A little later selected platoons and companies took their turn in the front line, and before the end of February the Canadian Division was holding its own sector of the British line.
Illustration] "One of our platoons successfully attacked this trench, while another under Mr. Doxsee attacked the neighbouring house and succeeded in driving the enemy from it with a loss of only two men killed and another wounded.
Already the second and third platoons had cleared the village and were reining about and rallying on the flats up-stream.
The second and third platoons re-form without much delay and with hardly a missing face.
Platoons and half platoonsattacked them in detail at great cost of life, and it was in such places that the tanks were of the most advantage.
Captain Grant, take threeplatoons and a field-piece, and see if you can fight off those horse.
Whilst he is doing this, the remaining platoons can be trained in fire direction and control, which should be carefully watched and criticized by the platoon commanders.
The company commander would adjust all these matters, and in the end one or more platoons might not be placed in the best position as regards their own particular front, but in the best as regards the whole company.
Executed by the designated platoon or platoons as described for the company.
In garrison or ceremonies the strength of platoons may exceed four squads.
If sergeants still remain, they are assigned to platoons as additional guides.
Being in column of platoons or squads, to form line on right or left: =1.
Straight past the canvas shelter that had been erected for the superintendent, the Board of Visitors and their ladies, swung the four platoons in magnificent order and rhythm.
Then, while three platoons halted, remaining motionless in saddle, the fourth platoon, after starting at the gallop, sheathed sabres and drew pistols.
If the ground were quite open, the two leading platoons were extended at once, so as to oppose the enemy with an equal extent of fire, and then advanced by rushes, each section covering the rush of the other by alternate firing.
The two reserve platoons could be used either to outflank the enemy, if the nature of the ground permitted, or for direct reenforcement in any formation required.
A single company in attack would dispatch two platoons as a firing line, retaining two in reserve, each of the platoons in front providing its own protection for skirmishing, according to the nature of the ground.
Nevertheless he made no move toward integrating by platoons while he was Chief of Staff.
Footnote 12-12: Parts of the survey of attitudes of participants in the World War II integration of platoons were included in remarks by Congresswoman Helen G.
Later General Eisenhower stated that he had decided to employ the men "as individuals," but the evidence is clear that he meant platoons in 1944, see Ltr, D.
The platoons would be sent for assignment to Army commanders who would provide them with platoon leaders, platoon sergeants, and, if needed, squad leaders.
Noble wanted to integrate black recruits as they arrived, absorbing them in the white training platoons then being processed.
The experiment with integration ofplatoons was carefully scrutinized.
The performance of the provisional companies failed to match the performance of the platoonsintegrated into white companies and their morale was lower.
In calling for the integration of small black units rather than individuals, the Gillem Board obviously had in mind the remarkably effective black platoons in Europe in the last months of World War II.
He cited "many officers" who believed that the problems connected with large segregated combat units justified their abolition in favor of the integration of black platoons into larger white units.
If you have employed Negro platoons in the same company with white platoons, what is your opinion of the practicability of this arrangement?
It also described the black infantry platoons integrated into white companies in Europe as "eminently successful.
If Platoons Numbers 1 and 2 could have shouted to us or flashed their electric torches we should have got them much sooner than we did.
We found the whole four platoons waiting for us; but they would not have waited much longer.
Many gallant deeds were performed by runners, stretcher-bearers and ammunition-carrying-platoons through this inferno.
The battalion proceeded over the desert in this manner in artillery formation with platoons as units, and halting as frequently as possible.
When close to the enemy position the platoons extended and formed two lines, with a L.
Platoons had barely been allotted their areas when clumps of Huns began to appear on the ridge we had just vacated.
All four platoons were in line, and each platoon was divided into four sections, the two rifle sections on the flanks, and the two L.
It was slow work moving along the canal and across the Trescault-Havrincourt road, and it is not surprising that eventually the intervals between platoons closed up and the four companies were strung out in one long line.
Then will be landed the three platoonsof the reserve of the first brigade, under Major Swan.
The three reserve platoons of this line under the orders of Major Swan, 100 yards in the rear of the colors, ready to support any part which may show an unsteady countenance.
In single file, with no intervals between platoons for fear of losing touch, and a very uncertain knowledge of the position of the enemy, we marched slowly across country towards where we hoped to find Battalion Headquarters.
Bowler and others with him, Captain Petch went out himself, and the two waved their arms and shouted to imaginary platoons to make the enemy think an attack was coming.
The Colonel's plan was as follows:--To assemble the Battalion in lines of platoons in fours facing South, just behind the right of our front line.
Our losses had been heavy and so far we had had practically no reinforcements, so had to reorganise our three remaining Companies with three platoons each instead of four.
But we had proved that five platoons could clear a village held by three Battalions (so said one of the prisoners) of the enemy; we had shown that when N.
The other four Battalions, after losing their leading wave, remained in our front trenches and sent back messages for more smoke, while here and there gallant efforts were made by platoons and sections to take help into the wood.
This was done by platoons of the support and reserve companies who had frequently to make two or three journeys during the night, along the slippery track past Pond Farm and Cookers Corner--the last a famous and much loathed spot.
Petch was able to catch his platoons in time, and, dismissing the guides, sent each to its correct position.
Dennis, now commanding "A" Company, ordered his platoons to return to their former positions.
There was some scattered shelling, but our formation--lines of platoons in fours--was found very suitable.
There was wire everywhere, and the going was very bad on top, so that many men of the rear platoons dropped back into the trench and made their way along it--a fatal mistake.
All would cross the Bellenglise road and finally, when the leading platoons were level with the farther, i.
D" Company leading, they advanced by platoons on both sides of the road, keeping touch with the 1st Battalion on their left, and had gone nearly a mile before they were checked by machine-gun fire ahead of them.
Gorse, who at once organized theplatoons for the defence of the second line, realizing that it was useless to try to advance further.
I have already sent the guard to notify the first sergeants of F and H companies to turn out the second platoons of each company.
Keep the twoplatoons apart," ordered Hal, going over to the men.
Now, for the sake of giving our youngest officers practice in handling their men I am going to send the second platoons of F and H companies, and you, Foster, will command.
Here the general posted three platoons of the regiment and a company of Highland foot under cover of the wood, so that any Spaniards advancing through the meadow would have to pass under their fire.
Oglethorpe made all haste towards them and met two of the platoons in full retreat.
While the armistice was on two platoons were down in the rest camp, and when they came back none had told the men of the altered state of affairs.
There were two platoons away on the right who distinguished themselves by getting farther inland than any one else.
In column, of which the head fired, and whose platoons tried to get from behind the mead to enter into action?
We were in column of platoons with section intervals.
The order of battle may be: two platoons deployed as skirmishers, two companies in reserve, under command of the battalion commander.
But to-day as then, in spite of skill acquired in individual fire, men stop aiming and fire badly as soon as they are grouped into platoons to fire.
To start with: take battalions of four companies, four platoons each, in line or in column.
The system of having artillery followed by infantryplatoons is absurd.
Instead of putting individuals from both races together in the same unit, the Army took segregated black and white platoons and merged them into an integrated fighting force although the platoons themselves remained segregated.
At the latter post, two platoons of the Canterbury Battalion (the 12th Nelson Company) were instrumental in helping to stave off the most determined attack ever made by the Turks on Egypt.
The other platoonsof the Nelsons kept up a steady long-range fire.
Two platoons of "A" Company, under Captain Montgomery, had been left on the beach for fatigue duty there.
Some platoons were employed on the engineer, ordnance, and supply dumps.
The absence of these men broke up platoonsand also disrupted the continuity of instruction.
Long hours of hard work usually induce sound sleep at night, but with the platoons in support this happy condition was difficult to achieve.
In the meanwhile the work of organising the platoons and companies continued, and much care was devoted to the training and equipping.
They're bringing in platoons of militia in full armor, and if we don't beat those boys to it we're in for plenty of grief.
And behind that single line of armored guards were massed perhaps twenty unarmored, but masked, soldiers; and scuttling up the ramps leading into the hall were coming the platoons of heavily armored figures which Costigan had previously seen.
From the burial ground Roger could look far down the road and see the sunlight glinting from the bayonets of the grenadiers, as the red-coated platoons emerged from the woodland into the open highway.
I stood near the rear, and could see the still platoons in front, not a hat moved, not a boot shifted.
There was rivalry even among the platoonsand the companies.
On the first day we tried to fire by platoons on the airplanes, but a second airplane retaliated by dropping bombs and firing his machine-gun at our troops.
Platoons of marines stood in the mud behind guns corroded by the inundations, holding back entire companies of enemy troops for days and nights without the possibility of obtaining relief or food.
The officer in command sent three of his platoons back, and with a rearguard composed of the remainder of his company held off the enemy's infantry until the main position had been organized.
Our men took the places of French platoons that were sent back to rest billets.
But other French platoons remained shoulder to shoulder with our men in the front line.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "platoons" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
