Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 196, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 September 1917 — SELF HELPS for the NEW SOLDIER. [ARTICLE]

SELF HELPS for the NEW SOLDIER.

By a United State* Army Officer

(Com right, 1817, by the Wheeler Syndicate, IncJ t. THE PLATOON. In the preceding articles on the School of the company, the platoon has purposely been left out of consideration and the attention confined to . the squad and company. The reason was that the principles upon which platoon movements are executed are based on those of the squad and company; for the platoon, consisting of from two to four squads, is simply a company on a reduced scale, or a squad on an enlarged scale, and is handled, generally speaking, accordingly. Moreover, when the new soldier, after drill in the school of the squad, is first placed in the school of the company, he is taught the application of his squad movements in company formation, and this supplies the natural connection between squad and company evolutions. The platoon, as has been said before, is to the company what the company is to the battalion. In a war-strength company there are four platoons, and In either a peace or war strength battalion there are four companies. It is therefore apparent that such movements as “Company right (left),” which are for the purpose of throwing a column of companies into line of the battalion, are simulated with “Platoons right (left),” by turning the platoons on a fixed pivot into a Hne of the company. As pointed out in connection with “Company right (left),” the movement is the same in principle as “Squad right (left)”; but since a platoon consists of two, three or four squads $( we shall assume hereafter that the platoon is at the war strength of four squads, or 32 men), in such points as ’ the rules vary between squad and company “right,” the platoon follows the rules for the company. The reason for the subdivision of the company into four platoons, instead of two, as formerly, is that modern battle conditions have demonstrated that from twenty to thirty rifles are as many as can be effectively controlled by one leader. The platoon is therefore the fire unit, as we shall see when we take up extended-order drill for the company. The platoons are commanded as follows: The platoon on the right of the line, by the first lieutenant; the platoon at the left of the line, by the second lieutenant; the platoon at right center, by the first sergeant, and the platoon at left center, by the sergeant next in rank. Each platoon has a sergeant for guide, and the file closers are distributed according to their posts behind the line of the company. The musicians march as file closers with the first platoon. The platoons are numbered consecutively from right to left, and these designations do not change. Since the platoon is the fire unit, its usefulness is most apparent in extended order; but it is also frequently employed in marches, on the parade ground, or in the armory. In parades through the streets of a city a company front of 64 men would generally be impossible; also, a company front of 32, or two platoons, is frequently too wide. The colqmn of platoons formation, therefore, of a war strength company would give a front 16 men wide, and this w'ould accommodate itself to streets which were too narrow for the twoplatoon front. Nevertheless, in garrison or ceremonies, the strength of platoons may, if desirable, exceed four squads. That is, under such circumstances, the company might be divided into two platoons of eight squads each.

PLATOON COMMANDS. When the company is in line, to form columns of platoons, the command is, “Platoons right (left).”' This is executed by each platoon as in the school of the company. The right flank men in the front Tank of each platoon face to the right in marching and mark time. The other front rank men oblique to the right, place themselves abreast of the pivot men, and mark time. In the rear rank, the third man from the right in each platoon (followed in column by the second and first) moves straight to the .. front until in the rear of his front rank man. Then all three face to the right in marching and mark time. The remaining men of the rear rank move straight to the front for four paces, oblique to the right, place themselves abreast of the third man, cover their file leaders and mark time. Before executing this movement with platoons, the captain makes it a point to see that the guides on the flank toward which .the movement is to turn are covering—that is, are in a straight row, so that the pivot men, whose positions are governed by those of the guides, will also be In a straight row, which will bring the platoons into a precise column. This is effected/by previously announcing the guide to । that flank. Following the command, “Platoons right (left), MARCH,” the concluding . command is to the company as a whole—" Forward, MARCH,” or “Company, HALT.” Being in columns of platoons, to ichange direction, the command is, “ColiUmn right . (left), MARCH.” At the preparatory command, the leader of the first ■platoon turns to the right on a moving pivot;, then its leader commands, “Forward, MARCH,” at the completion of the’turn. Rear platoons march squarely up to the turning point’

of the leading platoon and turn at the command of their leaders. When a company is in a column of squads, and it is desired to form a line of platoons, the command “Platoons, column right (left)” is given. This is executed by each platoon as already described for the company. The leading squad of each platoon executes a, right turn, and four parallel columns of squads advance in line of platoons. When the company Is in line, to form line of platoons, the command may be either, “Squads right (left), platoons, column right (left), MARCH,” or “Platoons right (left) by squads, MARCH.” The first command Is explained by reference to the preceding paragraph, while the second is executed by each platoon separately as “Right (left) by squads” in the school of the company. Being in column of platoons, to form the company line on the right or left, the command is as follows: “On right (left) into line, MARCH.” . . . “Company, HALT!” At the preparatory command, the leader of the first pla-. toon gives “right, turn.” At “March,” the platoon turns Ito the right on a moving pivot. The command “Halt” is given ■when the leading platoon has advanced the desired distance. At the “Halt” its leader commands “Right dress.” The other platoons march exactly as though they were squads when, this order is given tO\the company in column of squads’. “Platoons, right (left) front into line” is executed as described by squads in the school of the company. The dress for “Platoons, right front into line,” would be op the left squad of the left platoon. EXTENDED ORDER. The purpose of the close order drill through which w’e have just been put with the company is threefold: In the first place, it confers the benefits cited at the beginning of this series, namely, discipline and uniformity of movement. In the second place, by pleasing the eye with the movements, it not only teaches with concrete example the fundamentals of military precision, but contributes an important moral element known as esprit de corps. A company which is in the height of drilling or marching together has a vastly better spirit than one which, however well trained as individuals, has been assembled but a short time. The third benefit is a practical or mechanical expression of the second. This is “teamwork.”

Teamwork is so Important to troops in combat that the infantry drill regulations select this athletic term in preference to the whole military glossary to explain the combination of elements required by a unit for successful action. Teamwork is indispensable, and teamwork can only be learned, to begin with, in close order, just as teamwork with a football squad can be properly learned only by signal practice. But well-developed teamwork Is the more indispensable with deployed units-because the comparatively wide fronts increase the difficulties of control. This brings us tothe consideration of extended order. Because of the increased difficulties of control, noncommissioned officers are given great latitude in the execution of extended order work. We have already seen, in the article devoted to the corporal, how that individual’s im-portance-Increased the moment the squad was deployed in line of skirmishers. The success of the whole," in fact, in the word of the regulations, “depends largely upon how vyell each subordinate co-ordinates his work with the general plan.” In further Illumination of this statement. officers and men are instructed that “it is far better to do any intelligent thing consistent with the aggressive execution of the general plan than to search hesitatingly for the Ideal. This is the true rule of conduct for subordinates —who are required to act upon their own initiative.” But subordinates are immediately warned that independence must not become license. The subordinate officer should at all times have the general plan of action in mind and cause his own acts to conform thereto. The test is for him to ask himself whether he is reasonably sure that his superior in the given circumstances would issue the identical order. If the order he receives is obviously based upon an incorrect view of the situation, is impossible of execution, or has become impracticable because of changes which have occurred since Its promulgation, the subordinate is compelled to use his own judgment and take the responsibility upon himself, if he is unable first to communicate the situation to his superiors. These instructions are directed to officers primarily, bit they are relatively true of the responsibility which devolves upon the squad or platoon leader;-and for this reason have their places in the .consideration pf the company when deployed in line of skirmishers.