Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 14, 10 February - 30 March 1917, Part 5

[*G.O.C*]
 NOTES FROM LECTURE BY LIEUT - COLONEL C. H. MITCHELL
D.S.O. at SECOND ARMY HEADQUARTERS 23-2-17.
1. Essential to get from German prisoners, names of Officers
commanding Companies, Battalions, &c., as they often use
these as a code for conveying orders to these units.
2.  Necessary to be careful ourselves not to mention Officers
names.
3.  C.S.0. 3 to be used both for “O” and “I”.  New Intelligence
Officer to be entirely “I” and to do maps, photographs,
interrogation of prisoners, co-ordination of intelligence
and observation work forward, and frequently visit O.P's
and front line.
4. Scout Officer in a Battalion to be in charge of Intelligence.
No mention of a Battalion Intelligence Officer. Question
of our Seconds in Command doing it might be reviewed.
Personally I still think they are the right people. One
wants a level headed man who will sift information and put
up deductions. Thus the Second in Command could help his
C.O. enormously, while a Scout Officer has plenty to do in
the actual collection of the information. Apart from this,
the Scout Officer should be quite junior in order to be
thoroughly active, and rather an enthusiast, perhaps liable
to advise the dashing and unsound course on occasions.
5.  The Intelligence Officer attached to the Corps Flying
Squadron from Corps Headquarters is the man who makes the
map with the new information plotted and sends it out at
once to Divisions. This is the man for us to get in touch
with. He gets the observer’s information dropped as he
comes in, has a skeleton plan all ready, puts it on, confirms
directly he sees the observer, and then dishes it out to
people. Even then, we are told, the photograph often beats
the map.
6.  It is essential that in future operations the “I” Branch of
the Division shall give the “O” Branch all the assistance
they can, so the sooner they get in touch and are fully conversant with the working of this bit of it the better.
 7. The  following signs of a possible hostile attack were
referred to.-
(a). Wireless activity from the ground and the air.
(b). Extra communication trenches.
(c). Extra assembly trench.
(d).  Saps or jumping off places.
(e). Gaps in or disrepair of enemy's wire.
(f).  Extra dumps.
(g). Extra guns.
(h). Extra tram lines.
(I).  Unusual amount of ^any activity.
The last might mean a relief or a thickening of the line.
The lecturer's deductions with regard to new guns firing
when visibility is bad and therefore proving that they are
new guns and not old, are open to question.
 

23/2/17

Intelligence re Enemy
A. Chiefly from prisoners     }
B. Observation in front line } Not to be dealt with
Will deal with other aspects.
Coordination of the Service with
Artillery
Flying Corps
Signals  Service
Refer to diagram of Organisation
Capt Bell skilled in German Army
from refugees who have gotten back from
Lille, Roubaix &c
[[? uville]]- studies documents & movements of the troops
[[?]] Tipping - expert in photos of enemy’s front line systems
Corps belt goes back 5 miles, Army belt 15 miles
Field Survey Company - personnel 500 - xxx
Drawings - Mr Lightfoot
Printing
Map distribution
 

Topographical Section - Surveys in the field
xxxxxx xxx of Duration- for artillery
all along Army front- observe flashes by intersection
Sound ranging - 6 triangles for any one gun
Corps  Topographical Sections - {Mapping
{Field Location of our battalions
{Artillery Boards. (ours)
Quick reproduction of special maps of front line
situation - as we advance
Signals. -

We have 10 listening sets on our front.

Listening Sets - interception of enemy's conversation

Enemy has taken every means to negative our efforts.

One at Hill 60 gets German information - often coded.

Enemy uses a Code for names of Units - generally names of C.O's-

Wireless. (a) Ground station -from front to rear)

from ground to air) in enemy's country.

behind Messines ridge there are 10 sets

We intercept & decipher this. - Most of it

relates to his training

(b) Aeroplane Wireless - We have been able to

locate his calls to his Arty. groups. - So that

we can return turn our Arty. on & neutralize it
 

our "pathfinder" - we have three; it is a "compass 
station". They range by wireless waves.

Can locate with it the planes' orbit. - we plot it

We learn whom he talks to & what about - We have

found their names for our targets - We then saved

a dump & battery of ours.

Corps  on Chart

Division. - a new G.S.O.4 or assistant to G.S.O 3 -

he to be an expert in photos. maps. & coordination

of front line intelligence.

X Brigade observers - under Brigade Intelligence Officers.

Artillery with Army - Capt. Gould.

Flying Corps. 1500 photos taken in the four snow weeks

Results & method of Deduction.

(1) Distr. of enemy's forces.

(2) Enemy's works activities

(3) Enemy's raiding policies

A sign of an attack in his Air Activity. 

6 weeks ago we discovered increase of guns around

Ypres salient. -

Description of Observations & Deductions.