_The Director_: “Yes, we will go into that in a few minutes. Before
doing so I wish to review and consider in detail this comparatively
simple proposition of approaching a sentinel post at night. You must
remember that the line of observation of an outpost is a ‘spooky’ place
at night and that outpost sentinels are as easily flushed as a pheasant.
Their nerves are strung to the breaking point. In every shadow an enemy
lurks. They soon learn to take no chances. It becomes the rule to shoot
first and challenge afterwards. If one makes a practice of running
headlong into sentinel posts on dark nights he may get away with it a
few times, but you are taking serious chances and the game will finally
get you. Having these things in mind, let us review the process of
approaching the sentinel post.
“1. The patrol leader halts his patrol some little distance from the
post. He gives the orders for the other members to stand fast until he
returns. He then goes to the outguard and notifies them that he is going
out to the sentinel. There is no necessity for any other person than the
patrol commander going up to the post. If others go it makes just that
much more confusion and adds that much more chance for lurking scouts to
locate the post and get information.
“2. The patrol leader advances towards the post and when he is near
enough he calls in a low tone, ‘Visiting patrol,’ and continues to call
until he is recognized. We never approach a sentinel post from the front
at night and, if it can be avoided, never from a flank, always from the
rear.
“3. When the sentinel discovers the presence of the patrol leader he
will verify his identity by calling upon him for the countersign.
Corporal Canes gives the countersign, and the sentinel directs him to
advance.
“This countersign is the recognition signal that Lieutenant Hunt asked
about. It may be given by word of mouth. It may consist of whistling a
few bars of some familiar service call. It may be made by tapping with
the knuckles on the stock of the rifle. The number of taps to represent
a number, for example: The countersign or recognition signal is 22-33.
Corporal Canes would approach the sentinel post and strike his rifle,
tap, tap (pause) tap, tap. The sentinel will answer in the same manner
tap, tap, tap (pause), tap, tap, tap. He would then know that he had
been recognized as a friend and proceed to the post. If the sentinel
discovered Corporal Canes first he would keep him under observation and
when he is close enough to hear would challenge him, tap, tap (pause),
tap, tap. Corporal Cane’s answer would be tap, tap, tap (pause), tap,
tap, tap. The system is interchangeable. The first number may be said to
be the challenge or inquiry signal and the second number the
recognition.
“It is not well, however, to confine ourselves to any one set of signals
or method of identification. They should be changed frequently, so that
the enemy will never know what system is being used on any particular
night.
“When the countersign is a word it should be spoken in a very low tone
of voice for fear of betraying it to the enemy’s scouts who may be near
by. History is replete with incidents of disaster to covering
detachments arising from the enemy’s knowledge of the countersign.”