Part 1
E-text prepared by Al Haines
Transcriber's note:
There is no author cited on the book's title page; however, the book's spine shows "A Field Officer"
Page numbers in this book are indicated by numbers enclosed in curly braces, e.g. {99}. They have been located where page breaks occurred in the original book. For its Index, a page number has been placed only at the start of that section.
Footnotes have been renumbered sequentially and moved to the end of their respective chapters. The book's Index has a number of references to footnotes, e.g. the "(_note_)" entry under "Boer War." In such cases, check the referenced page to see which footnote(s) are relevant.
LECTURES ON LAND WARFARE
A TACTICAL MANUAL FOR THE USE OF INFANTRY OFFICERS
An examination of the Principles which underlie the Art of Warfare, with illustrations of the Principles by examples taken from Military History, from the _Battle of Thermopylae_ B.C. 480, to the _Battle of the Sambre_ November 1-11, 1918
London William Clowes and Sons, Ltd. 94 Jermyn Street, S.W.1 1922
First printed March, 1922
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PREFACE
The Lectures in this volume are based upon the official Text-books issued by the Imperial General Staff and upon the works of recognised authorities on the Art of Warfare.
The aim of the Author is to examine the Principles which underlie the Art of Warfare, and to provide illustrations from Military History of the _successes_ which have attended knowledge and intelligent application of Text-book Principles, and of the _disasters_ which have accompanied ignorance or neglect of the teaching provided by the Text-books. The "dry bones" of the official publications are clothed with materials which may be supplemented at will by the student of Military History, and the Lectures may thus, it is hoped, be of assistance to Infantry Officers, either in the course of their own studies, or as a convenient groundwork upon which the instruction of others may be based.
The scope of the work may be gathered from the Table of Contents and from the Index, and it will be seen that the general Principles underlying the Art of Warfare are included in the scheme, while advantage has been taken of the revision of the official Text-books to incorporate in the Lectures the lessons gained from the experience of leaders in the Great War.
Upwards of 230 citations are made of "Battle incidents," and, as an example of the Author's methods, attention may perhaps be directed to the reinforcement of the Text-book Principle of co-operation and mutual support by the citation of an instance, on the grand {viii} scale, by Army Corps (during the _First Battle of the Marne_), and on the minor scale, by tanks, bombers, aircraft, and riflemen (during the _First Battle of the Somme_); to the successful application of established Principles by the Advanced Guard Commander at _Nachod_, and to the neglect of those Principles by "Jeb" Stuart at _Evelington Heights_, and by the Prussian Advanced Guard Commanders in 1870; and to the value of Musketry Training by instancing the successes achieved at the _Heights of Abraham_, at _Bunker Hill_, _Coruña_, and at _Fredericksburg_, which were repeated during the _Retreat from Mons_ and at the _Second Battle of the Somme_.
While every effort has been made to achieve accuracy in citation, and to avoid ambiguity or error in the enunciation of Principles, the Author will be very grateful if his readers will notify to him (at the address of the Publishers) any inaccuracies or omissions which may come under their notice.
LONDON, March, 1922.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGES
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF BATTLES CITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv-xvii
PUBLICATIONS CITED IN THE LECTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix
THE ART OF WARFARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Principles of War--Popular fallacies--Authorities quoted in support of Fixed Principles (Gen. B. Taylor, C. S. Army; Marshal Foch; Marshal Haig)--Necessity for Study (Gen. Sir E. B. Hamley; Marshal French; Marshal Foch; Napoleon)--"Common Sense" (Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis; General Grant)--"Higher Ranks" Fallacy (Col. Henderson; Gen. Sir E. B. Hamley)--Necessity for Study proved (Col. Henderson).
STRATEGY AND TACTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Definitions--Theatre of Operations the Kingdom of Strategy; Field of Battle the Province of Tactics--Tactics subservient to Strategy (Lord Roberts's Advance; First Battle of Somme; First Battle of Cambrai; Gen. Lew Wallace at the Monocacy; Marshal Grouchy at Wavre)--Moral--Idiosyncracies of leaders (Napoleon at Austerlitz; Wellington at Sauroren; Lee and Jackson _versus_ Abraham Lincoln)--National Moral (Foch, quoted)--Discipline and Mobility (Battle of Hastings)--Marching Power (Stonewall Jackson)--Time--Weather--Health--Human Nature (Fabius and Roman people; McClellan and his Government; Thomas at Nashville; Roberts in South Africa)--The Spirit of France ("Nous sommes trahis" of 1870 and cheers of the poilus in 1917)--Great Britain--America--Lord Roberts's previous warning ("Germany strikes when Germany's hour has struck")--Col. Henderson on moral of British and American troops--"The Contemptible Little Army"--The New Armies (Tribute from Marshal Haig endorsed by Marshal Foch)--Changes in Methods of Warfare--Value of official Text-books.
THE BATTLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-32
The Battle is the "only argument" of War--Characteristics of the Battle (Issue uncertain; Human factor; Value of Reserves; Superiority at point of Attack)--Lee's "partial attacks" at Malvern Hill of no avail--Phases of the Battle--Information and the Initiative (Salamanca; First Battle of the Marne; Battle of Baccarat)--Development of the Battle (Surprise; "Like a bolt from the blue" as at Chancellorsville or First Battle of Cambrai; Marshal Foch on value of Surprise)--The Decisive Blow--Arbela.
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HOW BATTLES ARE INFLUENCED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33-44
Commander's influence by his Orders and by his employment of Reserves--Subordinates must "bring to fruit the scheme of the higher command"--The "fog of battle"--Information--Co-operation (on grand scale at First Battle of the Marne; on minor scale at Gneudecourt)--Fire Tactics--Value of withholding fire (Heights of Abraham; Bunker Hill; Fredericksburg; Retreat from Mons)--Enfilade and Reverse Fire (The Bluff in Ypres Salient)--Movement--Advancing under Fire--Withdrawing under Fire in "Delaying Action"--Holding on (Untimely surrender at Soissons; Stubborn defence at First and Second Battles of Ypres; Trônes Wood; Bourlon Village; Polygon Wood; Givenchy)--Covering Fire--Fire and Movement inseparably associated.
TYPES OF BATTLE ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45-50
Three distinct systems--The Defensive Battle seldom effects positive results (Gettysburg; Fredericksburg)--The Offensive Battle (Marlborough; Frederick the Great; Napoleon; Wellington; Grant; Franco-Prussian War; Battle of Blenheim described)--The Defensive-Offensive Battle (Marengo; Austerlitz; Dresden; Vittoria; Orthez; Toulouse; Waterloo; Final Battles of the Great War; Battle of Waterloo described)--Opportunities for "restoring" the battle (Antietam)--Chancellorsville a great Defensive-Offensive Battle--Passing from the "guard" to the "thrust" (Second Battle of the Marne).
THE ATTACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51-69
Culminating point of all manoeuvres--Quick decision required or "Position Warfare" will supervene--Second Battle of the Somme--Methods of Attack--Two plans--Decisive blow on pre-determined spot or in direction ascertained by fighting--Strength of the Attack--Disposition of the Troops--Forward Body, Supports and Local Reserves--General Reserve--The Commander's Plans--The Position of Assembly (Banks's single column defeated by Forrest in Red River Valley)--The Attacking Force (St. Privat; Plevna)--The Decisive Attack--Advantages and Disadvantages of Frontal and Flank Attacks--Decisive Attack must be followed up (Gettysburg; Chattanooga)--Detailing the Units--Artillery in Attack (Verneville; Colenso; mobility and protection of modern Artillery)--Cavalry in Attack (Appomattox and Paardeberg; Ramadie; Bagdadieh; Gaines's Mill; Gettysburg; First Battle of Cambrai; Battle of Amiens; Second Battle of Le Cateau; Archangel Front; Battle of the Sambre)--Royal Engineers--Medical Arrangements--Supply--Commander's Position--Battle Reports--Reorganisation and Pursuit ("Success must be followed up until the enemy's power is ruined.")
FORMATION OF INFANTRY FOR THE ATTACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70-75
The Platoon (Square and Diamond Formations; Ground Scouts; Flank Scouts; Behind a Barrage)--The Platoon Commander ("Appreciating the situation")--The Company--The Company Commander--The Battalion--The Battalion Commander (Personal examples; Monchy le Preux; Battle of Cambrai; Second Battle of the Somme).
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DEFENSIVE ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76-97
Counter-attack the soul of Defence--Reasons for adopting defensive attitude (Chancellorsville)--Defensive-Offensive Battles (Marengo, Austerlitz, and Waterloo)--Obligatory Defensive--(Nachod; Thermopylae; Horatius Codes; Second Battle of the Somme; Rorke's Drift; Le Quesnoy)--Voluntary occupation for future use (Salamanca; Soissons; Hal and Tubize)--Delaying Action--The Offensive Spirit--Defence in Modern Warfare--Inventions have strengthened the Defence (Quotations from Marshals Foch and French and from "F. S. R.")--Position Warfare and its characteristics--Entrenchments (Torres Vedras)--Defensive Systems--Choosing a position (Framework of artillery and machine guns filled in with defensive posts manned by Infantry)--The Outpost Zone--The Battle Position--The "Semi-Permanent" System--Pill-boxes and Concrete Forts--Common characteristics of Defensive Action--The Active Defence--Position must suit plans--Must not be too extensive or too narrow (Condé-Mons-Binche Line; Retreat from Mons; Ypres)--Field of Fire--Flanks--Cover--Artillery positions--Depth--Lateral Communications--Lines of Withdrawal--Changes of Base (Retreat from Mons; Seven Days' Battle; Campaign in the Wilderness)--Luring victorious enemy away from battlefield (Grouchy at Wavre)--Line for Decisive Counter-Attack (Ramillies; Belgians behind River Gette)--Dividing the Troops--Troops to hold the Position--Rôle of Local Reserves (Talavera; Fredericksburg)--General Reserve for Decisive Counter-Attack (Spottsylvania)--Artillery positions--Division into Sectors--Position of General Reserve (Second Battle of the Somme)--Position and Action of the Cavalry (Roliça, Chancellorsville; Gettysburg; Sadowa; Rezonville; Balaclava; First Battle of Le Cateau; Retreat from Mons; Cugny; No German Cavalry available in Second Battle of the Somme to counteract defensive action of British squadrons)--Rallying Place--Reorganisation and Pursuit after Decisive Counter-attack.
PROTECTION AND RECONNAISSANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98-101
Marshal Foch on "Surprise"--Detachments provided to protect Main Body--Close connection between Protection and Reconnaissance--Radius of Reconnoitre increased by Aircraft--Position Warfare (Air Photographs; Observation Posts; Patrols; Raiding Parties; Entrenchments; Box Respirators; Camouflage)--Manoeuvre Warfare (Protection from Aircraft; Advanced Guard; Flank Guard; Rear Guard; Outposts).
THE ADVANCED GUARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102-113
"I never expected it" a disgraceful admission--Every moving force requires a Guard--Strength (Numbers employed depend upon size of force protected and tactical situation; Strategical Advanced Guard enables Tactical Advanced Guard to be reduced)--Distance--In Advances (Dash and resolution required but interests of Main Body paramount)--In Retreats--Training must be realistic--Tactical Principles (Vanguard for Reconnaissance; Main Guard for Resistance; Communication essential; Error at Sulphur Springs; Success at Fredericksburg and First Battle of the Marne; False tactics of Prussian Advanced Guards in 1870-1871; Excellent work at Nachod)--Advanced Guard Problems (seven examples, including "Jeb" Stuart at Evelington Heights).
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FLANK ATTACKS AND FLANK GUARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114-118
Vulnerability of Flanks and necessity for Guards--Who furnishes them--Tactics similar to those prescribed for Advanced Guards--Lines of Communications--Convoys--Raids on the Lines of Communications (Gen. Turner Ashby; "Jeb" Stuart; Stonewall Jackson's skill; Col. Madritov's Raid; Sannah's Post; Ramdam).
THE REAR GUARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119-128
Nature of Rear Guard work--Strength--Composition-- Distribution--Distance--Tactical Principles (Rear Party watches; Main Guard fights for Time; Sannah's Post)--Training--Eye for Ground (Napoleon; Gen. R. E. Lee)--Examples of Rear Guard Work (First Battle of Le Cateau and the Retreat from Mons; Second Battle of the Somme; Les Boeufs; Le Quesnoy; Roliça; Coruña; Value of Musketry; Bristow Station; J. V. Moreau).
OUTPOSTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129-140
Outposts prevent interference with plans and provide security by Observation and Resistance--Strength--Observation (Aircraft; Mobile Patrols; Outpost Companies)--Resistance (Infantry, Artillery, and Machine guns; Sentry Groups, Piquets, Supports, and Reserves)--Distance (Effective fire of various arms the controlling factor)--Outpost Commander--Information and Orders--The Outpost Line of Resistance--The Outpost Company (Piquets, Supports, Detached Posts, Reserves; the Piquet Commander; Patrols; Sentry Groups)--Day and Night Work--Disasters through neglect of Tactical Principles (Chateau of Chambord; Tweefontein)--Battle Outposts (Broenbeek; Fredericksburg).
TACTICAL RECONNAISSANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141-143
Reconnaissance for Attack--Intelligence Officers--Reconnaissance by Raids--Position Warfare--Reconnaissance for Defence--Position Warfare.
NIGHT OPERATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144-154
Reason for Operations by Night (Secrecy; Frederick the Great's Coat)--Night Marches (Direction; Protection; Secrecy; Connection)--"Rules of Thumb"--Night Advances (Surprise; Direction; Position of Deployment; Connection)--Night Assaults (First Battle of the Somme; Serre Hill; Vimy Ridge; Messines-Wytschaete; Villers Brétonneux; Morlancourt; Spottsylvania)--Limitations of Night Assaults--Smoke and its advantages and disadvantages--Successful and unsuccessful Night Assaults (Rappahannock Station--Peiwar Kotal--Tel-el-Kebir; Stormberg; Magersfontein)--Position of Deployment--Distinguishing Badges, etc.--Watchword--Precautions against Checks--Secrecy--"Rules of Thumb."
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FIGHTING IN CLOSE COUNTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155-163
Restrictions on view and on movement--Advantages for Attack against Defence--Savage Warfare (Isandhlwana; Rorke's Drift; Tofrik; Toski; Teutoberger Wald)--Civilised Warfare (Villages and Woods attract troops; Gravelotte; Spicheren; Worth; the Wilderness; Sedan; Defence of Bazeilles; Noisseville)--Attack on Woods (Tanks; Gauche; Villers Guislain; Messines)--Advancing from captured position--Defence of Woods--Fighting patrols--Attack on Villages (Tanks; Light Mortars)--Defence of Villages (Delaying Action; Providing a "funnel").
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VARIOUS ARMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164-177
Close combination of all arms required--Infantry (Extent and limitations of mobility; the decisive arm in battle; the Rifle and Bayonet; the Lewis gun; Ranges of rifles and machine guns; Grenades; Hand Grenades; Rifle Grenades; Light Mortars; Machine guns)--Mounted Troops (Cavalry; Mounted Rifles; Cyclists)--Artillery--Light Artillery (Pack Guns; Pack Howitzers; Horse Artillery: Field Guns; Field Howitzers)--Light Guns against Aircraft and Tanks--Medium Artillery--(Medium Guns; Medium Howitzers)--Heavy Artillery (Heavy Guns; Heavy Howitzers)--Super-Heavy Artillery (Super-Heavy Guns; Super-Heavy Howitzers)--Table of Artillery Ranges--Mortars and Light Mortars--Royal Engineers--Tanks--Aircraft (Aeroplanes; Kite Balloons)--Gas--Smoke.
OPERATION ORDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178-179
Orders should be written when possible--Should be "fool proof"--Ambiguity to be avoided--The enemy are . . . My intention is . . . You will--Initiative not to be hampered.
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181-189
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CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF BATTLES
PAGES
Defence of Sublician Bridge (Legendary) 77 Pass of Thermopylae (B.C. 480) 77 Battle of Arbela (B.C. 331) 32 ------ Cannae (B.C. 216) 14 Defeat of Varus by Arminius (A.D. 9) 156-157 Battle of Stamford Bridge (Sept. 25, 1066) 12 ------ Hastings (Oct. 14, 1066) 11-12 ------ Blenheim (Aug. 2, 1704) 46-47 ------ Ramillies (May 23, 1706) 46, 91 ------ Malplaquet (Sept. 11, 1709) 46 ------ Leuthen (Dec. 5, 1757) 46 Heights of Abraham (Sept. 13, 1759) 38 Battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775) 38 ------ Ettlingen (July 9-10, 1796) 128 ------ Marengo (June 14, 1800) 47, 76 ------ Hohenlinden (Dec. 3, 1800) 128 ------ Austerlitz (Dec. 2, 1805) 9-10, 47, 76, 125 ------ Jena (Oct. 14, 1806) 125 ------ Roliça (Aug. 17, 1808) 95, 127 ------ Coruña (Jan. 16, 1809) 127-128 ------ Talavera (July 27-28, 1809) 92 Lines of Torres Vedras (Oct.-Nov. 1810) 82-83 Battle of Salamanca (July 22, 1812) 27, 78 ------ Vittoria (June 21, 1813) 47 ------ Sauroren (July 28, 1813) 10 ------ Dresden (Aug. 26-27, 1813) 47, 89 ------ Orthez (Feb. 27, 1814) 47 Defence of Soissons (March 3, 1814) 41, 78 Battle of Toulouse (April 10, 1814) 47 ----- Quatre Bras (June 16, 1815) 48 ------ Ligny (June 16, 1815) 8, 47, 90-91 ------ Waterloo (June 18, 1815) 8, 47-48, 76, 79 ------ Wavre (June 18-19, 1815) 8, 91 ------ Balaclava (Oct. 26, 1854) 96 Shenandoah Valley Campaign (1862) 3, 4, 12, 117 Battle of McDowell (May 8, 1862) 12 ------ Cross Keys (June 6, 1862) 117 Seven Days' Battle (June-July, 1862) 14, 90 Battle of Gaines's Mill (June 27, 1862) 14, 65 ------ Malvern Hill (July 1-3, 1862) 15, 25-26, 65, 112, 117
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Battle of Evelington Heights (July 3, 1862) 112-113 ------ Bull Run (2) (Aug. 28, 1862) 12 ------ Antietam (Sept. 17, 1862) 14, 15, 48 ------ Fredericksburg (Nov. 15, 1862) 14, 22, 38, 46, 92, 108, 139-140 ------ Chancellorsville (May 2-3, 1863) 12, 30, 48, 76, 95, 117 ------ Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) 15, 45, 61, 95-96, 117 ------ Sulphur Springs (Oct. 12, 1863) 108 ------ Bristow Station (Oct. 14, 1863) 128 ------ Rappahannock Station (Nov. 7, 1863) 151 ------ Chattanooga (Nov. 25, 1863) 61-62 ------ Pleasant Hill (April, 1864) 59 ------ The Wilderness (May 12, 1864) 90, 93, 97, 117, 125-126, 149-150, 158 ------ Monocacy (July 8, 1864) 7 ------ Nashville (Dec. 15-16, 1864) 15 ------ Appomattox (April 9, 1865) 15, 64 ------ Nachod (June 27, 1866) 18, 77, 110 ------ Sadowa (July 3, 1866) 96 ------ Spicheren (Aug. 6, 1870) 108-109, 158 ------ Worth (Aug. 6, 1870) 109, 158, 159 ------ Colombey (Aug. 14, 1870) 109-110 ------ Rezonville (Aug. 16, 1870) 96 ------ Gravelotte (Aug. 18, 1870) 158 ------ Verneville (Aug. 18, 1870) 63 ------ St. Privat (Aug. 18, 1870) 60 ------ Noisseville (Aug. 31, 1870) 159 ------ Sedan (Sept. 1, 1870) 16, 159 ------ Metz (Oct. 27, 1870) 16 ------ Chambord (Dec. 9, 1870) 138 ------ Plevna (Dec. 10, 1877) 60 ------ Peiwar Kotal (Dec. 2, 1878) 151 ------ Isandhlwana (Jan. 22, 1879) 78, 156 ------ Rorke's Drift (Jan. 22, 1879) 77-78, 156 ------ Tel-el-Kebir (Sept. 13, 1882) 153-154 ------ Tofrik (March 22, 1885) 156 ------ Toski (Aug. 3, 1889) 156 ------ Adowa (Feb. 26, 1896) 22 ------ Stormberg (Dec. 10, 1899) 152 ------ Magersfontein (Dec. 10-11, 1899) 152 ------ Colenso (Dec. 15, 1899) 63 ------ Ramdam (Feb. 13, 1900) 118 ------ Paardeberg (Feb. 27, 1900) 16, 64 ------ Sannah's Post (March 31, 1900) 118, 124 ------ Tweefontein (Dec. 24, 1901) 138 ------ The Yalu (May 1, 1904) 117-118
The Great War
Battle of Le Gateau (Aug. 1914) 126 ------ River Gette (Aug. 1914) 91 Condé-Mons-Binche (Aug. 22-23, 1914) 87 Battle of Charleroi (Aug. 23, 1914) 88 ------ Baccarat (Aug. 25, 1914) 28 Retreat from Mons (Aug. 1914) 19, 38, 87-88, 90, 96, 127, 165
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