and they, in turn, will require
relief.

If permanent observation of a yet distant enemy is necessary, we must
turn to other means. It will, then, be as well to send out whole
reconnoitring squadrons or troops (F.D.O.,[15] 128) towards the enemy,
and through them maintain a permanent tactical observation.

[Footnote 15: Feld Dienst Ordnung.]

These serve as a patrol reserve and collecting station for
information, remaining day and night in touch with the enemy, and, of
course, will also require periodical reliefs.

It goes without saying that, in addition to these squadrons, single
patrols may be despatched in important directions from the main body
of the Cavalry, whose duty it will be to report to the latter direct.

These, again, must send off their reports by several men, whilst those
despatched from the patrols sent out by the reconnoitring squadrons
will often, owing to the shorter distance and the nearness of the
support, be able to avail themselves of the despatch riders. In
general, it cannot be insisted upon too much that the despatch rider,
so very popular in peace, can only be very occasionally employed in
War in the interval before the enemy's Cavalry is completely beaten
out of the field. In peace a man is always riding in his own country;
if he himself has not a map, he has at least been instructed from a
map, and every civilian will help him out. Even if he stumbles up
against an enemy's patrol they will generally let him pass unnoticed;
but it is quite different in War. Here even a patrol leader has rarely
got a map. The despatch rider rides across thoroughly unknown
districts, coming in contact with a foreign, perhaps hostile,
population; he cannot make himself understood, if, indeed, he is not
obliged to avoid them. The enemy's patrols are also everywhere, and if
anything happens to his horse the message does not arrive. Further,
the enormously increased distances to be traversed in modern War have
to be taken into account, and these alone render the despatch of
single horsemen a very doubtful undertaking. We must, therefore,
recognise that the conveyance of reports by individual despatch riders
is only possible under very limited conditions, and within the
districts fully controlled by one's own troops, and that even in one's
own country reconnoitring patrols sent out to a great distance can
only be very occasionally employed.

Here we come upon an increased difficulty in the whole sy