_The Director_: “Captain Howe, would you give any further instructions to the platoon leaders?”
_Captain Howe_: “Yes, sir; I would direct them to move forward with the guns on carts. The carts have been placed at the disposal of the platoon leaders so they should employ them without instructions, as there is no danger in so doing. However, the captain usually determines when the guns shall be moved forward by hand, so I think it is safer to caution them to use their carts. There is a great tendency to continue advancing the guns by hand for the rest of the fight when it has once become necessary to dismount them from the carts.”
_The Director_: “Captain Smith, give the complete messages that should be sent to the platoon leaders to carry out the decisions we have made.”
_Captain Smith_: “Captain M would send the following verbal messages:
“‘Move forward at once with guns on carts to the position from which the enemy has just been driven. Replenish ammunition.’
“‘Replenish your ammunition. Remain in position until 2nd platoon reaches position from which enemy has just been driven and then move forward with guns on carts.’”
_The Director_: “We have covered the different situations that are likely to occur in an attack with the exception of the opening phases of a prepared attack and the consolidation. The former is most frequently an indirect fire problem and should be treated as a separate exercise. The latter can be handled best as the first phase of a battalion on the defensive.”
1. Pass out Situation No. 4. Have members of the class explain their understanding of it.
2. Explain the responsibility of the captain for acting on his own initiative in the absence of orders from the major.
3. Have a member of the class give the orders issued by Captain M.
4. Have members of the class discuss: Different methods of advancing the company. Necessity for retaining some guns in position to meet counter-attack. Replenishment of ammunition. Use of carts.
_Terrain Exercise No. 5._ An Advance Guard
The (_a_) forms the boundary between hostile states. A Blue brigade is marching towards (_b_). Small Red forces are reported in the direction of (_c_).
A (_d_) flank guard, consisting of the (_e_) battalion (_f_) infantry, halts for the night at (_g_).