Platoon leader

“ For example, let each squad leader raise his right hand when his squad is ready, and each platoon leader his right hand when his platoon is ready.
4. Platoon leaders must always be sure to designate a definite aiming point. Remember that in the case of an indistinct target, the company commander describes the TARGET to the platoon leaders, and they in turn announce the AIMING POINT. Having seen and located the target, the platoon leader must examine the terrain at, in front of and behind the target, and choose the aiming point for his men. ”

“ The captain allots a part of the target to each platoon, or each platoon leader takes as his target that part which corresponds to his position in the company. Every man is so instructed that he will fire on that part of the target which is directly opposite him.
If the target cannot be seen with the naked eye, platoon leaders select an object in front of or behind it, designate this as the aiming point, and direct a sight-setting which will carry the fire into the target. ”

“ Designates new squad leaders and organizes new squads when necessary. Attaches men that have become separated from squads to other squads. Insures prompt and orderly advance. On joining firing line from the support takes over duties of sergeants disabled. May receive and transmit signals to the Captain. If the platoon leader is disabled, he takes over his duties. Hence he should know what the platoon leader is doing and how. When taking over the duties of the platoon leader he calls the senior corporal of his platoon out to act as guide. ”

“ The platoon sergeant is the senior NCO in the platoon. He advises the platoon leader and helps him with administration, training, logistics, and maintenance activities. He recommends appointments, promotions, reductions, assignments, and disciplinary actions as they pertain to NCOs and enlisted soldiers. He keeps abreast of the tactical situation, and he is prepared to assume platoon leader responsibilities, if required. (11) Team leader. The team leader is responsible for the tactical employment, training, administration, personnel management, and logistics of his team. ”

“ The platoon commander indicates the march direction to the leader of the base squad, and, accompanied by the range finders and the musicians, moves to a point at least ten paces in front of the line of his squad leaders, as a rule, opposite the center of his platoon; but he is not restricted to this position. He must possess mobility if he desires to lead his platoon skillfully on varied ground, if he expects to avoid interfering with neighboring platoons, and if he wishes to observe the enemy at the same time. The musician keeps the company commander constantly in view. ”

“ Then for our platoon occurred one of our occasional bawlings out. As we waited, having loaded, we saw the 4th, 3d, and 1st platoons ordered over the fence into the field on our right. Being used to seeing the company split into its detachments for different purposes, and hearing no orders, we remained placidly in the ditch—for we are now old soldiers, and are learning not to hunt trouble. But the lieutenant came running, and with a few sharp words deftly removed the scalp of our leader, and retired with it at his belt. So over we scrabbled, and took our place in the column. ”

“ Now we put in practice for the whole battalion the tactics we had studied by platoons, sending men forward from the right by squads in rushes, making a new line by degrees, always keeping a constant fire on the enemy—for we had a hundred rounds today, so that if we were decently accurate we should make him too nervous to be very dangerous in return. We went about fifty yards at a time, our sergeants and platoon leaders in the rear, behind them the captain and his orderlies and behind all the major and his aides. ”

“ In general, the company, when acting alone, is employed according to the principles applicable to the battalion acting alone; the captain employs platoons as the major employs companies, making due allowance for the difference in strength.
The support may be smaller in proportion or may be dispensed with.
231. The company must be well protected against surprise. Combat patrols on the flanks are specially important. Each leader of a flank platoon details a man to watch for the signals of the patrol or patrols on his flank. ”

“ One platoon, owing to the nature of the ground in front of it, can get forward further than other platoons, and this should be brought home to each platoon, so as to avoid the possibility of playing the game of follow your leader, and one platoon halting merely because another has halted. ”

“ The advantages of this is that the section leader is responsible for the whole front assigned to him and there is unity of command. If the outpost line falls back to the firing line it falls back on the men of its own section. In the second method, if the outpost section falls back it does so on the men of the other section of the platoon and there is bound to be more or less intermingling of units. ”

“ When the company is large enough to be divided into platoons, it is impracticable for the captain to command it directly in combat. His efficiency in managing the firing line is measured by his ability to enforce his will through the platoon leaders. ”

“ This rearguard might consist of a small platoon of picked shots, such as we need in each battalion. The charge ought to be made at a given distance, else it vanishes, evaporates. The leader who commences it too soon either has no head, or does not want to gain his objective.
The infantry of the line, as opposed to elite commands, should not be kept in support. ”

“ A glance at the NCO’s, the platoon leaders and company commanders of the Brigade could only have brought a gleam of pride to the Commandant’s battlewise eye. With few exceptions, they were veterans of World War II who could be relied upon to get the best out of their men. ”

“ As soon as the range is announced each front rank man sets his sight at 1050 and each rear rank man at 1150. Squad leaders assure themselves that sights are set and that the men of their squads understand the aiming point and sector and then raise their hand as a signal that all are ready. Similarly, the platoon leaders raise their hands to show that all of the squads are ready, and when the captain sees that all of his platoons are ready, he signals to begin firing. ”

“ If distance be taken, the leader can be seen, the file-closers see, the platoon that follows watches the preceding. Dropping out always exists, but it is less extensive with an open order, the men running more risks of being recognized. ”

“ In general, platoon leaders observe the target and the effect of their fire and are on the alert for the captain's commands or signals; they observe and regulate the rate of fire. The platoon guides watch the firing line and check every breach of fire discipline. Squad leaders transmit commands and signals when necessary, observe the conduct of their squads and abate excitement, assist in enforcing fire discipline and participate in the firing.
253. The best troops are those that submit longest to fire control. Loss of control is an evil which robs success of its greatest results. ”

“ To send patrols to front at night.
Duties of Platoon Leaders.
Must accompany company commander on inspection of trenches one day previous to occupying them. Make necessary reliefs for his men in his segment. Make a plan of defense and counterattack for his position or approve the one left there. Establish sniping posts and arrange reliefs. Establish Listening Posts and arrange reliefs. Assign non-commissioned officer to duty with platoon and arrange relief. Instruct every man as to his place in case of attack. Establish liaison with platoons on both flanks ”

“ To meet the expectation of a stubborn resistance, or to cover an unusually extensive frontage, three platoons may be forward, with one in support; and where information as to the enemy's dispositions is lacking, but strong opposition is unlikely, one platoon may be forward with three in support, thus enabling the company commander to use any or all the supports to influence the attack on obtaining information as to the point in the enemy's position which offers the best prospect of success. ”

“ To-day our platoon once marched, in perfect step, for seven complete and giddy paces, before disintegrating into its usual formation—namely, an advance in irregular échelon, by individuals.
Four platoons form a company, and each platoon is (or should be) led by a subaltern, acting under his company commander. But we are very short of subalterns at present. (We are equally short of N.C.O.'s; but then you can always take a man out of the ranks and christen him sergeant, whereas there is no available source of Second Lieutenants save capricious Whitehall.) ”

“ The company now vaguely felt that something was wrong, and suppressed cries of 'Hay, corporal! you're pivot man!' 'Hay, second platoon! wake up!' came to us from front and rear. With a start, our guilty squad awoke to its new responsibilities, and a sense of the eternal watchfulness of the soldier's life. Qui vive? Qui va?
The day before Marshal Joffre arrived, I asked our guide, a Plattsburg veteran, whether the Faculty Company was to participate in his review of the battalion. ”

“ This was only a preliminary to the absolute reorganisation of the platoon, which was now rightly coming into its own, and regarded as the most important tactical fighting unit. We had already been lectured at Souastre by Lieut.-General Sir Ivor Maxse, our Corps Commander, and later Director General of Training, also by Major-General Thwaites, on the new organisation of the platoon, which was now to consist of four specialist sections: (1) Riflemen, (2) Bombers, (3) Rifle Grenadiers, (4) Lewis Gunners. ”

“ Do not forget to make use of the map when estimating a range.
13. Although the secret of success in an engagement is the proper co-operation of the different arms of the service, the platoon commander must not cry out for artillery assistance when he has the means of carrying out his task in his own platoon, which, with its riflemen, its Lewis gunners, its bombers, and its rifle bombers, is, in itself, a miniature division. In an action where telephonic communication has broken down this rule applies with special force. ”

“ Captain: Yes, that's right. All the men in the platoon might not stop at the best fire-position and in the hurry and excitement of the moment the platoon commander might also fail to do so, but if a man goes forward and lies down, the whole platoon knows that they must not go beyond him. Individual men who, owing to slight undulations of ground, may not be able to fire when they halt in line with this man, can creep up until they can see. ”

“ There seems to be every chance of your being able to ambuscade this party, and you should let it advance until the groups which the main body has in front of it are within fifty yards of your picquet. You should tell off a few men on the flanks to deal with these groups, and turn the fire of the whole of the rest of your platoon on to the main body. You must be careful to see that all your men lie down, that no one but yourself has his head above ground level, and you must camouflage yourself. ”

“ By deploying in this manner we have two complete combat groups each responsible for its own outguards and its firing line. We have a third combat group on the support line located in the interval between the two forward groups so that it is readily available for counter-attack in case the enemy should penetrate the line on our front. Unity of command is preserved and there will be little intermingling of men of different units. Each platoon commander has a definite problem to solve. ”

“ Enter the General and the C.O., with Staff-Captain, Adjutant and Sergeant-Major. The Platoon labours on and takes no notice. Second-Lieutenant Wood comes to attention and salutes. The General remarks on the fine physique of the men, inspects the wire entanglement and explains how [pg 200] he used to do it when he was a subaltern. Private Hogg, a recruit unused to Generals, stands gazing awestruck, but catches the Adjutant's eye and, gets on feverishly with his work. The cortège passes on, and the platoon heaves a sigh of relief and stands easy. ”

“ When the commanding officer thinks himself in danger of being attacked by cavalry, he must close the column, and on their approach, halt and face outwards; the front platoon standing fast, the rear platoon going to the right about, and the others facing outwards from their centers. ”

“ The tactical unit of Infantry is the platoon. The action of a whole battalion is compounded merely of the separate actions of its sixteen platoons, each performing the separate rôle, in a general plan, that may be laid down by the Battalion Commanders, some to advance and fight, some to act in support, some to lie [231] in reserve, some to engage in a flank attack, others to fetch and carry food, water and munitions. ”

“ A shell falls right into the midst of his platoon as he is leading his men to or from the trenches. Maybe the men are fresh from home, and this sudden horror that cleaves its bloody path through their ranks is their first taste of war.
There is one man in that platoon who must not lose his head. That is the officer, boy though he be. Those raw and mangled corpses, those groaning, whimpering men that strew the ground, may affright the rank and file; they may make no visible impression on him. In his hands repose the lives of a couple of hundred men. ”

“ The obvious advantage of the three-platoon organization of the company is that fewer platoon commanders are required, which fact is well worthy of attention in the mobilization of units of both Line and Reserve, especially in view of the extraordinarily heavy casualties among the troop leaders in the course of a campaign. ”