_The Director_: “We must give the enemy’s patrol credit for being on the alert and for having such a knowledge of tactics that he will do the reasonably proper thing. If he sees one member of our patrol, the difficulty of avoiding him will be doubly increased. Our task, then, is to get to cover as quickly as possible. It is this seeming trivial action that sometimes calls for all the ingenuity that the patrol leader may possess. The road may be open for a considerable distance, so that if one of the members of our patrol crosses from one side to the other he will be seen and the position disclosed to the enemy. It may be necessary for the patrol to fall back a short distance in order to secure the necessary cover. It may be necessary, in order to avoid discovery, to direct all men on one side of the road to take cover on their side and the remainder to seek cover on the opposite side. This means a dispersion of the patrol and the consequent danger of getting lost and also the difficulties of assembling again. This points to the advisability of training the men to all take cover on the same side of the road when the enemy is encountered as in this case.”
When members of the class are in place to represent the enemy and our own patrol, the Director will give a signal and the movement starts. The enemy patrol moves along as it would naturally and Captain James proceeds to get the members of his patrol under cover. His method should be discussed by the class and the defects of it pointed out. It may be necessary to enact the solution several times before a satisfactory one is found.
The demonstration completed and the class again assembled, the Director proceeds with the problem.
_The Director_: “Lieutenant Baker, would you send back any message to the support commander about the enemy patrol?”
_Lieutenant Baker_: “I think that is a point that the patrol commander should consider. I am not clear in my own mind just what should be done under the circumstances. I would be pleased to have the Director enlighten us on the subject.”
_The Director_: “We assume that this is a small enemy reconnoitering patrol. It would have the same mission as our own patrol. The point to be considered is whether or not anything in the message you send back would materially assist in the defense of the outpost line, or whether it could contain any information of special value to the outpost commander. Our covering patrols sent out from the supports will keep the enemy away from the outpost line. They will soon discover that it is only a small patrol and will drive it off. We have only a few men with the patrol. If one is sent back with a message at this time it may leave the patrol leader shorthanded when there is something really important that must be sent back. The mission of the patrol is to secure information of the enemy’s main body. That is the information that is of importance to the support and outpost commander. I do not believe the patrol commander would be justified in sending back a message at this time.”