1. Establish a few well sighted, but not obvious, observation posts in the hills overlooking the grazing fields. Then make a daily count of how many horses are turned out. Dress up the soldiers at the OPs in local costumes and have them keep their mounts concealed to minimize detection.
2. Watch road traffic for fodder wagons and French patrols and add those estimates to the list and estimates.
3. Establish a series of standing and irregular patrols by your soldiers in uniform. The French will be expecting to see them anyway and seeing them will cause them to not look for the other OPs. Watch your flanks as not all Frenchmen will be in or around Göttingen. This will help with counter reconnaissance efforts, so watch the crossings and road activities.
4. Talk with the locals about French patrols, units and purchases/requisitions by them. Pay for this info and all supplies you need so as not to annoy the locals.
5. Try to run a clandestine patrol or two with locals and one or two of your brighter NCOs or officers into Göttingen to get a better look at things there. Travel with locals who have legitimate business there to provide cover.
6. Expect the French to try the same things and watch for them.
The E4 mafia used to be a joke, then Managerialism became the NCO Ethos. At that point NCOs began to delegate, and the E4s became de facto NCOS. 😑
We have in Army form 4100, its the E4 Support form and E4 - NCOER, OER. Now war and dynamic leadership, and the patience of a Saint can turn this around at the local level.
So it’s not what you may think it is…
It’s worse. We joke but the NCOS became Bums this way, users.
Careerists. As bad as the old Field Grades.
Then war and deployments make it better. The shirkers avoid (see Walz) or if deployed hide better than Usuma. Or rarely- grow.
So it ain’t all 💩but it’s not the same as the career E4. The E4 is the de facto NCO. Again reality and leadership (deployments+ war = reality) can fix.
Reality + Shirking = dissolution.
I have seen that too, but NOT in my platoons. Whether Officer, or NCO, or E4 you CAN make a difference, you just do the basics of leadership and grit your teeth.
The “superior” will learn…
… or go away, but they are manageable. See Walz.
Walz should have been on OIF deployment with the BDE we were under, that was my OIF.
1-6 Squadrons will be sectioned to two troops each. Horses will be trooped by colours :-)
The oldest, slowest, weakest men and horses are being rotated to the 12th troop (if this is not already done), which will recruit and start to train replacements. (we are a hussar regiment!)
The 9th-11th troops will be put under a senior major and moved to the eastern side of the river. They will send picquets forward to patrol as close to Goettingen and surrounding areas as possible without engaging in set combat. They will try to discretely acquire prisoners and mark locations on map for potential further actions.
. They will tasked to engage with the local population and watch for movement, especially of supplies, including efforts to gather them. They will pay for foodstuffs and supplies so as to create a better relationship with the local population. If they cannot pay, the senior officer will sign for supplies that are needed.
They will send reports to me at least twice a day, more if needed, the location where I will be found is to be shown on a map, but not marked.
6-7-8 troops will receive similar orders, and move under a senior captain on the near side of the river. They will push as far as even with Goettiungen. Their job will be to find the edge of the French line to the south west of Goettingen.
My space will be in the middle.
Assumptions are that we are not at war currently? We will try to discretely acquire information that will be returned to the Duke of Brunswick.
Information wanted includes size of units, type of units, (unit names if possible), local commander, where the enemies horses are watered and fed, Is there a remount station nearby, are the French cavalry pushing their videttes forward enough to cause problem or suggest potential movement in the near future?
1. 2 squadrons conduct zone reconnaissance on the gottingen side of the Leine.
2. 2 squadrons conduct area reconnaissance on each bridge dotting the Leine.
3. Final 2 squadrons form a reconnaissance reserve.
Both units are looking to identify French cav. 60 miles is a lot of terrain so upon acquisition of the target the reserve is deployed to support the aquiring squadron to maintain contact or help with reporting.
1. Conduct a leaders reconnaissance to establish positions where vedettes can be placed to ensure maximum visibility in the area.
2. Confine our horse grazing to a known area and keep that area visibly patrolled in order to discourage French from allowing horses to grazing same area.
3. Conduct regular, visible patrols throughout the area. Notice pattern of villager action as we approach and leave.
4. Map out with patrols where grazing occurs that is outside our area.
5. Place vedettes where they can view suspected French grazing areas. Patrol. Have vedettes report back horse counts.
Overtly speak with the locals in town. If you're consistent about establishing a report with them, and not eating them out of house and home, theyll be more inclined to assist. Assume that the French are doing the same.
Plant soldiers in a clandestine manner in the town. Establish lookouts in the areas known to be raided regularly to record the frequency of different soldiers carrying out those raids. If you're seeing not just how many how often, but how often the groups are rotated you van determine a closer estimate in numbers.
1. Establish a few well sighted, but not obvious, observation posts in the hills overlooking the grazing fields. Then make a daily count of how many horses are turned out. Dress up the soldiers at the OPs in local costumes and have them keep their mounts concealed to minimize detection.
2. Watch road traffic for fodder wagons and French patrols and add those estimates to the list and estimates.
3. Establish a series of standing and irregular patrols by your soldiers in uniform. The French will be expecting to see them anyway and seeing them will cause them to not look for the other OPs. Watch your flanks as not all Frenchmen will be in or around Göttingen. This will help with counter reconnaissance efforts, so watch the crossings and road activities.
4. Talk with the locals about French patrols, units and purchases/requisitions by them. Pay for this info and all supplies you need so as not to annoy the locals.
5. Try to run a clandestine patrol or two with locals and one or two of your brighter NCOs or officers into Göttingen to get a better look at things there. Travel with locals who have legitimate business there to provide cover.
6. Expect the French to try the same things and watch for them.
Watch the peasants first.
^^^^^**
Then watch for the foragers.
See how much they forage and multiply by X
X = being a horse cavalryman you know how much fodder a horse needs
X = 20 lbs of forage daily for average 1000 lbs horse.
If the French foragers take 2000 lbs they may have 100 horses.
The most important part is to watch or buy info from the peasants, because they know.
Watch the peasants before you carefully approach, purse in hand
This may be used in conjunction with COA 2
Grab not a fellow FR cavalryman but the older semi boss soldier on the cart. He knows.
Your German word for today is ... Trossknecht!
Like E4 Mafia -
How the Germans handled the 'career E-4' ...
https://tacticalnotebook.substack.com/p/sideline-ranks?
The E4 mafia used to be a joke, then Managerialism became the NCO Ethos. At that point NCOs began to delegate, and the E4s became de facto NCOS. 😑
We have in Army form 4100, its the E4 Support form and E4 - NCOER, OER. Now war and dynamic leadership, and the patience of a Saint can turn this around at the local level.
So it’s not what you may think it is…
It’s worse. We joke but the NCOS became Bums this way, users.
Careerists. As bad as the old Field Grades.
Then war and deployments make it better. The shirkers avoid (see Walz) or if deployed hide better than Usuma. Or rarely- grow.
So it ain’t all 💩but it’s not the same as the career E4. The E4 is the de facto NCO. Again reality and leadership (deployments+ war = reality) can fix.
Reality + Shirking = dissolution.
I have seen that too, but NOT in my platoons. Whether Officer, or NCO, or E4 you CAN make a difference, you just do the basics of leadership and grit your teeth.
The “superior” will learn…
… or go away, but they are manageable. See Walz.
Walz should have been on OIF deployment with the BDE we were under, that was my OIF.
Lol, never heard of him 🤣 until a month ago.
1-6 Squadrons will be sectioned to two troops each. Horses will be trooped by colours :-)
The oldest, slowest, weakest men and horses are being rotated to the 12th troop (if this is not already done), which will recruit and start to train replacements. (we are a hussar regiment!)
The 9th-11th troops will be put under a senior major and moved to the eastern side of the river. They will send picquets forward to patrol as close to Goettingen and surrounding areas as possible without engaging in set combat. They will try to discretely acquire prisoners and mark locations on map for potential further actions.
. They will tasked to engage with the local population and watch for movement, especially of supplies, including efforts to gather them. They will pay for foodstuffs and supplies so as to create a better relationship with the local population. If they cannot pay, the senior officer will sign for supplies that are needed.
They will send reports to me at least twice a day, more if needed, the location where I will be found is to be shown on a map, but not marked.
6-7-8 troops will receive similar orders, and move under a senior captain on the near side of the river. They will push as far as even with Goettiungen. Their job will be to find the edge of the French line to the south west of Goettingen.
My space will be in the middle.
Assumptions are that we are not at war currently? We will try to discretely acquire information that will be returned to the Duke of Brunswick.
Information wanted includes size of units, type of units, (unit names if possible), local commander, where the enemies horses are watered and fed, Is there a remount station nearby, are the French cavalry pushing their videttes forward enough to cause problem or suggest potential movement in the near future?
1. 2 squadrons conduct zone reconnaissance on the gottingen side of the Leine.
2. 2 squadrons conduct area reconnaissance on each bridge dotting the Leine.
3. Final 2 squadrons form a reconnaissance reserve.
Both units are looking to identify French cav. 60 miles is a lot of terrain so upon acquisition of the target the reserve is deployed to support the aquiring squadron to maintain contact or help with reporting.
1. Conduct a leaders reconnaissance to establish positions where vedettes can be placed to ensure maximum visibility in the area.
2. Confine our horse grazing to a known area and keep that area visibly patrolled in order to discourage French from allowing horses to grazing same area.
3. Conduct regular, visible patrols throughout the area. Notice pattern of villager action as we approach and leave.
4. Map out with patrols where grazing occurs that is outside our area.
5. Place vedettes where they can view suspected French grazing areas. Patrol. Have vedettes report back horse counts.
Overtly speak with the locals in town. If you're consistent about establishing a report with them, and not eating them out of house and home, theyll be more inclined to assist. Assume that the French are doing the same.
Plant soldiers in a clandestine manner in the town. Establish lookouts in the areas known to be raided regularly to record the frequency of different soldiers carrying out those raids. If you're seeing not just how many how often, but how often the groups are rotated you van determine a closer estimate in numbers.
(I wish I could participate anonymously)