(Note.—Should any members of the class insist that a message should be sent back, he may be called upon to compose the message, and it should be examined to see whether it contains information that is vital to the defense of the outpost.)
1. Conduct class to point where a view of road to front for several hundred yards is available.
3. Enter on solution: Signal of leading man; method of joining leading man.
4. Enemy advance guard or patrol. Question of firing on enemy.
5. Method of evading enemy patrol. Practical demonstration. Discussion of methods; difficulties.
6. Write out message. Contents; information of enemy main.
The class is now conducted to a point where they have a view of an open field some 1,200 yards distant. It may be assumed that the patrol has marched several miles in order to arrive at this place.
The Director now distributes the sheets containing Situation No. 6.
The patrol successfully evaded the enemy’s patrol, continued the march, and without encountering any other enemy troops has arrived at this point. The enemy patrol proceeded on down the road toward the outpost line.
On arriving here you observe a force of the enemy marching into that field. They are apparently going into bivouac. You estimate the enemy to be one regiment of Infantry.
The Director should point out the location of the enemy and should indicate the exact location of each member of the patrol, so that all members of the class will make their solutions on the same basis.
_The Director_: “Captain Hall, what would you do under the circumstances?”
_Captain Hall_: “I would send a message to the support commander telling him what I have seen.”
_The Director_: “Is there anything that you would do before starting to compose your message?”
_Captain Hall_: “I do not think so. I have located the enemy and want to get the information back as quickly as possible.”
_The Director_: “That is true. But there are certain things that must be done in connection with it. You have discovered what you estimate to be the enemy’s main body. You know the strength and composition of it. You know what he is doing for the time being. The members of your patrol are still in patrol formation and must be told what to do. In other words, there are several things to be done. In the first place, you want to dispose your men for observation of the enemy and to prevent surprise. Enemy patrols may be operating in the vicinity. One of these may pick you up and prevent you from getting any information back. This is the thing you must guard against. You must consider the contents of your message and you must figure out how you are going to get it back considering the fact that there is an enemy patrol of six men operating between you and the outpost line.