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:
Introduction
Like Problem Number 11, Problem Number 12 asks you to do something other than devise a plan. However, in meeting the requirements, you will have to imagine the effect of the decisions you make on your ability to do things in the immediate future.
PROBLEM NO. 12
‘Fortune is not on the side of the faint-hearted.’
Sophocles
SITUATION
Orders have been issued for the attack of the Blue brigade at 4:30 PM. Enemy troops hold hills B, C and D in force. The Blue advance guard holds hills H and K. The battalion in the south suffered rather heavily in taking K and is somewhat disorganized.
One regiment of infantry is in M, the remaining battalion of the regiment which furnished the advance guard is in L.
REQUIREMENT.
(1) Draw boundaries between regiments and assault battalions.
(2) State the size of the brigade reserve and the formation of each regiment.
Note
In this problem, ‘formation’ describes the relationships among battalions. Thus, for example, a regiment might advance in column of battalions, line of battalions, or with two battalions on line and one in reserve.
How to Play
I invite paid subscribers to to use the comments section to share their own answers to the questions posed.
I will post the original (1931) solutions to the problem, as well as my own commentary, on Sunday, 9 August 2026.
Sources
‘Infantry Problems’ Infantry School Mailing List (Fort Benning: US Army Infantry School, 1931) Volume 1 (1930-1931) page 50 (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)
Related Reading
(1) Draw boundaries between regiments and assault battalions.
From Point Q east to midway between Hills B and C, then straight east to the river just north of where to the tributary stream joins it.
(2) State the size of the brigade reserve and the formation of each regiment.
The attrited battalion (battalion (-) if you will) at K will reorganize and form the brigade reserve.
The regiment at M will be the brigade main effort and will consist of all its troops.
The regiment (-) at L and H will be the brigade supporting effort.