dependently, and it is then that the
discipline and sense of unity acquired
in close order drill will justify itself,
as well as obedience and attention to
the corporal.
When the squad is deployed with
other squads, the front and rear rank
men place themselves abreast the cor
poral at half-pace intervals, as we
have seen, but when the squad is act
| ing alone, the skirmish line is formed
| in the same, way upon No. 2 of the
front rank. No. stands fast in his
place or continues the march, as the
case may be. Meanwhile, the cor
poral places himself in front of the
| squad when advancing, and in the rear
| when halted. When he is in line, the
corporal is the guide; when he is not
in line-that is, when he advances in
| front of the squad as it's commander
| No. 2 front rank IS the guide of the
line, and it is the duty of No. 2 front
rank to follow in the tracks of the cor
| poral, with the rest of the squad guild
| ing on No. 2.
| The command for assembling the
squad may be given either as assem-
| bly,, MARCH," or by the cOrporars
waving his arm in short circles above
his head. At the command, the men
move toward the corporal, wherever he
has taken his station as a base, and
form upon him, in their proper places,
| in close order If the corporal contin-
ues to advance, they move in double
time, form, and follow him. The as
sembly, while marching to the rear, is
not executed.
1t will be seen that in deploying as
skirmishers, the precise form of move
ment prescribed for close order drill
is not adhered to. A man has more
ease and latitude in carrying out the
movements. This is to make speed.
/ While men in close order are COM
PEELED to turn corners sharply and
maneuver, SO to speak, in angles, in ex-
/ tended order it would be inefficient for
man to turn on an angle to reach his
position when he could make a straight
cut for it.
Yet this in no sense nullifies the
need for precision in close order drill.
without it troops would become hope
lessly tangled up, and without it also
there would not be the uniformity of
movement which would cause members
of squad in extended order instinct
lively to choose the most direct-and
in that sense, precise-short-cuts in the
least possible time. In fact, without the
close order, they could make no short
cuts at all, for they would not know
where to turn in order to find their
places in the squad.