Tactical Narratives

This tale of a dream is dedicated to the "gilded Popinjays" and "hired assassins" of the British nation, especially those who are now knocking at the door, to wit the very junior. It embodies some recollections of things actually done and undone in South Africa, 1899-1902. It is hoped that its fantastic guise may really help to emphasize the necessity for the practical application of some very old principles, and assist to an appreciation of what may happen when they are not applied, even on small operations.

This is a series of six solutions to the same problem, each solution starting with the lessons learned by the errors in the previous solution. The six solutions are designed to teach the application of the principles as developed in the World War, showing the best methods of using the combined arms. Naturally, it is impossible to include every principle in these six solutions, but it is thought that the most important are shown.

The story does bring out one important fact which is not universally appreciated, namely, that a force consisting entirely of armoured fighting vehicles has very definite limitations in respect of ground, and that it is faced with a very difficult problem when con fronted with a physical obstacle held by a resolute and suitably equipped enemy.

This work is based on how machine guns should be used on the battlefield of today. But what about the battlefield of tomorrow. As we design our techniques to make the most of the equipment we have today, we must also change these techniques to take full advantage of new equipment that will become available in the future. As professionals we must be constantly looking ahead and preparing for change before events overtake us.