Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army Part 30

The troopers, if not already aligned, align themselves without command on the guide as they halt (par. 364). Movement in the rank then ceases.

If marching at the trot or gallop, the gait is ordinarily decreased progressively, the halt being executed from the walk (par. 239).

=384.= =Being in line at a halt, to march backward=: 1. =Backward=, 2.

=MARCH.=

All the troopers rein back (par. 280), regulating on the guide, who maintains his distance from the leader. The execution of the march backward as a _collective movement_ is habitually limited to cases where the movement may be necessary; it is then executed for short distances only. It is not executed at an increased gait.

=385.= =Being in line, to oblique and resume the original direction=: 1. =Troopers right (left) oblique=, 2. =MARCH.=

Executed by each trooper as in par. 230. During the oblique march the right knee of each trooper should be just in rear of the left knee of the trooper on his fight; the trooper on the flank toward which the oblique is made acts temporarily without special indication as directing guide (Def.) of the squad. The line during the oblique march should be parallel to its original direction. The leader does not take position in front of the flank trooper during the oblique.

Halting the mounted squad while at the oblique should be avoided. If the squad has to be halted thus, the troopers upon halting turn their horses to the original front in so far as practicable.

To resume the original direction by similar means, the commands are: 1. =Forward=, 2. =MARCH.=

In executing the oblique by trooper, dismounted, each trooper preserves his relative position, keeping his shoulders parallel to those of the directing guide and so regulating his step that the rank may remain parallel to its original front. In resuming the original direction, the troopers half face to the left in marching, then move straight to the front. If at =half step= or =mark time= while obliquing, the oblique march is resumed by the commands: 1 =Oblique=, 2. =MARCH.= Should the halt be commanded while the squad is obliquing, the troopers halt faced to the front (fig. 32).

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 38, par. 385.]

=386.= =Being in line, to turn to the right or left=: 1. =Right (left) turn=, 2. =MARCH=; 3. =Forward=, 4. =MARCH=; or 3. =Squad=, 4. =HALT.=

The principle of the movement is explained in par. 329-a.

The form of the third and fourth commands is determined by whether the turn is to terminate with the advance in line or with the halt.

In the turn the squad is led by its leader (par. 367) through a change of direction of 90. The leader (and, therefore, the guide) are restricted not only to this particular change of direction but also to a particular arc or path during the turn (par. 387).

There is no special arm signal for the _turn_ as such; but, as the turn is a change of direction, the signal for the latter movement is applicable. The signal for the change of direction does not in itself indicate the degree of the turn, but the leader's subsequent signal forward or halt indicates when the change of direction is to cease.

In the turn, as in any case of the march in line, the leader, subject to the restrictions just indicated, regulates the direction and gait of march, the guide conforms to the movements of the leader, and all the other troopers regulate their alignment and interval on the guide.

The rate of march of the leader and the guide should not be so rapid as to make it impracticable for the troopers on the marching flank of the squad to preserve their alignment on the guide during the turn.

The guide moves in the _trace of the leader during the turn_, as well as before and after the turn. When the turn is executed by the _marching squad_ the leader gives the command after he has begun to change direction and at the moment when the guide arrives at the _point where the leader straightened his horse in the new direction_ (par. 471). When executed from a _halt_ the second command can not be given as above indicated. The leader in that case begins to turn at the command of execution, while the guide, instead of beginning the actual turn at once, moves forward so as to move, during the turn, _in the trace of the leader_ (par. 367).

In executing the turn dismounted the leader so regulates the length of step of the guide that the _trooper on the marching flank_ can keep the regular step corresponding to the gait at which the turn is made.

The other troopers lengthen or shorten the step accordingly, maintaining the cadence and their alignment and interval with respect to the guide. If the turn be terminated by the commands: 3. =Forward=, 4. =MARCH=, all the troopers resume the regular step at the fourth command.

=387.= In executing the turn in a _squad_ or _platoon_, the leader, followed by the guide, so turns on the arc of a circle that the pivot trooper, in _conforming to the guide's movements_, marches on the arc of a circle whose radius varies with the gait of the guide, this radius being 2 yards at a walk, 4 yards at a trot, and 6 yards at a gallop. When the turn is executed dismounted the corresponding radius, in either quick or double time, is 1 yard.

=388.= At the command: 1. =Right (left) half turn=, 2. =MARCH=; 3.

=Forward=, 4. =MARCH=; or 3. =Squad=, 4. =HALT=, a change of direction of 45 may be made in accordance with the principles explained in pars. 386 and 387. The arm signal for the half turn follows the rule indicated for the full turn (par. 386).

=389.= In all movements in these regulations in the course of which =fours=, =twos=, or =troopers= execute a turn or half turn this last movement is made by each element in accordance with the principles explained in pars. 386 and 387, except that the commands 3. =Forward=, 4. =MARCH=, are omitted and each element continues the march in the new direction, upon completion of the turn, unless the commands: 3.

=Squad=, 4. =HALT=, are given. The guide of a four in the turn is always No. 2; the guide of a two the right trooper.

=390.= Where only a slight change in the direction of march is desired; it is habitually accomplished by leading without any special command or signal therefor. The leader may caution: =INCLINE TO THE RIGHT (LEFT)=. The execution of this movement, like that of the turn, is a special case of leading applied to the march in line. The leader slightly alters the direction of march, the guide conforms to the leader's movements, and the other troopers conform to the movements of the guide.

=391.= =Being in line, to form column of fours to a flank=: 1. =Fours right (left)=, 2. =MARCH.=

The fours move simultaneously, each executing right turn and taking up the march in the new direction (par. 389). No. 2 of the four on the flank toward which the movement is executed is the guide upon whom the other Nos. 2 regulate during the movement (par. 326), as well as the guide of the resulting column (par. 374). The leader promptly takes position in front of the guide (par. 325). Gaits are regulated as in par. 337-_d_.

=The movement dismounted= is executed on the same principles except that No. 2 of each four regulates his step and path as indicated for the dismounted turn (pars. 386, 387). (Fig. 33.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 39, par. 391.]

=392.= =Column of twos= is not formed directly to a flank from line.

Column of twos may be formed to the _front_ as explained in pars. 393 and 403, and the head of the column be at once marched in any desired direction. The same principle regulates the formation of =column of troopers= to a flank.

=393.= =Being in column of fours, to form column of twos or troopers=:

(_a_) To form column of twos: 1. =Right (left) by twos=, 2. =MARCH.=

The right two of the leading four is the base. The other twos enter the column successively, the right two of each four being followed immediately by the left two of the same four, the left two obliquing to enter the column (par. 331). All distances are 4 feet (par. 368).

Gaits are regulated as in movements from line into column (par. 337-a, c).

(_b_) =Column of troopers= is formed on the same principles at the commands: 1. =Right (left) by trooper=, 2. =MARCH.= The right trooper of the leading four is the base.

Column of troopers from column of twos is formed by the same commands as from column of fours and in accordance with the same principles.

_The movements described in this paragraph are among those referred to in par. 468-b._

=394.= In executing any movement by which a column; of twos or troopers is formed, a four composed of less than three troopers (par.

368-b) acts temporarily as a two--on the right of the four if the column of twos is formed =right in front= (par. 370); on the left of the four if the column of twos is formed =left in front=. When the column of fours is re-formed the troopers take their proper places in column as indicated in par. _368-b_.

=395.= The squad in column of =fours=, =twos=, or =troopers= is marched to the front, halted, marched backward, marched in an oblique direction, and marched again to the original front by the same commands as the squad in line, each element of the column conforming to the principles indicated for the squad in line (pars. 329, 374).

=396.= =Being in column of fours, twos, or troopers=, to change direction.

The movement is executed as explained in par. 329, the fours (twos, troopers) successively changing on the same ground, the guide of each element moving in the trace of the leader.

In changing direction in column of fours, _mounted_, the guide of each rear four slightly diminishes the _pace_ when 4 feet from the turning point, correspondingly increasing the pace during the actual change of direction so as to have the proper distance of 4 feet from the four =next= in front when the turn is completed. This provision does not apply to the corresponding dismounted movement, nor to the column of twos, or troopers.

To indicate, for any column, a change of direction of 90 or 45, the leader may command, respectively: 1. =Column, right (left)=, or 1.

=Column half right (left)=; 2. =MARCH.=

The leader may indicate a slight change of direction by the caution: =INCLINE TO THE RIGHT=.

The dismounted execution of the change of direction conforms in each element of the column to the modifications noted in pars. 386 and 387 for the execution of the turn dismounted. The leader regulates the length of his own step accordingly during his actual change of direction, and the guide of each successive element does the same when he reaches the turning point.

=397.= =Being in column of fours, twos, or troopers, to form line to the front=: 1. =Right (left) front into line=, 2. =MARCH.=

The leading element (four, two, or trooper) of the column is the base of the movement and moves forward.

Each element in rear of the base, leaves the column by a movement approximating a right oblique and proceeds (par. 375) to a place abreast of the leading element, the elements taking successively, from left to right in the new line, positions in the same order as that in which they previously appeared from head to rear in the column.

The guide of the leading element, when the movement begins, acts as directing guide (Def.) of the squad from the moment the leader starts to his new position until he indicates the guide of the new line (pars. 326, 373) when all regulate on the latter guide.

Gaits are regulated as in pars. 337-_a_, _b_. (Fig. 34.)