Short Problem 10
From the 'Infantry School Mailing List' of 1930-1931
The following problem appeared in the first semi-annual volume of the Infantry School Mailing List, which rolled off the press in 1931. (This periodical, which might well be described as a journal in all but name, replaced the collections of mimeographed instructional materials that the US Army Infantry School sent out to subscribers in the 1920s.)
For the philosophy behind theses problems, please see:
PROBLEM NO. 10
‘All delays are dangerous in war.’
Dryden
Tyrannic Love
SITUATION
Blues are attacking northward. The right assault company of a battalion, with two platoons in assault, is disposed as indicated [on the map]. A large quarry with vertical sides has been discovered in front of the left assault platoon. A patrol has found the woods free of the enemy. Some fire is coming from B. Ground in front of the company is slightly rolling and covered with scattered underbrush.
One section of [two] machine guns is firing from between the two assault platoons. The position of other machine guns or the battalion reserve is not known.
The company on the left has just taken the hill at C and is reorganizing.
A strong enemy counterattack starts from the left as indicated by arrows.
REQUIREMENT
Action of right assault company commander:
(1) if troops are well-trained veterans
(2) if troops are only partly trained
(3) if troops are partly trained and counterattack is led by tanks
(4) if troops are veterans and counterattack is led by tanks
How to Play
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I will post the original (1931) solutions to the problem, as well as my own commentary, on Sunday, 12 July 2026.
Sources
‘Infantry Problems’ Infantry School Mailing List (Fort Benning: US Army Infantry School, 1931) Volume 1 (1930-1931) page 44 (Internet Archive)
The Internet Archive preserves scans of microfilmed copies of all thirty volumes of the Infantry School Mailing List. However, it catalogs them under the heading of the Infantry School Quarterly, which succeeded the Mailing List in 1947. (Internet Archive)
The Hathi Trust provides links to scanned-from-paper copies of some, but far from all, issues of the Infantry School Mailing List (Hathi Trust)
You can find the entirety of Tyrannic Love Volume III of the 1882 edition of The Dramatic Works of John Dryden. (Internet Archive)
Related Reading
In all cases I would first send messages, by all means available, to contact the battalion commander, update him on the situation, inform him of my actions and request assistance and further orders. I would also send a message to the commander of the company on Hill C to inform him of my actions. All units will ensure they watch their flanks at all times and the squad leader of the detachment with the machine guns will be ordered to inform his platoon leader in the woods and me if the enemy attacks along the open area or from the woods to the northeast.
(1) If troops are well-trained veterans - The company (-) will attack by moving as fast as possible to the west side of Hill C and then attack to the north into the flank of the enemy counterattack. If this enemy force is larger than twice the size of my force, I would attack by fire to defeat them and if smaller than that, conduct a flank attack. The remaining platoon will detach one squad to support the machine guns and then move into the woods to the east of Hill C to provide supporting fires against the enemy counterattack to the west.
(2) If troops are only partly trained - as above in (1), but the company (-) will reinforce the west end of the position on Hill C to defeat the enemy counterattack. All other actions remain the same.
(3) If troops are partly trained and counterattack is led by tanks - as above in (1). That quarry is a tank trap and without knowing the trafficability of the wooded area or the stream, I would not send tanks that way.
(4) If troops are veterans and counterattack is led by tanks - as for (3) above, but I would press the attack as hard as I could.