Fun with drill - redux

[john duffer]

A somewhat more straightforward exercise, there are several “right” answers and it will probably require some creativity to get it “wrong”. This is a reenactor battalion so you don’t have to worry about real casualties but you do need to issue commands the men will know how to comply with. I want actual commands you would issue, not generalities. A real plus would be to do it on the cuff without looking at the manual. If you can’t then you need a little more studying before you take the field. Thus one of the purposes of this exercise.

You’re the commander of the leftmost company. The battalion commander says “Mr. Smith, please deploy your company as skirmishers 75 yards in front of the battalion.” - To make it simpler you won’t need to maintain a reserve because of the small distance.

[biggumbo]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

How about:
1. "'X' Company (with 'X' being our numeric designation), as skirmishers, on the left file, take intervals, March."
2. When about 75 yards: "Halt"
3. Company should automatically take intervals
4. If the 75 yrd distance has not allowed for company to fully deploy across the battallion front, it many necessary to extend: "Company, by the right flank, extend intervals, March" (can't recall exactly if you specify the distance, or just then call halt when they get past the battallion right flank.)
5. "Commence Firing" (wink)

[Pvt_Sullivan]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

Travis gave the 'fastest' and 'easiest for the soldiers' answer in my opinion. Here is an easy for the commander answer...

1) "Forward March"
2) After moving 75 yards, "Company Halt"
3) "As Skirmishers, On the left file,take intervals, March"
4) If the company doesn't cover the entire battalion frontage, "First Sergeant, mark the right flank! Company extend your intervals to the right!"
5) "Take Cover Men and Hold Fast"

Since it was not noted to move forward or that the enemy was in sight, I would stand fast as that until an enemy came in sight or the Battalion Commander ordered an advance.

[cprljohnivey]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

How about this:

1: Say: "Lieutenant Cox, as it is my duty to instruct my junior officers, you are hearby ordered to deploy the company as skirmishers 75 yards to the front to cover the entire regiment. Make it so!"
2. Crack a beer and let Lt. Cox do the work for you.

[Steve Acker]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

Although Brad's has more style than mine, here it goes:

"Company three paces forward. March"
___company, as skirmishers, by the left file, take intervals, March"
"Forward march"

Steve Acker

[Pvt_Sullivan]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

I stand corrected... Brad's answer is by far the easiest for the Commander.

[Mississippian]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

If you're Alfred Iverson, you don't even bother with skirmishers.

Will MacDonald

[cprljohnivey]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

Ok... I am going to give a serious one and one that will work but is different from those above...

Company Forward March
(after 5 yards) Company, By the right flank, March
(once get to the far right of the battalion) Company By the Left Flank, March
(after 65 Yards) Company halt
Company As skirmisher, on the Right File, Take interval, March
Halt (automatically Deploy)
Sgt Thompson, Fetch Hither my Beer! (this is after all a Reenactment company and frivolous marching is always the order of the day)

[john duffer]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

Well, to address the answers so far (bear in mind this is nothing more than my poor opinion, so consider the source and laugh at me if you disagree). A couple of technical observations: 1.) It depends on the size of the company but generally takes roughly 85 yards to deploy forward. 2.) If the companies are anywhere near equal size a company deploying without a reserve will cover even a ten(nine other) company battalion front. 3.) You’re supposed to cover the battalion front and half the interval on each side between adjoining battalions.

Mr. Hébert

You got the job done. The company not being fully deployed at 75 yards the laggards should come up on line anyway and you wouldn’t need to extend intervals. Since you aren’t centered you’re a tad short on the left and a tad too far to the right.

Mr. Sullivan

By advancing 75 yards before deploying forward you put your line at about 160 yards once deployed and have the same centering issue as Mr. Hébert.

Mr. Ireland – post one

I suspect you’re funning us, if not, 1.) you can’t always rely on having a Lt sharp enough to mask your incompetence, 2.) you can’t always assume beer is available on the battalion line, 3.) you probably wouldn’t be asked to command a company again.

Mr. Acker

You got the job done though you do have the slightly off center thing previously mentioned.

Mr. Ireland – post two

Your deployed line is at about 155 yards and you’ve shifted the off center thing from the right to the left.

[Silas]

I'm not keen on deploying by the flank

Some additional facts would help the poor company commander reach into the tool box for the most appropriate tool.

I don't see deploying forward and deploying by the flank as interchangeable methods of reaching the same end. They have different purposes. From the pen of Lt. Col. Hardee (1861) :

Deployments

15. A company may be deployed m skirmishers in two ways : forward and by the flank.

16. The deployment forward will be adopted when the company is behind the line on which it is to be established as skirmishers. It will be deployed by the flank when it finds itself already on that line.

Since the hypothetical battalion is seventy yards behind the proposed line, a forward advancement seems better.

Was the hypothetical battalion marching or at the halt when the command came down?

To deploy forward

22. A company being at a halt or in march, when the captain shall wish to deploy it forward on the left file of the first platoon, holding the second platoon in reserve, he will command ...

To deploy by the flank

37. The company being at a halt, when the Captain shall wish to deploy it by the flank, holding the first platoon in reserve he will command ...

There's nothing mentioned about whether another company is in front and needs to be relieved, but the below passage helps explain an example of when deploying by the flank would be the better choice :

To relieve a company deployed as skirmishers

[ ]

69. If the skirmishers to be relieved are marching in retreat, the company thrown out to relieve them will deploy by the flank as prescribed No. 38 and following.

Since the line is already established, deployment by the flank is the appropriate method of relieving the company to the front.

Here's a Hardee link to an 1861 manual which still bears his name and not Cameron's : http://books.google.com/books?id=80N...kirmish&f=true

[Silas]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

How do you know those distances are correct, Duffer? A battalion doesn't necessarily contain ten companies. It could contain as few as two companies per manuals. Like I said, more facts are needed.

[john duffer]

Re: I'm not keen on deploying by the flank

Dear Mr. Silas

I try to use situations I've encountered, this one was from Corinth and I didn't have any additional information beyond what was posted. In that case I marched by the right oblique till centered on the battalion - forward marched to the required distance - and then halted and deployed by the right and left flanks. I am aware of the difference between deploying forward and by the flank but you're the first person to even mention the flank deployment thus far so maybe others need to have it reinforced. I've seen orders for corps level movements in the face of the enemy with less detail than this simple suggestion, I believe any company commander should be able to perform it..

[Silas]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

My error. I saw Mr. Ireland mentioning flanks. He didn't mention deployment by the flank, but I read it that way in my haste. I was waiting for someone to mention deployment by that method. Deployment by the flank is often seen as an equally valid alternative under all circumstances when it's not. Drives me nuts.

I'm still a little sleep deprived after dealing with some very serious, but equally stupid, stuff.

Out of the corner I come after serving my sentence. Stool returned to its place next to the teacher's desk. Pointed hat returned to its place ready for the next wearer.

[Silas]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

My error. I saw Mr. Ireland mentioning flanks. He didn't mention deployment by the flank, but I read it that way in my haste. I was waiting for someone to mention deployment by that method. Deployment by the flank is often seen as an equally valid alternative under all circumstances when it's not. Drives me nuts.

I'm still a little sleep deprived after dealing with some very serious, but equally stupid, stuff.

Out of the corner I come after serving my sentence. Stool returned to its place next to the teacher's desk. Pointed hat returned to its place ready for the next wearer.

[john duffer]

Re: Fun with drill - redux

" How do you know those distances are correct, Duffer? A battalion doesn't necessarily contain ten companies. It could contain as few as two companies per manuals. "

Silas

The distances are approximate only, I worked them out on CADD. I've field tested the 85 yards forward deployment on one occasion and it seemed pretty accurate. The company as skirmishers vs battalion front is based on a company being 40 feet for 40 men, 80 for 80, etc. Two foot per man with the men in two ranks (that's not mine, I got it from - if memory serves - an English manual). I realize that nowadays the right man might be four foot wide. :) So a 30 man company would take up about 30 feet in line or about 338 feet deployed as skirmishers. If the companies are close to the same size then one full company can screen the other nine companies of the battalion. With less than nine it's gravy. When the two flank companies each deploy a platoon with the second in reserve, they cover the 8 line companies pretty handily, almost like it's planned that way :-)