FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

Given it was said that this was a reenactor company the quickest way to make it happen is to do something that the men are familiar with. So, I am with Wickett on doing a right face breaking two files to the front and marching though the gap in the fence. Then once the fence is cleared given my company in to line. Both can be done very quick with a well drilled group and even the worst drilled group of reenactors should be able to make that happen.

Breaking into platoons is assuming the company is small enough that a platoon front is no wider then the gap in the fence. Which a reenactor company may or may not be.

If the company can pull it off I would rather do break XX files right and left to rear. This keeps a firing front if needed and the broken files can come back onto line quickly once the order has been given.

[unionforever69th]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

I think the idea lies somewhere along the right face breaking two files line or along the break off sections depending how wide the defile is and how large your sections are. So I'll throw my hat in with those two crowds.

As soon as I saw the task my first thought was to Von Steuben. Forward march, sections break off, pass through the defile then reform company.

[Silas]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

Beyond the present post, I'll try not to intrude on the Battle of Duffer's Defile by discussing battalion concepts. The exercise reminded me specifically of march by Longstreet's Corps at Gettysburg immediately after the so-called countermarch occurred.

From the post war recollections of Lafayette McLaws about Gettysburg :

After very considerable difficulty, owing to the rough character of the country in places and the fences and ditches we had to cross, the countermarch was effected, and my troops were moving easily forward along a road with fences on the side not giving room enough for a company front, making it necessary to break files to the rear, when General Longstreet rode up to me, and said: "How are you going in?" and I replied, "That will be determined when I can see what is in my front." He said: "There is nothing in your front; you will be entirely on the flank of the enemy." I replied, "Then I will continue my march in columns of companies, and after arriving on the flank as far as is necessary will face to the left and march on the enemy." He replied, "That suits me," and rode away.

My head of column soon reached the edge of the woods, and the enemy at once opened on it with numerous artillery, and one rapid glance showed them to be in force much greater than I had, and extending considerably beyond my right. My command, therefore, instead of marching on as directed, by head of column, deployed at once. Kershaw, a very cool, judicious and gallant gentleman, immediately turned the head of his column and marched by flank to right, and put his men under cover of a stone wall. Barksdale, the fiery, impetuous Mississippian, following, came into line on the left of Kershaw, his men sheltered by trees and part of a stone wall and under a gentle declivity.

Besides the artillery firing, the enemy were advancing a strong line of skirmishers and threatening an advance in line. I hurried back to quicken the march of those in rear, and sent orders for my artillery to move to my right and open fire, so as to draw the fire of the opposite artillery from my infantry. I will here state that I had in my division about six thousand, aggregate--which, I think, is over the mark.

http://www.gdg.org/Research/OOB/Confederate/July1-3/shmclaws.html

Files are broken to the rear when the defile is narrower than the size of a platoon front. I've yet to break files to the rear at any reenactment or drill. It's a fun little hybrid of maintaining a battle line but still having guys marching by the flank behind them. Although sections could work and is even contemplated in the tactics, it seems more like an afterthought in the manuals. Off the top of my head, there is an effective limit to the total number of files allowed to be broken. The number is more like a rule : cannot break more files than half the size of the platoon. At a certain point, marching by the flank becomes more effective.

Since the battalion has halted and we're only talking about one company getting through that defile, it wouldn't matter whether the company faces right or left if the entire company faces and moves. However, the dress of the battalion gets lost if the company faces right instead of left. Marching by the left flank and performing "by company into line" - from the left - would maintain the left dress of a battalion marching "right in front."

If files of the company are broken, I'd think the captain would break files from the right of the company (left face and into fours behind the right side of the remainder of the company.) Why? Because he was just right in front with guide on the left. The order to form a skirmish line might be nullified as soon as the first company passed the defile. You know how perfidious those battalion commanders can be.

[Kace]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

Here is my idea assuming only a small company needs to pass through the fence.

On the Center Section
By the right of sections to the front
Company by the right flank
Double quick march


One through the gap

On the center section
by section into line march


I am still getting my arms around battalion manuevers but it seems to be the way to scale it down to a company size manuever. If I am off base, I would love to see it layed out command by command.


Kace

[Silas]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

I didn't see any rule about the number of files allowed when breaking files to the rear, however, there is a rule about size of sections :

Casey SoC 322. The company being in column, by platoon, and supposed to march in the route step, the instructor can cause the front to be diminished and increased, by section, if the platoons have a front of twelve files or more.

We're talking about companies of no less than 48 men in the ranks. Smaller than that and there's no breaking into sections for purposes of manoeuver.

And Mr. Christensen, battalion drill is just orchestrated company drill.

[john duffer]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

This first exercise was obviously lacking but you have to start somewhere. In the future I will put together a more complete scenario. At the very least it has folks thinking about drill. I'm open to suggestions about possible exercises and can also draw up movements on CAD for anyone that needs a visual aid.
Using Silas' scenario of a column of companies my somewhat out of the box approach (I actually used this before in the field and it seemed to work) I did the following - hopefully the pictures will help. With an experienced company it can be done on the fly, with a less experienced some brief halts between movements.

1 Lead company is ordered to deploy forward to the ridgeline as skirmishers to cover the approach of the rest of the battalion.

2. Left wheel

3. By the right flank

4. By the left flank

5. Right wheel

Deploy as skirmishers by the right and left flanks

[Kace]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

Yep, When I hear the commands I can usually execute them well. It is knowing where I want things to end up and figuring out the command to get folks there that I struggle with.

Kace

[flattop32355]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

My only concern with Mr. Duffer's deployment is the difficulty most reenactor units have with wheeling. It can often end up being as chaotic as going over the fence.

I'd lean towards a "company right face", with an immediate "by file left" and "at the double quick (or the run), march" until through the fenceline, then guide the right to where you want them and go "by company into line".

A totally non-manual move, through a narrow opening, could be " On the right (or left), by comrades in battle, at the double quick, march". Each group of four moves out along the road, one group after the other. Once through the opening, guide the first group to where they should go and a "On the right (or left), deploy as skirmishers", if that is the desired formation. If not, a "by company into line" can still be effected. In this particular example, on the right would be easier, due to the odd number of files in second platoon that could throw folks off with the undersized lead-off group.

As noted, factors not given could have an important impact on what movements are most expedient.

[john duffer]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

I've often used a wheel in this manner - at TAG to go through a gap in a fence very similer to that shown in the sketch - at Fort Granger to reverse front reentering the company street - at Corinth several times in a frentic advance through dense woods as the quickest way to thread the company through gaps - etc. It's a great tool for steering a company. All of these were adhoc WIG companies and there was no confusion. On a side note, I've seen a cool suggestion (I think from Macdougal, may be someone else) to spin a battalion on it's center with left wing about face/battalion left wheel or right wing about face/battalion right wheel as a quicker way to change battalion facing without shifting from it's original ground.

[john duffer]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

Mr. Biederman, on your solutions:

" I'd lean towards a "company right face", with an immediate "by file left" and "at the double quick (or the run), march" until through the fenceline, then guide the right to where you want them and go "by company into line". "

This would work - with the following notes: From picture"2" you'll see you're not lined up with the gate and the captain would have to do a "guide on me" and snake the company around and through which might get it a little ragged. From picture "3" you'll see you would have to shift right to center on the road. Just guiding the right to where you want them might not work, the by company into line will put your line perpendicular to the direction of march & if you're angling off to the right you won't be facing in the original direction. At the least there's some more 'snakeing' needed.


" A totally non-manual move, through a narrow opening, could be " On the right (or left), by comrades in battle, at the double quick, march". Each group of four moves out along the road, one group after the other. "

This is certainly thinking outside the box but I don't believe your men will have any idea what you're wanting them to do and I'm not sure how you would restore your formation in order to execute the next moves. I think this would disintegrate most reenacting companies.

I'm going to draw up some of the other solutions also.

[plankholder]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

Abraham Loncoln when commanding a militia company in Illinois found himself faced with an identical problem during a militia drill. He was admittantly lacking in military knowledge and cammanded his company to "fall out, and reform on the other side of the fence". Not particularly applicable while in battle, but a comical anctidote.

[Silas]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

Why the insistance of facing to the right? The inability of troops to face to the left competently causes limitations on the number and type of manoeuvers the company or battalion commander can expect the men to perform.

Duffer, the wheeling, facing and wheeling suggestion is very creative. It's not something I would have considered, but will keep that one in my bag of tricks.

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

I am not sure why a wheel, two flanks and then another wheel would be quicker then facing (left or right, it doesn't really matter), marching and by company into line. Yup, a guide on me would be needed to get through the gap. Centering on the road could be done by a little more guide on me, then by company into line. Adjustments could be made with a right or left oblique. All of this could be done at the run to make it even faster. While a wheel is normally done slowly and can become ragged if rushed.

[ThehosGendar]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

Possibly unorthodox, possibly crazy, but I say, if it's a well-drilled company with competent officers and NCOs:

1) Second platoon, break into sections, forward march (guiding right to eek onto the road).

As second platoon steps off and clears enough practical distance:

2) First platoon, left face.
3) By file, right, march.

Immediately upon second platoon clearing the defile:

4) Form platoons, march.
5) Second platoon, as skirmishers, by the right and left flanks, take intervals.

Here, the road is now screened by the second platoon, as the first platoon passes through the defile by the flank.

Then:

6) First platoon, by platoon into line, March.
7) As skirmishers by the right and left flanks, take intervals.

First platoon is now deployed as skirmishers in reserve of second platoon, with some of its right unmasked, and, when needed, can be further unmasked by either second platoon shifting to the left, or first platoon brought up onto the line by the oblique.

If it's a reenacting company:
1) Right face
2) By file left, double-quick, march.
3) Hope no one trips.

This was fun!

[50th VA Corporal]

Re: FUN WITH DRILL - EXERCISE No. 1

I certainly hope you continue to post drill scenerios. For the last two years I have had my head deep in all of the manuals and while they do give the specific maneuvers it is more enlightening to have situations and scenerios to place them with. This is one of the only forums, if not the only forum, where the there is the collective experienced knowledge of individuals that truely care about drill and the proper execution thereof.

I have yet to participate in a manuever that requires files are broken to the rear and only infrequently been in a battalion formation where companies have had to manuever around obstructions. However, I am seeing more of our battalion executing manuevers by the left than in the past.

Jas. T. Lemon
Bvt. Capt. 50th VA Co.D