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Supporting Material for Staff College Exercises
Further details about the exercises
This booklet contains five sets of tactical exercises as being
classics of their time.
A Sample of Moltke's Tactical Exercises Prussian (1858-1882)
by Colonel F.N. Maude, R.E. (1854-1933)
Moltke was a tactical genius of the Prussian Army, who was seen as
one of the architects for the resurgence of the German army. His
work was translated into English by a Colonel Maude. Colonel Maude
was for many years a book reviewer for the Royal United Service
Institute Journal. Some people could refer to him as an eccentric
such as with his invention of a smoke eating machine and being
friends with Aleister Crowley. He was a great admirer of the
German military system, with whom he expected Britain to be at war
with in due course. He was part of the movement challenging the
British Army to reform, but he was a very harsh critic of most of
the 'half baked military reforms proposed'. He edited J.J. Grahams
1873 Translation of Von Clausewitz's book On War and reprinted it
in 1908. The Graham/ Maude version was reprinted in 1911, 1918,
1940, 1962, and 1966.
As he was about to go to print with a translation of Von
Moltke's Tactical Exercises, there was a copyright issue, so
instead he submitted a review of three of Moltes's most important
exercises to the RUSI Journal Vol. XXXVII, 1886. The work is
especially interesting as it was written as a criticism of the
then unchallenged military guru of Moltke.
The Defence of Duffer's Drift Boer War (1903) by Major
General Sir Ernest Swinton K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O.
was originally published in the British United Service Magazine
under the pseudonym of N Backsight Forethought. It has become a
classic essay in minor tactics. It was republished as a book in
1907 and in American in 1905 and 1916. It has been reprinted
periodically since. The author was a soldier, historian and a
military 'future-ologist'. He contributed to the development of
airpower, mines and most of all by his invention and introduction
of the tank. He was Commandant of the Royal Tank Corps 1934-1938
where he finished his career as a major general.
The Defence of Bowler Bridge (1929) by H.E. Graham
was designed to show how a determined infantry defence could
withstand an armoured assault by correct use of ground.
The Defence of Bloodford Village WWII British (1940) by
Colonel G. A Wade MC (1891-1986)
Colonel Wade served in the South Stafford Regiment in World War
One in France and Palestine. He was awarded an MC for valour in
1917 and a bar to the award for his part in crossing the St.
Quentin Canal in September, 1918. During the Second World War his
time was split between commanding the Birkenhead garrison and
writing numerous training pamphlets and books. The most well of
which was the Minor Tactics Training Manual.
Separate Reconnaissance Patrol Number 5. (1980)
is an example of how the tradition of tactical exercises has
carried on in modern armies. This exercise is from the cold war
about the options faced by a Soviet reconnaissance patrol.
The Training Value
of Tactical Decision Games at The Marine Corps' Basic School By
1st Lt Christian D Palmer, USMC
The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in
Afghanistan (Paperback) by Lester W. Grau (Translator, Editor)
This book is an example from Russia about low level tactics
in Afghanistan. Contains some excellent material. It can be found
second hand.
'The Other Side of the Mountain' is available from the
counter-insurgency section of
The Military Press
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