or
forced to retire from your trenches during the fire fight your
artillery, cavalry and any formed reserves in the rear will cover your
withdrawal, which, if possible, should be made straight to the rear, one
part covering the withdrawal of the other part, and so on. Reorganize at
the first opportunity.

CHAPTER III

PATROLLING

Everything else being equal the army that possesses the most accurate
information about the enemy will win. Military history recites the fact
that almost every important battle has been either lost or won because
of information or lack of information that one side had or did not have
of the other side. It is by the use of patrols that the most valuable
information of the enemy is usually obtained.

There are many kinds of patrols, but it is with reconnoitering or
information seeking patrols that this chapter deals.

DUTIES OF A PATROL

Each reconnoitering patrol is given a certain mission (duty) to perform.
The name, "reconnoitering," meaning to survey, to view, indicates that
its first duty is to get information, and information is always greatly
increased in value if the enemy does not know it has been obtained.
Having obtained valuable information, its next duty is to send this
information to the officer sending out the patrol.

STRENGTH

The strength of the patrol will generally depend on its mission and on
the number of messages that it will probably send back. The larger the
patrol the greater the probability of the enemy seeing it. On the other
hand, if it is too small, it will not have sufficient members to send in
important information and continue operations. Captain Waldron in his
book, "Scouting and Patrolling," recommends a patrol of a leader and six
selected men for ordinary reconnaissance. This number makes it possible
for the patrol leader to place a man out on each flank, a man in
advance, two to remain with him and one to remain in the rear as the
get-away man. The officer who sends out the patrol determines its
strength.

COMMANDER

The leader should be an officer or a noncommissioned officer. He must
have good judgment, be cool, be quick in making a decision, be strong in
physique, have initiative, and be brave, but not to the extent of
rashness. Besides his regular equipment he should have a good pair of
field glasses, a compass, a watch, wire cutters, pencils, a message
book, and a map of the country.

INSTRUCTIONS

The