Quote Originally Posted by Ulenspiegel View Post
I think it was considered better to let units shrink due to losses and work with these smaller units as long as possible - a depleted unit which has strong coherence was better than a larger units which lacked it - then bring them back to authorized strength when you have the opportunity to incorporate the replacements, i.e. training time is available, more a "batch" approach in contrast to the "continuous flow".

IIRC the same approach was used by the British army in the Napoleonic era.
OK, I'm essentially in agreement on this... but lets make sure we agree on the semantics.

First, don't introduce new troops (FNGs) directly into battle. Rather attach a full platoon or company from an experienced unit the unit can be rotated for training and the assimilation of replacements in a structured manner.

If one waits for a unit to rotate out of the line before replacements are brought in then only a batch (or the required number of replacements) system can work.

In the COIN context of Rhodesia in the RLI we trained our own recruits throughout and fed them into the operational subunits as each course was completed. These replacements were for National Servicemen (conscripts) standing down, replacing regular soldiers whose contracts were up, and of course for casualties. This was a continuous trickle feed - in the sense that every two months we had ins and outs. Seldom would a troop (platoon) receive more than one or two on these occasions. These would be placed with the sergeant and the senior corporal but importantly 'buddied up' with an experienced troopie who was tasked to 'teach him the ropes'. They were also termed 'fresh-pussy' (or words to that effect) until they had been in a contact and done well and then another new guy or pair of new guys arrived - when they shed the 'fresh pussy' title and bought the troop a crate of beers (24) when like Brookes (in the article quoted above) they became full (and trusted) members of the group (like how I mentioned some time ago boys get membership of the club house built in a tree). It a troopie did something stupid later he would be 'fined' a crate of beers by the other troopies. There was never any shunning or ostracism of the 'fresh pussy' as it was in our interests to get them to the level of being able to be relied upon by their mates. As the troop commander for three years I saw this first hand many times.

To assimilate new replacements in ones and twos per platoon is pretty simple in this particular scenario. This is what I see as continuous flow - when it really is a couple of guys in and out of each platoon every few months.