The Staff Officer's Dilemma; Planning the Move.

[Justin Moretti]

If I'm a staff officer at some level or other who's planning the move of a division, brigade or battalion on foot under conditions that aren't August 1914 or March 1918, and who at higher levels might be responsible for arranging a shift of heavy artillery, what sort of tables or other information would I have had access to, in order to help me organize the move? As much to the point, where does it all go and how much room does it take up when it gets to the other end? A division of 18,000 men plus all its divisional artillery and transport can't exactly be stuck in someone's backyard.

Naturally I'll have maps of passable roads to indicate the distance and available paths between points A and B. I'm not counting longer moves that would require entrainment.

I'm trying to imagine what it would be like to organize something like this, but there are too many things I don't know. 

[Bernard_Lewis]

Many infantry war diaries will contain movement orders. IIRC the 14 Welsh diary certainly did. Free download from the National Archives...

Bernard 

[Justin Moretti]

6 minutes ago, Bernard_Lewis said:

Many infantry war diaries will contain movement orders. IIRC the 14 Welsh diary certainly did. Free download from the National Archives...

Bernard 

I've seen such examples - my question is about all the calculations a staff officer has to go through before writing them!

[squirrel]

Field Service Regulations 1914 (Reprinted with amendments 1916) Chapter 1 War Establishments, also pages 24,25,26,27 and Chapter II Marches and March Discipline pages 1 to 54 inclusive. Some parts of Chapter III, page 55 onward may also be of interest.

[Justin Moretti]

3 minutes ago, squirrel said:

Field Service Regulations 1914 (Reprinted with amendments 1916) Chapter 1 War Establishments, also pages 24,25,26,27 and Chapter II Marches and March Discipline pages 1 to 54 inclusive. Some parts of Chapter III, page 55 onward may also be of interest.

Excellent. I have a copy of FSRI/14; I'll go look it up. Thank you.

[squirrel]

 Duties of Adjutants, 5th Course Adjutants School

stiletto_33853 posted a topic in Other Great War Chat

 

 

This might help as well

[Justin Moretti]

 

1 hour ago, squirrel said:

This might help as well

Very nice, thank you. Interesting to see it scrawled out by someone in the field in this manner.

[Lee Smart]

Calculations for an infantry Battalion on the march pre-1914: (Gleaned some years ago from, I think, a Seaforth's diary or Official document):

"When it deployed onto a road in regulation fashion, the battalion’s transport occupies 210 yards of road space, and the fighting portion (men marching with some officers mounted) a further 590 yards.  In the Battalion transport the battalion has 13 riding and 43 draught and packhorses to draw its six ammunition carts, two water carts, three General Service Wagons (for tools and machine guns), and the Medical Officer’s Maltese Cart. The battalion signallers have 9 bicycles".  Photo shows the 2nd Bn Seaforth Highlanders setting of on manouevres in column through Aldershot in 1912 The Signals section evident with their flags and their bicycles (although evidently not all nine on this occasion!).

[KizmeRD]

So who exactly got to ride the 13 riding horses allocated to a British infantry battalion on the march?
I’m assuming that it was the Colonel, the battalion major, the four company commanders, and the quarter-master, the medical officer, the transport officer - leaving four more riding horses unaccounted for in my ignorant understanding (perhaps the 2 i/c’s of each company?)

MB

[Lee Smart]

The Adjutant should be one....as he is the only Captain in an infantry battalion who is not a 'Subaltern' - Subaltern being a corruption of Sub-halter...ie not on a horse!!

...but perhaps the four Company 2iC's is a good shout - although the only other officers from the HQ not considered here are the Machine Gun Officer and the Chaplain.

[KizmeRD]

Come to think of it, I do recall reading somewhere that the machine-gun officer got to ride a horse. The Adjutant is also a good call, and nobody would begrudge the poor old Chaplin - that now leaves only one saddle unaccounted for, perhaps the RSM?

MB

Edited 1 June by KizmeRD

[ianjonesncl]

Long time since I have done this....but this overview of may help. Although a modern perspective the principles and methodology I believe would be used in World War One. Certainly reading various manuals and orders in war diaries indicates this. 

Firstly make an appreciation of the purpose of the move and what is trying to achieve.... the concept. 

If the movement is into and out of contact ( eg relief in place) there may be a requirement to coordinate all movements with another unit.  Unit one needs to do relief in place, then withdraw for example. This follows on sequentially, thus extending the time of the move.  If it is a move, for example, from a rear area to an assembly area all of the units maybe able to prepare for the move the same time (concurrent activity) and maybe able to move without any tactical limitations. 

The movement the staff co-ordinate will take place between designated start points and designated release points. It is the movement between the two points that is co-ordinated by the staff at various levels. Units would be responsible for the activities and movement to the designated start points and from the designated release points. Division could allocate a start and release point for Brigades / Divisional Units to pass though, Brigade issues Battalion start points, and this could happen all the way down the chain of command. 

Once the start and finish points are defined the route can be determined. The key here is movement is invariably in someone else's real estate and needs to be coordinated with that formation. If it is within a Division or Brigade then that would have probably been defined in relation to the starting / release points. When routes cross boundaries then it is necessary to coordinate with the respective formation. Thus a Battalion (or another Battalion) will need to clear the route with a Brigade, a Brigade with Division, if they are routing through their real estate.  At a higher level it may be directed to establish liaison officers at key points and line of communication troops may be involved (including possible provost support).

The route may not be a straightforward as the shortest route or the best route. Someone else maybe on that route. Or there may be restrictions on the route. 

It is then off to the Time and Space tables (Field Service Pocket Book 1914 Chapter 2 Section 7 is a good example) to work out the time it will take for the move, and the space required. This together with the appreciation of how the move will be conducted will give an overall duration. Work back from the release point… what time does the last unit required to be there ? That that gives the time that  unit needs to be at the start point.  From that work back to when the first unit needs to be at the start point. The space considerations will help identify assembly and staging areas as well as identify any problems on the designated route. 

The duration is important as it determines how long a route needs to be allocated to the units moving, possibly negating other movements taking place in that area and thus affecting the operational plan. There is also a logistics perspective. When and where are units to feed, or replenish. Can they feed in the old location ? or at the new ? or is some form of meal required on the move ? Where are the replenishment points and is time to be allocated for any replenishment ?

Of great importance is Order of Move. This could be determined by who is in what location to make the movement easier. However, there may be tactical considerations and priorities allocated. The guns of the Royal Artillery as an example may be given priority. The Order of Move then determines the time each unit needs to be at the start point eg unit 1 10:00, unit 2 11:00.

There maybe some iterations as time and space as well as co-ordination requirements may necessitate previous thoughts to be changed. 

The movement order define start points, release points, timings and routes depending upon the nature of the move logistics and other considerations may be outlined. 

A quick appreciation may allow a warning order to be issued so everyone has notice of the impending move. The movement will require reconnaissance officers to move to the new locations to find the areas and positions allocated to their units.. They would reconnoitre the moves from the release point to the unit's new location. Depending upon the time and plan for the move it may be necessary to send an advance party to do some preparation.

 The main body will move from the old location to the start point to be there at the designated time. They need to  progress along the route moving at the normal pace. If they are quicker or slower this can cause units to start bunching up and mixing. Once they get to the release point they meet up with the reconnaissance elements / advance parties of their unit and move into their new locations.

The time available for the appreciation and orders may be greatly reduced if the units are in contact and need to advance / withdraw. If it is not co-ordinated then the fog of war prevails until some form control can be restored. 

On 03/04/2024 at 14:10, Justin Moretti said:

A division of 18,000 men plus all its divisional artillery and transport can't exactly be stuck in someone's backyard.

Indeed..... which is why everyone needs to move at the time ordered, on the route ordered, at the pace ordered, to the place they are ordered and ....... invariably at night. 

and...... occasionally still end up in someones backyard !! 

[ianjonesncl]

Movement Order and March Table from 25th Divisional Artillery

Edited 1 June by ianjonesncl

[Lee Smart]

Staff tables and divisional moves.....I'm having flashbacks to being a convoy packet leader on Divisonal moves through West Germany in '89-92 (Flying Falcon, Key Flight, White Rhino et al) - and as a recce officer for 3 Armed Div in 92. On White Rhino I tried to explain to the Chain of Command that a Mig 23 had just flown over my Ptarmigan Trunk Node location on the Korbecke Ridge...they thought I had either been drinking or that I couldnt tell the difference between a Mig 23 and a Jaguar - on the news that night: a Belgian lad was killed in his house when a pilotless Mig 23 crashed into his house!

[ianjonesncl]

Field Service Regulations, Part I, Operations, 1909 (Reprinted with Amendments, 1914)
Chapter III contains the regulations for movements by land and sea.

This includes planning data for marches and movements. 

Field Service Regulations, Part I, Operations, 1909 (Reprinted with Amendments, 1914) : The War Office : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive