Part 17 (1/2)

EXTENDED ORDER DRILLS

As soon as your progress in close order is sufficiently advanced, you will be given extended order drill, which will teach you the formations used in battle, and how a firing line is controlled. They are executed at ease.

We should know the meaning of the two following terms: Base and Deploy.

Base. The element on which a movement is regulated. In company drill it is usually the right or left; leading, rear, or center squad.

Deploy. To extend the front. The company deploys when it executes as skirmishers.

There are really only two conditions that we must consider in this drill. The movements are very easy to

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understand, but they require a lot of practice to prevent confusion.

First Case. Let us take the company in line at a halt. It is desired to form a skirmish line to the front. 1. As skirmishers, guide right (left or center), 2. MARCH.

At the preparatory command (i.e., as skirmishers, guide right) all the corporals, except the corporal of the first squad, give the command, by the left flank, the corporal of the first squad gives the command, as skirmishers.

At the command march, all squads, except the first squad, move to the left, and when they have their proper intervals they are deployed to the right (left) and on the line of the base squad by the corporals giving the commands: As skirmishers, 2. MARCH. The corporal of the first squad deploys his squad as soon as he has sufficient room (interval).

That's all there is to the first movement with some slight modifications.

Of course if the command had been as skirmishers, guide left, the base squad would have been the left or fourteenth Squad instead of the first squad, for when we speak of the right or left of a company, in the deployments, the company being in line, we mean the right or left squads of the company.

Another modification: Suppose the command had been as skirmishers, guide center. In that case the base squad would be the center or seventh squad. The base (seventh) squad deploys without moving to the right or left. There is only one thing for the first six squads to do and that is to move to the right. There is only one thing for the last seven squads to do and that to move to the left.

We have considered the company so far to be at a halt; suppose that it had been moving forward. The corporal of the base squad deploys his squad as soon as he has sufficient interval, and then continues straight to the front until the command: 1. Company, 2. HALT, is given by the captain. The other corporals move their squads to the left front (or right front), by commanding their squads, Follow me. They conduct their squads on the shortest and easiest route to their places in the line and then deploy their squads as they arrive in the general line.

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The corporals should remember that they are not to step out from their squads to conduct them to their proper places until the captain has given the command march.

The corporals often fail to take sufficient intervals thus causing a jam.

The company being at a halt, the corporals should remember to give by the right or left flank instead of right or left face.

SECOND CASE

Now suppose the company is in column of squads at a halt. It is desired to form a skirmish line to the front: 1. As skirmishers, guide right (left), 2. MARCH.

At the command march, the corporal of the first, or leading squad, deploys his squad without advancing. All of the other corporals move to the left front and deploy their squads on the line formed by the first squad. At the preparatory command the corporals command, follow me, and at the command MARCH, they step in front of their squads and conduct them to their places.

Had the command been as skirmishers, guide left, of course all except the leading squad would have moved to the right. For when the company is in column of squads, as skirmishers, guide right means that the first or leading squad is to be the right of the skirmish line. If left, instead of right is given that simply means that the leading or base squad is to be the left of the skirmish line.

Now we come to the last variation. It is difficult for the new man. The command as skirmishers, guide center, the company being in column of squads, simply means that the center squad is to be the base squad. All other squads are to regulate their movements on the base squad as in all other cases.