THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
471 
beyond reach of support . 1 2 The special employment of any one arm in the 
advanced guard cannot be considered without constant reference to the other 
branches of the service with which it is allied. The normal action of the 
force is, besides, a case where the mutual dependence of the three arms is 
especially prominent. The constitution and duties of the artillery can best 
be judged of by considering the advanced guards of 
Firstly. An army on the march. 
Secondly. An army in immediate presence of an enemy. 
First Case.—An Army on the March. 
All tactical writers agree upon the necessity of having a normal order of Relative 
march . 3 Though circumstances and features of the soil vary incessantly, it ^verli n ° f 
is necessary to have a fixed method in progression. Experience teaches us Arms> 
that in nine cases out of ten that may arise, a normal order of march need 
not be interfered with. The few exceptional instances are well known, and 
their modifying influence clearly defined. The troops leading the advanced 
guard regulate the rate of advance of the main body. As, in addition to 
progression to the front, they have sundry duties of reconnoitring and 
clearing away obstacles of all kinds, it is evident they should be very mobile. 
Cavalry, then, when the ground admits of it, takes the head of the column. 
As cavalry has to fall back in presence of small bodies of hostile infantry, 
and cannot enter defiles of any kind alone, it has to be supported by a 
certain force of infantry. The main body of the infantry, whose duty is to 
arrest the enemy by either offensive or defensive action, will naturally be 
further in rear. The artillery must be sufficiently far forward to meet the 
first shock of the enemy ; 3 at the same time, its main object is to assist and 
support the action of the main body of the infantry. 
As a result of these considerations, an advanced guard is divided into a 
main body, consisting of the major portion of the infantry and artillery, and 
an advanced body, or vanguard, composed of the lightest troops. In the 
case of a large advanced guard—such as that of a corps d’armee —an inter¬ 
mediate body is generally necessary to support effectually the van . 4 Commu¬ 
nication has to be kept up between these several constituents, and also with 
the main column and neighbouring troops—a work usually effected by 
cavalry. Patrols and skirmishers have to be sent out to search the country, 
and small bodies have often to be detached to cover unprotected flanks. 
Artillery is rarely sent with these detachments. It is impossible to lay down 
exact intervals between the various portions of an advanced guard, as the 
state of the weather, the features of the country, and the number and con¬ 
stitution of the troops, are all disturbing causes. The great principle to be 
1 “In the advance of the 3rd> 7th, and 8th German Corps towards Saarbruck, the advanced 
guards were from 3 to 4| miles ahead.”—“Attack of Prussian Infantry,” by Duke of Wurtemburg. 
Passing through the Trautenau defile, in 1866, the advanced guard of the 2nd Division was 
1| miles ahead of the main body. 
2 “ II faut avoir des principes; il ne faut pas se livrer au hasard de 1’inspiration.”—Bugeaud. 
3 “ Ausbildung der Infanterie,” Yon Waldersee. 
4 The larger advanced guards are divided into a front troop ( vortrupp ), main troop {haupttrupp), 
and main body ( gros ).—“The Army of the North German Confederation;” 
