|
389.
The line of battle may be marked or determined in three different
manners: 1st, by placing two markers eighty-or a hundred paces
apart, on the direction it is wished to give to the line; 2d, by
placing a marker at the point at which it may be intended to rest a
flank, and then choosing a second point towards, or beyond the
opposite flank, and there posting a second marker distant from each
other a little less than the leading subdivision; 3rd, by choosing
at first the points of direction for the flanks, and then
determining, by intermediate points, the straight line between those
selected points, both of which may sometimes be beyond reach.
|
1.
To the left (or right) ,
2.
On the right (or left),
3.
Forward,
4.
Faced to the rear,
|
}
|
into
line of battle.
|
390.
A column, right in front, being at a halt, when the colonel shall
wish to form it to the left into line, he will assure the positions
of the guides by the means previously indicated, and then command:
1. Left into line, wheel. 2. MARCH (or double quick MARCH).
391.
At the first command, the right guide of the leading company will
hasten to place himself on the direction of the left guides of the
column, face to them, and place himself so as to be opposite to one
of the three right files of his company, when they shall be in line:
he will be assured in this position by the lieutenant colonel.
392.
At the command march, briskly repeated by the captains, the left
front rank man of each company will face to the left, and rest his
breast lightly against the right arm of his guide; the companies
will wheel to the left on the principle of wheeling from a halt,
conforming themselves to what is prescribed, school of the company
No. 239: each captain will turn to his company, to observe the
execution of the movement, and when the right of the company shall
arrive at three paces from the line of battle, he will command:
1.
Such company. 2. HALT.
393.
The company being halted, the captain will place himself on the line
by the side of the left front rank man of the company next on the
right, align himself correctly, and command:
3. Right-DRESS.
394.
At this command, the company will dress up between the captain and
the front rank man on its left, the captain directing the alignment
on that man; the front rank man on the right of the right company,
who finds himself opposite to its right guide, will lightly rest his
breast against the left arm of this guide.
395.
Each captain, having aligned his company, will command, FRONT, and
the colonel will add: Guides-POSTS.
396.
At this command, the guides will return to their places in line of
battle, each passing through the nearest captain's interval; to
permit him to pass, the captain will momentarily step before the
first file of his company, and the covering sergeant behind the same
file. This rule is general for all the formations into line of
battle.
397.
When companies form line of battle, file closers will always place
themselves exactly two paces from the rear rank, which will
sufficiently assure their alignment.
398.
The battalion being correctly aligned, the colonel, lieutenant
colonel, and major, as well as the adjutant and sergeant major, will
return to their respective places in line of battle. This rule is
generals for all the formations into line of battle; nevertheless,
the battalion being in the school of elementary instruction, the
colonel will go to any point he may deem necessary.
399.
A column, with the left in front, will form itself to the right into
line of battle, according to the same principles; the left guide of
the left company will place himself, at the first command, on the
direction of the right guides, in a manner corresponding to what is
prescribed, No. 391, for the right guide of the right company.
400.
At the command guides posts, the captains will take their places in
line of battle as well as the guides. This rule is general for all
formations into line of battle in which the companies are aligned by
the left.
401.
A column by division may form itself into line of battle by the same
commands and means, but observing what follows: if the right be in
front, at the command halt, given by the chiefs of division, the
left guide of each right company will place himself on the alignment
opposite to one of the three files on the left of his company; the
left guide of the first company will be assured on the direction by
the lieutenant colonel; the left guides of the other right companies
will align themselves correctly on the division guides; to this end,
the division guides (on the alignment) will invert, and hold their
pieces up perpendicularly before the centre of their bodies, at the
command left into line, wheel. If the column by division be with the
left in front, the right guides of left companies will conform
themselves to what has just been prescribed for the left guides of
right companies, and place themselves on the line opposite to one of
the three right files of their respective companies.
402.
A column in march will be formed into line, without halting, by the
same commands and means. At the command march, the guides will halt
in their places, and the lieutenant colonel will promptly rectify
their positions. 403. If, in forming the column into line, the
colonel should wish to move forward, without halting, he will
command:
1. By companies left wheel. 2. MARCH (or double
quick-MARCH).
404.
At the command march, briskly repeated by the captains, each company
will wheel to the left on a fixed pivot, as prescribed in the school
of the company, No. 261; the left guides will step back into the
rank of file closers before the wheel is completed; and, when the
right of the companies shall arrive near the line, the colonel will
command:
3. Forward. 4. MARCH. 5. Guide centre.
405.
At the fourth command, given at the instant the wheel is completed,
the companies will march directly to the front. At the fifth
command, the color and the general guides will move rapidly six
paces to the front. The colonel will assure the direction of the
color; the captains of companies and the men will, at once, conform
themselves to the principles of the march in line of battle, to be
hereinafter indicated, No. 587 and following.
406.
The same principles are applicable to a column left in front. By
inversion to the right (or left) into line of battle.
407.
When a column, right in front, shall be under the necessity of
forming itself into line faced to the reverse flank, and the colonel
shall wish to execute this formation -by the shortest movement, he
will command:
1.
By inversion, right into line, wheel. 2. Battalion, guide right.
408.
At the first command, the lieutenant colonel will place himself in
front, and facing to the right guide of the leading subdivision; at
the second command, he will rectify, as promptly as possible, the
direction of the right guides of the column; the captain of the odd
company, if there be one, and the column be by division, will
promptly bring the right of his company on the direction, and at
company distance from the division next in front; the left guide of
the leading subdivision will place himself on the direction of the
right guides, and will be assured in his position by the lieutenant
colonel; which being executed, the colonel will command:
3.
MARCH (or double quick-MARCH).
409.
At this, the right front rank man of each subdivision will face to
the right, rest his breast lightly against the left arm of his
guide, and the battalion -will form itself to the right into line of
battle, according to the principles prescribed; which being
executed, the colonel will command: Guides-POSTs.
410.
If the column be with the left in front, it will form itself, by
inversion, to the left into line, according to the same principles.
411.
If the colonel should wish the battalion, when formed into line of
battle, to be moved forward, the movement will be executed by the
commands, and according to the principles, indicated in No. 403;
always preceding the command, by companies right (or left) wheel, by
the command, by inversion. Successive Formations.
412.
Under the denomination of successive formations are included all
those formations where the several subdivisions of a column arrive
one after another on the line of battle; such are formations
on the right,
or left, forward and faced to the rear into line of battle, as well
as deployments of columns in mass.
413.
The successive formations which may be ordered when the column is
marching, and is to continue marching, will be executed by a
combination of the two gaits, quick and double quick time.
414.
A column by company, at full distance and right in front, having to
form itself on the right into line of battle, the colonel will
indicate to the lieutenant colonel, a little in advance, the point
of appui, or rest, for the right, as well as the point of direction
to the left; the lieutenant colonel will hasten with two markers,
and establish them in the following manner on the direction
indicated.
415.
The first marker will be placed at the point of appui for the right
front rank man of the leading company; the second will indicate the
point where one of the three left files of the same company will
rest when in line; they will be placed so as to present the right
shoulder to the battalion when formed.
 |
416.
These dispositions being made, the colonel will command:
1.
On the right, into line. 2. Battalion, guide right.
417.
At the second command, the right will become the directing flank,
and the touch of the elbow will be to that side; the right guide of
the leading company will march straight forward until up with the
turning point, and each following guide will march in the trace of
the one immediately preceding.
|
418.
The leading company being nearly up with the first marker, its
captain will command:
1.
Right turn, and when the company is precisely up with this marker,
he will add: 2. MARCH.
419.
At the command march, the company will turn to the right; the right
guide will so direct himself as to bring the man next to him
opposite to the right marker, and when at three paces from him, the
captain will command:
1.
First company; 2. HALT.
420.
At the second command, the company will halt; the files, not yet in
line, will form promptly; the left guide will retire as a file
closer; and the captain will then command:
3.
Right-DRESS.
421.
At this command, the company will align itself; the two men who find
themselves opposite to the two markers will each lightly rest his
breast against the right arm of his marker; the captain, passing to
the right of the front rank, will direct the alignment on these two
men. These rules are genera for all successive formations.
422.
The second company will continue to march straight forward; when
arrived opposite to the left flank of the preceding company, it will
turn to the right, and be formed on the line of battle, as has just
been prescribed; the right guide will direct himself so as to come
upon that line by the side of the man on the left of the first
company.
423.
At the distance of three paces from the line of battle, the company
will be halted by its captain, who will place himself briskly by the
side of the man on the left of the preceding company, and align him
self correctly on its front rank.
424.
The left guide will, at the same time, place himself before one of
the three left files of his company, and, facing to the right, he
will place himself accurately on the direction of the two markers of
the preceding company.
425.
The captain will then command:
Right-DRESS.
426.
At this command, the second company will dress forward on the line;
the captain will direct its alignment on the front rank man who has
rested his breast against the left guide of the company.
427.
The following companies will thus come successively to form
themselves on the line of battle, each conforming itself to what has
just been prescribed for the one next to the right; and when they
shall all be established, the colonel will command:
Guides-POSTS.
428.
At this command, the guides will take their places in line of
battle, and the markers placed before the right company will retire.
429.
If the column be marching in quick time, and the colonel should wish
to cause the movement to be executed in double quick time, he will
add the command: Double quick- MARCH. At the command march, all the
companies will take the double quick step, and the movement will be
executed as prescribed No. 417 and following.
430.
The colonel will follow up the formation, passing along the front,
and being always opposite to the company about to turn: it is thus
that he will be the better able to see and to correct the error that
would result from a command given too soon or too late to the
preceding company.
431.
The lieutenant colonel will, with the greatest care, assure the
direction of the guides; to this end, the instant that the markers
are established for the leading company, he will move a little
beyond the point at which the left of the next company will rest,
establish himself correctly on the prolongation of the two markers,
and assure the guide of the second company on this direction; this
guide being assured, the lieutenant colonel will place himself
farther to the rear, in order to assure, in like manner, the guide
of the third company, and so on, successively, to the left of the
battalion. In assuring the guides in their positions on the line of
battle, he will take care to let them first place themselves, and
confine himself to rectifying their positions if they do not cover
accurately, and at the proper distance, the preceding guides or
markers. This rule is general, for all successive formations.
432.
A column, left in front, will form itself on the left into line of
battle according to the same principles: the captains will go to the
left of their respective companies to align them, and shift
afterwards to their proper flanks, as prescribed No. 400.
433.
In order that this movement may be executed with regularity, it is
necessary to establish the line of battle so that the guide of each
company, after turning, may have at least ten steps to take, in
order to come upon that line.
434.
In the first exercises, the line of battle will be established on a
direction parallel to that of the column; but, when the captains and
guides shall comprehend the mechanism of the movement, the colonel
will generally choose oblique directions, in order to habituate the
battalion to form itself in any direction.
435.
When the direction of the line of battle forms a sensible angle with
that of the march of the column, the colonel, before beginning the
movement, will give the head of the column a new direction parallel
to that line: to this end, he will indicate to the guide of the
leading company a point in advance, on which this guide will
immediately direct himself, and the company will conform itself to
the direction of its guide, at the command, or on a mere caution, of
the captain, according as the change of direction may require; each
following company will make the same movement, on the same ground,
as it shall successively arrive. By this means the guides of all the
companies in the column will have, after turning, nearly the same
number of paces to take in order to come upon the line of battle.
436.
Every captain will always observe, in placing himself on that line,
not to give the command dress, until after the guide of his company
shall have been assured on the direction by the lieutenant colonel.
This rule is general for all successive formations.
437.
Each captain will cause his company to support arms, the instant
that the captain, who follows him, shall have commanded front. This
rule is general for all successive formations.
438.
When, in the execution of this movement, the colonel shall wish to
commence firing, he will give the order to that effect to the
captain whose company is the first in line of battle; this captain
will immediately place himself behind the centre of his company, and
as soon as the next captain shall have commanded front, he will
commence the fire by file, by the commands prescribed, school of the
company. At the command fire by file, the marker at the outer file
of this first company will retire, and the other will place himself
against the nearest man of the next company. The captain of the
latter will commence firing as soon as the captain of the third
company, in line, shall have commanded front; the marker before the
nearest file of the second company, in line, will now retire, and
the guide before the opposite flank will place himself before the
nearest file of the third company, in line, and so on, in
continuation, to the last company on the left or right of the
battalion, according as the formation may have commenced with the
right or left in front.
439.
In all the successive formations, the same principles will be
observed for the execution of the fire by file. This fire will
always be executed by the command of each captain of company. |
|
