Hi Folks,
I must express my thanks to David Murdoch for providing me with the
training pamphlet for the above title that was used in Mesopotamia 1918.
David has mentioned proceeding the pamphlet there would have been some sort of SOP for operating Armoured Motor Vehicles and so this pamphlet would have been published based on past experiences.
This pamphlet allows for scope when incorporating into your gaming your
armoured cars. I've copied and pasted the contents below.
I'm currently working on the Asien Korps Establishment that will assist gamers when fielding this force - Hopefully tomorrow
July
1918
Ko. O/1272/86.
LIGHT ARMOURED MOTOR CAR TRAINING
Issued by
The General Staff.
Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force.
LIGHT ARMOURED MOTOR CAR TRAINING
(PROVISIONAL)
1918.
MESOPOTAMIA.
-------
PART 1.
-------
TRAINING.
1. Training is to be divided into -------
(a) Individual Training.
(b) Collective Training.
2. Individual training will be carried out during the hot weather
months, so that the
personnel of batteries are fit for employment collectively, and, if
operations admit, for
collective training, by the beginning of October.
3. Officers and N.C.O. s must be capable of imparting instruction
to their batteries,
sections, or armoured car crews, and should have a good knowledge of
the principles
governing the employment of Light Armoured Cars in the field, as well
as their armament and mechanism.
Page 2.
4. Every effort should be made to foster a spirit of healthy
rivalry and emulation not
only between units, but between the different sections, and even
individual car crews
in a battery. To this end, sections and crews should be kept un-
altered as much as
possible, individual cars given distinguishing names, ect .,
inter- battery and inter-
section competitions organised, and so forth.
5. As in all other branches of the service, a sound soldierly
spirit is of the greatest
importance in Light Armoured Car Batteries, produced as it is by a
high sense of personal honour and of duty, of self-reliance, and of
mutual confidence between all
ranks. Officers and N.C.O. s must set a high standard, both moral and
physical, to
their men. Men should learn by the example set them to meet privations
cheerfully, and
never to grumble at hardship or hard work. Above all, it should be
impressed on all ranks that nothing is impossible until it has been
tried; the word "cannot" therefore,
should never appear in the vocabulary of L.A.M.B. personnel.
INDIVIDUAL TRAINING.
6. The individual training will include:-
(a) Development of the soldierly spirit. In this, drill is an important
factor; special attention
Page3.
is to be paid to the smart and precise handling of arms, and
particularly the clean and uniform turnout of the men. All ranks are to
be put through a course of squad drill with
and without arms. (Infantry Training, Sections 10 to 74).
(b) Physical Training. To maintain the men in good bodily health
during the hot weather, it is important that all ranks should be put
through at least half an hour's physical training every day. These may
be varied by occasional route marches; in places where bathing is
possible, they may well be combined with bathing parades held
immediately afterwards.
(c) Training in Signalling. All ranks should be efficient in
Semaphore. In addition, 16 men per battery should be trained to send
and read Morse with a flag only.
(d) Machine Gun Instruction. In addition to the M.G.C. personnel, who
all receive thorough grounding in the Vickers gun prior to arriving in
this country, all drivers of armoured cars are to be trained in the
mechanism of a Vickers gun, and in stoppages, and should be taught how
to fire. During the training season, they and the M.G.C. personnel
should be practiced once a fortnight in firing with ball ammunition
from armoured cars.
Page4.
Nos. 1 and 2 gunners should also be occasionally practised in firing
from a moving car.
All ranks should be given frequent practice in filling machine gun
belts, both by hand and machine.
(e) Driving. During the training season, as many spare armoured car
drivers are to be trained as possible. This training should commence
with instruction in driving a heavy motor lorry, and when the drivers
under training have obtained sufficient experience in steering a heavy
vehicle, should be continued in armoured cars. Drivers should also
receive instruction in tyre repairing, theory of the petrol engine,
lubricating, care and cleaning of cars, and adjustment of brakes, and
should be practised in driving across country on a magnetic bearing by
means of a compensated compass.
In addition, as many gunners as possible should receive sufficient
instruction in driving to enable them to drive an armoured car out of
action, in case of the driver becoming a casualty. All gunners should
also learn how to change tyres and wheels.
(f) Training of Cyclist Scouts. These, in addition to being instructed
in the duties of
Page 5.
despatch riders, should also be specially trained to select the best
route across country for armoured cars, and should be able to
differentiate between passable and impassable
country. This is their most important rôle in Mesopotamia, and they
should therefore be given every opportunity of learning the limits and
capabilities of armoured cars.
Scouts must also be taught that when a car, out on reconnaissances ,
ect., halts, its scouts are responsible for its safety, and should
therefore automatically, as soon as the car halts, go to positions from
which the ground to the immediate front and flanks can be watched. In
order that they may be able to carry out these protective duties, all
cyclists are equipped with rifles. They are always to accompany their
battery or section until they come under fire, or are ordered back.
(g) Musketry Training. All personnel armed with rifles should fire
annually the practices as laid down in Appendix II, Musketry
Regulations, Part I, Table B, for Royal Artillery, A.S.C. and A.O.C.
All personnel (including officers) armed with revolvers will be
practiced in their use in
Accordance with para.295, Musketry Regulations, Part I.
Page 6.
(h) Practice in Map Reading and Sketching. Every opportunity should
be taken of giving officers and N.C.O. s instruction and practice in
these. The absence of details on the ground or the imperfect state of
maps will often render it impossible for map reading to be practiced.
Under these circumstances, officers and N.C.O. s should be practiced
in making sketches of definite areas with the help of a compass, the
contours of the ground being filled by eye.
COLLECTIVE TRAINING.
7. Collective training will be carried out at the end of the hot
weather, when
the individual training is completed, and should include the carrying
out on ground of various tactical schemes, embodying the various ways
in which armoured cars can be employed.
It will be advisable, if it can be arranged, for the battery, to carry
out combined training with cavalry and infantry, so that co-operation
between the arms may be facilitated and encouraged.
TRAINING OF OFFICERS.
8. Since the principal rôle of light armoured cars, both during
active operations and at
other
Page 7.
Times, is the reconnoitring of, and keeping in touch with, the
enemy's advanced troops, it is of the highest importance that all
armoured car officers should be expert in reconnaissance work,
entailing as it does the writing of concise and accurate reports, and
the execution of eye sketches which should convey by means of contours,
a correct idea of the ground. All officers should, therefore, receive
continual practice and instruction. They should be fully acquainted
with the correct method of writing a message, or report, the following
sequence being invariably adhered to, when transmitting intelligence,
ect.:-
(a) Information regarding the enemy; if possible, definite numbers, and
definite localities to be stated.
(b) Information regarding our own forces.
(c) Action proposed by the writer of the message or report.
In the case of road reports, or reports on certain tracts of country,
the form laid down in Appendix A should be followed.
During the period of collective training, the battery commander should
give section officers frequent opportunities of commanding the battery
and of carrying out the scheme set. Battery
Page 8.
Commanders should take every opportunity of testing their section
officers` capabilities in reconnaissance.
Section officers should also receive training in the tactics of light
armoured cars, by means of schemes without cars, which may be worked
out either on maps or on the ground, and in which the different methods
of employment of armoured cars are exemplified. In the framing of
schemes, the arrangements for the transport and supply of petrol, oil,
ammunition, ect., should not be omitted.
It should be impressed on junior officers at all times that, to obtain
full advantage of the pace of a light armoured car, push,
determination, and energy are required of the armoured car commander in
action. They should also realise that, during active operations they
must be prepared to run risks of damaging wheels, springs, ect., which
would not be justifiable under ordinary conditions.
DRILL.
9. Under fighting conditions, the car commander will be sitting
beside the driver,
and his field of vision is therefore very limited, especially if
the flap in front of the
driver is closed. It is
Page 9.
therefore impossible for the battery commander's car to be kept
continually in view by the other cars of the battery, and any form of
combined movements or evolutions when the battery is under fire is out
of the question. Drill with armoured cars is therefore not required of
an armoured car battery. Certain flag signals are used (see Appendix
B), and these should be thoroughly known by all ranks.
10. The following drill will be carried out before cars leave
billets or camps:-
(a) The battery will "fall-in" well in front of the line of cars, in
two ranks. Motor cycles will be 2 paces behind their respective
armoured cars. If box bodies are on parade they will be drawn up 10
yards behind the line of armoured cars.
(b) On the command "Detachments Front, Double March" being given, the
whole will take a right turn, and double to the cars to which they have
been allotted ( men armed with rifles at the trail) and take up their
positions as under:-
Armoured Cars. In line two paces in front of car, from right to left,
No. 2 gunner, driver, and No. 1 gunner , officers, and car commander 2
paces in front of the crew of their particular car.
Page 10.
Box Bodies. In line 2 paces in front of car, from right to left, No. 1
driver, spare personnel, and No.2 driver.
Cyclists. Take up position on the left of their cycles.
The whole will take up the dressing accurately.
(c) On the command "Take Post" being given, the whole (with the
exception of cyclists) will turn to their right, and double round the
cars clock-wise to their posts as under:-
Armoured Cars. No. 2 gunner against near-side spare wheel, driver
inside car at the wheel. Officer or N.C.O. against the off-side spare
wheel. No.1 gunner with his back to the starting handle.
Box Bodies. No 1 driver to take his place at the wheel, spare personnel
in rear of car. No.2 driver with his back to starting handle.
Cyclists. Remain in last position, but will sling their rifles.
The whole on taking up position will stand at ease.
(d) On one blast on a whistle being sounded, armoured cars (No.1
gunners) box bodies (No.2
Page 11.
drivers) and cyclists (except in the case of Douglas motor cycles)
will start their engines. (The last taking their positions in the
saddle.)
On each engine starting up, the starter, in the case of the cars, will
about turn, hold up his left hand, drop his hand, and stand at ease.
Cyclists will remain in their seats but hold up their left hand for the
same period.
(e) On two blasts on a whistle being sounded, on the second blast the
whole ( with exception of cyclists and drivers already seated) will
spring smartly to attention, and doubling round the cars in the same
direction as before, mount into their positions in the cars. In
armoured cars, only the officer and N.C.O. will remain standing outside.
11. On all occasions when the battery parades without its armoured
cars, the drill laid down in Infantry Training will be adhered to.
Page 12. (blank)
Page 13.
PART 11.
----------
PRICIPLES OF THE EMPLOYMENT OF
ARMOURED CARS.
General.
1. In Mesopotamia, the light armoured car unit is the battery, which
consists of 4 sections of two armoured cars each, or 8 armoured cars in
all, together with the necessary motor transport, and 10 motor
cyclists, who are employed as scouts and dispatch riders. Light
armoured cars vary in type, but their general characteristics are an
armour- plated turret, containing either one or two machine guns,
mounted on a chassis, the engine and petrol tank of which are also
protected by armour plating: the machine guns can, if necessary, be
dismounted and used outside. The crew of a car consists of a commander,
2 gunners, and one or two drivers. In action with all doors and flaps
closed, the field of vision is limited and it is impossible for the
battery commander's car to be kept continually in view by the other
cars of the battery. It is therefore out of the question for intricate
manoeuvres to be carried out by the battery when under enemy fire. In
the majority
Page 14.
of cases, the battery commander will lead, the cars in the rear
following suit, or, in the case of emergency, , acting on the
initiative of the individual commanders.
2. Along a good road, light armoured cars are capable of high speed, up
to 40 miles an hour, bur this can seldom be attained on the roads in
Mesopotamia: on the other hand, owing to the great weight of the
turret, it is necessary to slow down very considerably to go over any
small unevennesses in the road, to avoid the risk of damaging springs
or wheels; in consequence, the average pace of light armoured cars over
long distances of road is not above 10 miles per hour. During
operations, and especially when engaged with the enemy, armoured car
commanders must be prepared to run risks of damaging wheels, springs,
ect., in order to get full advantage out of the pace of the cars, when
opportunities offer.
With full petrol tanks, the distance a light armoured car can be
counted on to cover without refilling is 100 miles, though with good
going, it may be able to cover considerably more. In addition to
petrol, the armoured car requires to be supplied with engine oil, the
consumption of which averages 70 miles to the gallon.
Page 15.
3. Light armoured cars are capable of being driven across country, but
it is only over good hard desert that they can be driven in a straight
line for any distance. On any other surface, armoured cars have to pick
their route according to the lie and nature of the ground; this entails
a considerable restriction in speed. It frequently happens that ground,
which at first sight appears hard and sound, has only a hard
superficial crust, through which an armoured car will go right up to
its axles: before it can be definitely stated, therefore, that a
certain tract of ground is practical for armoured cars, it requires to
be reconnoitered first, preferably by armoured cars themselves. On the
unmetalled roads which are found in Mesopotamia, wet weather interferes
very considerably with the employment of armoured cars, and, in the
case of heavy rains, might entirely prevent their power of movement.
Protection against Rifle Fire.
4. The plating of light armoured cars is proof against bullets
(excluding armour piercing bullets), shrapnel, and splinters from
shell, but is not proof against a direct hit from any calibre of gun,
or against armour piercing bullets. Under rifle fire, their only
vulnerable points are the tyres;
Page 16.
the fly-wheel and under parts of the engine are also liable to be
damaged by bullets which ricochet off the ground. It is therefore
possible for armoured cars to approach enemy trenches held by rifle-men
or machine guns, with comparative impunity, provided that the ground is
hard and sound, and allows the cars to move quickly. Experience however
shows that the ground seldom admits of armoured cars going freely
across unreconnoitred country, without running risks of suddenly
getting into treacherous ground, and becoming bogged; except on hard
desert, armoured cars cannot count on being able to go straight ahead
across country but will always have to pick their way. This, under
fighting conditions, with the car commander sitting beside the driver,
when his field of vision is very limited owing to the flap in front of
the driver being closed, will be extremely difficult. Except,
therefore, where it is known that the ground permits freedom of
manoeuvre, it is not advisable for armoured cars, when engaged with the
enemy, to leave tracks or roads.
Action under Artillery Fire.
5. Under hostile artillery fire, it should be borne in mind that the
pace of the light armoured
Page 17.
car is its best protection, and that the chances of the enemy obtaining
a direct hit at ranges over 3,000 yards are very small. Armoured cars
should therefore be able to push on under shell fire at any rate up to
3,000 yards from the enemy's position, intervals between individual
cars being increased to 150 yards. Should the ground allow of it, it
will be preferable for armoured cars to get away from the road, which
will in all probability have been accurately registered by the enemy's
artillery, and follow a zigzag route in advancing, although this will
be open to the same risks as mentioned in the preceding paragraph. At
ranges under 3,000 yards, it is not advisable, except in cases of
emergency, for armoured cars to continue to advance under hostile
artillery fire, as the chances of direct hits being obtained are
considerably enhanced, especially if the enemy's gunners are laying
over open sights. In these circumstances it will be advisable for the
armoured cars to withdraw behind cover, until our artillery can be
brought up to silence the enemy's guns. When armoured cars are sent
forward on a distant reconnaissance, it may often happen that their
advance is barred by a section of hostile guns left behind purposely to
check them: in cases such as this, arrangements should be made by the
formation
Page 18.
Sending out the reconnaissance for the armoured cars to be
supported by artillery. If mountain guns are available,
it may by possible to send them forward in Ford vans to provide
this support.
6. To obtain full value from the pace, and immunity to rifle fire
of light armoured cars, it is essential that they should be handled
with boldness and determination. Quick decision is also required to
take advantage of opportunities which may be fleeting. At the same
time, every due precaution should be taken in moving forward ; a halt
should be made whenever any high ground is reached, or anything
suspicious is noticed, in order to allow the ground in front being
carefully scanned. It should be a maxim in the employment of armoured
cars that the leading section or sections should always push on, when
fire is first opened on them, the section or sections in rear halting
according to a prearranged plan and opening covering fire, for which
deployment into line may be necessary.
Movements of Light Armoured Car Units.
7. On the march, arrangements should be made for light armoured car
batteries to precede all other units, provided that this does not entail
Page 19.
their starting before daybreak. Armoured cars cannot keep pace with a
marching column for any distance, entailing as it does their moving on
lowest gear, and they should never therefore be included in a march
table. Should the enemy be encountered, the armoured cars will
invariably be required at the head of the column; if they are some way
back, considerable difficulty will be experienced by them in passing
infantry and artillery units, apart from the time taken up. Again,
should the column in the course of its march have to cross any bad
places, such as steep crossings over a nullah, or patch of wet or muddy
going, it is preferable that armoured cars should cross these places
before horse-drawn transport makes them worse, lest they should have
difficulty in getting through them.
Reconnaissance.
8. Owing to their speed and wide radius of action, light armoured cars
are especially suited for distant reconnaissances and pursuit. In the
case of reconnaissances, the officer commanding the L.A.M. Battery or
L.A.M. Batteries should be given definite instructions as to the
information required, positions of our own troops, and the
Page 20.
place to which reports are to be sent. The route to be followed should
be left as far as possible to the L.A.M. Battery commander.
9. Should the route to be followed run through country difficult for
armoured cars, or where, owing to the ground, an enemy could approach
to within close range of the road under cover, it may be advisable to
attach a party of infantry in Ford vans to the L.A.M. Battery or
Batteries so that these could be dropped by O.C., L.A.M. Battery (or
Batteries) at places where the enemy might interpose a force, and
obstruct the return journey of the armoured cars. Under certain
conditions, as for instance when the enemy is known to have artillery
with him, it may be advisable to provide artillery support for armoured
cars. As suggested in para. 5, this may be effected by sending mountain
guns, if available, in Ford vans, with the armoured cars.
10. Light armoured cars can also be effectively used for close
tactical reconnaissance of
an enemy's position. Here again, it will depend on the ground as to
whether the cars can
approach to within close range of the enemy's position; should
there be any doubt on this
point, it is advisable that arrangements be made for the
Page 21.
co-operation of cavalry or infantry. These may be called upon to carry
out the reconnaissance themselves, if the ground is found unsuitable
for armoured cars, which would, of course co-operate as far as
possible. The commander of the armoured cars should, for the purposes
of the reconnaissance, tell off sections to approach definite sections
of the hostile position as near as the ground permits: the commanders
of these armoured car sections must be bold and quick in their
movements and endeavour to draw a maximum of fire.
11. Light armoured cars should invariably work in pairs both for
mutual support and also for mutual assistance, in case one gets into
difficulties. For distant reconnaissances and journeys, it is however
advisable that never less than 4 armoured cars be detailed for the
task. If only one section is sent, and one car gets into difficulties,
the personnel of the other car, and probably the other car itself, will
be required to assist in the work of extrication; there would be thus
not any fire power immediately available, should the enemy approach
unseen, and suddenly open fire. Another advantage of having more than
one section working together, is that should the enemy be suddenly
encountered and open fire,
Page 22.
The leading section is able to push on, and endeavour to clear up the
situation by pushing through the enemy, while the section in the rear
opens covering fire. This should prevent the enemy from holding up an
armoured car reconnaissance by sending out a small detachment to waylay
the armoured cars. Action such as is outlined above would not be
possible if only one section is sent.
Co-operation with Infantry in an Attack.
12. When co-operating with infantry in the attack, the method of
employment of light armoured cars must vary according to the ground.
When the going is good and sound, as on the desert, allowing freedom
of manoeuvre, armoured cars are best employed on the flank or flanks to
pin the enemy to his ground, to keep off enemy flanking fire, and to
bring enfilade fire to bear on the line being attacked. A portion of
the armoured cars should generally be kept in reserve during an attack,
so as to be in a position to take up the pursuit immediately the enemy
commences to withdraw.
13. In less favourable ground, across which armoured cars will have to
pick their way, it will probably be advisable for them to keep to the
road.
Page 23.
This will probably have been accurately registered by the enemy's
artillery, part of which may be specially told off to deal with
armoured cars by firing from concealed positions at close ranges,
laying over open sights. In these circumstances, before the armoured
cars advance, it will be necessary for the enemy's artillery to be
silenced, or for the armoured card to delay their advance until the
troops they are co-operating with move forward, so as to prevent the
enemy's artillery from concentrating on them as they advance along the
road.
Once the enemy's artillery fire has been silenced or their guns
withdrawn, armoured cars should be pushed forward with the utmost
boldness, the leading cars being told off to pass through the enemy's
position, if possible, and commence the pursuit, while the cars in the
rear remain and deal with the enemy's infantry and machine guns and
thus facilitate the advance of our own troops.
14. Should the tactical position demand it, armoured cars may well be
employed to protect the flank of troops advancing to attack a position
held by the enemy. As conditions would probably admit of the ground
being reconnoitered as
Page 24.
the armoured cars move, and as their, their rôle being defensive rather
than offensive, the pace at which they require to move would
necessarily be slow, the advisability for them to move on the road,
mentioned in the preceding paragraph, would not apply.
Pursuit.
15. In pursuit, conditions in Mesopotamia will seldom admit of light
armoured cars being employed in any other than a direct pursuit, owing
to the absence of a network of roads, and the improbability of the
armoured cars being able to travel for any distance across country. It
will only be with exceptionally favourable conditions of ground, ect.,
that armoured car batteries can be employed in parallel lines, or to
intercept an enemy's retreat.
Rearguard Action.
16. Light armoured cars, on account of their fire power, and speed,
can be of the greatest assistance in a rear guard action. The ground in
their rear over which they will eventually be required to withdraw,
will be known, and have been reconnoitered; cars will doubtless often
be able to move back along their own tracks, always
Page 25.
a great advantage, as the car commander knows for certainty that the
ground he is going over is sound, and the tracks themselves offer a
harder surface on which to run than ground over which fresh tracks have
to be made.
In broken or hilly country, armoured cars are not able to protect their
flanks, when halted, as the personnel carried is only sufficient for
the working of the car and cannot leave it; the cyclist scouts with the
battery or section can be dispatched to watch the flanks, but they are
too few in numbers to afford any protection. Armoured cars should
never, therefore, halt in country over which there is a field of fire
of less than 400 yards to either flank; if it is necessary for them to
pass through difficult country in withdrawing, it is advisable that
their passage through it should be assisted by other arms, preferably
infantry in Ford vans. The danger of enterprising bodies of the enemy
interposing between the rear guard and the armoured cars left behind,
and blocking the withdrawal of the latter by digging trenches,
constructing barricades across roads, destroying culverts or bridges,
ect., must always be guarded against.
Action at night.
17. Light armoured cars are not capable of
Page 26.
taking part in night operations, and should never be called upon to
move at night without head-lights. They can if necessary, travel for
short distances along a road, but this can only be done at walking
pace, to avoid risk of damage to the springs and wheels, and on their
lowest gears, which entails the engines becoming overheated. It is
impossible for armoured cars to move across country at night without
running very serious risks of damage to engines through striking
obstacles such as projecting rocks, quite apart from the probability of
the cars being bogged in treacherous ground. Armoured cars therefore
cannot be used for outpost duties at night, except as stationary
machine gun platforms from which an approach to the outpost position
can be covered. Another factor that militates against the use of
armoured cars at night is the fact that no spare numbers over and above
those essential for working the car are included in the crew of an
armoured car: hence, if the crews are to get adequate rest, they should
not be called upon to do duty at night. Armoured cars therefore require
protection by other arms at night.
Co-operation with Cavalry.
18. Their power of carrying out long
Page 27.
reconnaissances, their fire power and their mobility make light
armoured cars a valuable adjunct to cavalry. A definite mission or rôle
should be assigned to them by the cavalry commander, which, except in
operations on hard desert ground, or over ground that has been
reconnoitered and is known to be hard and sound, should seldom require
the armoured cars to move for any distance across unreconnoitered
country. It will generally be more economical both in petrol and and in
time, if the co-operation of the armoured cars can be achieved without
their being required to move off roads or tracks. Apart from their
employment on reconnaissance work, which has already been referred to,
and in which they can greatly save the wastage of horseflesh, armoured
cars, in co-operating with mounted troops in an attack, might well be
used to form a pivot of manoeuvre by advancing frontally towards an
enemy's position, preferably with artillery support, while the cavalry
carry out a wide turning movement to one flank. As soon as the cavalry
make themselves felt on the enemy's flanks, opportunities for the
armoured cars to get into and through the enemy's position when they
would be well placed to take up the pursuit. When the going admits of
cars moving freely across country,
Page 28.
they may also be usefully employed on the lines suggested in para. 12.
19. In the case of the successful interception of the enemy's line of
retreat by a force of mounted troops accompanied by armoured cars, part
of these latter should be despatched as early as possible to guard
against the approach of any relieving hostile body, while the balance
of the cars are kept in hand to be used either for reconnaissance
towards the intercepted body of the enemy, or to co- operate in staving
any attempt it might make to break through.
Action against hostile armoured cars.
20. The methods to be employed by light armoured cars against enemy
armoured cars, should they be encountered, must still depend very much
on conjecture. The value of surprise and initiative in such encounters
will always be paramount. It is to be presumed that both sides will be
equipped with armour piercing bullets, and the rapidity with which a
well directed burst of machine gun fire can be directed on the leading
car of the opposing side will probably be the deciding factor in the
fight. No definite plan of action can therefore be laid down, as this
must depend entirely upon, and vary according to, the
Page 29.
Conditions under which armoured cars of the opposing sides meet: it may
be accepted as a rule, however, that the objective of the first bursts
with armoured piercing bullets should be at the personnel, rather then
the engines or other parts of the opposing cars.
For a successful issue, boldness, determination, and quick decision,
will be required of the armoured car unit commander.
Page 30. (blank)
Page 31.
APPENDIX A.
NOTE.- Direction of Route Reports should correspond with our direction
of advance, e.g., Shaikh Sa `ad to Baghdad and not Baghdad to Shaikh
Sa'ad.
ROUTE REPORT
From........................................
To..................................
Via.......................................
Distance..........................................
Miles.............................Stages.
Authorities with
dates...................................................................
.......................................
EPITOME
1. General.- (a) A brief general description of the route,
stating throughout the nature of arm by which passable. Stare also if
passable for motor cars and heavy lorries, and at what seasons.
(b) Passable between...........? Place and .................?
Place for (e.g. A.T. Carts).
Passable between............? Place and..................?
Place for (e.g. camels).
Passable between............? Place and..................?
Place for(e.g. motor cars).
Passable between............? Place and...................?
Place for (e.g. coolie transport only).
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Passable between.............? Place and..................?
Place for (e.g. mules only).
noting on the surface and gradients in each case. Also facilities for
flooding or seriously damaging any particular part of the road, thus
rendering it impassable.
(c) A general description of any physical features, e.g., passes or
defiles, with remarks on any sections of the route closed on rccount
of snow, floods, ect., giving dates from and to when closed. Mention
any particularly unhealthy locality through which the route passes.
(d) Any possible intermediate halting place in the case of stages
exceeding eighteen miles.
2. Drinking Water.—General idea throughout route, for men and animals,
giving quantity, quality and whether from wells, rivers, lakes, marshes
or canals. Size of force in men and animals for which sufficient, with
duration of supply. Whether supply permanent and always drinkable; and
if not, dates between which available. Mention stages where there is no
water or where scanty or brackish. Facilities for watering animals and
any special gear necessary for drawing water.
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3. Supplies.—A general statement of grain, type and amount available,
and where. Also hay, straw, bhoosa, sheep, cattle, fruit and
vegetables, giving time required to collect sufficient for unit, e.g.,
squadron, battalion, division, ect. Any bazaars where stores, ect,,
procurable. If necessary give negative information.
4. Transport.—What boats, vehicles, or animals of burden or draught
could be made available, giving approximate numbers and locality.
5. Fuel.—Quantity, quality and places where available.
6. Grazing.—(a) For horses and cattle (b) for camels, giving quantity,
quality and location, and months when available.
7. Obstacles.—Such as canals, passes, defiles, snow, rivers, floods,
marshes, or heavy going, saying how to deal with it.
8. Additional work necessary.—A general statement as to how much work
and time would be necessary to make various sections of the route or
bridges passable for either pack mules, camels,
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A.T. carts and field guns, motor cars, or heavy guns and motor lorries.
9. Camping Grounds.—General note on their extent and size of force for
which suitable, and whether subject to floods. Note any that are
particularly bad.
10. Communications.—Other routes joining, crossing or neighbouring.
Railways, rivers, and canals if navigable; telephones or telegraphs,
stating locality in each case.
11. Inhabitants.—Density of population, names of tribes and whether
friendly or hostile.
12. Climate.—At various seasons.
13. Rain and Floods.—Effect of each on the movement of various types of
arms and transport. If floods are permanent give dates when due and
probable duration. Extent at various seasons.
14. Tactical.—Any naturally strong positions favourable to either
ourselves or the enemy.
15. Alternative Routes.—Giving details as above.
16. Alternative Stages.—If any.
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At each stage give the following information:--
No. of Name of
DISTANCE Remarks
Stage. Stage. Inter. Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
... ........... –m. –
m. Give general bearing of stage, e.g., and follow with a
detailed progressive description of the route, mile by mile where
necessary. Note on surface of road and passability for various arms
and types of transport, and how seasons would affect passability. Note
any landmarks or villages and give details of the general points
touched on paras.1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, and 16, at
each stage where applicable.
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APPENDIX B.
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