School of the Platoon or Company
Introduction
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This Guide has been compiled for the use of the 1st East Prussian Infantry Regiment. The maneuvers covered in this manual are based on contemporary manuals of the period, and adapted only to the extent required to ensure their practicality in the engine limitations of Mount & Blade, and to the scale and organizational structure of our Regiment.
Sources
(Gilham's Manual - American Civil War)
http://www.drillnet.net/GILHAM/Gilart4.htm
(Cooper's Volunteer Manual - American Civil War)
http://www.drillnet.net/COOPERS/Coopers.htm#OfCo
(French 1791 Drill Manual)
http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/organization/reg1791/c_regtitle.html
(British 1816 Drill Manual)
http://glengarrylightinfantry.ca/drillmanual.pdf
(German 1806 Manual)
http://books.google.com/books?id=c-H6BceZ8oMC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
(Internet Resource - Organization of the Prussian Infantry)
http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/Prussian_infantry.htm
To Form The Platoon
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GUIDES, POSTS
On this command, the Platoon Leader of each Platoon takes his post in the Company or Battalion Line, from right to left, according to the number of his platoon. Room for 6-9 files to form, depending on the size of the platoon, is to be left between each guide.
FALL IN
At this order, every soldier falls in, building each file in two ranks from right to left, to the left of their Platoon Leader. The the covering and file-closing Sergeants take up their respective positions once the ranks are formed. Any reserve officers attached to the platoon (this generally being a Leutnant) stand to the right of the 1st File-closing Sergeant, and behind the Covering Sergeant.
To Advance in Line
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PLATOON (or COMPANY), FORWARD...
This is the preperatory command. At this point, if the Kapitän wishes, he will add: "Covering Sergeant - POST" at which point the senior Unteroffizier of 1. Zug will post himself 6 paces in advance of the 's file, and to him will be entrusted the direction of the march, with the following his path. This is to be done when the company is deployed on mountainous terrain and visibility is limited. Otherwise, the direction of the Company is left to the Kapitän or Leutnant at the head of the Company's first Zug.
MARCH
At this, the Kapitän or Covering Sergeant steps off. Each file successively steps off with, and follows closely the next, with every man in the front rank dressing closely off of the man to his right.
To Advance in Line by the Left Guide
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GUIDE LEFT.
FORWARD...
Hearing this, the left-most file closing Sergeant takes up position in the first rank, on the left side of the company.
MARCH
At the word MARCH, the left-most file steps off, followed by each successive file, and the Company advances forward with each file dressing off of the one to it's left. The Korporal in the 1st rank of the left-most file is charged with the direction of the march.
To Bring the Line to a Halt
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PLATOON (or COMPANY), HALT
On this order, the leading file comes to a halt, and each successive file comes on to line dressing off of the previous one. Every file should already be dressed as it comes on to line to avoid the need to have the entire company right dress.
To March by the Right or Left Oblique
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RIGHT (or LEFT) OBLIQUE - MARCH
The platoon advances in the same manner as the forward march, but strafes right or left while marching forward. In Mount&Blade, this is achieved by holding down both W, and A (if by the left oblique) or D (if by the right oblique). When marching by the left oblique, the guide must be left. When marching by the right oblique, it must be right.
To Retire in Line
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ABOUT - FACE
GUIDE LEFT
FORWARD - MARCH
HALT
ABOUT - FACE
To Wheel Right or Left While Halted
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RIGHT (or LEFT) WHEEL
At this order, the right or left guide faces the direction of the wheel and blocks up with his weapon to mark the angle.
MARCH
The files move up onto line and realign themselves. If the guide and wheel is right, the files step off from right to left, and dress right. If the guide is left, the files step off from left to right, and dress left. The guide should match the direction of the wheel, and be called upon a left wheel.
The degree of a wheel may be specified; ie, "30 DEGREES LEFT WHEEL - MARCH," or left unspecified and to the assumption of the left or right guide.
To Counter Wheel Left or Right While Halted
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LEFT (or RIGHT) - COUNTER WHEEL - MARCH
See "Wheeling While Halted" for instructions. This will bring the Platoon in a 180 Degree wheel facing the Platoon in the opposite direction then previously
To Wheel on the Move
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The Platoon or Company, while marching forward, can conduct a left or right wheel on the move. The guide signals the wheel by the orders "RIGHT (or LEFT) WHEEL - MARCH" and turns to the specified direction, with each successive file following. During this exercise, the guide does not change. Both right and left wheels are conducted with the guide preserved. When wheeling inward of the guide, care should be taken by the inside files to slow down and react with sufficient promptness so as to avoid collision, and the guide should avoid wheeling quickly and at sharp angles.
To March by the Flank, or in a Column of Files
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RIGHT - FACE
FORWARD - MARCH
The column steps off. The guide is left, and every man should, to the best of his ability, maintain his position in line and end in the same rank and file from which he started. The forwardmost man in the second rank should take care never to step up beside an Officer or Sergeant. Should this happen, he should fall out and rejoin the end of the second rank.
HALT
The column halts. In order to retain proper spacing, each pair should stop just short of the pair in front of it, and those in the rear (now right) rank should take care to align themselves shoulder to shoulder with their partner to the left.
To March by the Flank to the Left
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The platoon being in a line abreast, faced to the front, the instructor will command:
LEFT - FACE
When the platoon is faced to the left, if the ranks are uneven, the left most file-closing Sergeant immediately steps into the leftmost file of the rear rank to fill the hole. Should the ranks be even, he remains at his post.
FORWARD - MARCH
The column steps off as previously prescribed, and the platoon is in march by the left flank.
*When the platoon halts and faces front once again, the left-most file-closing Sergeant returns to his position.
*If, during the march by the left flank, the platoon is in need of a left guide to complete a maneuver (such as by Company or Platoon into Line), the Sergeant will, if not already in the 2nd rank, place himself in front of it, and act as the guide.
To March by Files Left or Right
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BY FILES RIGHT (or LEFT) - MARCH
Indicates a sharp (90 degree) right or left turn. The inside rank should slow down, and take care not to collide with or out-run the outer rank.
Counter Marching
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COUNTER MARCH - BY FILES RIGHT (or LEFT) - MARCH
This command indicates a sharp 180 degree turn to the right or left. As they come up to the turn, the men on the inside should briefly slow down to avoid staggaring the ranks.
To Deploy by Files Right (or Left) into Line
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This is to be done when simply right-facing a column of files into line would cause the line to be inverted, or to fix such an inversion.
BY FILES RIGHT INTO LINE
The Platoon Leader steps forward, faces to the right, and marches forward past the Covering Sergeant, who quickly follows him. The Files stand fast waiting for the order to march.
MARCH
The files march forward, face right, and step up into line, rebuilding the line from right to left. The guide is right, and every man in the left-most rank should find himself behind the man previously to his right. The File-Closers stay their ground, and wait until the platoon is formed to retake their positions.
To Deploy by Files Forward into Line
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This is to be done when the Platoon or Company, marching by the flank in a column of files, need quickly to be brought forward into a line of battle. The instructor will command:
BY PLATOON (or COMPANY) INTO LINE
At this command, he will stand fast at the head of the column, in front of the leftmost rank, and raising his sword to indicate the line on which the files will form, give the command:
MARCH
Each file, one after the next, maintaining their facing forward, march up and on-to line, rebuilding each file from the right to the left of the instructor.
