Wheeling

einschwenken.

Wheeling (Ger. schwenken), is the change in direction of march, or of the front in general, by putting the shoulder forward. The wheel may be executed on the spot, or during the march; in both cases what each soldier has to observe is the same. The front of the wheeling formation may be one or several men or guns. If there is only one man in the front, wheeling is not difficult; on the command “right” or “left wheel – march!”, he puts either the right or left shoulder forward until “for – ward” is commanded, and those following him do the same at the pivot, they adopt exactly the direction of the tête. The wider a wheeling front is, however, the more difficult proper wheeling becomes. The main principles here are that physical contact (Fühlung) is maintained with the stationary flank, but alignment with the wheeling flank; this is the right flank when wheeling left and the left flank when wheeling right.

Source: Rumpf, H. F.: Allgemeine Real-Encyclopädie der gesammten Kriegskunst (Berl. 1827)

Military Glossary