_The Director_: “The advantage of waiting until all the rifles are on
the line is that, as soon as these men are fired on, they will probably
try to make their get-away. They will furnish a target for only a few
seconds. If our point can inflict sufficient casualties, they may fall
back and abandon the attempt at further reconnaissance, especially if
they can down the patrol leader. If the leading men of the point open
fire, by the time the last man gets up, the enemy will be well under way
and there will be no target to fire at. If the enemy returns the fire,
they at once reveal themselves, and Sergeant Roberts will do well to be
seeking out other detachments in the vicinity. A reconnoitering patrol
does not fire on an occasion of this kind unless it is surprised and
forced to do so in self-defense. It has a much better chance of
accomplishing its mission of securing information by avoiding combat. If
this small body of the enemy open fire, it may be reasonably assumed
that they are being backed up by other troops or have accomplished their
mission of finding out the strength and composition of our forces and
have turned themselves into a fighting patrol and open fire to delay us
and thus give information to their own troops that we are advancing in
force. If they immediately try to make a get-away, it will indicate that
they are a reconnoitering patrol and will probably try to work around to
the flanks of the column to get information of our main body. On the
other hand, they will know that we are not a reconnoitering patrol as
soon as we open fire. They know that we are backed up by other troops.
“You now see the elements involved in this simple situation. You see the
responsibility that devolves upon non-commissioned officers when they
are placed in the position of Sergeant Roberts. To know what to do and
how to do it requires training and close attention to detail. Probably
any of us could blunder through a situation of this kind, but it takes a
man trained in military tactics to make his decisions quickly, to act
upon them promptly and take advantage of the fleeting moments to inflict
damage on the enemy. These are the things that we study to become
proficient in. These are the things that we must teach our
non-commissioned officers if we are to have confidence in their ability
to meet tactical situations that confront them, with judgment and
decision. And there is no royal road to success along this line. The
knowledge required can be attained only by thorough study and practice.”