Show SELF HELPS for the NEW I 1 j cy by ii united states army officer ooley right 1917 bf bythe b wheeler ino inc THE PLATOON in the preceding articles on oil the school gelly of tile ho company pally tile platoon liaa has purposely been left out of oc consideration aeration and the attention confined to tho the squad and company tito reason yas os that the principles upon holcli platoon movements nun nrc are executed art based on oil those of the squad nud aul company for the platoon or of from two to four squads Is simply a company on oil a reduced settle benlo tir or lk ft squad on oil tilt nil enlarged scale and 1 m handle bundled generally Kene rally accord moreover Moi oer when tile new sol dier after drill lit in tho the school of t th it squad la is first pieced tit in the school of 0 tho the ho la in tail might glit tile cotlon catlon of tits lila squad movements in fit company fornin formation tion and tills lily supplies tho it tural connection bethoon squad and company evolutions tito platoon ns its lins ling been liean before Is to tile com compline pliny what lint the company compi iny Is to tile lio bat battalion tallon in a 11 hiir company there luro tire four and in either it pence or war strength lint tallon there tire four it Is therefore apparent that lucli sue IT niovi ments ns its company Coin piny right left ch tiro for the purpose pu roso of throw lill a crt lunin of compit companies nIes into ahna of the initiation fire with etli platoons rin right lf by turning the lie platoons on oil a fixed pivot into n tile line of the company As pointed out in connection gitil company right lufti it alio li Is tile mime in III na its right lilt left but since it platoon con alsta of two three or four squads wo v 0 assume hereafter that the pin pill toon Is tit it tho war strength of tone four squads or 1112 men in such stich points us its tho ho eulem vary nry between squad and company right ilia iho platoon follows the rules for tile lio company tito tho reason for the subdivision of tho coni pany into four pInt instead of two ns no formerly Is that lint modern autio 1 have demonstrated that lint from tl tanty enty to thirty rifles anro no anany ns as call bo be effectively control lell ly by ono one lender leader tito platoon Is ther tore the hie fire unit its wo we shall wo sea when alien wo take up extended order trill drill for ali company tito tho platoons arc ns am fol allo platoon on the ho of nf chii alm line by tilt first lieuten ailt ahn ho pin ilia won toon nt tile left of line by tin tilt second lieutenant tile iho Plat platoon nt at right center by tho the hist first sergeant and tilt tl at left center ly by tile alio sor guint in rink ench lins ling a sergen sergeant nt for guide tind ilia nio file cl iii no o buted according to their iosa behind file lino alno of if tile company tito inell citing march no lio file with tin the first platoon the platoons tire number etl from right to left and these in so dea igna tiong to do not change since the lio platoon Is tile the firo unit its Is most apparent lit in extended order but it Is also frequently employed tn lit marches on oil the parade p ground or tn lit tile armory lit in parades through alia streets of a city n R conti company leny front of 01 men nn n would mould gener rIly lo ile 10 also n company front of 02 or two platoons Is frequently too tito col column of platoons formation fore borei of it war var strength company won would give it front 10 16 men wide and tills would itself to streets which were too narrow for ile two platoon front nevertheless in garrison or ceremonies the mt of nt platoons inny if do desirable exceed four squads that Is antler such the alio com coin pliny be divided into two pin eions of eight squads each PLATOON COMMANDS when the company coni puny Is in line to form columns of platoons the command Is 11 right left tills t Is executed by caich platoon ns no in the school of tile the col compi PallY iny tito right finnk men in abe front rank of ench platoon face to the right in mitre hing tind mark time the alie other front rank men men oblique to tile right place themselves abreast of abo pivot men and time in tit tin rear rank the third ninn man from tile in each platoon followed in column by the file second and first moves light to tile front until I 1 I 1 in tile rear of his front ernnt frnnk miln then nil all three face to the right in marchl marching and d mark time tile ro mi lining men of tho rear rank move to the front for four paces oblique to the right place of tile ho third man corn corer their llo ilia londera lenders and mark time before executing tills movement with platoons the captain makes it it a point to see pd that tile guides on file flank which tile the movement ls la to turn are covering that Is are in n straight row so ao that alint tile pivot nien men whose positions are governed by choso hoso of tilt ho gullies guides will also be in n straight row which will ivill bring tho the platoons into it precise column tills this lg Is effected by previously announcing tho the guide t to that flank following tile the command platoons rio right left the concluding command Is to tile company ns fig a whole Forward or cot corn I 1 I 1 puny pany HALT being in columns colu miia of platoons to change direction the commend Is ij column right left marcil at the command comm nud the lender t tho first platoon turns to the right on a moving pivot then its leader corn coin inanda forward MARCH at the completion of the turn rear near platoons baurch squarely up to tho the turning point of tit alic loading platoon and turn command of their lenders when it coni puny Is in III n column of 0 squads and it t desired to form forin a iltis ln of platoons tile ho command pill toon column right left 19 given tills Is exeen executed ted by each plit foon no na already for tin the company tho loading squad of arh barb platoon exe cities it right turn and four plit rollet columns of 0 squads advance lit in line of 0 platoons when tile company 18 g in llop to torn form title line of tile the con lilland iny inar lit either right loft left platoons right atti left or ilia otiis right loft left liy by squads MARC aiA IlCH 11 the first command Is by ref to the preceding tho second Is in excepted ly by each acl us llight aft 14 ft by fI tu ninda lindsl lit in tile school of uio illo coin colli Parly being in column of to 0 o forni form tile company line on the lie right or left tho coni tiland ill it as follows on oil right lift left into line MARCH 1 cont coin patty IIA at tho the preparatory command tile lie leader of ft the first plit pin toon gives right turn at Al Mim li tho lie platoon turns to tile right on a moving pivot the command Ill hull olt Is given vm tile leli fillig platoon tins lin advanced tile desired at tho unit alt its leader commands flight dress tin other platoons ex x natty ns no they hoy were squads wIlen tills Is given to the alio company in column of squads platoons right left front into line la Is executed no na described by squads in fit tile school of the lie company tit alio dress for platoons right front into line would lio ile on the lie left squad of tho left plato ull EXTENDED ORDER onder tito purpose of the ho close order drill through which wo we have just been put with tile company compi iny Is threefold lit in tho first ploce it confers the benefits cited nt at tin the beginning of tills berles namely discipline and uniformity of movement lit in the lie second place liy by plen plunging ging tw tho eye with tile lie it not only denches with concrete example the of military precision but contributes nn nil important moral do ch ment known tir espi esprit it lb corps A which Is IR in ill the height of drilling or inny ching together tonet ber has it 11 vastly heller better spirit linn hall one which however well us as individuals lins ling been assembled but a short time the third benefit la IS it practical or tiie tit expression of tilt alm secund thin Is ten Ten la Is so important to lo troops troop i in combat tint flint the infantry drill regu lotions lit lons select thin otto athletic tinn in arence it to the alio whole wa military glos to the combination of CIL ments required by n unit for success fill action netlon teamwork Is and tenni woric call only ile 10 learned to begin willi lit in close order just os am tva ii etli a football squad sound fun con tit lio properly learned only ly by dlynn pr arn i I 1 let lint hut well developed vork in 18 lio lie moro more indispensable with deployed units because the comparatively wado flouts increase the 8 of foil coli rol thin brings us its to tile consideration of extended order because of tho abo increased of control tire riven given great latitude in the execution of extended order work wo we limn already been in III the article devoted to lio lie corporal liow how that individuals hu ani increased tile lio moment ald squad wits deployed in line of pra the of abo whole in filet in the lio word of tile regulations depends largely upon liow low well each aub ordinate ordinates coordinates co ills work with tile ge generillo palin tit in further of tills staff ment mant officers and men anre instructed that lint it Is better to do any Int eill gent tiling thing consistent with the 14 alvo execution of tile general plan linn ahrin to 0 o search hesitatingly jor for the ideal tills la 11 the true rulo of condal for subordinates ordinates who fire required to tn net act upon their own initiative nut lint are warned that lint independence must not lie ile come coine license tile subordinate officer should tit nt nil all times have havo the general plan of notion in mind and cause lil lilt 4 own nets acts to conform thereto the test tent Is for lint him to ask himself whether lie ho Is reamon reasonably ably sure that lint its ills perlor su tn lit abo riven given circumstances would issue lio to identical order it if tile alie order lio lie ree receives vives Is obviously liamor upon nu ail incorrect view of tho the situation la Is inn im pos possibly of execution or hns become of which have occurred since its pron primul tul gutlon jhb Is in compelled to use ume ills 1114 own judgment and take the responsibility upon himself it if lie ho Is IB unable first to communicate the situa tion to ills superiors these Instruct instructions lons ore are directed to primarily but they tire geln dively true of the responsibility ahil which h I 1 devolves upon the or plato oil i tender lender tind and for tills reason have places in fit tin the consideration of the ha boiu anny blieu deployed lo in line of mis Lors liers |