Military strategists have been using various techniques that help them win a battle with losing as little men as possible. Throughout the ages, they ruled out that an organized unit has an exponentially greater chance of survival if it remains organized and if it receives orders in real time. This means that they have to make communications as effective as possible. They came up with a way of using sticks, leaves, hand signals, and even
flags to achieve these ends.
Before the industrial revolution, commanders had trouble with relaying distance and location from their scouts to their artillery positions. This meant that their support units had trouble with accuracy and could hit their own units in the middle of the battle. However, they started using various methods. One such method would be the use of
flags to convey specific messages about the enemy's position and their friendly troops so that they could be more efficient. They even came up with specific ways to wave them in order to send more complex messages that improved their overall efficiency.
This was not only for artillery spotters. This was also for the common foot soldiers that had to fight far from the general. Infantry battalions often received their orders from bugles and trumpets blown from across the battlefield. However, in the chaos of battle, they found it suitable to use the same method that artillery spotters used. From that point on, they could be relayed orders from longer distances and thus keep them orderly despite the obstacle that space dictates.
by:
The Flagman
