The Military Machine

"God is always with the strongest battalion." - Frederick The Great

People who use the term 'the military machine' are more right than they realise. For whole armies are very like machines, both in their complexity and in the way they function. Consider, a machine is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as being "an apparatus having several parts each with a definite function and together performing certain kinds of work." Does this description not fit an army equally well?

An army runs like a giant machine with all parts working together to ensure the continued running of the whole. For example, an army in motion could work like this. The reconnaissance units move ahead of the main force, determining the lie of the land, any problems ahead, and the status of any enemy units it encounters. This information is fed back to the headquarters, who assimilate this plus other information from other groups and sources. The 'big picture', as it is sometimes referred to, is then discussed and decisions reached as to what course of action would be the best to take. When this decision is reached, the information and orders are sent out to the relevant parties to ensure they take up the correct posture for attack, defense, movement or whatever. Sometimes specialized units have to be involved, such as air defense, or infiltration units. When battle commences, supplies are brought forward from the rear, and replacement troops are sent up from their staging areas. At the same time wounded troops are sent back to be cared for by other specialized units, and any prisoners are also sent back for interrogation. More information is obtained from them, which is again fed into the machine to be processed and acted upon.

Such a complex machine would almost be uncontrollable once started, if it weren't for modern tools, such as good communication between units. It is this that allows modern armies their flexibility, and the lack of this that gave armies of bygone years their rigidity. It used to be the norm that once given an order, soldiers had to do their best to carry it out, whatever the circumstances, due to their inability to report back problems to higher command. Because of this inability to communicate, a whole attack could collapse if one unit failed to complete it's objective. Now, with modern communications, if a unit encounters a problem, higher command can be informed immediately, and it can be acted upon, either by sending re-enforcements to that area, or, in extreme cases, re-structuring the entire attack.

It is important to remember this when waging war. You must consider the implications to the whole battle, sector, front or army when making any decisions. Losing one unit on it's own might mean little loss in terms of actual strength, but could prove fatal if that one unit is of vital importance in another field. This is why you must always strive to use the right unit for the right job, wherever possible. Due to the nature of warfare, most forms of attack have a selection of defensive measures, but usually there is one that is designed for the job. An aircraft, for example, could be brought down by a number of means, such as a machine gun mounted on a tank turret by the tank commander, or even (if the firer was a good shot or incredibly lucky) by a solitary soldier armed with an automatic weapon. But it is better to use the thing designed to tackle this threat rather than other options, so if you have a choice, then use an anti-aircraft missile, and only then go for the things that have a smaller chance of success if the first attack fails.

Therefore, when making any form of military effort, strive to ensure there is a balance of forces wherever possible. Try to concentrate particular units where you think they will be needed, but remember to leave a few dotted around elsewhere, just in case the opposing force thought of something you didn't.

Finally, endeavor to keep the machine running smoothly throughout the whole. It's all well and good making sure that all the front line units are in tip-top shape, and the rear echelon units only at fifty percent, but if the enemy makes a surprise attack in a location you thought was safe, chances are he'll be able to wreak havoc in the rear areas among your support units before he's brought to heel. And that would throw a large spanner in the works, probably causing the whole machine to grind to a halt.

Tim Still (tcs@cix.compulink.co.uk)