The Plattsburg Manual Part 11

No. 1 follows No. 2.

When No. 3 arrives on the line to be occupied by the rear rank he changes direction to the right; he moves in the new direction until in rear of No. 3, front rank, when Nos. 3, 2, and 1, rear rank, are in rear of Nos. 3, 2, and 1, front rank, (i.e., when they are in rear of their front rank men), they face to the right in marching and mark time. No. 4 marches on the left of No. 3 to his new position. As he arrives on the line, both ranks execute forward march without command, For the remainder of the squad to know when No. 4 front and rear rank have arrived on the line, they glance to see. The squad should step off on the 9th count.

Third Movement

RIGHT TURN

Being in line: 1. Right (left) turn, 2. MARCH.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THIS IS THE WAY IT IS DONE]

At the command march, No. 1 front rank faces to the right in marching and takes the half step. Nos. 2, 3, and 4 front rank right oblique (turn 45 degrees to the right) until opposite their places in line, then execute a second right oblique and take the half step on arriving abreast of the pivot man. When No. 4 arrives on the line Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 take the full step without further command. (To know when No. 4 arrives on the line it is necessary to glance in his direction.) Full step on the 7th count.

The rear rank executes the movement in the same way and turns on the same ground as the front rank. The rear rank, therefore, moves forward at the command march, or continues to move forward, if already marching, until it arrives at the place where the front turned, when it turns.

Note that the squad turns on No. 1 front rank but that he does not remain in his position even temporarily, as in squad right; he is, therefore, called the moving pivot. No. 4 is called the marching flank.

Had the command been left turn, No. 4 would have been the moving pivot, and No. 1 the marching flank.

Knowing the three above movements, we are prepared for the following:

Being in line at a halt: 1. Take interval, 2. To the right (left), 3.

MARCH, 4. Squad, 5. HALT.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BEING IN THIS FORMATION]

At the command to the right (left), the rear rank men march backward four steps (15 inches each step) and halt.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LIKE THIS

Note that the actual distance from the front rank to the rear rank is now 40 plus 4x15 inches, i.e., 100 inches.]

At the command march, all face to the right and No. 1 front and rear rank step off. No. 2, front and rear rank, follow No. 1, front and rear rank, at a distance of four paces. Likewise with the other numbers.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Like this, when No. 1 front and rear rank have gained four paces distance.]

At the command halt, given when No. 3 is three paces distant from No. 4, all halt and face to the front.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The squad looks like this when the movement is completed.]

Being at intervals: 1. a.s.semble, to the right, (left), 2. MARCH.

At the command march, No. 1 front rank stands fast. No. 1 rear rank closes to 40 inches. The other men face to the right, close by the shortest line, and face to the front.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Being in line at a halt: 1. Take distance, 2. MARCH, 3. Squad, 4. HALT.

At the command march, No. 1 of the front rank moves straight to the front; Nos. 2, 3, and 4 of the front rank and Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the rear rank, in the order named, move straight to the front, each stepping off so as to follow the preceding man at four paces. The command halt is given when all have their distances.

In case more than one squad is in line, each squad executes the movement as above. The guide of each rank of numbers is right.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The front rank men should walk straight to the front and their rear rank men should cover them accurately.

Being at distances, to a.s.semble the squad: 1. a.s.semble, 2. MARCH.

No. 1 of the front rank stands fast; the other numbers move forward to their proper places in line.

THE OBLIQUE MARCH

For the instruction of recruits, the squad being in column or correctly aligned, the instructor causes the squad to face half right (or half left), points out to the men their relative positions, and explains that these are to be maintained in the oblique march.

1. Right (left) oblique, 2. MARCH.

Each man steps off in a direction 45 degrees to the right of his original front. He preserves his relative position, keeping his shoulders parallel to those of the guide (the man on the right front of the line or column), and so regulates his steps that the ranks remain parallel to their original front.

At the command halt, the men halt faced to the front.

To resume the original direction: 1. Forward, 2. MARCH.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The men half face to the left in marching and 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.

TO FOLLOW THE CORPORAL

Being a.s.sembled or deployed, to march the squad without unnecessary commands, the corporal places himself in front of it and commands: FOLLOW ME.

If in line or skirmish line, No. 2 of the front rank follows in the track of the corporal at about 3 paces; the other men conform to the movements of No. 2, guiding on him and maintaining their relative positions.

If in column, the head of the column follows the corporal.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Note that No. 4 rear rank takes the place of the corporal when the corporal is in front of the squad. This a general rule. When any front rank man is absent his rear rank man steps up in the front rank. When the squad is following the corporal No. 4 rear rank remains blank (i.e., No. 3 does not step to the left and cover No. 4).