_The Director_: “Lieutenant Ralston, how do you size up the situation?”
_Lieutenant Ralston_: “I estimate that the man is carrying a message
from his patrol leader to the commander of the Red forces. My mission is
to capture him and prevent the message going back. If practicable the
capture must be effected without resorting to firing. If we have to fire
it will give warning to the enemy’s patrol operating toward our outpost
and the patrol commander would assume that his messenger is in trouble
and would send another message by another route. Furthermore, firing at
this time would give the alarm to the patrols operating from the hostile
outpost, and they would rush to the rescue of their comrades.”
_The Director_: “Tell us just how you would go about the capture of the
messenger?”
_Lieutenant Ralston_: “I would form an ambuscade here with Davis and
myself on one side of the road and Carlin on the other side about 25
yards in rear of us. When the messenger arrives at about 10 yards from
us, Davis and myself will jump out into the road and order him to
surrender. We will endeavor to surprise him and take him without firing
a shot. If by any chance he should get by us, Carlin would be in
position to intercept him.”
_The Director_: “Just what would you say when you order him to
surrender?”
_Lieutenant Ralston_: “I would jump out on the side of the road, level
my rifle at him and yell at him as loud as I could, ‘Drop your
rifle—throw up your hands.’ If he did as ordered I would explain to him
that he is now a prisoner of war and that resistance is useless. If he
did not do as I told him on the instant or if he made any attempt to
escape or move to fire on me I would open fire on him at once. I would
take no chances with him.”
_The Director_: “That seems to be a reasonable solution. This is a very
simple proposition and presents little difficulty. It is brought before
you at this time merely to show you the procedure that makes for
reasonable chances for success. The capture of several scouts or a
patrol is a much more difficult undertaking.
“It is a general rule in the attempt to capture members of a patrol that
the situation we desire to produce when we meet them is that they should
be marching and that we should be halted. By adopting this method, we
form an ambuscade.”
* * * * *
=Reconnoitering Patrol= =Card No. 8=
=Director’s Key=