PROBLEMS IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE FIELD MESSAGE
“An intrinsically good tactical exercise,” says Griepenkerl,[2]
“loses by _faulty composition_ and careless or illegible
handwriting.... A rambling mode of expression, a long-winded,
elaborate style, is unmilitary. Therefore, test your order to see
whether you cannot cross out some superfluous word, or whether you
cannot think of some shorter and more suitable mode of expression;
_grudge every word_.”
But he goes on to say in another place that clearness takes
precedence over brevity; “therefore, rather use a long expression
where a shorter one might be misunderstood. _Brevity must never lead
to superficiality._”
Griepenkerl was speaking of orders. Yet our Field Service Regulations
state that “most of the rules adopted to secure clearness in orders
apply equally to messages.”
In the following problems which are designed for practice in framing
field messages, we should adhere not only to Griepenkerl’s advice,
but also to the hints, forms, and cautions of Chapters I and II.
Remember that each time a faulty form or expression is used, some
commanding officer is halted or hindered, retarded or confused. The
highest premium should be placed upon correct form and expression.
With the selection of material from the purposely misleading
and sometimes ill-stated problems below, you may, however, have
difficulty. Certainly all of the long narrative, often in soldier
jargon, cannot be placed in the message. Some facts must be
eliminated as unessential. What you should let your commanding
officer know can be determined sometimes only by technical
experience. However, Major General Morrison’s[3] caution along this
line should be repeated here for your help: “We all recognize the
fact that, as a rule, the sooner information reaches headquarters,
the more valuable it is. But this applies only to information
which really has value. If you are in doubt as to whether or not
information would be valuable, give headquarters the benefit of the
doubt and send it in.” So you see that if you are not quite decided
about stating a detail, it is better to give the information than to
withhold it. Therefore, exclude only those items which would on the
ground of common sense be pointless.
In extracting and writing your messages from the problems given, it
will be assumed that you do not know whether or not the recipient is
provided with a map similar to your own. It may be taken for granted,
however, that he is acquainted with the names which appear on your
map.
It may also be assumed that you have drawn a sketch on the reverse
side of your message sheet.
In reading your map the signs and abbreviations, explained in
Appendix 4, Field Service Regulations, will aid you.
A scale of yards is at the bottom (the south) of your map. By the use
of a slip of paper, distances in yards may be measured off from place
to place.
Wherever it is stated in these problems that a person writes a
message, the student should construct that same message. In so doing:
(1) Assemble your information in proper sequence,
(2) Give it proper and unmistakable expression, and
(3) Inspect it thoroughly in order to be positive that you have given
it proper sequence, and proper and unmistakable expression.
_Hold yourself strictly accountable for every expression which could
be put into better form._
Caution.—The hour in the heading of message is the _time_ of
_signature_.
PROBLEMS
1. On January 27, 1926, you are Corporal Peck in charge of a
reconnoitering patrol from the advance guard of the third battalion
of the 177th regiment of Infantry. You are proceeding along the
road east to Hunterstown from 549 (D, 5 and 6). You arrive at the
east edge of J. Bell’s orchard when you see several men at the zero
in 602. With the aid of your field glasses you make out four field
pieces and limbers to be turning to the north off the road just
opposite to, and south of, the men. The vehicles soon disappear
behind the knoll of 602. You can see that the men are wearing the
enemy’s uniform. After five minutes of observation, the men go out
of sight on the far side of the hill, and nothing further happens.
After you have written your message at half past four o’clock in the
afternoon, you travel under cover of the creek and fields in the
general direction of Henderson Meeting House, in the hope of finding
out more about the force in the vicinity of 602.
2. On August 27, 1920, you are Sergeant Fenton of a left flank
patrol sent out from the second battalion (27th Infantry) which is
marching north, as an advance guard to its regiment, toward 546 from
Hunterstown. As you come out into the open to the west of the J. Bell
farm house, you receive a volley from about twenty rifles from the
woods at the north. Two of your men are killed. With the remainder
of your men you retire hastily under cover of the Bell orchard to
the stream bed which you follow to the north until half way between
the Bell house and the “R” in Beaverdam. There you go through the
fields to the west until you get a glimpse of the high ground in the
vicinity of 574. You can make out through the corn-rows infantrymen
deployed and lying down facing you. They extend along the fence for
fifty yards on each side of the dirt road. You can see a field piece
half way between the ends of the fence and at the edge of the woods.
You go back to where you left the stream and write your message. You
hand it to one of your men at 20 minutes past two in the afternoon
for delivery. You then crawl forward leaving your men under cover in
the stream, and remain in observation in the corn-field.
3. You are 1st Sergeant James in charge of a combat patrol from
the 38th Infantry which is on outpost duty for the 8th Division at
Granite Hill (5, bottom). In passing the house at 5-E the farmer
tells you that yesterday at noon he saw about one hundred and fifty
saddle-horses in a lot near the cross-roads in Hunterstown. On
questioning him further he tells you that there were quite a lot of
soldiers about, having a good time, and wearing the enemy’s uniform.
You keep on your course. When you arrive at the orchard near 603 it
is after nightfall. You hear voices and laughing at the northern edge
of the orchard just south of the “6” in 603. You sneak up until you
can make out four of the enemy’s infantrymen sitting about a little
fire. You charge with bayonets fixed, kill three and capture one. He
is half drunk on apple-jack and talks freely. He says his brigade
is in bad shape, has marched four days and nights without stopping,
has a big outpost at Woodside School House, and that he himself is
with a bunch of the advance cavalry in the town. At a quarter of
ten at night you hand your message to a member of your patrol for
delivery. You then proceed along the road toward 549, looking for
more information. You arrive there, having seen nothing of value, the
next day at 7 a. m., July 18, 1940.
4. On June 21, 1920, you are a first lieutenant in charge of an
officer’s patrol from the 80th Cavalry which is operating as
Independent Cavalry for the 190th Division. It is six o’clock in
the evening when as you are riding along the road from Texas to
Biglerville, three of the enemy jump out upon you. In the struggle
which ensues the three are overpowered and sabred by your superior
force. You search the dead men, but find nothing upon them but
ornaments indicating they belong to the 27th Cavalry. You dismount,
tie your horses in the orchard near the word Stiner, and proceed with
two of your men along the railroad track toward Biglerville. Near 626
you look toward the town to find the space between you and it well
dotted with tents. Placing your men well under cover in the woods,
you lie down in the culvert at 626. Before taps is blown in the
enemy’s camp, from conversations which have gone on in your vicinity,
you have learned that a regiment of cavalry has been encamped there
for two days, that no other force is about, and that the regiment
will move out at five the next morning, marching toward Goldenville.
You write your message at 9:15 p. m. After it is sent, you take up
your position again in the culvert.
5. On the 19th of February, 1940, a visiting patrol in charge of
Corporal Eaton sent out from 2d Battalion, which is acting as outpost
for the 81st Infantry, is on its way to a picket of friendly troops.
Its route lies from Boyd School House, E-8 toward McElheny. As it
approaches the bridge near the 4 in the 480 contour, it hears
footsteps of men hurrying into the timber to the east. The suspicions
of the patrol being aroused, it looks about and discovers loose earth
scattered over the snow at the abutments of the bridge; upon further
investigation it finds fuses leading from the center of the pile of
fresh earth. The message is finished on the spot at exactly midnight.
After the messenger has departed the corporal and one man remain on
guard over the mines whose fuses were cut before the messenger left.
6. You are Corporal Peters sent out with a visiting patrol from
Company A, 2d Battalion of your regiment. Your company is Support
number 2 of the outpost at the “K” in Oak Ridge, E-8. As you approach
Boyd School House, you are not challenged as you expect. You hurry
on to where the sentry of the picket should be posted at the
cross-roads, only to find him dead of a bayonet thrust. You go to the
south side of the school house and there find the remainder of the
picket in their blankets in the same condition. You put your hand
on one of the men and find that his body is still warm. At fifteen
minutes to three, September 30, 1932, you complete your message at
the spot where you found most of the picket dead. You then take your
remaining man with you and together perform double sentry duty at the
cross-roads.
7. On July 4, 1925, you are Sergeant Black in charge of an harassing
patrol sent out from the 68th regiment of Infantry which is acting as
outpost for the 12th Division. At a quarter to twelve at night, you
have just fired two volleys from Boyd School House in the direction
of Oak Ridge, and are proceeding toward C. Topper’s to do the same
there, when, as you cross the railroad one hundred yards south of the
“r” in Topper, you stumble upon a wagon wheel imbedded in the earth.
Cautious inspection reveals four howitzers camouflaged. With the aid
of known measurements upon your hand you find that the calibre of
each is 6 inches. You finish a message at a quarter to one and then
proceed as you intended.
8. On the 21st of August, 1919, you are Sergeant Stuart sent out in
charge of a contact patrol from the 99th Infantry acting as outpost
of the 32d Brigade. After hard work during which you are nearly
captured at the cemetery near Henderson Meeting House, you arrive
with your patrol, at ten minutes to nine in the evening, at 601 just
west of Hunterstown. A regiment of the enemy’s infantry has been
defeated by your troops during the day and it is your duty to find
out what you can about the enemy’s whereabouts and intentions. As
you look across to the west you see lights in the fields between R.
Smith’s farm house and J. Bell’s. You make your way carefully down
the hill to the farm house at D-6. As you lie in the edge of the
woods nearest the house you count fifteen rows of tents by the glow
from the fires. You see no animals or picket lines. The fires die
down shortly and the talking ceases. You take turns on watch with
the senior man of your patrol. At a quarter to one while you are on
watch, fires begin to spring up at the ends of the company streets.
Shortly afterwards a young soldier comes to the nearby farm house
to get water. He grumbles loudly that he must get up in the middle
of the night and complains that the first sergeant has ordered the
company to be in ranks at one fifty. You get your message off at five
minutes after one and remain in observation of the camp.
9. (Two messages.) On May 31, 1940, you are Corporal Decker in charge
of a reconnoitering patrol from the 71st Regiment of Cavalry acting
as Advance Cavalry to the 18th Division. You are proceeding toward
Heidlersburg from Friends’ Grove School House, and you arrive at
5-A. When, proceeding to the east, you are half way through the
woods, you hear hoof-beats on the road to the north. Having proceeded
due east, you now arrive at the edge of the woods. There you see
several mounted men of the enemy halted near the road fork 545,
but the trees in the ravine make it difficult for you to see them
clearly. Near the main cross-roads of the town you see a hundred or
more dismounted men holding their horses. After watching them for a
few moments you realize that the horses are being watered. At five
minutes to five you start to write your message where you are. After
sending it off you remain to see what is going to happen further.
At ten minutes past five, the mounted men ride west with an advance
guard of about a troop. Your patrol was well concealed so that it
was able to time the main body as it trotted past the road fork
578 in column of twos. It took two minutes and a half to pass. The
group near 545 that appeared to be a patrol has disappeared. While
the larger body was passing road fork 578 you heard firing about a
mile to the south by less than a dozen rifles. You begin to send a
message at a quarter after five and start to return to your command.
(100 cavalrymen in column of twos will trot past a given point in one
minute.)