Latest / Military Strategies Mountain and Naval Warfare / 002 - Mountain Warfare Action of the advanced and rear-guards and of road picquets Attack and defense

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002 - Mountain Warfare Action of the advanced and rear-guards and of road picquets Attack and defense · Military Strategies Mountain and Naval Warfare

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  Speaker 1: Part two of two essays on military history, strategy, and
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  Speaker 1: tactics Mountain Warfare nineteen o nine and Naval Strategy nineteen
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  Speaker 1: seventeen by various This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: Part two Mountain Warfare. Action of the Advanced and Rear
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  Speaker 1: Guards and of road Pickets. Speaking generally, the procedure followed
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  Speaker 1: by an advanced guard may be somewhat as follows, both
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  Speaker 1: on account of consideration for its own security and because
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  Speaker 1: hills will thus be more rapidly secured. It is desirable
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  Speaker 1: that the positions to be occupied by road pickets should,
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  Speaker 1: so far as it is practicable to do so from
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  Speaker 1: the valley, be decided some time before the main guard
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  Speaker 1: arrives opposite the various localities. It is also understood that
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  Speaker 1: considerable latitude is allowed to the picket commander as to
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  Speaker 1: the position occupied, and then that he is at liberty,
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  Speaker 1: either to demand reinforcement or to return redundant men to
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  Speaker 1: the advanced guard, as occasion may demand. The advance guard
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  Speaker 1: may move in the following order, First a vanguard of
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  Speaker 1: one or more companies, preceding the remainder by about half
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  Speaker 1: a mile, and adapting its formation to the ground, then
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  Speaker 1: the main guard at the head of which should be
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  Speaker 1: the advanced guard commander, his staff officer, the battalion commander
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  Speaker 1: of the unit furnishing the leading company, and the company commander.
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  Speaker 1: As the troops march up the valley, the advanced guard
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  Speaker 1: commander should decide what localities are to be held and
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  Speaker 1: in what strength. He should issue his orders to the
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  Speaker 1: battalion or company commander, as the case may be, when
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  Speaker 1: the pickets should move direct to their positions. Meanwhile, the
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  Speaker 1: staff officer should make in sections a rough sketch of
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  Speaker 1: the positions occupied by the various pickets, which should be
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  Speaker 1: numbered consecutively as they move out, the sections of the
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  Speaker 1: sketch being sent as completed to the officer commanding the
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  Speaker 1: rear guard. In addition, to ensure that no picket is
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  Speaker 1: overlooked by the rear guard, a double sentry with a
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  Speaker 1: paper showing the number of its picket should be placed
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  Speaker 1: in the roadway beneath the height occupied, and it is
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  Speaker 1: the duty of the picket commander to keep in touch
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  Speaker 1: with this sentry post. In this manner, the roadway should
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  Speaker 1: be picketed until the locality is reached where the column
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  Speaker 1: is to halt when the advanced guard commander should take
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  Speaker 1: the usual measures for the security of the camp, for
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  Speaker 1: safeguarding the water supply, etc. It has been suggested that
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  Speaker 1: an advanced guard should be divided into two portions, advance
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  Speaker 1: guard and the picketing troops, each under a separate leader,
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  Speaker 1: the object being to free the advanced guard guard commander
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  Speaker 1: from the work of picketing, so that his whole attention
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  Speaker 1: can be devoted to tactics. The advanced guard is to
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  Speaker 1: clear the hills which are then to be occupied by pickets.
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  Speaker 1: This system does not appear sound, for it necessitates two
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  Speaker 1: men doing the work of one, and in practice the
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  Speaker 1: advanced guard usually either meets with little or no resistance
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  Speaker 1: or with such serious opposition that picketing is in abeyance.
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  Speaker 1: Each picket, when it reaches the position selected by its leader,
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  Speaker 1: should in trench, taking a special care to provide headcover
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  Speaker 1: so that the enemy may not be easily able to
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  Speaker 1: observe the moment of its final withdrawal. Before the last
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  Speaker 1: troops of the main column have quitted camp, the rear
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  Speaker 1: guard commander should have arranged his force in a series
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  Speaker 1: of successive positions calculated to enable the units to mutually
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  Speaker 1: support one another's retirement, as well as to assist, if necessary,
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  Speaker 1: the withdrawal of pickets. The guns should, for reasons already given,
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  Speaker 1: be kept well back, and this system of successive positions
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  Speaker 1: should be continued throughout the march. It is of course
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  Speaker 1: understood that the main column keeps contact with and regulates
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  Speaker 1: its march by that of the rear guard. It is
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  Speaker 1: sometimes advocated that the camp pickets should, before the column
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  Speaker 1: marches off, be relieved by the rear guard, with the
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  Speaker 1: object of enabling the pickets to rejoin their units. This
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  Speaker 1: arrangement does not appear advantageous. The troops detailed for the
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  Speaker 1: relief of the pickets will probably have to move out
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  Speaker 1: in darkness and over an unknown area, and though if
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  Speaker 1: the enemy advances during the relief, he will be opposed
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  Speaker 1: in double strength, should his attack be delivered later, units
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  Speaker 1: who do not know the ground will be placed in
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  Speaker 1: positions they will not be able to defend to the
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  Speaker 1: best day advantage. Besides, the men composing the rear guard,
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  Speaker 1: whose functions are in any case sufficiently arduous, will be
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  Speaker 1: involved in additional and unnecessary fatigue. The withdrawal of pickets
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  Speaker 1: may be carried out on the following principles. When a
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  Speaker 1: picket commander sees or receives reports that the rear guard
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  Speaker 1: is approaching, he should send the bulk of his picket
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  Speaker 1: to a position previously reconnoitered on the lower slope of
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  Speaker 1: the hill and in the direction of the line of
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  Speaker 1: march of the columns, whence the retirement of the remainder
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  Speaker 1: can be covered by fire. Whilst on the hill, and
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  Speaker 1: especially has the time for withdrawal approaches, the men of
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  Speaker 1: a picket should be careful not to show themselves, in
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  Speaker 1: order that the enemy may not, by counting heads, be
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  Speaker 1: able to divine that retirement has been begun. Similarly, the
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  Speaker 1: men left on the hill to the last should, above
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  Speaker 1: everything avoid exposure. When the pigot a commander sees the
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  Speaker 1: rearguard commander, who will usually be with the last troops,
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  Speaker 1: and whose presence will be shown by a flag, is
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  Speaker 1: opposite his post, he should give the signal for the
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  Speaker 1: evacuation of the hilltop, on which the men should creep back,
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  Speaker 1: and as soon as they are below the skyline, run
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  Speaker 1: down the hill to a position beyond that of their
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  Speaker 1: covering party. The withdrawal should then be continued according to
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  Speaker 1: the accepted principles until the whole picket has reached the valley,
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  Speaker 1: when its leader should report to the rear guard commander,
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  Speaker 1: receiving orders whether the picket is to proceed to the
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  Speaker 1: main column or to join the rear guard. The rear
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  Speaker 1: guard commander should have previously called in the road sentry
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  Speaker 1: post marking the locality held by the picket, and the
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  Speaker 1: map furnished by the advanced guard will have been of
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  Speaker 1: assistance in identifying its position. It is contended that the
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  Speaker 1: withdrawal of a picket rests, except in special circumstances, entirely
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  Speaker 1: with the picket leader. He is the man on the
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  Speaker 1: spot and can best judge when the retirement should commence.
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  Speaker 1: The rear guard commander should rarely attempt to regulate the
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  Speaker 1: actions of the pickets, of whose situation he cannot have
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  Speaker 1: adequate knowledge, but should exercise general supervision, ready to afford
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  Speaker 1: assistance if required. At times, pickets may be able to
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  Speaker 1: support one another's movements, but as a rule a picket
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  Speaker 1: will be too fully occupied with its own affairs to
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  Speaker 1: be able to render assistance to its neighbors. The above
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  Speaker 1: outline of a withdrawal presupposes that hostile pressure is not
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  Speaker 1: unduly severe. If the enemy venture to close with the
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  Speaker 1: rear guard and pickets, it is submitted that an immediate
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  Speaker 1: counter attack should be delivered, the main body being halted
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  Speaker 1: to lose so golden. An opportunity of inflicting loss on
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  Speaker 1: a volatile seems on the one hand, unwise, whilst on
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  Speaker 1: the other it is surely both undignified and demoralizing to
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  Speaker 1: permit savages to hunt British regulars into camp. The delivery
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  Speaker 1: of a counter attack is accompanied by some risk, and
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  Speaker 1: its success will depend on the aptitude of the rearguard
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  Speaker 1: commander for stratagem. For if loss is to be inflicted,
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  Speaker 1: the enemy must, as a rule be trapped. Simple ruses
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  Speaker 1: which suggest themselves are either to attempt to attract the
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  Speaker 1: tribesmen into the low ground by abate of ammunition or
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  Speaker 1: transport animals, the cavalry guns and part of rearguard infantry
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  Speaker 1: being previously concealed in position from which they can take
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  Speaker 1: advantage of any mistake the enemy may commit, and the
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  Speaker 1: retirement of pickets stopped as soon as the attack is delivered,
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  Speaker 1: or two or more pickets which have been previously reinforced
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  Speaker 1: by troops moving along concealed lines of advance to the hilltops,
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  Speaker 1: may feign retirement and attack the tribesmen as they follow
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  Speaker 1: over the crest line. If stratagem fails, the column should
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  Speaker 1: halt and drive off the enemy, a proceeding which should
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  Speaker 1: be repeated until he is taught that to follow up
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  Speaker 1: British troops is neither profitable nor advantageous. Attack and defense.
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  Speaker 1: Success in war depends in some degree on adaptation of
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  Speaker 1: tactics to local conditions, and it is therefore clear that
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  Speaker 1: to attain rapid success against the inhabitants of the northwestern frontier,
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  Speaker 1: a knowledge of their tactics is required, and that whilst
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  Speaker 1: the British aims are pursued with unswerving determination, their probable
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  Speaker 1: movements must be met and defeated. The tribesmen, like most savages,
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  Speaker 1: are only really formidable when one is running away from them.
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  Speaker 1: They fight well in position, strongly fortified and with flanks secure,
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  Speaker 1: but being without the discipline or cohesion to meet envelopment,
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  Speaker 1: are much influenced by pressure against their flanks. Pathans are
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  Speaker 1: fearful of artillery and do not, as a rule seriously
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  Speaker 1: resist a determined advance, preferring the easier and less dangerous
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  Speaker 1: enterprise of harassing the retirements, which they believe are an
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  Speaker 1: inevitable corollary to forward movements, or of attacking isolated detachments
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  Speaker 1: whose operations they have observed from their hilltops. They are
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  Speaker 1: suspicious of ambuscades except when excited in pursuit, and are
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  Speaker 1: not prone to accept battle unless surprised. Like other people,
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  Speaker 1: they shoot well when not themselves under effective fire, and
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  Speaker 1: when shooting into a valley where the strike of the
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  Speaker 1: bullock and be observed. Their fire is accurate. On the
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  Speaker 1: other hand, owing to their relatively defective armament and to
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  Speaker 1: lack of ammunition, tribal fire, as a rule lacks volume.
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  Speaker 1: The tribesmen skirmish well and move quickly over their hills,
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  Speaker 1: but rarely except when engaging a small force or by
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  Speaker 1: night attack en mass. On the other hand, they often
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  Speaker 1: crowd their defensive positions with men. They are said to
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  Speaker 1: dislike being overlooked by their opponents, and therefore do not
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  Speaker 1: care to attack up hill, but will at times try
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  Speaker 1: to rush a detachment with the object of capturing rifles
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  Speaker 1: and ammunition. The fact that a proportion of the men
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  Speaker 1: possess only inferior firearms renders possible resort to shock tactics,
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  Speaker 1: especially when roused to a pitch of fanaticism. Pathans are
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  Speaker 1: partial to night operations, probably because they believe that there
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  Speaker 1: is little fear of interference after dark. Their enterprises are
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  Speaker 1: usually on a small scale, but night attacks in force
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  Speaker 1: are possible. Their inadequate clothing and the cold of the
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  Speaker 1: early morning, however, usually forces them to seek shelter as
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  Speaker 1: the night wears on. From the above description, it will
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  Speaker 1: be seen that British troops, so long as they observe
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  Speaker 1: the ordinary principles of war, have nothing to fear from
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  Speaker 1: the tribesmen. But it is to be remembered that unless
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  Speaker 1: stratagem is intended, the offensive is the general rule in
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  Speaker 1: tribal warfare, for the enemy construles a defensive position as
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  Speaker 1: a sign of fear and becomes correspondingly elated. The composition
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  Speaker 1: of forces dispatched on reconnaissance and minor punitive expeditions requires
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  Speaker 1: careful consideration. Columns composed of men drawn from many different
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  Speaker 1: infantry units are inherently weak, so that in all operation
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  Speaker 1: complete units, so far as they are required, should be employed.
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  Speaker 1: Cavalry being added When local conditions are favorable, artillery will
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  Speaker 1: generally be necessary, as well as a proportion of technical troops,
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  Speaker 1: but the strength of columns should, within limits of safety,
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  Speaker 1: be low in order to ensure mobility and to encourage resistance.
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  Speaker 1: The military value of the enemy must, not, however, be underestimated.
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  Speaker 1: The main object of all operations is to quickly attain
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  Speaker 1: a decisive success. To this end, the tribesmen must be
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  Speaker 1: induced to stand and fight with the purpose of inflicting
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  Speaker 1: casualties on them. It is to be remembered that the
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  Speaker 1: enemy can less easily than the British afford losses, especially
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  Speaker 1: of arms. Commanders, without being prodigal of their men's lives,
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  Speaker 1: need not therefore be afraid of incurring casualties, especially when
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  Speaker 1: there is likelihood that the enemy will suffer laws to
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  Speaker 1: at least an equal extent. If the tribesmen's losses are heavy,
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  Speaker 1: those of the British troops will probably be considerably less.
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  Speaker 1: Close fighting is all to the advantage of trained soldiers,
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  Speaker 1: as has been stated that the clansmen will rarely commit
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  Speaker 1: themselves to battle in conditions favorable to the British unless
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  Speaker 1: they can be outwitted or surprised night operations may therefore
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  Speaker 1: frequently be necessary, having special regard to the fact that
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  Speaker 1: from their hilltops the enemy will overlook all maneuvers. As
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  Speaker 1: the natives are not often abroad in the early morning,
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  Speaker 1: surprise at dawn will not present unusual difficulties. The enveloping
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  Speaker 1: form of tactics, when the enemy is attacked both in
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  Speaker 1: front and flank, is as effective and tribal as in
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  Speaker 1: other warfare, but owing to the topographical advantages enjoyed by
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  Speaker 1: the tribesmen, it will be necessary to hold them closely
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  Speaker 1: in frontal attack and so distract their attention from outflanking movements.
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  Speaker 1: This may be possible, for they fight with confidence when
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  Speaker 1: behind cover. Mere frontal attack is likely to be at
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  Speaker 1: once costly and ineffective. Hence, if neither envelopment nor night
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  Speaker 1: operations are practicable, resort must be had to such stratagems
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  Speaker 1: as a feigned retirement or a bait of transport animals
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  Speaker 1: to tempt the Pathans from their hills, though the possibility
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  Speaker 1: of tribal counter attack by shock must not be lost.
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  Speaker 1: Sight of the British advantage in training an armament should
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  Speaker 1: enable a central general reserve to be dispensed with the
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  Speaker 1: object being to so dispose the troops as to ensure envelopment.
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  Speaker 1: Good information and staff work, and a sound system of
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  Speaker 1: intercommunication will. Moreover, if all ranks are imbued with the
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  Speaker 1: spirit of mutual support, go far to insure success. Commanders,
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  Speaker 1: especially of small forces, should remember that hesitation will be
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  Speaker 1: quickly observed by the enemy, but a bold front and
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  Speaker 1: ready stratagem will soon cause him to lose heart. When
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  Speaker 1: a post or isolated detachment requires assistance, aid can often
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  Speaker 1: be most rapidly and effectively given by application of such
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  Speaker 1: indirect pressure as will tend to divert the enemy's attention.
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  Speaker 1: In minor tactics, whilst taking every advantage of the cover
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  Speaker 1: afforded by features of ground, troops must beware of seeking
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  Speaker 1: shelter in hollows or new laws, places which will assuredly
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  Speaker 1: have been marked by the enemy's riflemen, so that their
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  Speaker 1: occupation will rarely escape punishment. In attack, infantry units, whilst
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  Speaker 1: securing their flanks, should advance up salients, taking care to
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  Speaker 1: afford one another mutual fire. Assistance. Supports and local reserves
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  Speaker 1: should be pushed as near to the firing line as
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  Speaker 1: the shape of the ground will permit, but at times
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  Speaker 1: reserves may be able to effectively support the troops in
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  Speaker 1: front by covering fire from suitable positions behind or on
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  Speaker 1: the flanks of the line of advance. Fire should be
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  Speaker 1: reserved until units have closed on the enemy, the object
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  Speaker 1: being to prevent the early evacuation of a position after
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  Speaker 1: having caused a few casualties at long range. As the
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  Speaker 1: enemy's fire, though likely to be accurate, will probably lack volume,
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  Speaker 1: resort need not be had to widely extended formations to
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  Speaker 1: gain ground, and when assaulting, the procedure outlined in the
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  Speaker 1: training manuals requires no modification. Artillery should be handled with
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  Speaker 1: discretion and should be on its guard against the tendency
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  Speaker 1: to open fire whenever a target is seen. Its aim
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  Speaker 1: should be not too evict but to hold the enemy
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  Speaker 1: to his sangars and to inflict loss when he retreats.
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  Speaker 1: The steep forward slopes of hills will enable fire to
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  Speaker 1: be continued until the infantry has closed on the tribesmen,
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  Speaker 1: but oblique rather than frontal fire should be employed. It
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  Speaker 1: is of course important to ensure close intercommunication between infantry
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  Speaker 1: and artillery in tribal as in other warfare, Unless the
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  Speaker 1: enemy is completely enveloped. Efficient pursuit is necessary to set
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  Speaker 1: the seal on victory. Pursuit can at first probably be
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  Speaker 1: best undertaken by the enveloping wings artillery cooperating to head
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  Speaker 1: the enemy off in the required direction whilst the cavalry
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  Speaker 1: press forward. A portion of the artillery should therefore move
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  Speaker 1: with the outflanking wings, keeping as near as possible to
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  Speaker 1: the firing line. Pathons, familiar with the country and confident
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  Speaker 1: that they have everything to gain and but little to
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  Speaker 1: lose by such tactics, favor the harassing of troops as
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  Speaker 1: they withdraw from heights or along valleys, though it may
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  Speaker 1: be taken as a maxim that there will be no
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  Speaker 1: pursuit if the enemy has in any recent fighting been
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  Speaker 1: adequately punished, the conditions may have been such that casualties
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  Speaker 1: could not be inflicted. In these circumstances, the clansmen must
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  Speaker 1: surely not be permitted to embarrass the British movements, and
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  Speaker 1: must be convinced that pursuit is both dangerous and unprofitable.
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  Speaker 1: Mere counter attack when the enemy is not surprised, is
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  Speaker 1: likely to lead to no advantage, but a few skillfully
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  Speaker 1: laid ambushes will soon discourage his zeal for pursuit. Should he, however,
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: persist in following up the troops, counter attack should at
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  Speaker 1: once be made aid and the retirement discontinued. The enemy,
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  Speaker 1: it is to be remembered, will, as a rule, offer
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  Speaker 1: the greatest opportunity of inflicting laws when he follows up
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  Speaker 1: a retirement, and in such operations the aim must be
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  Speaker 1: rather to cause rather than to avoid casualties. All withdrawals
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  Speaker 1: should be pre arranged and systematic flanks being securely held,
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  Speaker 1: and the principle of mutual support observed. But formalism must
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  Speaker 1: be avoided, and procedure must never be permitted to become
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  Speaker 1: so stereotype that the enemy will be able to confidently
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: anticipate the movements of the troops. Men must beware of
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  Speaker 1: entering new laws or depressions of any kind until the
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: further edge has been secured, and when on a hilltop,
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  Speaker 1: the provision of such cover as will conceal the head
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: dress is of importance. Transport animals should be clear of
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  Speaker 1: the fire troops before retirement is begun. If the object
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  Speaker 1: is to slip away from the enemy, the retirement should
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  Speaker 1: be made at a time when movement is not expected,
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  Speaker 1: when a valley is to be swept in course of
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  Speaker 1: punitive operations, an adequate force should be left to secure
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  Speaker 1: the entrance if the column is to leave by this route. Troops,
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  Speaker 1: as has already been suggested, should in respect of ammunition,
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  Speaker 1: food and warm coats, be independent of transport animals, and
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: it should be understood that units are always to be
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  Speaker 1: prepared to remain for the night away from camp. The
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  Speaker 1: men should be trained to economize water, which is often
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  Speaker 1: scarce across the border. Ammunition and rifles being the main
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: objects of tribal ambition, special cares should be taken to
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: prevent them from falling into the enemy's hands. Against the
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  Speaker 1: Northwest Frontier clans, the offensive as usual is normally the
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  Speaker 1: best defensive, but it may sometimes happen that small British
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: forces are temporarily obliged to act on the defensive. In
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: such circumstances, it is to be expected that the enemy
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  Speaker 1: will adopt the tactics common amongst savages, of seeking the
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  Speaker 1: flanks of the troops, both to avoid fire and to
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  Speaker 1: obtain the advantages of enflaid. It follows then that defensive
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: measures should include all round protection. Whilst a relatively large
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: reserve should be kept ready to attack the hostile levees
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  Speaker 1: as soon as any portion comes within charging distance. Experience
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  Speaker 1: tends to prove that a compact body of even a section,
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  Speaker 1: if well entrenched and supplied with ammunition, has nothing to
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  Speaker 1: fear from pathons, especially when the British leader is animated
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  Speaker 1: by the proper spirit of timely offensive. End of Part two.