Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-08-25
TURNING THE COMPANY ON A
FIXED OR A MOVING PIVOT.


The company, like the squad, is
turned on fixed or moving pivot. If
a. battalion or regiment is in line and
it is desired to throw it into column
Of companies, the movement is exc
cuted by companies right Qeft)" upon
the same principle as squads right
Qeft." Likewise, if the battalion or
regiment is in column of companies,
and it is desired to turn it back into
a line of the battalion or regiment, the
commands companies right Qeft"
will bring about this result, just as
squads right QefD" will give the COM
pany front from a column of squads.
Also, companies in column, like squads
in column, turn on moving pivot,
when it is desired simply to change
direction without interrupting the
march.
On the fixed pivot, the commands
are, Company Right Ueft), MARCH,"
Company, HALT" or, For
ward, MARCH!" as the case may be.
At march," following the prepara-
tory command, Company right" the
right flank man in the front rank
faces squarely to the right and
marks time. The other front rank
men oblique to the right, place them
selves abreast of the pivot man and
also mark time.
In the rear rank, the third man from
the right-No. 8 of the first squad, as
in squad right''-moves straight to the
front until in the rear of his front
rank man. He is followed in column
by the second and first men from the
right in the rear rank. These likewise
place themselves in the rear of their
front rank men. when all face to the
right in marching and mark time.
The remaining men of the rear rank
move straight to the front for four
PAGES, then Oblique to the right, place
themselves abreast of the third man,
cover their respective file leaders, and
mark time. The right guide steps back,
takes post on the flank and marks
time. Tie fourth command march,"
if it is desired to go fOrward-or
halt" if the company is to come to a
stop-is given when the last or end man
of the company is one pace to the rear
of the new line.
The command "halt," however, may
be given at any time after the move
ment begins; but only those halt who
are in the new position. Each of the
others halts upon arriving on the line,
aligns himself to the right and executes
front without further command.
A change of direction on a moving
pivot is executed, as has been said, sub
stantially the same way as in the
school of the squad. The command is
Fright Ueft) Turn, MARCH :.
Forward, MARCHw The difference
between right turn in the school of
the company and the school of the
squad is that with the company the
men do not glance toward the march
ing flank, and all take the full step
only at the command, forward,
MARCH" Meanwhile, all those who
have reached the line abreast the pivot
man take the half step of Is inches.
Each rear rank man obliques on the
same ground as his file leader.
In the school of the company, little
has been said, so far, of the platoon.
The reason is that the squad move
ments, in the nature Of things, come
first in the instruction and also be-
cause the platoon movements
platoons are composed of from two to
four squads-are simply company
movements on smaller scale and exc
cuted in the same manner.