CHAPTER XIV.

SURPRISES.

CHAP.
XIV.

to ensure

To ensure the success of a Surprise an accurate acquaintance with the enemy's position is indispensable. His weak points should be ascertained, and Surprises. the plan of the Surprise formed with reference to them. Conditions It should then be carried out with rapidity and determination. The locality where the Surprise will be attempted should also be known, and more especially the roads, the passages through defiles, and the best lines of retreat.

Every Surprise should be undertaken in sufficient force to render its success probable; but the matter of the greatest importance is that it should be sudden and secret; all possible means should be taken to secure this condition of secrecy, as otherwise the result may be disastrous.

success.

able con

Darkness, mist, rain, snow-storms, an enclosed Favourcountry, the previous exhaustion of the enemy, ditions. and imperfect precautions adopted by him to provide for his safety, tend to facilitate and conceal the approach of the detachments who attempt the Surprise. Hence the confusion caused by the attack is in

СНАР.
XIV.

How surprises should be carried out.

Time best

suited for surprises.

creased, and the success of the enterprise itself rendered more probable. If it is possible to take the enemy in rear the Surprise will be more perfect, and the measures taken to oppose it less likely to succeed. Cavalry is especially adapted for Surprises, as it can, from the rapidity of its movements, get close to the enemy suddenly and unexpectedly.

How Surprises should be carried out.

The party detailed for this duty should advance as much under cover and as noiselessly as possible; it should be divided into several detachments, which at all times should be so organised that every party which attacks should have a reserve to support and succour it when possible there should be also a reserve for the entire body, posted at some suitable spot.

It is a good plan in attempting a Surprise to attack on two sides, in which case a signal should be previously agreed on, so that the attack of the two parties may be simultaneous. The night is the time best adapted for Surprises, since then the strength of the troops employed cannot be seen, and the attack appears more sudden than it really is. Of course under such circumstances the ground must be well known and some distinguishing signs or marks, such as a cry, or a white band on the arm, &c., are necessary. The party making the attack should at night have a reconnoitrer in front, but on approaching

near the enemy he should be withdrawn and the entire body should endeavour to attack so suddenly that they themselves give their enemy the first intimation of their approach.

CHAP.

XIV.

desirable.

Although much firing increases the confusion, still Firing unit is better to carry out the enterprise as quietly as possible, since it is evident that firing may bring assistance to the party surprised.

The Surprise should be quickly brought to an end; as soon as the object has been attained, the recall should be several times blown, a rear guard thrown out, and the retreat commenced.

As the object of a Surprise is with a force proportionately small to do the enemy the greatest possible damage, every man of the party should have his own special duty allotted to him, for example to spike cannon, to carry off some superior officer, to free prisoners, to seize a military chest, &c. If anything has been captured, it should be sent off under the charge of a detachment, with another to follow as a covering party. In every Surprise it is always an important matter to carry off arms or render them unserviceable; to damage the equipment, harness, of cavalry and artillery ; to render officers, trumpeters, ineffective.

Should the attacking party meet a patrol of the enemy they should try and avoid it, or capture it without causing any noise. Single vedettes and sentries should if possible be surprised before they can fire; in the case of larger detachments, such as Field

Object of surprises.

СНАР.

XIV.

Surprise of an inhabited place.

Picquets, &c., care must be taken that not one of
them escapes.
All the men should be told the line of
retreat and the place of assembly, in case of the enter-
prise being unsuccessful.

Surprise of an inhabited place.-If the place is occupied by infantry, it will be difficult to surprise it with cavalry; still even then, in the dark, great successes have been achieved by boldness.

The party undertaking the Surprise will be portioned out into several divisions, each of which has a distinct task committed to it. The first will execute reason will be further

the Surprise itself, and for this
divided out into small detachments. One of these
detachments surprises the guard, another has to
capture the officer in command, and a third takes
care that the enemy do not collect in the streets. A
second division dashes through the place, occupies
the roads leading out of it, so as to stop any of the
enemy who wish to escape: it also sends patrols
on the far side in order to discover, and hold in
check any force of the enemy that might approach.
A third division, the reserve, remains at the entrance
into the place, gives assistance when required, and
takes charge of prisoners, &c. The officer in com-
mand should be at the most important point, where
the special object for which the enterprise was under-
taken has to be attained.

The men must be warned not to separate, and only to venture into houses when they are sufficiently numerous to do so with safety. The entire plan of

the attack should be communicated to all the attack

ing party.

CHAP.

XIV.

of an

or of a

convoy.

The surprise of an enemy on the march, or of a convoy. Surprise -From the quickness with which cavalry can ap- enemy on proach an enemy on the march, it is peculiarly the march adapted for such Surprises, even if there is no opportunity of preparing an ambush. The detachment thus employed must endeavour as long as possible to conceal its approach. When this can no longer be done, it should at once commence the attack with the greatest ardour, in the manner which had been previously decided upon.

The general rules already laid down are here equally applicable, and a judicious choice of ground for the moment of the Surprise will be found of great importance. The attack should be so arranged that it falls with full strength on the weakest points. It is advantageous so to organise a Surprise that it may fall on several points simultaneously; as for example, on the head or the rear, and the flank of a column.

attack.

Attempts should be made to separate troops on Details of the march, and to prevent their deploying.

In attacking a convoy one party attacks the escort, the other cuts down the drivers and prevents them unharnessing and driving off with the horses. The most valuable waggons should be rapidly carried off, and the number of horses harnessed to them increased. What cannot be carried off should be destroyed.

One portion of the attacking party, the reserve,