Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army Part 28

The dismounted squad executes the =rests= and =route order= as prescribed in pars. 60 and 61.

TO DISMISS THE SQUAD.

=360.= The squad, in =column of troopers=, is dismissed as prescribed for that formation in par. 222. The squad in =column of fours= is dismissed at the same command. The trooper on the right of the leading four leads out as indicated in par. 222 and is followed, in turn, by the other troopers of that four, then by the troopers of the next four, and so on successively to the rear of the column. In each four the troopers lead out in order from right to left. The dismissal from =column of twos= is similarly executed. The squad being =in line= is dismissed by the commands and methods prescribed in par. 222 for a line with intervals, except that the troopers, in order to have their proper distance, move out successively from right to left instead of simultaneously. At the commands: 1. =By the right and left=, 2. =FALL OUT=, the movement is executed in a similar manner from both flanks of the line. After having dismounted from line the squad may be dismissed without forming rank.

Dismounted, without horses and not under arms, the command is =DISMISSED=.

Dismounted, without horses but armed with the rifle, the squad is dismissed as in par. 114.

ALIGNMENTS.

=361.= At the preliminary instruction (conducted without formal command) the instructor has two troopers on the right of the rank move forward a convenient distance and halt. He then aligns these two troopers carefully, with the proper interval as =in line= (par.

368-_a_), and causes the other troopers to note the details of the alignment. The other troopers are then required to move up one at a time and align themselves, with the correct interval, on the line thus established. The troopers move forward, in order from right to left, at successive repet.i.tions by the instructor of the caution =NEXT=.

Each trooper, when on or near the line, executes =eyes right= (par.

64), aligns himself accurately on the line established by the trooper or troopers on his right, and looks to the front as soon as he thinks himself correctly aligned. The instructor explains and corrects any errors. Similar instruction is given the troopers in aligning themselves to the left. As soon as reasonable proficiency is attained but a single trooper is moved forward, and the alignment is made in the same manner upon the single trooper established as the base.

The instruction is similarly given with the center trooper moved to the front as a base. Two troopers, one on the right, the other on the left of the base, then move forward at each repet.i.tion of the caution =NEXT=.

The instructor observes in the mounted instruction: That each trooper moves his horse promptly and halts with his horse correctly disposed; that he sits squarely on his horse without advancing either shoulder or leaning his body to the front or rear; that he dresses promptly as he arrives on the line; and that he makes proper use of the aids (pars. 200 to 208).

In the first drills the basis of the alignment is established parallel to the front of the section; afterwards in oblique directions.

=362.= When the troopers have acquired reasonable proficiency in aligning themselves, as above, the alignment is executed at the command =DRESS=, given by the instructor from his position as leader.

The trooper designated as the guide (par. 371) is always the base trooper of the alignment and places himself accurately 3 yards in rear of the leader. All the other troopers align themselves promptly on the base trooper, continuing to look toward him until the command, =FRONT=. At this last command, given when the alignment is completed, all turn the head and eyes quickly to the front and take the position of =attention= (pars. 59, 198). Movements in the rank then cease. The instructor then habitually faces the squad or goes to either flank to verify the accuracy of the dressing, first cautioning the guide to remain in place.

=363.= The troopers and their mounts must be so trained as to enable alignment and interval to be kept with sufficient accuracy to maintain cohesion in the mounted charge and to, present a creditable appearance at ceremonies and at other occasions of a formal or ceremonial character. A disproportionate amount of time and energy will not be devoted to this detail.

=364.= The use of dressing _by command_ is ordinarily confined to elementary instruction (as preparation for the march in line) and to formations of a distinctly ceremonial character. At all other times the troopers are required habitually to align themselves on the base trooper without special command and to look to the front as soon as aligned.

Formal dressing is employed only when the squad is at a halt.

=365.= The caution: =DRESS=, may, if necessary, be given to the squad when marching (par. 367); but it will not be employed when it is practicable to use instead cautions addressed by name to the individual trooper or troopers who are at fault.

=366.= Alignments, dismounted, are executed by the same general methods as when mounted. At the command: =DRESS=, the hand is placed upon the hip to verify the interval (par. 57). Each trooper in dressing so places himself that his right arm rests lightly against the arm of the man on his right and that his eyes and shoulders are in line with those of the man on his right. The left hand is dropped to the side at the command =FRONT=.

LEADING THE SQUAD.

(_See also_ pars. 322-332.)

=367.= The squad being in line at a halt, the instructor directs the guide (par. 371) to maintain a position at a distance of 3 yards (about one horse length) in rear of him and to follow accurately in his path, whether such path be a straight line or a curve. He explains to the other troopers that in marching they are so to regulate on the guide as to preserve as nearly as practicable their alignment and interval in the rank, individually increasing and decreasing the gait or pace (Def.) as may be necessary to do this. All are cautioned that they must learn to keep their proper positions in the rank without unnecessary rigidity without making sudden changes in gait or pace and without keeping their eyes constantly fixed on the guide. They are instructed that while riding with the head and eyes habitually directed as in par. 198 they will keep an alert lookout over the ground in front, cast frequent glances toward the leader so as to observe the latter's movements, and glance occasionally toward the guide to a.s.sure that the alignment is being correctly maintained.

Having given these instructions, the leader places himself, facing to the front, 3 yards in front of the guide, commands: =FOLLOW ME=, and moves forward. The leader must be, careful to march steadily, so regulating his direction and gait at first as to enable the guide to conform without difficulty.

Each trooper keeps his horse straight in the rank, maintaining his alignment with the guide and his proper interval (par. 368-_a_) from the man next him on the side of the guide. The troopers yield to pressure from the side of the guide and resist pressure from the opposite direction. All adjustments are made gradually without crowding or confusion.

In the beginning the leader moves at a walk and makes only slight changes of direction. As the instructor completes each change of direction he indicates the _new_ direction of march by extending his arm as in signal =forward= (par. 990), dropping the hand to the side when the guide's horse is _straightened in the new direction_. When the troopers have become sufficiently practiced in adjusting themselves to the movements of the instructor, the latter makes the changes of direction more marked, and moves, during such changes, on the arcs of smaller circles. Finally, he requires the squad to apply the principles of leading in the manner indicated in pars. 346-349. As each movement is taken up the principles of leading that apply are explained in detail, so that all may understand clearly the ident.i.ty and position of the base. The base trooper (guide) must clearly understand his duties. (Fig. 31.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 37, par. 367.]

SQUAD FORMATIONS.

The formations of the squad for drill, march, or combat are as follows:

CLOSE ORDER.

=368.= (_a_) =Line=: The troopers are abreast of each other with intervals (Def.) of 6 inches (mounted) or 4 inches (dismounted) between troopers.

(_b_) =Column of fours=: The troopers of each four are arranged as =in line=. The fours follow successively one behind another with distances (Def.) between Successive fours of 4 feet, mounted, or 92 inches, dismounted. When a four includes less than four troopers it is an =incomplete four=. Places in an incomplete four are habitually filled in the following order: No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 1 (par. 374).

(_c_) =Column of twos=: The troopers of each two are arranged as =in line=, the twos following successively, one behind another, with distances between successive twos of 4 feet, mounted, or 40 inches, dismounted. If any two have but a single trooper the latter takes the position corresponding to the right trooper of the incomplete two (par. 374).

(_d_) =Column of troopers=: The troopers of each four follow successively, one behind another, with distances between consecutive troopers of 4 feet when mounted, or 14 inches when dismounted.

EXTENDED ORDER.

(_e_) =Foragers=: The troopers are abreast of each other, with intervals of 3 yards between troopers, unless some other interval be specially designated.

The dismounted formation corresponding to =foragers= is =skirmishers=.

The interval between troopers in line of skirmishers is one-half pace unless some other interval be designated.

_In the employment of a squad or other small detachment the designation of a greater interval than one-half pace is habitual rather than exceptional (par. 408)._

In a line of skirmishers at one-half pace interval each man may be considered as occupying, including his interval, about 1 yard of front.

The squad may also be extended in depth as prescribed in par. 413.

ORDER IN THE SQUAD.

=369.= When it is said that a unit is =in order= in any formation it is meant that the arrangement and condition of the component elements is such that the unit is ready to execute, in the accustomed manner, any movement that is intended to be executed from the formation in question. The conditions essential to =order= in each formation of the squad are stated in paragraph 370. The squad, =in line=, for example, would not be =in order= if the troopers did not know their numbers, for it could then execute no movement based upon the division into fours, twos, or troopers.

=370.= The squad =in line=, =column of fours=, or =foragers= is =in order= when the troopers of each four are arranged, from right to left in the four, in the order of their respective numbers, and each knows his number.

The squad =in column of twos= is =in order= when the twos of each four are next to each other in the column, odd numbers on the right, and each trooper knows his number.

When the two composed of 1 and 2 is in front, the column is said to be =right in front=; when the two composed of 3 and 4 is in front, the column is said to be =left in front=.

The squad =in column of troopers= is =in order= when the troopers of each four are next to one another in the column, are arranged from front to rear in the order 1, 2, 3, 4, or 4, 3, 2, 1, and each trooper knows his number. When the order is 1, 2, 3, 4, the column is said to be =right in front=; when the order is 4, 3, 2, 1, =left in front=.

It is not necessary to order in the squad, in any of the above formations, that a particular trooper or troopers be in any designated four, nor that the fours have any special relative order from right to left or front to rear.

GUIDE OF THE SQUAD.