THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
443 
Rules for our oum conduct . 
These peculiarities of the Prussian army considered, the troops of the 
I. It. northern army will conform generally to the following instructions :— 
(1) The rules prescribed by the Kegulations are always to preserve their 
full validity, for an unshakeable confidence in their worth is in war, the 
best foundation of success. 
(2) A blind rushing forward without knowledge of the enemy's position 
or of the distribution of his forces is just as inadmissible as a timorous 
feeling of the ground in various directions. 
(3) The peculiarities of each of the arms of which the army consists must 
always be taken fully into account, and when more than one are combined 
to form a larger tactical unit, the bringing of each into action and at the 
right moment is the point never to be lost sight of. On the mutual, well- 
timed, and liberal support of the different arms depends the probability of 
the success of an enterprize. 
(4) Inasmuch as the orders emanating from head-quarters are only 
applicable to certain circumstances as known just at the moment of their 
issue, and therefore can only point out the proper line of conduct generally, 
it rests with the commanding officer concerned to act not according to the 
letter only, but to the spirit of the order, and to give such particular 
rendering and development to the general directions received as circumstances 
demand at the moment of their execution. And this is to be accepted as 
an invariable principle, that every detached body of troops unless it receives 
some special instructions, should consider itself as in connexion with the 
troops on its flanks and rear; it is therefore its duty always to acquire and 
keep up a knowledge of everything that takes place concerning the troops 
in its neighbourhood; this and its own situation determine whether it should 
operate in any new direction, which, however, is enjoined when no enemy is 
in front, and the sound of cannon is heard elsewhere. 
(5) Thick chains of skirmishers are always to be avoided. The skirmishers 
should not open fire till they have approached to 300 paces from the 
enemy's line of skirmishers. 
At 300 paces distance from the skirmishers follows the first line usually 
in divisions, 300 paces behind these the second line in battalion columns or 
in masses. It is to be understood that these distances, which are calculated 
for open ground, may be diminished in broken or enclosed country. 
(6) To become entangled in anything like a prolonged musketry combat 
is strenuously to be avoided; any necessary feeling of the way preparatory 
for more general action must be executed rapidly and energetically with 
few and good sharpshooters, some light cavalry, and the whole of the 
disposable artillery; such preliminaries to be followed at the right moment 
by a vigorous onset of infantry and cavalry in close order* 
