Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

[LibertyHallVols]

I thought it might be fun to put out a little "quiz" on drill, just to get folks thinking and maybe crack a manual open. So, here goes...

When a battalion is in a column "right in front", what does that mean?

Rules:
1) Captains & Colonels - Step away from the keyboard... Let's let some folks who've not portrayed an officer have first crack.

2) Let's not cut-and-paste from the manual over on the "Drill Network". Read it and then put down what it means in your own words.

Enjoy!

[bholt61stny]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

I guess I will give it a shot. Is it when the the right most company is the head of the column? If that is the case to you would deploy left into line meaning the other companies would form the line of battle on the left of that first company.

Brian Holt

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

Correct! Very good!

[mattifatti]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

Brian, you are too quick!! Give us another one John!!

[Silas]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

Part two of the question :

Generally, where is the guide in this formation? Name an example of a manoeuvre while marching where the guide is not on that side and state the reason why for the exception provided.

[Boy of '61]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

Part two of the question :

Generally, where is the guide in this formation? Name an example of a manoeuvre while marching where the guide is not on that side and state the reason why for the exception provided.

Generally, in a column of companies, right in front, the guide in this formation will be to the left, because that is where the battalion front is. The name of a manoeuvre while marching where the guide is not on that side is Head of Column to the Left. On a Head of Column to the Left, the guide of each company will change to the right when the company reaches the marker that was placed by the Battalion Command, which this marker marks the point that the each company in the column to begin their wheel to the left and march off in the new direction.

Next Question??

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

Also...

If the battalion is deployed forward into line, the guide of the first company changes from left to right and the guide of the remaining companies changes from left to right in order to execute the left half wheel.

[elcid01]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

John,
Like where your going with this talk. Feel as though there is a need to understand the movements of a BN on the Battle field as a whole unit. Knowledge of this should be down to the rank and file. When a command is given such as "FWD into line, by the right of company to the front", all know what the next move will be. Refraining from fumbling around and having the CPT/NCO's struggle to maintain order.

We do see much of that in the Hobby, and I fear its because of the unknown.

Well Done!

[Silas]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

Casey dumped forward into line in his revised SoB. More folks should, too. I've found it to be one of the hardest manoeuvers because the company guide changes so many different times. Yet it's considered the standard method in the hobby of moving men from the column into line of battle. Deploying the column on the first company is significantly easier, but it includes a facing to the left flank which is the ruin of many a smart company because a handful of folks often forget numbers and/or that the ones get to move this time, not the twos.

I really enjoy watching the chaos which accompanies this manoeuver when the column was guide right instead of guide left before the forward into line command is given. It's not too bad when the companies are of similar size, but when they are unequal, it's a mess.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

Skip,
I agree. However, if the privates and corporals of a given company is very solid in their execution of company drill, but only knows the basics of battalion drill, they can usually get along "OK" AS LONG AS the sergeants and officers are proficient at the battalion-level commands.

Silas,
I think this falls under Skip's comment a bit. Do the rank and file know the battalion maneuvers? If so, there should be no problem. If not, the sergeants will feel like they're herding cats.

Thanks, Gents!

Again... no need for me to be the only one to quiz folks on drill stuff... I don't even have a trademark on the "Drill Bits" thing... throw out your own, if'n ya like!

[flattop32355]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

When a battalion is in a column "right in front", what does that mean?

Without looking to see if anyone else has answered correctly:

It means that what would be the right end of a battle line for that battalion is at the front of the formed column as it moves out. In other words, the first company is in the lead.

"Left in front" would have the last, or left, company in the lead.

How forming column with the battle line inverted would affect the above, I have no clue.

[aaron1stvirginia]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

You know I'm glad that somebody is interested as drill. I don't mean to start fights but perhaps through out a suggestion. Maybe we as a a whole should improve our drill whether it be Hardee's Revised or Casey's or whatever it may be. I hate going out with a company or batallion and watching every man in the company do two different things when parade rest is called. It looks so much better when everybody does the same thing and it is uniform. I used to think that the uniform was what made my impression, well I think it does have alot to do with it but the drill is just as important if not more so. I have heard the excuse that the Confederate army was not well trained but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Granted things might have been done in a hurry but over time of repetition one would get better. I was at a reenactment one time (and a po-dog event it was) they wanted us to look like blubbering idiots. I would not have anything to do with it. The impression was home guard and they may or may not have had training but I seriously doubt they would be dropping their guns and tripping around like a bunch of monkeys. I am happy to know that there is people who know a little bit about drill. And no I didn't know the answer but I will go study on it now.

[Greg Renault]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

John Wickett wrote: If the battalion is deployed forward into line, the guide of the first company changes from left to right and the guide of the remaining companies changes from left to right in order to execute the left half wheel.

Not quite. The guide of the remaining companies remains left until the half-wheel is executed, and those remaining companies are told to march forward (ie, on the diagonal towards their place in the line of battle). At that point the guide of the remaining companies is changed to the right. Why? Because when the companies approach their position they will be ordered by their respective captains to perform a right turn, and turns are always done "on the side of the guide".

Silas: ceteris paribus, Hardee's Forward into Line is faster than Casey's approach because the "remaining" companies take the most direct route to their place in the line. This is entirely appropriate for light infantry. The disadvantage to this maneuver is that the companies in the battalion column need to be at full distance for it to be performed. It cannot be done if the column is at half-distance, or closed in mass. And, you lose the maneuver's advantage if you need to open up your column first. Casey seems to prefer closer columns (which makes sense, given the growth rate of the Federal army at the beginning of the war), so my inference is that he dropped Forward into Line, as it was no longer useful.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

John Wickett wrote: If the battalion is deployed forward into line, the guide of the first company changes from left to right and the guide of the remaining companies changes from left to right in order to execute the left half wheel.

Not quite. The guide of the remaining companies remains left until the half-wheel is executed, and those remaining companies are told to march forward (ie, on the diagonal towards their place in the line of battle). At that point the guide of the remaining companies is changed to the right. Why? Because when the companies approach their position they will be ordered by their respective captains to perform a right turn, and turns are always done "on the side of the guide".

Greg,
I think ya got me on that one! However, I believe the "guide right" is given by the colonel as soon as he commands each company "forward -MARCH" (ending the left half wheel). So, as each company marches forward diagonally toward its spot on the line, the guide is right. Functionally, I think this makes sense as it prevents the battalion companies from spreading out too much as the move toward the line.

So, the guide right is given later than I said, but earlier than in your post, above. Thanks for the challenge, though! It keeps me on my toes!

Ain't drill fun!

[Greg Renault]

Re: Drill Bits: "Right in Front"

Yep, it's the Colonel that gives the "guide right"; the only captain that does so is that of the 1st company, which doesn't wheel but continues to march forward. And I agree that moving the guide to the right immediately after the remaining companies march forward after their half-wheel counters the tendency to drift to the right--seen that often enough.

Good to shake off the drill cobwebs.