The Red Lion Regiment, Episode Three by Bjorn Hasseler
Tuesday, November 22, 1633
Two days later, Fuchs Company found itself on cartridge rolling detail. Some of the men hated cartridge detail because it was tedious. Wrap a sixth-sheet of rag paper around a wooden dowel, glue the edge, fill it with sixty grains of gunpowder, fold the end over, and glue it down. Repeat one hundred sixteen times per pound of gunpowder. And it took twenty-six pounds of gunpowder to fill each man's cartridge box with thirty rounds. He also remembered that Drill Sergeant Willcocks had described one cartridge box of ammunition as "more than enough to get into trouble but not nearly enough to get back out".
Others liked cartridge detail because while it was mind-numbing, they got to sit down at the tables in the barracks and talk as they worked. Inevitably the discussions turned to what had happened with the chosen men two nights before.
"I told you," Rupert Spitzer explained again, "one officer was thinking about it one way, and another officer was thinking about it another way, and we marched around in a circle until they got it worked out."
That was accurate, as far as it went, Strauss thought. But misleading. Not that it is our place to say any more.
"Uh-huh," one of Spitzer's men in Fourth Squad said. "Like Erster Lieutenant Kohl and Leutnant Keller when we were firing while advancing the other day."
A soldier from Fifth Squad named Klinefelter spoke up. "So it was another one of those Karl Fuchs?"
"What?" Sergeant Loeb asked.
"You know. What the drill sergeants call it when everyone messes up at once. A Karl Fuchs."
"Oh! You mean a Charlie Foxtrot."
"It's the same thing, isn't it?"
"A Charlie Foxtrot is a cluster . . ."
"Achtung!"
The company jumped to its feet as Major von Hessler, Hauptmann Graupner, and Erster Leutnant Kohl strode into the barracks.
"What are you doing?" Major von Hessler asked.
"Rolling cartridges, Herr Major," Spitzer answered.
"How many?"
"The drill sergeants said they have one hundred four pounds of gunpowder for us. Five pounds at a time. Strauss said that's enough for a full cartridge box for four companies."
Von Hessler nodded. "Actually it's a half cartridge box for eight companies. So you should get back to work."
They did. At Sixth Squad's table, Metzler cut the paper and kept a stack before each of four soldiers, who rolled and glued it. Tauler and Gunter were permanently assigned to rolling duty because the rest of the Seven Dwarves refused to allow Clumsy and Torch to touch the gunpowder. Boller gathered the empty cartridges and gave them to Sauer and Mohr, who filled them with gunpowder. Schliemann and Tüntzel glued them shut. That let the squad's two CoC adherents check each cartridge. But it was Strauss and Danker who periodically took a break from rolling to count the finished cartridges into a box.
"You are taking far too much time," Erster Leutnant Kohl announced. "Just make your own cartridges from start to finish. It will be faster."
"Sir, it looks like it, but it is not. We did it that way the first time we had cartridge rolling duty, and it took all day."
"Strauss, I do not want any backtalk! Do it like I tell you!"
"Ja, Herr Erster Leutnant." Strauss got up and redistributed the materials, putting a pot of glue and a gunpowder measure between each pair of men. One of the pair rolled a cartridge and started filling it. Only after he put the rolling rod down could the next man start.
"Strauss, you finish the half-done ones, but they will not count for you. I want to see another hundred from every man here by the end of the day!"
"A hundred?" Sauer blurted.
"Are you questioning my orders?"
"Nein¸ Erster Leutnant."
Kohl moved off and began disrupting another table.
Strauss wondered if the first lieutenant even realized how much less efficient his system was. Should we follow orders and take longer? Or disobey orders and get done what we were told to do?
"Klinefelter was right," Metzler stated. "It is a Karl Fuchs. The erster leutnant is a walking clus . . ."
"Shh!" Strauss ordered. He kept his voice low. "Listen to me. We will be done before we reach another hundred per man. Just do what you can for now."
****
Meanwhile von Hessler and Graupner passed by Fifth Squad.
"As I said, the up-timers are letting Jews and women join the army," Graupner complained.
"Clearly it worked out well for them at Jena and Alte Veste," von Hessler pointed out. I can't see Christina von Burkersroda joining the army—and I wouldn't want her to.
"But it's unnatural."
Well, so is the whole Ring of Fire, von Hessler thought. But what he said was, "That is the USE Army policy. Anyone eighteen years old or older can join as long as he or she can pass the physical training tests."
"But we should be allowed to set our own standards for our own units."
"Hauptmann Graupner, I believe they are very committed to having a single standard for the whole USE Army. Oddly enough, General Torstensson did not ask for my opinion."
"They made the Jew a chosen man."
"I do not know what to tell you, Hauptmann Graupner," von Hessler said. "It would not have occurred to me but I really do not think it matters much."
"But if the Jews arm themselves . . ."
"They might take Jerusalem back from the Turks?" von Hessler ventured. "More power to them."
Von Hessler and Graupner continued on their way, trailed by Kohl.
****
Finally, Strauss thought.
"Switch back?" Mohr asked.
"Just a minute." Strauss got up and conferred with Spitzer.
"What were you doing?" Spitzer asked.
"We were just using our usual system," Andreas said.
"What did Erster Leutnant Kohl tell you to do?"
"Each man do the whole process himself."
"That is impractical," Spitzer stated. "We figured that out the first day. There are not enough of each tool for every man to have one of his own."
"So what have you been doing?" Strauss asked in confusion.
"Our usual system," Spitzer answered. "Which is different than yours. I have three teams in my squad."
"But Erster Leutnant Kohl did not tell you to change back to every man for himself?"
"No."
"Do you mind if my squad changes back?"
"Do not get caught."
Strauss returned to his squad's table. "Switch back. Metzler, keep watch. Make sure no officers sneak up on us."
The things you learn in the Army, Strauss reflected. How to break the rules in order to get the job done.
A few minutes later, Spitzer pulled Strauss and Bauer aside.
"Hauptmann Graupner said the up-timers made the Jew a chosen man. I am Lutheran, so he was not talking about me."
"I am Lutheran," Strauss stated.
Bauer looked at them warily. "My name is not Elias Bauer. It is Eleazar Meier."
Strauss felt his eyes widen.
"I had business in Grantville and attended the synagogue while I was there." He paused. "I was introduced to an up-timer, a Jewish woman named Eve Zibarth." He paused. "This is not proper, you understand? But their custom is different. In the up-time, she had journeyed to Jerusalem and had many pictures of this. There were soldiers in the pictures—the army of Israel. Do you know what that means? They did it. Israel was a country again in their time." His eyes flashed. "First the Ostenders. Then the Turks."
Strauss exchanged glances with Spitzer and shrugged. "Why did you call yourself Elias Bauer?"
"Jews were not allowed to carry rifles until the up-timers came."
"I do not think anyone but the USE gets to say who can serve in our platoon," Spitzer stated. "If anyone gives you trouble about it, tell me, Strauss, or Bohm."
Wednesday, November 23, 1633
On the following day, Fuchs Company was working on wagons again.
"This is getting old," Sauer commented.
"Beats digging new latrines like we did last week," Metzler shot back.
"I wonder who is leaving this time?" Tauler asked as he helped hold a wheel in place for a wheelwright.
"We are," a voice said.
Everyone looked up. A handful of soldiers joined them.
"Who are you?" Metzler asked.
"The White Horse Regiment, now."
"White Horse?"
"Ja. Many of us are from Saxony. We figure we have as much right to use the white horse as the duke does. We have nothing against his subjects, though. We just want to be citizens instead."
"Sounds good to me," Schliemann said.
"Are you men done with the wagons? We need to load them."
After the men from the White Horse Regiment left, Metzler demanded, "Are we going to keep being the Sixth Regiment?"
"I don't know," Strauss said. "I'll ask."
****
That night when Drill Sergeant Sloan asked if any of the chosen men had questions, several hands went up. Sloan called on one of the chosen men from Charakter Company.
"Drill Sergeant, are we going to choose a name for our regiment, too?"
"That's up to you," Drill Sergeant Sloan answered. "If you do, I'd make sure the officers are okay with it. If there are no other questions, I'm going to leave you to it." Without further ado, he left the room.
"How are we going to do this?" one of the chosen men wondered.
"Robert's Rules of Order?"
"Who is going to be the chairman?"
Bohm stood up. "The wachtmeister."
While the chosen man of every other company's First Squad was a feldwebel, the one from Alfa Company was the wachtmeister. He was most senior enlisted man in the regiment, responsible for posting the sentries and generally reporting on the condition of the men.
"Good idea!"
Johann Steiner made his way to the front. "Do we want a name?" he asked.
"Ja!" came the roar of assent.
"All opposed?" Steiner let the silence drag out for a few seconds. "We will choose a name. Suggestions?"
Various chosen men called out at least a dozen suggestions. Steiner looked at Bohm. "Leopold, you got me up here. You can write down the list." The suggestions kept coming.
Finally Steiner held up a hand for silence. "So far we know of the Hans Richter, Gray Adder, White Horse, and Freiheit Regiments. Let's pick a name that's either geographic or patriotic. Most of us are from one or another of the little Saxonies, right?"
"Saxe-Weimar!"
"Saxe-Altenburg!"
"Eichfeld!"
"What's the heraldry?" Steiner asked.
That quieted most of the chosen men. They were mostly farmers and laborers.
"There's a lion!" someone ventured.
"It's red and white striped."
"Let's just pick one color," Bohm recommended, "and not be a laughingstock."
"If there's already a White Horse, let's take red," someone shouted from the back.
"Gustav's the Lion of the North!"
Steiner surveyed the room. "The Red Lion Regiment. What do you say? Do you like it or should we keep going?"
The chosen men shouted about fifty variations on "We like it!"
"Show of hands," Steiner directed. "All in favor?" A lot of hands went up. "Opposed?" There were a few. "Didn't vote?" There were a few more. "A clear majority is in favor. Those of you opposed or not voting, can you live with it?"
They could.
"I will talk to the oberst."
****
"I like it," Oberst Derfflinger said. "It's fierce. I will talk to the officers."
Thursday, November 24, 1633
A leutnant knocked on Major Hans Friedrich von Hessler's door before formation the next morning. Hans Friedrich was just pulling on his boots.
"Enter!"
Leutnant Moritz Felder from Fuchs Company entered. He seemed to be a solid platoon leader but it was a little hard to tell because the oberst kept borrowing him as a staff officer.
"Message from Oberst Derfflinger, Herr Major," Leutnant Felder announced. "All officers are to report to him at the parade field after the companies report to their fatigue details this morning. Please inform your battalion's officers."
"Please let the oberst know I'll inform the company officers before breakfast," von Hessler responded.
Leutnant Felder went on his way.
"Reinhold!"
Reinhold appeared a couple moments later. "Herr Major?"
"Oberst Derfflinger has ordered an officers' call this morning. I am sure it has to do with marching to Magdeburg in three days. Will the camp followers be ready for that?"
"They will be ready to leave on time, Herr Major, but it will not be an easy march for them. I will finalize arrangements today."
"Good. Gerstenberg and Hans of Schlöben should have reached Hans Heinrich yesterday. I am sure he is pushing his men to be ready, too."
****
"Nein! You cannot just add camp followers whenever you want to!" Old Reinhold put his hands on his hips and glared at the cook.
"We have needed another laundress since Barbara Danker quit! Who put you in charge, anyway?"
"Oberst Derfflinger put me in charge on Major von Hessler's recommendation," Reinhold stated. "I agree you need another laundress. She just has to register so that we know exactly how many camp followers the regiment has."
"That is unfair!"
"We have to know how many people we have with us on the march in order to have food for them. This is not some slapdash mercenary band." Reinhold sniffed. "What if we marched off and left somebody because she wasn't on the roster? Complete roster, including children. No switching out."
"Pffftt. You are just the . . ."
Reinhold looked down his nose at her. "Captain domo. Commanding the support company. Now, where is this new laundress?"
****
Lunch ended with a bugle call to fall in outside the barracks.
"Look at those!"
Down at the far end of the regiment's rows of cabins, a dozen small cannons were lined up in the road.
"Achtung!" Oberst Derfflinger's voice echoed off the buildings. Leutnant Rudolf Keller couldn't see where he was but with the microphone carrying his voice, he didn't need to. "Sixth Regiment! We are now the Red Lion Regiment!"
A roar went up from the regiment.
"In celebration we are having a tactical exercise." He paused. "With gunpowder."
Another cheer went up. Gunpowder drill was so much more satisfying than shouting Bang!
"Today's exercise will take place on the parade field, and the Ninth Regiment will play the part of the enemy.
"The Red Lion Regiment will attack straight forward. We will fire a regimental volley, volleys by ranks, and volleys by battalion. The regiment may maneuver by battalion to outflank the enemy and drive him back.
"The artillery company will remain attached to First Battalion. Each company will remain in three ranks of three squads. All Tenth Squads will report to me at the end of this briefing. I am borrowing from an up-time story and today all the Tenth Squads will be Bean Company.
"You each have fifteen rounds of ammunition, gunpowder only. If there is a charge, whether you are launching the charge or receiving it, you will not fix bayonets. You will have your rifle at port arms and hold it in tight against your chest. You will not strike anyone in Ninth Regiment, and they are being ordered not to strike you. They are just playing the part of the enemy today, and we are playing the part of the enemy for them. Remember we are all in the USE Army, and we will fight beside each other against the Ostenders.
"Listen for your officers and for the bugles, fifes, and drums."
Keller smiled to himself. The troops tended to think they worked hard all day while the officers relaxed. They didn't realize the officers spent even more time in classes than the chosen men did. One of the up-timers' superstitions was that an operations order given in five paragraphs made a plan go better. Keller had to admit it at least got all the important information out to the troops which probably did help keep their character Murphy at bay.
Derfflinger must have handed the microphone off. Drill Sergeant Thomas's voice bounced off the barracks, repeating and expanding on the oberst's safety warnings. The individual hauptleute and leutnants repeated them again as cartridges were distributed.
"Men, this isn't going to be a very long battle," Hauptmann Arentz told them. "Keep the ranks dressed. Stay shoulder to shoulder. Second rank, step up and don't shoot first rank. Third rank, step up and made sure second rank's cartridge boxes are closed."
He paused as Alfa Company announced their readiness by the simple expedient of shouting their company designation.
"Chosen men, check your men's cartridge boxes," Arentz concluded.
A couple minutes later, all three platoon leaders signaled their readiness.
"Fuchs!"
Keller didn't mind at all that they'd beaten the shout of "Echo!" by a few seconds.
****
The Red Lion Regiment marched onto the parade field in a column of companies. Alfa Company wheeled right and led 1st Battalion across the width of the field. The companies wheeled left forming their battalion line. The artillery company moved up next to, but forward of, Delta Company, unlimbering the cannons and taking the horses out of the way. Echo Company slotted into place on the other side of the artillery, and each successive company in Second Battalion marched further down to the left before wheeling. Each leutnant in Fuchs Company stood to the right of his front squad's chosen man. Hauptmann Arentz was right behind Leutnant Felder, and he had the company musicians behind him. Erster Leutnant Kohl was over with Gold Platoon, standing behind Fähnrich von Trotha. That may have been a vote of confidence in Keller, the only platoon leader without a higher ranking officer literally looking over his shoulder.
Strauss could see that Ninth Regiment was doing much the same thing on the other side of the parade field. They appeared to have reversed their Second Battalion by sending their Echo Company all the way to the left and sliding Hoch Company into place beside their artillery.
Oberst Derfflinger moved first. The bugle major (who wasn't an officer at all) sounded the regimental advance. Company buglers repeated it, and then the bugle major sounded a phrase that basically meant "Do it now!"
The Red Lion Regiment marched forward. The bugles signaled halt as the infantry was just short of the cannons.
The Ninth Regiment was also advancing. The two regiments faced each other for less than a minute before there was another bugle call, and the Red Lion Regiment's artillery company opened fire. No surprise there, Strauss thought.
The bugles sounded "prepare to fire."
"Load . . . muskets!" Hauptmann Arentz shrieked. "Do not ram!"
Across the field, Ninth Regiment was loading, too. With gunpowder only, there was no reason to run the ramrod down the barrel. The trick might work today but couldn't be used in real battle. But the men were loaded quickly.
The bugle blared the regimental call and "forward." Evidently Derfflinger had decided to attack and just absorb the first volley. The lack of patience struck Strauss as typical of the oberst.
And then after a mere ten steps, the bugle signaled a halt. It took a couple beats to actually halt the regiment, and the Ninth was leveling their rifles. They held them there for a moment and then shouldered arms.
The next bugle call was instantly followed by Arentz shrieking, "Company! Present!" Another series of notes, and "Fire!" A full regimental volley crashed out. "Reload and ram!" Arentz ordered just before the Ninth fired.
The next signal was "regiment, fire by companies." Alfa Company fired. Bad Company leveled their rifles only after Alfa recovered to port arms.
"Present! Fire!" Arentz ordered when the sequence reached Fuchs Company. Meanwhile the Ninth had opted for another regimental volley.
The next bugle call was for First Battalion only. It sounded similar to the regimental call, of course, and Strauss noted with displeasure that several of his men leveled their rifles even though Fuchs Company's bugler had not repeated it.
"Red Platoon! As you were!" he shouted.
Hauptmann Arentz's shriek cut across his last word. "Fuchs Company! Freeze! That is not your order!"
Strauss could hear Hauptmann Graupner yelling off to the right. He assumed Echo Company had similar problems.
Then First Battalion fired a volley. It was immediately followed by another bugle call, and that one was different enough that everyone recognized the order was for the artillery. Or Second Battalion recognized it wasn't for them at any rate. The four-pounders fired, and then the bugle sounded for Second Battalion, and its companies' bugles picked it up.
"Fuchs Company! Ready! Present!" came Arentz's voice.
Everyone knew the signal for fire and delivered a solid battalion volley. Strauss confirmed that his men were reloading. Only then did it occur to him to check what the Ninth Regiment was up to.
One of the Ninth Regiment's battalions fired. Fine. They're running the same sequence so far, just with an extra regimental volley so they're one behind us.
Then Oberst Derfflinger threw them a challenge. Strauss didn't actually hear Derfflinger, but presumably the regimental bugle major wasn't making this stuff up on his own.
The signal was "First Battalion, fire by companies," and it was immediately followed by "Second Battalion, fire by companies." Strauss realized the intent was for Alfa and Echo Companies to fire together, then Bad and Fuchs, then Charakter and Gustav, and finally Delta and Hoch. But he noted that Hauptmann Arentz didn't even try to explain it.
"Same thing, men! Right after Echo fires!"
The bugles sounded, and Echo Company fired. Strauss presumed Alfa had as well, but he was mostly making sure his men were ready. Fuchs' bugle blew, and the company delivered a volley. A couple men called, "Misfire!" Strauss hoped they could straighten things out on their own. Meanwhile the Ninth Regiment answered with battalion volleys. Gustav and Hoch Companies completed the sequence.
As the men were finishing reloading, the bugle signaled Second Battalion to advance. Echo and Fuchs Companies stepped off to the beat of their drums, in good order. Gustav and Hoch Companies took a couple beats to follow. Out ahead of the battalion, Major von Hessler gestured to the ground with his sword, and then spurred his horse toward the lagging companies.
The bugle and Hauptmann Arentz both ordered a halt right where von Hessler had pointed at the ground, and the drummer helpfully ceased at just the right time. Strauss didn't have to look to see that Echo Company had done the same. He could feel their last man against his shoulder. And then Echo and Fuchs just stood there, waiting for orders.
Strauss suddenly realized that majors did not have their own buglers. Von Hessler was unable to pass orders! A bugle sounded to his left as Gustav Company joined their line. It had the battalion prefix and was an order to fire by companies. So they did. Von Hessler must have taken Gustav Company's bugler. Good thing, too, because if we stopped way out here in a real battle, the enemy would have pounded our two companies.
The next order was "Second Battalion, fire by rank." Next to Strauss, Leutnant Felder slashed his sword downward as a visual signal to fire. Most of the men cannot see it, Strauss realized. Good thing the buglers are on top of it. The first rank fired. He turned and gestured with the sword again as the second rank fired, and again for the third rank. The Ninth returned fire a company at a time. The two regiments' artillery was firing, and presumably First Battalion was as well.
Major von Hessler's next order was a left oblique—a march diagonally left while still facing ahead. Andreas Strauss smiled in anticipation. I see what the major's up to. Second Battalion fired by rank again, with the Ninth delivering a full battalion volley simultaneously with the second rank's fire.
The bugles rang again with exactly what Strauss was expecting—a battalion right wheel. The four companies swung like a gate with the rightmost man in Echo Company marking time as he slowly pivoted in place. Von Hessler wheeled them less than halfway to a right wheel. The maneuver gave Second Battalion something approaching enfilade fire on the Ninth Regiment, and the fact that they had obliqued off to the left first meant that they weren't getting as dangerously close to the Ninth as they might have. A battalion volley was the next logical step, and that's what they did. The Ninth replied but lost a little time. Strauss had the impression they were trying to aim each of their companies at specific parts of Second Battalion. The Ninth was definitely spinning their four-pounders in their direction.
The Red Lion's own artillery had gone silent. A cheer went up somewhere over on the right, but Strauss had more immediate concerns. He'd just heard the signal for first rank feu de joie. Major von Hessler is definitely getting too cute with this. The feu de joie was originally fired in celebration. The man on the end of the formation fired and then the second and the third and so on. It was harder than it looked. They'd worked out two ways to do it—to the beat of the drum and "at the flash," meaning that a whole rank leveled their rifles together and a man fired just as soon as the man next to him did.
We need more signals, Strauss noted. In training they'd done by the drum and at the flash, from the right and from the left. But there was only a single bugle call. The execute command sounded, and shots rippled down the line. Here and there a rifle didn't go off, and Strauss realized that the misfire rate was building up. We haven't fired that much. They're probably just too excited to think through how to correct it.
As soon as the first rank's fire was complete, the signal was given for second rank, and then for third rank. The Ninth had decided to forego elegance in favor of another battalion volley—which Strauss was sure would have been fairly devastating had this been actual combat. The Ninth fired by rank as the feu de joie ended. Their first rank's fire seemed especially overwhelming. Strauss peered through the smoke at them. He was astonished to realize there were more of them. Regiments were all supposed to be the same size, but the Ninth's companies appeared to have forty-man fronts instead of the usual thirty. Their second rank fired to lesser effect, and Strauss spotted the gaps in the second and third ranks. They had four squads up front, then three and three. Acies triplex. It was something Drill Sergeant Willcocks had mentioned in training. A Roman formation . . . eh, I'll ask about it later.
The next few minutes got confusing, not least because of powder smoke blowing across the battlefield. Echo Company was ordered to perform a back right wheel. Strauss remembered the officers and the drill sergeants debating this one before finally deciding that if the maneuver didn't officially exist, it ought to. It enabled a unit to refuse the flank, to fold back at up to a right angle (or even more) to the rest of the line just like General Horn had done at Breitenfeld. But it was difficult. Echo Company didn't exactly botch the maneuver, but it certainly didn't go as smoothly as they might have wished. Belatedly it occurred to Strauss that meant somebody was trying to outflank Echo Company.
More fire broke out somewhere off to the right. Strauss ignored it; the Ninth was starting to advance a couple companies. The signal came for company fire by rank. Fuchs Company's first rank delivered their volley at the two companies who were marching forward. Gustav Company fired at them, too; their slight turn to aim meant they were firing across Fuchs Company's front and made their rifles even louder. Fuchs' second and third ranks fired in turn. The two companies of the Ninth halted and delivered a company volley back at them.
"Keep firing!" Hauptmann Arentz shrieked over the noise. "First rank! Ready . . . present . . . fire!"
Fuchs Company went through another cycle of firing by rank.
Strauss heard Spitzer shout to the man next to him, "Leutnant! Four rounds left!"
"Danke! I know!" Hauptmann Arentz shouted from right behind Leutnant Felder.
"Company will fire a volley! And then reload as fast as you can!" Arentz pointed at the bugler, and he sounded the notes for "company volley."
The two companies of the Ninth which had marched forward fired on them.
"Company! Ready . . . present . . . fire!" Arentz shrieked. "Reload! Do not ram! Do not ram!"
"They're advancing, Hauptmann!"
"Port arms as soon as you're reloaded!" Arentz ordered.
The two companies of the Ninth were approaching at port arms, just as instructed for charging in this scenario. They were forty yards away.
"Company will fire, port arms, and charge!" Thirty-five yards. "Bugler, sound the charge after the volley! Company, present . . . fire!"
Fuchs Company delivered the volley at twenty-five yards. Almost everyone recovered to port arms as the bugler sounded the charge. They'd caught the Ninth by surprise and those two companies slowed in confusion.
At ten yards, Strauss realized that this was going to get dicey. "Muskets in right! Muskets in tight!" he shouted.
The companies collided with a fair amount of barrel-on-barrel contact. Some pushing and shoving broke out.
"Company! Freeze!" Arentz ordered. At least one of the Ninth's hauptleute gave the same order. Within seconds, both units' bugles were playing "regiment halt!"
The opposing companies disentangled themselves. Strauss took the opportunity to look around. Gustav and Hoch Companies had driven two other companies of the Ninth back and were coming to their assistance. Echo Company was . . . charging? At any rate, the two companies of the Ninth were withdrawing.
"Fire by ranks while advancing! Open order . . . arms!"
"First rank fires, and then it is our turn!" Strauss reminded his squad.
Fuchs Company fired while advancing, then the Ninth rallied, and Fuchs Company cycled through firing while withdrawing.
The Red Lion artillery company fired, and beyond it First Battalion was advancing. Somebody on the far right still had ammo and was pouring out rolling fire. The opposing battalion of the Ninth was withdrawing in some disorder. A big cheer went up from the Red Lion companies on the right. A couple minutes later, Drill Sergeant Thomas's amplified voice ended the exercise.
****
The drill sergeants debriefed the obersten and majors first, and then brought in the hauptleute. Meanwhile, erster leutnants maneuvered their companies back into straight regimental lines. Erster Leutnant Kohl ordered, "To the right pivot! Wheel!"
The theory was that the company would spin around to the right using the man in the middle as the anchor. Strauss groaned as the line flexed and bowed as he marched slowly backwards. The men are too excited to do this right. But finally they made it around.
Then they reached the regimental line and had to make another right pivot wheel. As they were spinning around, Strauss noticed that Gustav Company had opted for the much simpler about face, let third rank be in front for a change, march back, and about face again. He shrugged. It didn't really matter that much, but he would put it on his After Action Report that he was confident the drill sergeants would make them write tomorrow. Somebody needs to check for misfires and ammo, he realized, and decided safety was more important than protocol.
"Leutnant! Is anyone still loaded?"
Felder didn't miss a beat. "Is anyone loaded?"
A chorus of "Nein!" was punctuated with a single "Ja!"
"Fall out and clear your piece!"
Naturally it was one of the interior men in Fifth Squad. He slipped out of the formation to the rear and had the good sense to aim away from everyone. Nothing happened on the first trigger pull. He fiddled with the flint, and the rifle fired on the second try.
Over in Red Platoon, Leutnant Felder was doing the same. He seemed to have three men still loaded. Two managed to fire within a reasonable length of time, but evidently there was something seriously wrong with the third man's rifle. While the misfires were taken care of, Tenth Squad reappeared, looking insufferably pleased with themselves. They marched into place behind Sixth Squad.
"What happened, Schneider?" Strauss asked.
"Oberst Derfflinger sent Julie Company around the Ninth's flank. They had to retreat."
"Nice work!"
Hauptmann Arentz returned a few minutes later. A bugle sounded "Regiment, Achtung!" Everyone snapped into place. The next order was "Regiment, present arms!" The Red Lion Regiment saluted the Ninth with the present arms and a cheer. The Ninth returned the honors and wheeled into line to march off.
Oberst Derfflinger strode out in front of the regiment. He had the microphone in one hand, and Drill Sergeants Thomas and Sloan flanked him. Officers moved out in front of their units.
"An excellent battle," Derfflinger pronounced. "You all did well. Not perfect but not bad for the first time. We did some things very well, and we have some other things that require a lot of work. But we will be doing most of that near Magdeburg."
An excited ripple ran through the ranks, even though they were supposed to be at attention.
"We march out on Sunday. We will be marching through the New United States, Saxony, and Magdeburg Province. You will treat everyone we encounter with respect and you will not loot. In order to maintain discipline, I hereby promote all chosen men to the rank of corporal. Und I hereby promote all the other recruits to the rank of private. Officers, distribute the insignia to the corporals."
****
Author's Note:
While none of the up-timers at Camp Saale are aware of this, in the US Army the practice of identifying companies by letter originated with Major Edmund Kirby, aide-de-camp to Major General Jacob Brown, in 1816. The practice had been to identify a company by its captain's name, which caused record-keeping problems every time a company received a new commanding officer.
Ranks
Officers:
Oberst, plural Obersten: Colonel, commanding a regiment of 1000 men
Major: commanding a battalion of 400 men
Hauptmann, plural Hauptleute: Captain, commanding a company of 100 men
Erster Leutnant: First Lieutenant, second in command of a company
Leutnant, plural Leutnants: Second Lieutenant, leading a platoon of 30 men
Fähnrich: Ensign, not an official USE rank but being used in the Red Lion Regiment for officers with no previous military experience, essentially officer trainees
Enlisted:
Wachtmeister: The chosen man of Alfa Company's First Squad, responsible for posting sentries and generally reporting the condition of the men to the officers.
Feldwebel, plural Feldwebel: The chosen man of each company's First Squad, someone who literally keeps the troops in line. I am indebted to John Zeek for proposing the ranks of wachtmeister and feldwebel, although I am using both as job descriptions rather than as formal ranks or pay grades.
Sergeant: The goal is that each squad of ten soldiers will be led by a sergeant.
Corporal: By the end of this story, the rank of the squad leaders.
Chosen man: Since all the volunteers began as recruits and were not yet privates, the drill sergeants did not want to grant additional rank or pay. They chose one man per squad for additional training in the evenings with the intention of promoting them to corporal or sergeant at some point.