Rear guard

“ A rear guard is a detachment detailed to protect the main body from attack in rear. In a retreat it checks pursuit and enables the main body to increase the distance between it and the enemy and to re-form if disorganized. The general formation is that of an advance guard reversed. ”

“ The rear guard will consist of 30 men under an officer selected for the day to protect the column from attacks in the rear. These men will not be loaded with anything beyond their private kits. No member of the Expedition must be passed by the rear guard. All stragglers must be driven on at all costs, because the person left behind is irretrievably lost. ”

“ The strength and composition of the rear guard is the next item, and this is regulated by its function of supervision of the retirement of the picquets.
Such being the case, it appears that, in no circumstances, should a large force be detailed as a rear-guard. There is not space in a narrow valley for a strong rear-guard to manœuvre, so that it will merely afford the enemy a good target, without corresponding advantage; besides, the rear-guard can, if necessary, be continually reinforced by incoming picquets. ”

“ But what is one man beside two troops which come shortly in two solid chunks, with horses snorting and sending the dry landscape in a dusty pall for a quarter of a mile in the rear? It is good—ah! it is worth any one's while; but stop and think, what if we could magnify that? Tut, tut! as I said before, that only happens once in a generation. Adobe doesn't dream; it simply does its morning's work.
The rear-guard have popped at our advance, which exchanges with them. Their fire grows slack, and from our vantage we can see them mount quickly and flee. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The Rear Party watches, and it must watch all the roads and tracks by which the pursuing force can advance, and is responsible that the enemy does not get round the flanks (which may or may not be specially protected by Flank Guards) . Reconnaissance by Aircraft for the discovery of intended outflanking movements is probably of greater value in Rear Guard work than in any other military action. The Rear Party also resists the hostile advanced troops as long as possible, withdrawing before it is outflanked. ”

“ When the enemy is conducting an energetic pursuit the rear guard effects its withdrawal by taking up a succession of defensive positions (that is, where the nature of the ground enables the rear guard to defend itself well) and compelling the enemy to attack or turn them. (It should be understood that these successive defensive positions must, in the case of a large force, be from two to four miles apart and in the case of a small force at least one-half mile apart—not a few hundred yards as is frequently attempted in peace maneuvers.) ”

“ When the enemy’s dispositions are nearly complete, the rear guard moves off by successive retirements, each party as it falls back covering the retirement of the next by its fire. This action is repeated on the next favourable ground.... A rear guard may also effectually check an enemy by attacking his advanced troops as they emerge from a defile or difficult country. ”

“ Quarter Guard, is a small guard commanded by a subaltern officer, posted in the front of each battalion, at 200 feet or more before the front of the regiment.
Rear Guard, that part of the army which brings up the rear on a march, generally composed of all the old grand-guards of the camp.
The rear guard of a party is frequently 8 or 10 horse, about 500 paces behind the party. Hence the advanced guard going out upon a party forms the rear guard in a retreat. ”

“ When you decamp in the face of the enemy, you must give most attention to your rear-guard. On such occasions, all the baggage, ammunition, provisions, and artillery, march before the troops; your best light troops, best cavalry, some good brigades of infantry, together with some brigades of artillery, form the rear-guard. ”

“ Attacks from the centre are more liable to be enfiladed, and are sooner guarded against than from the flank.
Movements of retreat, are combinations of columns of march, covered by positions, and a strong rear guard. Troops are occasionally taken out of the retiring columns of march, to occupy positions and heights; they remain till the rear has passed, and then become the rear guard; this they continue to be, till they find other troops in like manner posted; these last in their turn become also the rear guard, and in this way are the troops of columns in such situations relieved. ”

“ It had been planned to leave it in the rear, because its guns could not be moved for lack of horses, but with one voice the men had demanded the privilege of taking rifles and going with the battalion as sharp-shooters.
On this march the battalion was the rear guard of the army, and our rifle-armed battery was the rear guard of the battalion.
For fifty-six hours we marched without food or sleep, pausing every fifteen minutes to fight awhile, and then double-quicking to catch up. ”

“ In close country, and in hilly or mountainous districts, it may be necessary to occupy a successive series of tactical positions on the exposed flank, any of which can be reinforced and held at need to safeguard the passage of the Main Body. In order that the whole column may be protected, from the head of the Main Body to the train in rear, unbroken touch must be maintained both with the Advanced and the Rear Guard, and incursions between these forces and itself must be prevented by the Flank Guard. ”

“ Those men still scrambling to the bottom and the men of the rear-guard must be stopped. We five must open fire on them and compel them to remount the zigzag to attack us, and therefore prevent them joining those who had already issued from the "coffee-cup" to defend it against the Intrepid's people. ”

“ As they struggled on through the steamy bush the rear-guard was changed again and again, a fresh party of defenders taking up the task of keeping the pursuers at bay, and to each man in turn was the warning given that no shot must be fired unless it could be made to tell ”

“ A battery marching by itself should always have an advanced guard. In a narrow road it should be considerably in front, to stop all carriages which might cause obstruction. In a hilly road, it should reconnoitre the top of every hill, and see that it is all clear before the guns come up.
5. Parties should always be sent out on each flank.
6. When an accident happens to a carriage, either on the march, or manœuvring, those in its rear should pass it on the most convenient flank, and fill up its interval. ”

“ The safety of marches to the rear must [380] depend on particular dispositions, on strong covering or rear guards, and on the judicious choice of such posts as will check the pursuit of the enemy. In these marches to front or rear, the divisions of the second line generally follow or lead those of the first, and all their formations are relative thereto. The heavy artillery and carriages of an army form a particular object of every march, and must be directed according to circumstances of the day. ”

“ Attach left‐side mudguard bracket and battery box bracket. Install bolt, washer, and nut which secure battery box left‐side bracket to mudguard bracket. Bolt is inserted from front side, head toward engine.
(7) Install rear chain guard (par. 102) .
(8) Locate and retain taillight cable in mudguard spring clips. Attach connector plugs to taillights (wiring diagram, fig. 73) .
(9) Install luggage carrier (par. 103) .
(10) Install rear wheel (par. 127) . ”

“ It may not be an engine. It sounds louder, instead of diminishing as it would if—keep still, Guard! What in the world is the matter with you!”
For answer, Guard, with every hair on his back erect and standing up like the quills of a porcupine, got up, and wriggled himself under the seat on which we were sitting, making his way to the end of the wagon-box, where he stood with legs braced to keep himself steady, his chin resting on the edge of the tailboard, and his eyes fixed on the darkening roadway over which we had just passed. ”

“ When the rear manœuvring-wheels are out of gear, the top carriage touches the rails of the chassis and moves on sliding friction, and when they are in gear the front wheels are also made to touch the rails and the top carriage moves on rolling friction. To prevent the rear manœuvring-wheels from working out of gear while the gun is being run from battery, or jumping in gear when the gun is fired, pawls are provided for locking the rear axle. ”

“ The engine-driver, questioned as to whether he liked having passengers on the engine and whether he considered it safe for them, was understood to say that so long as they didn't get in his way it didn't matter to him, and as to its being safe for them, he jolly well didn't care whether it was safe for them or not. The guard, detained by the sleeve by your representative, who inquired how he felt about being almost crowded out of his brake by passengers, drew away his sleeve with some violence and his answer was quite unworthy to be reported. ”

“ The lights can be switched on quite suddenly and some damage inflicted upon an enemy, and the light switched off again before there is time for fire to be returned or the machine to be located effectively. The car can then be moved rapidly to some other point, and the manœuvre repeated. In general, the armoured car has been used as a kind of advance guard in front of the screen of cavalry which performs the double duty of concealing the movement of its own infantry and locating the forces of the enemy. ”

“ I believe I have stated that the mule much preferred to do military duty in the safe rear; but if there was anything which the war proved with the utmost clearness to both Yanks and Rebs, it was that there was surely no safe rear. This being so, the vivacious mule did not always have a plain and peaceful pilgrimage as a member of the wagon-train. I vividly recall the enjoyment of my company, during Lee’s final retreat, whenever our guns were unlimbered, as they were again and again, to be trained on the columns of retreating wagon-trains. ”

“ The first was to see that all the sports cars entered for the race were in perfect mechanical condition. Every feature would be checked for safety, from the seal of the gas-tank cap to the amount of tread on the tires.
"Man," he said, "they really give them the works on that safety check. They go over everything with a fine-tooth comb—safety belts, brakes, brake lights in the rear, steering-wheel play, anything dangling underneath that might give trouble—they don't miss a thing. I've seen guys ruled out because their spare tires were a little worn. ”

“ In my humble opinion, sir, you have entirely overlooked the real cause of side-slipping on rear-driving Safeties, which is the absence of sufficient weight on the driving-wheel. My argument is still further proved by the fact that the ‘Scout’ Safety (two-chain rear-driver) , on which machine the weight of the rider is thrown as near as possible over the centre of the axle, will not slip sideways on the most greasy surface; and again, the American ‘Star,’ I am told by experienced riders of this machine, possesses a like good quality. Here, again, the weight is almost entirely on the driver. ”

“ The rear rank and the serrefiles look to the wheeling flank, and incline, at the same time that they wheel, so as always to cover their front leaders.
The standard must take care, never to oblige the wheeling man to exceed a moderate gallop, otherwise the rear rank, which has still more ground to go over, cannot keep up; the squadron will wheel loose and in disorder, and be longer in dressing than if it had come about at a slower pace, but close and connected. ”

“ Wheel guards, rear, are plates riveted to the outside lower left of both trails for the protection of trail bodies against contact with limber wheels on short turns. Trail guards are bent plates riveted to the top of trail in front of trail-coupling latch to prevent battering of trails by sledges used for driving the spades. ”

“ Another plea is that the lack of weight on the front wheel of the Safety makes it slip, and then it carries the rear wheel with it. To the last I can simply reply, as I would to the Cyclist’s notion of the slanting fork, that it is the rear wheel which slips first, last, and all the time, or else a large majority of riders are very much misled, and really can’t tell what is going on under them. ”

“ The only parts of a rifle that an enlisted man is permitted to take apart are the bolt mechanism and the magazine mechanism. Learn how to do this from your squad leader, for you must know how in order to keep your rifle clean. Never remove the hand guard or the trigger guard, nor take the sights apart unless you have special permission from a commissioned officer. ”

“ When a rear wheel breaks down upon a march, the best method I know of for taking the vehicle to a place where it can be repaired is to take off the damaged wheel, and place a stout pole of three or four inches in diameter under the end of the axle, outside the wagon-bed, and extending forward above the front wheel, where it is firmly lashed with ropes, while the other end of the pole runs six or eight feet to the rear, and drags upon the ground. ”

“ Wheel bearings ought to run for six months if properly packed, but there is no way of telling when the bearing needs attention except by inspection and it is well to look them over regularly. When inspecting the rear-wheel bearings, if the construction is of the type where the wheel hub is keyed on to the shaft, it is well to inspect the key to determine whether it is tight. ”