Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-27
MARCH BY COMPASS
IN NIGHT OPERATIONS
Difficult Task to Walk in Straight
Line Across Plowcd Field
in Darkness.
STARS AND TREES AS GUIDES
Stones Used to Help in Counting
PAGES OH Practice March to I'm
known ObJcctivc-I.ooks Easy, but
Isn't.
ny LIEUTENANT G. VINCE.

he has learnt one great lesson; how
difficult night can make very ordi-
nary task. After that, whenever any
thing has TO be done by nigh. he Will
move in humbleness and care. leaving
nothing to chance.
Mess finished the company OF cadets
paraded In the darkness. They had
already been divided into squads. To
the leader or each squad was given a
luminous compass and two brief d!rec-
tons 1000 yards on a bearing of 320
degrees: 1900 yards on bearing +
e5 degrees" BY the light OF electric
torches they noted their directions
turned the yards into PAGES Gao PAGES
TO 100 yards), turned the true bear
1ngs az given them into magnetic bear
1nzs, on the calculation that the mag
netc variation in Is degrees West, and
get the direction marks OF the COM
pass at 335 degrees. ready to march on
the first bearing.
The company fell In again and was
marched away. For more than half
an hour IL marched briskly by roads
that II did not know: then it turned
of through gate, felt tho softness
OF grass under Its feet and saw the
dim shape OF haystack in the dark
ness. But It knew no more OF it's po-
sition than that 1t was somewhere In
the middle OF the night a cloudy night
with low mist gathering over the
fc!de
The company fell out into : squads
again. and the first squad was told to
get in front OF the haystack. There
were Ave In the squad. and each knew
what his Job would be.
The leader bent over his compass.
watching the faint glow Of the mag
netIc needle RS 1t swung. turning the
4,
needle'h movement with his finger on
the check spring until AZ last the
needle lay true and steady under d.
rcction line. Then he glanced AT the
two luminous dots which marked each
end OF the hair line on the open com
pass lid. The line Of these two dots
was tho line OF their march. on true
North bearing ago degrees. magnetic
north bearing 335 degrees.
Right" said the leader. Point"
Point stepped IN front OF him.
See that he's standing square" said
tho leader.
Another took Poin. by the shoulders
and turned him a little until he vas
facing riGht out on tho line OF those
two luminous dots on the compass In
the leaders hands.
Right" said IN. leader again.
-ouck march. Don't go more than
thirty PAGES"
brought him down on the Nrs, FUR
row q. heavy plowed field tol
some land 20 walk on. and most df-
hcul, TO walk on in "A straight line. AT
his third step he turned very slightly
10 the left. Tho others watched him
until he had gone about twenty-five
PAGES. then tho leader called TO him
softly TO halt. He could just be dimly
seen in The night.
Tho leader looked az his compass
again.
TOO much TO tho left" he saIt
Second point sn and stand two PAGES
10 lis right"
when second point had reached his
place. tho leader had fnal look at
his compass and clampcd the needle
10 prevent II swinging as he walked.
hight" he said again. Got those
stones in your pocket TO remember the
hundreds by"
Yes" said the man who was to count
the pacea.
The three stepped out across the la
bcrioMs burrows.
"T~en,y-,our." said tho counter a.
they came up to the two points.
The leader stood close behind tho
second point and opened his compass.
AS point moved aside. he bent again
over tho swinging needle.
STAR CAN SERVE AS
TEMPORARY GUIDE
The sky was a blank. or they might
have picked up some star low on the
horizon and marched comfortably on
that for three or four hundred yards.
olive minutes is as long az one can
march on star before II has moved
too far.) And the field in the dark
ness was as blank as the sky There
was nothing for 1t but to feel their
way toilsomely across the burrows
twenty yards at time. The field
seemed immense. hncndinE.
AT the end Of twenty minutes they
saw tall shapes standing ont in the
darkness, row OF trees along the
edge OF the field. The leader took
bearing. Third tree from the left Is
our line Of march" he said. and they
made for It as br.skly as they could.
The field beyond was grass and they
went more easily. They crossed I,
end another. and were In tho middle
CT a second plowed field when tho
counter stopped suddenly.
Here we are" he said: 1900 PAGES"
The leader moved the direction mark
round the compass TO seventy degrees,
and took the first bearing on the new
course. So they went on. following
those two luminous dots on the con,
pass I'D. advancing carefully twenty
yarGs at a time, counting their PAGES
as they went, knowing no more than
that they were in the middle of the
night. and that IL they went accur-
ately they must in the end reach the
unknown objective for which they were
aiming.
They came to the edge OF a wood,
and found that the limo OF the trees
was the line of their march, For 200
yards they walked quickly, sure of
their direction. at the far corner of
the wood they settled down again to
work their way through the night
They had been going nearly two
altOgnthrr
spoke again.
Fourteen hundred" he said.
Forty PAGES further on they came
to a stop. There was still nothing but
emptiness round them.
Cast about" said tho leader; 'T'll
mark the spot"
Two minutes later there came a
call from point and a light flashed
The others made for 1t and found a
barn with their company commander