THE COMPANY ON OUTPOST
(Establishing the Outpost)
=1080.= We will now apply some of the general principles of outposts
(see Par. 1051) to a company taking up its position on the line of
outposts.
Let us suppose that our battalion has been detailed for outpost duty.
In order to understand more fully the duties and functions of the
company commander, we will first consider what the major does. To
begin with, he and the battalion will have been detailed for outpost
duty before the march was completed, and he will have been told,
amongst other things, what is known of the enemy and also what is
known of other bodies of our own troops, where the main body will
halt, the general position to be occupied by the outpost, and what the
commander intends doing in case of attack.
The major verbally designates, say, two companies, as the reserve, and
the other two companies, including our own, as the support. He places
the senior officer of the reserve companies in command of the reserve
and tells him where he is to go, and he indicates the general line the
outpost is to occupy and assigns the amount of front each of the other
companies is to cover. The limits of the sector so assigned should be
marked by some distinctive features, such as trees, buildings, woods,
streams, etc., as it is important that each company should know the
exact limits of its frontage. He tells the company commanders what he
knows of the enemy and of our own troops so far as they affect the
outposts, he indicates the line of resistance and how much resistance
is to be afforded in case of attack, states whether intrenchments and
obstacles are to be constructed, gives instructions about lighting
fires and cooking, and states where he can be found.
Upon receiving his orders from the major, the company commander, _with
a proper covering detachment_, moves to the locality allotted him and
as he arrives upon the ground he is to occupy, he sends out, as
temporary security, patrols or skirmishers, or both, a short distance
in front of the general position the outguards will occupy, holding
the rest of the company back under cover. If practicable, the company
commander should precede the company and make a rapid examination of
the ground. He then sends out _observation groups_, varying in size
from four men to a platoon, generally a squad, to watch the country in
the direction of the enemy. These groups constitute the _outguards_,
and are just sufficient in number to cover the front of the supports,
and to connect where necessary with the outguards of adjoining
supports.
The company commander next selects a defensive position on the general
line of resistance, from which not only can he command the approaches,
but where he can also give assistance to the adjoining supports; he
then gives instructions in regard to the intrenchments and obstacles,
after which he makes a more careful reconnaissance of the section
assigned him; corrects the position, of the outguards, if necessary;
gives them instructions as to their duties in case of attack or when
strangers approach their posts; tells them the number (if any) of
their post, the number of the outguard and support and the numbers of
the adjoining outguards and supports; points out lines of retreat in
case they are compelled to fall back to the support, cautioning the
men not to mask the fire of the support; he tells them the names of
all villages, rivers, etc., in view, and the places to which the wagon
roads and the railroads lead; selects, if necessary, places for
additional posts to be occupied at night and during fog; sees that
suitable connections are made between him and the adjoining outguards,
and between his support and the adjoining supports; and questions
subordinate commanders to test their grasp of the situation and
knowledge of their duties, and on returning to the support he sends a
report with a _sketch_ to the outpost commander, showing the
dispositions made.
After the line of observation has been established, the support stacks
arms and the men are permitted to remove their equipments, except
cartridge belts. One or more sentinels are posted over these supports,
and they guard the property and watch for signals from the outguards.
Fires are concealed as much as possible and the messing is done by
reliefs. Mounted messengers ordinarily do not unsaddle; they rest,
water and feed as directed.
After the major has received reports from both company commanders, he
will himself visit the outguards and supports and make such changes as
he may deem necessary, immediately after which he will submit to the
commander of the troops a written report, accompanied by a combined
sketch showing the positions of the different parts of the outpost.
The major might begin his inspection of the line of outguards before
receiving the reports of the company commanders.
In training and instructing the company in outpost work, it is always
best to send out a few patrols and scouts an hour or two in advance,
with definite instructions as to what they are to do, and have them
operate against the company as hostile scouts and patrols. If the rest
of the company know that patrols and scouts are operating in their
front, and will try to work their way through the outpost line, they
will naturally take a keener interest in their work. Exercises of this
kind create a feeling of rivalry between the scouts and patrols, who,
on the one hand, are trying to work their way through the line of
outposts, and the outguards and patrols, who, on the other hand, are
trying to prevent them from so doing. It makes the work much more
_human_.