Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 203, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 September 1917 — SELF HELPS for the NEW SOLDIER. [ARTICLE]

SELF HELPS for the NEW SOLDIER.

By a United States Army Officer

(CopyTifht, 1817, by the Wheeler Syndicate, Inc.) THE COMPANY IN LINE OF SKIRMISHERS. The company in skirmish line executes a number of commands as if In close order, except that the skirmish Intervals are maintained. For this reason the movements are, in the nature of things, less precise, but they approximate those in close order. Thus, the company in line of skirmishers advances, halts, moves by the flank or to the rear, obliques, resumes the direct march, passes from quick time to double time by the same commands as in close order. “Company right (left)” by the skirmish line is executed as explained for the front rank in the school of the company. That is to say, we have now a single rank extended by twice the number of men, at half-pace intervals, or 15 inches apart (approximately a yard of front to each man, as against 22 inches in close order, which single rank may be turned on a fixed pivot precisely like the front rank of a company or a platoon. “Company half right (left)” is executed in the same way, except that the line is halted when it • has swung around to an angle of 45 degrees. The rules for the deployment of a company are necessarily less simple than those for the’ deployment of a squad; for there is a double consideration to be borne in mind. In the deployment of the company, the individual squad must be deployed, but it must also be deployed with reference to and in conformity with all the other squads of the company. For this reason, it is necessary, as* a part of the preparatory command, also to establish a “base squad” which is to serve as a guide to the line. The preparatory command is, therefore, “As skirmishers, guide right (left or center).” If the company is in line, this designates the actual right (left or center) squad as the base squad. If the'company is in column of squads, the command, “Guide right (left)” designates the leading squad, upon which the other squads will deploy either to the right or left. The command “Guide center” designates the center squad, which may or may not deploy without advancing further according to directions; the other squads conform to it, and the guide thereafter is center, unless otherwise.

To repeat, the base squad, designated as above, advances or not at the command of execution, “MARCH,” depending upon the point chosen by the captain on which the base is to rest. The corporal of each of the other squads commands his men, “Follow me,” or “By the right (left) flank,” dependent upon whether the command to deploy is given when the company is in line or in column of squads. Ts in line, the corporal marches his men off by the right or left flank, as the case may be, until he has sufficient Interval in which to deploy. The squad nearest the base squad deploys first after the base squad, the second squad from the base deploys next, and so on, until all the squads are deployed. If the company is in column of squads, at the preparatory command, the corporal, as has been said, gives “Follow me,” and at “MARCH,” he places himself in front of the squad and leads it into place. The squad remains at close order until it reaches the skirmish line, to which the corporal takes it by the shortest route. No. 4 of the rear rank, however, steps into the place of the corporal in the front rank and marches there as long as the corporal remains in front of his squad. Arriving on the skirmish line abreast of the squad ahead, the squad then deploys.