163 



MANCEUVRES. 



MANCEUVRES. 



451 



remaining companies to circle round the flank on which the wheel is 

 being made. This is done by the rear companies, when at the bait, 

 making a half-face to the right, or on the march a half-turn to the 

 right (supposing the wheel to be to the left), and each man moving 

 round on the circumference of a circle of which the wheeling-point is 

 the centre. The wheelings may be made upon either extremity of a 

 company or subdivision, and they may take place either forward or 

 backward, according to circumstances ; occasionally, also, a company is 

 required to perform a wheel upon its centre, in which case one-half 

 wheels backward and the other half forward; but in all cases the pivot- 

 flanks are to remain dressed, or in one line. 



When a battalion is formed into a column for the purpose of an 

 attack, it is called a column of manreuvre ; and when so formed in 

 order to mce along a road or through a defile, a column of route. In 

 either case the column may be in open order, at half or at quarter 

 distance, or in close order ; and in the first formation the column, of 

 course, occupies in length an extent of ground equal to that which it 

 occupies in line, minus the length of the first division. Columns at 

 half or at quarter distance, or at close order, have the convenience of 

 moving upon less space than the open column, with equal capacity of 

 forming in any manner that may be required for resisting an attack ; 

 and their compact order enables them to avoid the evils attending 

 the loss of distances which may occur with an open column, from the 

 inequalities of the ground. 



The battalion in line may be formed into a single or double column : 

 the former upon or in rear of either flank company, and the latter 

 upon the two centre companies or the two centre subdivisions. In 

 either cane the column is equally fit for its purpose, and the preference 

 of one to the other must depend upon the ground or upon the point 

 to which the movement is to be directed : the single column, however, 

 can always be diminished to the smallest degree, according to the 

 defile ; whereas the double column, if much diminished, may be in 

 danger of becoming disordered by the intermixture of the files. For 

 an attack, the column formed on the centre of a battalion can be more 

 rapidly brought to bear upon the required point than a column formed 

 on one of the wing*, seeing that the divisions in line have but half the 

 distance to march through in order to arrive at their places in the 

 column, and a corresponding advantage is enjoyed when the battalion 

 baa to deploy from column into line. 



It is to be observed that the front of a column should never be 

 unnecessarily contracted, and battalions should be BO instructed as to 

 render it indifferent whether the first or second rank is in front, or 

 whether the right or left flank division (of the line) is at the head of 

 the column ; but occasions may occur in which the order of battle is 

 to be reversed, and then the divisions must necessarily change their 

 positions by countermarching. 



A battalion in column at open order is formed in line to the front 

 by the rear companies wheeling backwards an eighth of a circle on their | 

 right or left, according as the right or left is in front, and then moving ' 

 up in this direction the inward flank comes up to the alignement or 

 flank of the halted company, then wheeling an eighth of a circle to the 

 left or right, brings them up into line or if the line is to be formed to 

 a flank by merely causing the divisions to wheel upon their respective 

 pivots ; but a close column of companies, having its head already in , 

 the alignement, ia deployed by causing the several divisions to move ] 

 out by files to the right or left parallel to the alignement ; each 

 >n having got beyond that which was in front of it turns to the 

 left or right, and then marches up to its place in the line. The deploy- 

 ment may take place upon any one of the companies ; should it be on 

 one of the rear companies, it has to remain halted till its front is clear, 

 when it moves up at a double the other companies halting in the 

 same way till their front is clear, and then moving up. 



Echellon movements are performed when it is required to advance 

 or retreat obliquely, and when a change is to be made in the position 

 of a line, corresponding to a wheel of the whole about some given 

 point : the movements are made to the front when an enemy's flank is 

 to be turned, and to the rear when it is required to cover the flank of 

 the line itself. Echellon movements are the safest that can be adopted 

 by troops in presence of the enemy, as they have the advantage of 

 preserving a general front during the march. A direct echellon, as it 

 is called, may be formed by the diflerent companies or subdivisions 

 marching from their position in the line towards the front or rear, 

 keeping parallel to that posit'on, and halting successively when arrived 

 at the required distances. The oblique echellon is formed by causing 

 the d fferent companies or subdivisions to make a wheel upon their 

 pivots through any angle" less than a right angle, but generally not 

 more than one-eighth of it ; the position and parallelism of the 

 divisions being ensured by causing a non-commissioned officer of each 

 division to place himself, as the case may require, before or behind the 

 eighth file from the pivot, then by his taking paces of 30 inches (the 

 tion pace) on the arc of a circle, of which the pivot is the centre, 

 he may indicate an alignement of any portion of the circle T ' (i , j. ^, 

 or ;, that may be required, every 2 paces giving j>, of the circle; the 

 division is then to wheel up to the place where he halts. 



An important evolution of a battalion is that of placing itself in a 

 square or oblong form, with the men on the four sides facing outwards, 

 so as to be enabled to resist an enemy who may attempt to surround 

 them. This figure ia generally formed hollow, or so as to inclose a 



space in which are the officers, or in which baggage or treasure may be 

 placed for security ; if otherwise, it is evident that great numbers of 

 the men would be useless, since they could not use their fire-arms. 



When a battalion in open column forms square on the leading 

 company, the leading company, if moving, halts the second compiny 

 closes up to it and halts, the remaining companies, except the two last, 

 wheel outwards by sections successively on coming up to quarter dis- 

 tance from those that precede them, the flank sections halting when 

 they have wheeled the quarter circle, the others closing up to them. 

 The two rear companies closing up and being faced about form the 

 rear of the square. 



When a battalion in line is to form a hollow square, the manoeuvre 

 may take place upon any given company, generally the left centre 

 company, or upon one formed of the two contiguous subdivisions of 

 two companies, which then for the moment remain at rest ; while the 

 other companies break out of the line and march to the rear of the 

 troops who are stationary. ,.The second division in the column marches 

 close in rear of the first, and these two form the front of the square ; 

 the remaining companies march by fours, so as to form a column of 

 companies at quarter distance in rear of these, when all, except the 

 two last, wheel by sections outwards, as in forming square from 

 column, and form the sides of the square : flie hist closes up to tha 

 next to it, and these two form the rear of the "square. If the square 

 is to resist an attack of cavalry, the two front ranks kneel and slope 

 their firelocks outwards till, at the word of command, they fire a 

 volley: the men in the two standing ranks fire by files, or in- 

 dependently of one another. In England, when the 2 rank formation 

 is employed, the square will be four ranks deep, but with continental 

 nations, where the 8 rank formation is employed, it would be six ranks 

 deep ; for instance, Bonaparte, while in Egypt, formed' his infantry in 

 squares whose sides were six ranks deep, in order to resist the Mame- 

 luke cavalry, while at Waterloo the English squares were four deep. 



When several battalions form themselves into squares, they dispose 

 themselves either en echellon or in two lines, each square in the first 

 line being at some distance in front of the interval between two squares 

 in the second line ; by which means the tire of one square may defend 

 the face of another. 



Squares may be reduced to columns, and these to line, by reversing 

 the processes above mentioned. One square consisting of several 

 battalions is not recommended, as much time would be spent in its for- 

 mation, and the safety of the troops might be endangered should they 

 be attacked while so occupied. 



A battalion in column may be obliged to engage in a street or narrow 

 pass where deployment is impossible. In this case, if the column is 

 advancing, the two front companies or divisions fire, the first kneeling 

 and the other standing ; after which, on a favourable occasion present- 

 ing itself, the whole column moves forward : if the column is to 

 retire, the first division, after firing, faces outwards, half to the right 

 and half to the left ; these subdivisions file away to the rear, where 

 they re-load . the second division fires, then tiles to the rear in like 

 manner, and so on. 



Enilnliovi nf a Regiment of Cavalry. The movements of cavalry on 

 a field of battle, like those of infantry, consist of marches to the front 

 or rear, in line or en echellon ; deploying from open or close columns 

 into line, and the converse. 



If it be required to form a line for attack from an open column 

 of divisions upon any particular division, those divisions which are 

 in front go about by threes and make a wheel forward on the outward 

 flank equal to one-eighth of a circle, and those which are in the rear 

 wheel forward one-eighth ; all the divisions being thus parallel to each 

 other, they march in this order up to the alignement on the division 

 which remained stationary, wheeling into it as they arrive. On the 

 contrary, if the column be in retreat, and it be required to form a 

 line on the defensive from an open column of divisions, suppose on 

 the first division of the first or leading squadron, the leading squadron 

 countermarches and all the remaining divisions make a wheel equal 

 to one-eighth of a circle, and in this order march up and wheel into 

 the alignement. It must be observed that the line first formed in 

 these cases is to be at the distance of two horses' length in rear of 

 the intended alignement, in order to allow the officers in front of each 

 squadron to dress the troops, which they can do more correctly than 

 the officers of divisions who are in the line itself. 



To deploy in line to the front from a close column of squadrons 

 for an attack, suppose on the second squadron ; all the squadrons 

 except this break into divisions by threes, as it is called (that is 

 into divisions consisting of three horses in each of the two lines) ; 

 the divisions of the first squadron wheel a quarter circle to the 

 right, and march in that order till they get beyond the squadron on 

 which the line is to be formed ; the third and fourth squadrons also 

 break into divisions in like manner, wheeling to the left, and march- 

 ing till they get opposite their respective places in the intended line, 

 which is supposed to be in front of the ground occupied by the 

 first squadion, and into this line all the squadrons now march. 

 But if the line be required to be formed on the rear of the regi- 

 ment when in retreat, for the purpose of defence, suppose on the 

 fourth squadron, this squadron must then change its front by a 

 counter-march, the others break iato divisions, wheel a quarter 

 circle, and march to the left till they come opposite their proper 



