Lead The Way! (#2) Answer!

[gunny]

You are the commander of an infantry regiment. You are instructed by your BRIGADE commander to SUPPORT the regiment to your right in its advance.

Problem is: The regiment to your right is already disappearing in the woods and hills to your right-front as you are forming.

Just as you are about to step off, your DIVISION commander directs you to advance to a hill a half mile to your front. As you commence the advance toward the hill, you hear heavy firing to your right. Apparently, the regiment to your right is heavily engaged.

Following the last order received, you continue on toward the hill as the firing on your right reaches a crescendo.

Just as you are arriving at the hill, your BRIGADE commander has sent an order for you to close up to the SUPPORT of the regiment on your right (which is out of view).

What do you do?

 

[gunny]

Additionally, following either order will likely lead to accomplishment of the "Commander's Intent." But what do YOU do?

 

[1SGDan]

Ah the age old dilemna. Follow the last order given or the order from the highest ranking officer.
In this instance moving to support the regiment on your right seems the best move. The brigade commander may have very well received new orders from the division commander, changing his last without your knowledge. This of course assumes that your tactical situation allows such a movement. If heavily engaged it would be out of the question.

 

[Pat Answer]

@gunny (and @1SGDan) These threads are truly thought-provoking. Nicely done. You'll be able to tell I have no military experience whatsoever upon reading this, but here goes.

Send a strong skirmish line up the hill to try and get a better view of situation.
If enemy is in front in strength, hold and inform brigade commander I cannot disengage.
If no enemy, skirmishers cover my move to the right. Inform brigade commander of division commander orders and request that follow-up troops occupy hill.
Resist the urge to second, third, and fourth guess myself...

 

[MajGenl.Meade]

Stay on the hill. There is no regiment to my right i.e. I have no idea where it actually is and therefore no idea what a supporting position would be and likewise no knowledge of how that regiment is moving - to the right, left, retrograde?

And send someone to clarify the situation with Division Brigade and bring back orders

 

[John Winn]

If I'm commander of a regiment then I'm probably a colonel or perhaps a major. At that level I likely have some discretion to interpret the situation in the field. The brigade commander may only be interpreting reports someplace in the rear.

As my original orders, and follow-up orders, are to support the unit on my right and I now hear them heavily engaged I'd support them. It's not only the latest order from the highest ranking officer but also makes the most sense given what I can see (hear) in the field.

Bierce wrote a short story about a guy who follows his orders to the letter even though it means he shoots his own troops (knowingly). Reasonable interpretation based on what can be observed to be happening (or not) is ... well ... reasonable.

 

[CW3O]

I would opt for supporting my comrades under fire, might catch the flank of those in contact with them. Eyes on the terrain would assist in this decision. Taking the high ground is an old military axiom and taught to every officer of that era, might be hard to overcome such training and indoctrination but I would still support my comrades on my right. Not doing so might lead to my flank be exposed or finding myself isolated on that very same high ground.

 

[DaveBrt]

"No commander can go far wrong who advances to the sound of the guns."

Try to make contact with the unit on the right ASAP.
Report the situation (including Division's orders) to the Brigade commander and tell him you are advancing to support.
Move out to the right.

 

[gunny]

Keep them coming. There is only ONE wrong answer.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

You are the commander of an infantry regiment. You are instructed by your BRIGADE commander to SUPPORT the regiment to your right in its advance.

Problem is: The regiment to your right is already disappearing in the woods and hills to your right-front as you are forming.

Just as you are about to step off, your DIVISION commander directs you to advance to a hill a half mile to your front. As you commence the advance toward the hill, you hear heavy firing to your right. Apparently, the regiment to your right is heavily engaged.

Following the last order received, you continue on toward the hill as the firing on your right reaches a crescendo.

Just as you are arriving at the hill, your BRIGADE commander has sent an order for you to close up to the SUPPORT of the regiment on your right (which is out of view).

What do you do?

I say nasty things about the legitimacy of the parentage of the commander of the regiment to my right, as he's clearly lost either control of his regiment or his mind. On the other hand, he may have been picked off early on. Anyway, I do my best to follow the brigade commander's instructions, UNLESS my divisional commander is right there with me and directly countermands it. (Assumption being that, all other things being equal, the brigade commander is closer to the situation and has a clearer view of the threat and conditions pertaining. But if there's a higher-ranker standing next to me that issues me a directly conflicting order, that's the exception.)

 

[Jamieva]

Nevermind I misread the scenario

 

[M.Warren]

I would opt for supporting my comrades under fire, might catch the flank of those in contact with them. Eyes on the terrain would assist in this decision. Taking the high ground is an old military axiom and taught to every officer of that era, might be hard to overcome such training and indoctrination but I would still support my comrades on my right. Not doing so might lead to my flank be exposed or finding myself isolated on that very same high ground.

Spot on IMO. Form skirmish line, move forward right. Assess your friendly right situation on the move. Attempt to gain high ground, engage and suppress the enemies right flank, cover friendly left, while assessing the forward situation and following brigade/last command. If the enemy engaging your friendly's reg. is suppressed and pushed back form skirmish line, move forward left only if your right flank supported by friendly reg. to avoid opening the line and inviting fire on your right flank. Continue to hilltop, following senior command. Form defensive line. If you aren't able to push back the enemy lines on your right flank follow the last command given,fall back, form defensive line on friendly's left flank and continue to engage. Inform div. command that you aren't able to disengage or move forward so you followed the last command given and covered your butt.

 

[Pat Answer]

I know what I wouldn't do is advance a 1/2 mile to that hill. If you get there you have opened your unit up to flank and rear attack from your right where you were supposed to be in support.

That's a good point, but according to the OP we're there already.

 

[AUG]

I'd support the other regiment as ordered, especially since I don't know whats on the hill to my front. Throwing out a skirmish line would give me some information, but that may take up some valuable time while the regiment to my right is in need of assistance. Another good thing to know would be the distance from the hill to the other regiment.

Edit: I could have a company form a skirmish line to my left on the hill and move toward the other regiment, therefore keeping my left flank covered while I move to the right.

 

[Jamieva]

That's a good point, but according to the OP we're there already.

yeah I misread it. I thought the question revolved around if you keep going to the hill or support the unit on your right.

There's something to be said for marching to the sound of the guns but if that unit is fighting in hilly, wooded territory you are very likely to stumble into the enemy without knowing it or take some friendly fire. I would want more intel on the disposition of troops and the land. I realize as a regiment commander that is usually above their pay scale so to say but I just cannot see blindly marching into some woods hoping to find the unit i am to support.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I would want more intel on the disposition of troops and the land.

I'm sure most intelligent regimental commanders felt that way! But in reality, nearly everyone is always operating at something less than 100% full information.

 

[Jamieva]

I'm sure most intelligent regimental commanders felt that way! But in reality, nearly everyone is always operating at something less than 100% full information.

Agree. Ideally I want more. If I cannot get more info then I am just marching to the sounds of the guns and having my right unit feel for friendlies.

 

[M.Warren]

Agree. Ideally I want more. If I cannot get more info then I am just marching to the sounds of the guns and having my right unit feel for friendlies.

Agreed. Obtaining and retaining situational awareness is key.

 

[John Winn]

Agree. Ideally I want more. If I cannot get more info then I am just marching to the sounds of the guns and having my right unit feel for friendlies.

As others advised, you'd not just form a column and march; you'd form a skirmish line and likely send runners to feel out what's going on, try to make contact with the commander of the other regiment, and determine where you are needed. But just sitting there on that hill waiting for somebody to tell you what to do doesn't seem prudent to me. Your orders were to support the regiment on your right. And as has also been pointed out by others, now that there's heavy engagement on your right you are at some risk of being cut off on that hill and the whole line defeated in detail.

 

[gunny]

Additionally--to clarify....

You are APPROACHING the hill you have been ordered to, but not quite at it when you get the conflicting order. Don't know if this will change any thoughts, but making sure this is understood.