_The Director_: “A column of troops on the march consists of a main body
and such covering detachments as may be necessary. These covering
detachments are denominated advance guards, rear guards and flank
guards. They are thrown out for the purpose of gaining information of
the enemy, to protect the main body from surprise, and to hold off the
enemy a sufficient length of time for the main body to prepare for
action.
“The covering detachment that goes ahead of and protects the march of a
marching column is called an ‘advance guard.’ It consists of a series of
detachments or groups increasing progressively in strength from head to
rear, each being charged with the protection of the group immediately
following it from surprise and thus gaining time for the latter to get
ready to fight.
“_Formation._—The advance guard is normally divided into a support and a
reserve. From the support, an advance party is sent to the front a few
hundred yards, and from this advance party a small patrol, technically
called a ‘point,’ is sent out. From time to time as the occasion
demands, patrols are sent out to the right and left. These are called
‘flankers.’
“When the advance guard consists of a small force the reserve is omitted
and we have only a support, from which an advance party is sent out.
“In the problem we have an advance guard composed of one rifle company
of infantry. What is the proper formation?
“The advance party will consist of one platoon, from which a ‘point’ of
one squad will be sent out to the front, a distance of about 200 yards.
The remainder of the company will constitute the support and follow the
advance party at a distance of about 400 yards.
“We do away with a reserve. It would divide the company into too many
component parts and make control just that much more difficult.
“That is what may be termed the usual formation. Conditions may be such
that it would be desirable to make the advance party stronger; as where
the enemy habitually opposes us with relatively small detachments and we
want to run over them and drive them off without bringing the support
into action.
“In any case you must have a knowledge of the functions of an advance
guard. You must know the mission and be able to size up the situation of
the particular case. You must then use your plain commonsense in meeting
the situations as they develop.
“_Duties._—Now let us see what the duties of the advance guard are:
“1. To prevent the main body of our troops from being fired into while
they are in a formation that prevents them from defending themselves.
You can imagine what would happen if an effective fire were suddenly
poured into the company while it is marching in column of squads on the
road.
“2. To gain information of the enemy by sending out detachments to the
front and flanks at such points as may be necessary. Here is an
important thing to remember. Under the conditions of modern warfare, the
haphazard method of sending out flanking patrols has every chance of
resulting in disaster. These men never get back in time to be of use to
you when you need them. Much of this patrolling and marching of flanking
detachments across country is exhausting and wears out your troops. It
should be reduced to the minimum.
“3. To push back small parties of the enemy. The progress of the main
body must not be arrested by small, comparatively insignificant
detachments of the enemy. It is the duty of the advance guard to brush
them aside. How many times at maneuvers have you seen a skillfully
handled patrol make a whole advance guard deploy? It should have been
swept away by the advance party. The idea is, that you simply have to
keep pushing to the front until you really encounter something that will
stop you.
“4. To check the advance of the enemy in force long enough for the main
body to prepare for action. When the enemy is met in sufficient force to
warrant the employment of troops of the main body there is a certain
process that the commander has to go through before he can get his
troops in action. A reconnaissance must be made to determine the
strength and disposition of the enemy, for it would be folly to commit a
force to action without knowing something of these elements. Then, too,
the orders for the deployment have to be issued and the deployment has
to be effected. All of this takes a certain amount of time during which
period the advance guard holds off the enemy.
“5. To remove obstacles, repair the roads, and favor in every way the
uninterrupted progress of the main body.
“These are the duties of the advance guard. These are the things that
platoon, section and squad leaders must ever keep in mind when they are
on advance guard duty. These are the things that we officers must learn
about in time of peace in order that we may do them as a matter of habit
in time of actual service.
“_Distances._—The distances between the several elements of the advance
guard are fixed by the general rule that ‘the element in front must be
at such a distance that the next succeeding element will not be involved
in a disaster to the former.’
[Illustration: Formation of Advance Guard of One Company for a
Battalion]
“The point will be from 150 to 200 yards in advance of the advance
party. The latter will be from 300 to 400 yards in front of the support
and the main body will follow at a distance of from 400 to 500 yards. It
will thus be seen that the head of a battalion with one company as
advance guard will be about 1,400 yards away from the enemy. This allows
a minimum distance of 400 yards from the leading man of the point to the
enemy. If a deployment becomes necessary, it can be made in comparative
security. These distances are not fixed. They are flexible. They may be
increased or diminished to meet the situation. When the advance guard
commander prescribes distances between the several elements it is not to
be taken that the exact distance will be maintained at all times. It is
merely an indication of the approximate distances desired.
“_Communication._—Communication between the several elements of the
advance guard and with the main body is kept up by means of connecting
files which march between them. They employ signals and act as runners
when necessary.
“Are there any questions?”