In "The Guns of August" by Barbara W. Tuchman, the challenges faced by corps during warfare are highlighted. One particular corps found itself completely out of wire communications, resorting to using mounted orderlies to convey messages. This demonstrates the dire circumstances that can arise in military operations when essential supplies are depleted.

Additionally, the VIth Corps lacked the key necessary to decode the cipher used by the XIIIth Corps, leading to the issuance of Samsonov's orders via wireless in plain language. This situation illustrates the consequences of communication breakdowns in military strategy, as clear orders could lead to misunderstandings or exploitation by the enemy.