The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-17
ADVANCE GUARD Local Guardsmen Initi- ated Into Advance
 Guard Tactics.
BY HUBERT M. RIGNEY lst Lieut., l02nd Infantry

NV - The Second Battalion, l02 In- fantry, in which are most of the units from Waterbury, went by truck to Stones Ranch Arena, No. {, this morning and engaged in battalion advance guard problem. Captain Peter Fox was temporarily in command of the battalion. The situation was that two hostile countries are at war and that the Connecticut river was the boundary between the two. Our forces were from the west side Of the river and
 were advancing Into the enemy territory. We assumed that we the Yale Engineering Camp and started out at { c. m. for the ter- ritory in the direction of Hiree Lake where we were to engage an enemy force reported in that vicinity. The movement was along the road which runs from the entrance to the eco Camp Shores ranch to the Peck farm area near Rogers lake in the town Of Blackall. Our battalion was tho advance guard for an assumed larger force. Company Y, under command of Lieuten- ant Hubert M. Rigney. furnished tho advance party. Just after the point had moved over the wide bridge that expands the flood -Four Mile Brook the remaiader Of the advance party. who were then at the entrance to the eco camp were fired on by an enemy force consisting of riflemen and machine guns from point on the high ground just north of the house near tho junction of the Stones Ranch and Boston Post Road. Lieutenant Rigney and c runner back to Captain Fox with this information and by his direction had the section Of machine guns tunder Lieuten. ant Brown) and Company ' take up a position on the high ground to tiC right of the road often crossing the brook. From
 this point they contained the enemy by fire until Captain Fox had made his reconnaissance. Immediately after thk he brought up his company commanders
 Lieutenant Rigney, Company E; Lieutenant Wolfe, Company F.; and Lieutenant Dillon, Company O and pointed out the territory each was to occupy, Company c on the left and Company r on the right took up the advance to the high ground held by Company D after which Company ' dropped back to act as reserve. Company r had the advantage of c piece Of woods in the area under cover of which 1t moved forward to q point from which 1t could envelop the enemy's left. However, they encountered the same swaniE
 that E Company got into last week and their progress was nee. eGsaryily slowed up considerably. The enemy noteu this movement evidently and 1t was assured that they dropped back. Company c then started forward in squad columns, but Snipers assumed to be posted on the ridge soon be. came active and 1t was necessary to break up the formation at once again and take up the skirmiSn line. At the conclusion Of the problem c brief critique was held and the units entrenched and came back to camp. The eiiemys job was to seize the high ground that dominated the Connecticut river bridge ct saybrook and ours was to prevent this by holding all the high ground in that area and making 1t possible for an uninter- rupted flow of troops and material to come across the bridge. Com. pany c goes on guard this afters noon. Captain Peter E. Fox will be officer of the day and Lieu. tenant Dalton will be officer of the guard. Lieutenant Philip Kelly ls tho battalion b-4 or trans. portation officer. All noa.coil1- iIilssioned officers of the company were ct school this afternoon is, the mems shack at the southeast corner of the reservation. This school was conducted by Sergeant Frank O'Dr,en, D.E.M.L. The First battalion, consulting Of New Haven units, will parade this eve- ring. A course of gas instruction will Dc given tn regimentai offs icerS this evening ct [ o'clock by Lieutenant Grover c. Baldwin, ROO. and our amateur show will es held in front Of Eesimentai q Jseo D. m. Father pcFaa lFeSi- Nnwntsl chaplain) who is in charge of entertainment, told lls at Che offlcefs meeting at i:9Q that VaF~