Practise March Or Hike
Categories: PRACTICE MARCH OR "HIKE"Military Handbooks: The Plattsburg Manual
The manoeuver practice march will be the most instructive, the most
pleasant, and one of the hardest periods of your service. You will
return from it proud of the hardships you have undergone and capable of
speaking with authority on many practical matters pertaining to
soldiering. You will be able to amuse yourself and your friends with
reminiscences of the many incidents which you will never forget. It is
during the
tactical principles and battle formations of which, up to that time, you
will have heard at lectures, or which you will have executed in a
mechanical manner at drill. You will return from each march with a
knowledge of many practical points on camp sanitation, of the pleasures
and hardships incident to manoeuver warfare, and of the manner in which a
soldier adapts himself to changing conditions, all of which cannot be
learned from books or lectures.
The practice march demands a large expenditure of physical and mental
energy; however, the hardships are greatly exaggerated by the old
soldiers. To make up a set of equipment, to assist in cleaning up camp
and loading trucks, to march and fight for a distance of ten or twelve
miles while carrying a heavy pack on the back and a nine-pound gun on
the shoulder, and upon reaching camp to pitch your tent, make up your
bed, do some fatigue work, and probably some guard duty in addition, all
in one day, is a hard physical strain on the average man. By obeying
implicitly the advice of your company commander, you will greatly lessen
the hardships incident to a practice march, and by disobeying it you
may possibly undergo the mortification of having to drop out of ranks
and be jeered at by the passing column. The following suggestions, if
followed implicitly, will lessen the hardship of the hike.
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Manual Of Arms
To acquire proficiency in the Manual of Arms, you should practice, practice, and practice. Position of order arms standing, i.e., the position of attention under arms. No. 1. Arm and hands hang naturally. Right hand holding piece between thu... Marching Rules
1. Adjust your equipment, if necessary, at the first halt. 2. Do not leave the column without the express permission of your company company commander. 3. Keep in your proper place in the column. 4. keep forty inches from the man in front o... Meeting Engagements
When two hostile forces suddenly meet we have what is termed a meeting engagement. Very little or no reconnaissance is possible. There is an absence of trenches. Both sides deploy rapidly. The smaller the force the more frequently will it fight a ... Methods Of Estimating Distances By The Eye
1. Decide that the object cannot be more than a certain distance away, or less than a certain distance. Keep the estimate within the closest possible limits and take the mean of the two estimates as the range. For instance, that deer cannot be ove... Military Correspondence
An official letter should refer to one subject only. In writing to the War Department address your letter to The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. The United States (including colonies) is divided into the following departments:... Military Maps
Definition. A military map is a drawing made to represent some section of the country, showing the features that are of military importance, such as roads, bridges, streams, houses, and hills. The map must be so drawn that you can tell the distanc... Miscellaneous
1. Take great pains each morning to make a neat, small and solid pack and strap it up securely. 2. Don't put your pack on until ordered to do so by your company commander or first sergeant. 3. Get your pack properly adjusted. 4. Don't take y... Miscellaneous Information
For convenience, military information is considered under two heads, namely (1) that collected in time of peace by the body of army experts in Washington called the General Staff; and (2) that obtained by troops in the field after war has begun. T... Miscellaneous Information
The Bayonet. The bayonet is a cutting and thrusting weapon consisting of three principal parts, viz., the blade, the guard, and the grip. The weight of a bayonet is 1 pound. Captain B. A. Dixon, retired, has compiled the following interesting d... Morning-glory
Once upon a time there was a very little Morning-glory that grew on the end of a high vine, and one day when the wind was blowing a brisk breeze passed by the little Morning-glory, making it wish it, too, could go along and see more of the world.... Morning-glory
Once upon a time there was a very little Morning-glory that grew on the end of a high vine, and one day when the wind was blowing a brisk breeze passed by the little Morning-glory, making it wish it, too, could go along and see more of the world.... Mr Crow Goes And Tells
Mr. Coon and Mr. Possum lived near each other in the woods, and one day they decided to give a supper the first bright moonlight night. "It will be much easier for us to provide the supper together," said Mr. Coon, "because we are bachelors and... Mr Crow Goes And Tells
Mr. Coon and Mr. Possum lived near each other in the woods, and one day they decided to give a supper the first bright moonlight night. "It will be much easier for us to provide the supper together," said Mr. Coon, "because we are bachelors and... Mr Fox Cuts The Cottontails
Mr. Fox decided that the only way to get all the wood animals to have a good opinion of him was to give a big dinner, for he had somehow got rather a bad name among the animals for being so tricky. So all day long he went about telling all the ... Mr Fox Cuts The Cottontails
Mr. Fox decided that the only way to get all the wood animals to have a good opinion of him was to give a big dinner, for he had somehow got rather a bad name among the animals for being so tricky. So all day long he went about telling all the ... Mr Fox's Housewarming
Mr. Fox had been so much disturbed by Mr. Dog and his master that he decided to try living somewhere besides on the ground floor of the woods. One night he took a look around in the moonlight, and to his delight he discovered the very place fo... Mr Fox's Housewarming
Mr. Fox had been so much disturbed by Mr. Dog and his master that he decided to try living somewhere besides on the ground floor of the woods. One night he took a look around in the moonlight, and to his delight he discovered the very place fo... Night Operations
By employing night operations troops make use of the cover of darkness to minimize losses from hostile fire, to escape observation, to gain time. (Infantry Drill Regulations.) They are dangerous because control is difficult and confusion is freque... Obstacles
The main object in placing obstacles in front of a defensive position is to delay the enemy while he is under the defenders' fire, and thus make his advance as difficult as possible. To accomplish this result they must be so placed that the enemy ... Officers Reserver Corps
To make it possible to fill the gaps made in the Regular Army, by the heavy loss of commissioned officers which is inevitable in time of war and to make it possible to train large volunteer armies which are called into existence when war is immi... Old North Wind
Old North Wind lived away up in the North Pole Land in the winter, and there her children, the Icebergs, grew. Old North Wind was very proud of her huge children, and when the long, cold winter was at an end she said: "My big, strong children, ... Old North Wind
Old North Wind lived away up in the North Pole Land in the winter, and there her children, the Icebergs, grew. Old North Wind was very proud of her huge children, and when the long, cold winter was at an end she said: "My big, strong children, ... Orianna
Bunny White, one night when the Fairies were holding a revel, peeped out of his window to see the frolic, for Bunny and the Fairies were the best of friends because members of Bunny's family had for ages drawn the carriage of the Queen. But to... Orianna
Bunny White, one night when the Fairies were holding a revel, peeped out of his window to see the frolic, for Bunny and the Fairies were the best of friends because members of Bunny's family had for ages drawn the carriage of the Queen. But to... Outposts
The size and disposition of the outpost will depend upon many circumstances, such as the size of the whole command, the proximity of the enemy and the situation with respect to him, the nature of the terrain, etc. A suitable strength may vary f... 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 inform... Physical Exercise
The greatest problem you will have to solve will be that of making your body do the work required. Every one else will be doing exactly what you are doing, and you have too much pride to want to take even a shorter step than the man by your side. ... Poisoning
Treatment: Send for a doctor at once. Empty the stomach and bowels. Give two tablespoons full of mustard and warm water or a tablespoon full of salt in a glass of water to produce vomiting. Then give a purgative. Tickle throat with finger or feath... Position Of A Soldier At Attention
No. 1. Eyes to the front. Hands hang naturally. Rest weight of the body equally on feet. Feet turned out making angles of 45 deg.. No. 2. Head erect. Shoulders down and back. Chest out. Stomach up. Thumb along the seams of trousers. Knees straig... Practise March Or Hike
The manoeuver practice march will be the most instructive, the most pleasant, and one of the hardest periods of your service. You will return from it proud of the hardships you have undergone and capable of speaking with authority on many practi... Preliminary Instruction
Your preliminary instructions and their purposes are as follows: 1. Nomenclature of the Rifle. The word nomenclature means the vocabulary of names or technical terms which are appropriate to any particular topic. In this case the topic is the ri... Preparation
Before going out the patrol commander will make a careful inspection of the members of his patrol in order to see: 1. That the members are in a suitable condition for the duty to be performed. (Not drunk, sick, lame, having a bad cough, etc.) ... Preparing A Defensive Position
Now let us suppose ourselves as part of a battalion that is to occupy a defensive position. What would probably be done? How and in what order would it be done? What would the major do? He would decide upon the kind of defense (active or passive) ... Preparing Your Bed
After you have pitched your tent, get some hay, grass, straw, or leaves and cover the floor. Place one poncho on this, then one or two blankets on top of the poncho to sleep on, and use the remaining blankets as cover. Spread the other poncho over... Property
In the absence of regulations on the subject, each Reserve Officer should own a good watch, a pair of field glasses, a compass, and a note book. ... Pussy Willow's Furs
Miss Pussy Willow put on her furs one day in March and stepped out into the sunshine; but, while the sun was warm, March's breath was cold, so she hugged her furs closer about her and sat on a swaying bough. It was early and Miss Pussy knew it,... Pussy Willow's Furs
Miss Pussy Willow put on her furs one day in March and stepped out into the sunshine; but, while the sun was warm, March's breath was cold, so she hugged her furs closer about her and sat on a swaying bough. It was early and Miss Pussy knew it,... Quick Time
Being at a halt, to march forward in quick time: 1. Forward, 2. MARCH. At the command forward, shift the weight of the body to the right leg, left knee straight. At the command march, move the left foot smartly straight forward 30 inches from... Range Finders
Five or six enlisted men, selected by the company [Illustration: This shows the path of the bullet (Line of Trajectory) of the 1917 Rifle (Enfield). The Line of Aim, we see, connects the eye, the rear sight, the front sight and the bottom par... Range-finding Instrument
Each company is equipped with a range-finding instrument. All company officers and sergeants should be proficient in using it. The accuracy of this instrument will greatly depend upon the skill of the user, and the visibility of the objective. ... Rapid Fire
In rapid fire the battle sight is always used; the firing is against time and at a field target (Target D), and from ranges 200, 300, and sometimes 500 yards. The battle sight corresponds to an elevation of 547 yards, which makes it necessary f... Rapid Fire Target
This target is always used with the battle sight at 200, 300, and 500 yards rapid fire. Battle sight is the position of the rear sight when the leaf is laid down, which is the habitual position of the rear sight leaf at drill. It is an open sigh... Rear Guard Of An Advancing Force
If there is a possibility that the rear of the column may be attacked, a rear guard of suitable strength and composition is provided, its conduct is practically the same as that of the rear guard of a retreating force. It generally marches in rear... Rear Guards
The rear guard is charged with the important duty of covering the retreat. When a commander decides to retreat, he issues the necessary order. During a retreat the outpost for the night usually forms the rear guard of the following day. ... Reconnaissance
In conducting the reconnaissance the patrols are, as a rule, small--from two to six men. If additional protection is necessary, a flank guard covers the threatened flank. The flanking patrols, whether of the advance cavalry or advance party, are s... Relieving The Outpost
Evening and shortly before dawn are hours of special danger. The enemy may attack late in the day in order to establish himself on captured ground by intrenching during the night; or he may send forward troops under cover of darkness in order to m... Reports To Be Made
Officers in the Officers' Reserve Corps are required to report at once to the Adjutant General of the Department in which they live or to the heads of the Staff Corps or Departments to which they may belong of any permanent change of address. If a... Requisites Of A Good Defensive Position
If you were looking for a good defensive position, what points would you have in mind and of these points, which would be the most important? The requisites to be sought in a good defensive position are: (1) A clear field of fire up to the ... Reserve
The reserve follows the support at several hundred yards' distance. It consists of the remainder of the infantry and engineers, the artillery, and the ambulance company. The artillery usually marches near the head of the reserve, the engineers (wi... Returning
A patrol can never be certain that the enemy's patrols are not operating in its rear. Hence in returning, it is necessary to observe the usual precautions. If the patrol has eluded the enemy, it is best to return over a route other than that over ... Route Step And At Ease
The column of squads is the habitual column of route, but route step and at ease are applicable to any marching formation. To march at route step: 1. Route step, 2. MARCH. Sabers are carried at will or in the scabbard; the men carry their pieces... Rules For Deployments
The command guide right (left or center) indicates the base squad for the deployment; if in line it designates the actual right (left or center) squad; if in column the command guide right (left) designates the leading squad, and the command guide c... Rules For Guides
A guide is a noncommissioned officer or a private upon whom the company regulates its march. It is not difficult for an inexperienced man learn, with a little practice, the duties and the correct positions of a guide. Remember the rule of thumb... Rules Governing The Carrying Of The Piece
Third. The cut-off is kept turned down, except when using the magazine. Being at order arms: 1. Unfix, BAYONET. If the bayonet scabbard is carried on the belt: Take the position of parade rest, grasp the handle of the bayonet firmly with the r... Rules Of Conduct For Camp Life
The first few days will be easy and profitable if you will read carefully and adhere to the following plan of procedure: 1. Get up at the first note of reveille and get quickly into proper uniform. 2. Get within two or three feet ... Sallie Hicks's Forefinger
Sallie Hicks was a little girl who was good most of the time, but she had one bad habit, and that was caused by her forefinger on her right hand. Sallie's right-hand forefinger would get into things it should not, and it caused Sallie's mother... Sallie Hicks's Forefinger
Sallie Hicks was a little girl who was good most of the time, but she had one bad habit, and that was caused by her forefinger on her right hand. Sallie's right-hand forefinger would get into things it should not, and it caused Sallie's mother... Saluting
The military salute is universal. It is at foundation but a courteous recognition between two individuals of their common fellowship in the same honorable profession, the profession of arms. Regulations require that it be rendered by both the seni...