rts and reserves return to the main body independently, each
by the shortest route.

When relieved by an advance guard, the outpost troops ordinarily join
their units as the column passes.

Evening and shortly before dawn are hours of special danger. The enemy
may attack late in the day in order to establish himself on captured
ground by intrenching during the night; or he may send forward troops
under cover of darkness in order to make a strong attack at early
dawn. Special precaution is therefore taken at those hours by holding
the outpost in readiness, and by sending patrols in advance of the
line of observation. If a new outpost is to be established in the
morning it should arrive at the outpost position at daybreak, thus
doubling the outpost strength at that hour.

OUTPOST PROBLEMS

Problem No. 1 (Infantry)

=1077. Lieutenant (to two squads of his company):= Two battalions of
our regiment have camped by Baker's Pond (Elementary Map) for the
night. It is now 3 P. M. on a rainy day in August. The enemy is
thought to be about five miles to the south of us. Our platoon is the
left support of the outpost and is stationed at the road fork on the
Chester Pike, by the Mason house. The Twin Hills-Lone Hill ridge is
taken care of by other troops. Corporal Baker, where do you think I
should place outguards?

=Corporal Baker:= One at the junction of the Mills farm lane and the
Chester Pike, and one at the steel railroad trestle over Sandy Creek.

=Lieutenant:= Those positions are both too far from the support,
almost a half mile, but they cover the two main avenues of approach
and there is no good place for a position nearer the support. A
position farther north of the Mill's farm lane would have its view
obstructed by the wall and trees along the lane and the wall would be
a bad thing to leave unoccupied such a short distance to your front.
So in this case, in spite of the excessive distances from the support,
I think the two positions are well chosen. Each should be an outguard
of a squad, for in the day time, in addition to furnishing a sentinel
to observe to the front, they should have some power of resistance,
particularly at the trestle. At night they should each have one double
sentinel post. This requires three reliefs of two men each, which,
with the corporal, only leaves one extra man, who can be used as a
messenger.

Corporal Baker, I order you to take your squad and post it as Outguard
No. 1, at the