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Tactical Formation
Element: A group of soldiers A tactical formation (or order) is the arrangement or deployment of moving military forces such as infantry, cavalry, AFVs, military aircraft, or naval vessels. Formations were found in tribal societies such as the ''pua rere'' of the Māori,20:32; 27:57, Journal of the Polynesian Society and ancient or medieval formations which include shield walls (''skjaldborg'' in Old Norse), phalanxes (lines of battle in close order), testudo formation and skirmishers. Tactical formations include: * Flight Formations * Box * Coil: Similar to the Herringbone formation, the coil formation allows for 360 degree security while at the halt. This type of formation is also used when refueling aircraft as well as during resupply. Sometimes platoon leaders also use it when briefing to platoon sergeants. Air guards and dismounted fire teams are also in position while this formation is being used. * Column * Echelon * Herringbone * Line * Skirmish * Square * Sta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infantry Tactics
Infantry tactics are the combination of military concepts and methods used by infantry to achieve tactical objectives during combat. The role of the infantry on the battlefield is, typically, to close with and engage the enemy, and hold territorial objectives; infantry tactics are the means by which this is achieved. Infantry commonly makes up the largest proportion of an army's fighting strength, and consequently often suffers the heaviest casualties. Throughout history, infantrymen have sought to minimise their losses in both attack and defence through effective tactics. (''For a wider view of battle and theater tactics see: Military strategy)'' Infantry tactics are the oldest method of warfare and span all eras. In different periods, the prevailing technology of the day has had an important impact on infantry tactics. In the opposite direction, tactical methods can encourage the development of particular technologies. Similarly, as weapons and tactics evolve, so do the tacti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Echelon Formation
An echelon formation () is a (usually military) formation in which its units are arranged diagonally. Each unit is stationed behind and to the right (a "right echelon"), or behind and to the left ("left echelon"), of the unit ahead. The name of the formation comes from the French word échelon, meaning a rung of a ladder, which describes the shape that this formation has when viewed from above or below. Military formation Use of the formation dates back to ancient infantry and cavalry warfare, as an alternative to column, line-abreast, or phalanx (box) formations. One of its earliest uses was at the Battle of Leuctra, when the Thebans attacked the Spartan right with a column 48 men deep while their weaker center and right were repelled. The echelon formation may have been used by Hannibal at the Battle of Cannae, Alexander the Great at the Battle of Gaugamela, Frederick II of Prussia, and the Confederate army at the Battle of Gettysburg. The tactic still persists and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Night Attack Formation
Night attack formation refers to the arrangement of soldiers in advancing in attack at night. With the advances in arms that led to trench warfare, daytime attacks across open ground toward defensive positions became prohibitive and often futile. Night attacks may have the advantage of maintaining an element of surprise and reducing the ability of defenders to target their fire, but pose difficulties for the attacking forces. Necessities of maintaining contact from advancing groups with groups to the side and rear, maintaining protection versus the possibility of counter-attacks, maintaining order so that sufficiently many troops are in position to obtain a sustainable breach in defenses, and so on, are all more difficult at night. It may be necessary to detail more soldiers to scouting and communication Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Military Organization
Military organization or military organisation is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation's armed forces, though not considered military. Armed forces that are not a part of military or paramilitary organizations, such as insurgent forces, often mimic military organizations, or use ''ad hoc'' structures, while formal military organization tends to use hierarchical forms. History The use of formalized ranks in a hierarchical structure came into widespread use with the Roman Army. In modern times, executive control, management and administration of military organization is typically undertaken by governments through a government department within the structure of public administration, often known as a ministry of defence or department of defense. These in turn manage military branches that themselves command forma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laager
A wagon fort, wagon fortress, or corral, often referred to as circling the wagons, is a temporary fortification made of wagons arranged into a rectangle, circle, or other shape and possibly joined with each other to produce an improvised military camp. It is also known as a laager (from Afrikaans), especially in historical African contexts, and a tabor (from Polish/Ukrainian/Russian) among the Cossacks. Overview Ammianus Marcellinus, a Roman army officer and historian of the 4th century, describes a Roman army approaching "ad carraginem" as they approach a Gothic camp. Historians interpret this as a wagon-fort. Notable historical examples include the Hussites, who called it ''vozová hradba'' ("wagon wall"), known under the German translation ''Wagenburg'' ("wagon fort/fortress"), ''tabors'' in the armies of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Cossacks, and the ''laager'' of settlers in South Africa. Similar, ''ad hoc'', defensive formations used in the United States wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formation Flying
Formation flying is the flight of multiple objects in coordination. Introduction Formation flight in aviation originated in World War I when fighter aircraft were assigned to escort reconnaissance aircraft. It was found that pairs of aircraft were more combat effective than single aircraft, and therefore, military aircraft would always fly in formations of at least two. By World War II, pilots had discovered other strategic advantages to formation flight such as enhanced stability and optimal visibility. However, birds have been known to receive performance benefits from formation flight for over a century, through aerodynamic theory of Wieselsberger in 1914. Today, a multitude of studies have been performed on the performance benefits of aircraft flying in formation. Mechanism of drag reduction It is a common misunderstanding to relate the reduction of drag in organized flight to the reduction of drag in drafting. However, they are quite different mechanistically. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation, usually consisting of between 6,000 and 25,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades; in turn, several divisions typically make up a corps. Historically, the division has been the default combined arms unit capable of independent operations. Smaller combined arms units, such as the American regimental combat team (RCT) during World War II, were used when conditions favored them. In recent times, modern Western militaries have begun adopting the smaller brigade combat team (similar to the RCT) as the default combined arms unit, with the division they belong to being less important. While the focus of this article is on army divisions, in naval usage " division" has a completely different meaning, referring to either an administrative/functional sub-unit of a department (e.g., fire control division of the weapons department) aboard naval and coast guard ships, shore commands, and in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flying Wedge
A flying wedge (also called flying V or wedge formation, or simply wedge) is a configuration created from a body moving forward in a triangular formation. This V-shaped arrangement began as a successful military strategy in ancient times when infantry units would move forward in wedge formations to smash through an enemy's lines. This principle was later used by Medieval European armies, as well as modern armed forces, which have adapted the V-shaped wedge for armored assault. In modern times the effectiveness of flying wedge means it is still employed by civilian police services for riot control. It has also been used in some sports, although the use of wedges is sometimes banned due to the danger it poses to defenders. Military tactics Antiquity Greeks and Romans The wedge (έμβολον, ''embolon'' in Greek; ''cuneus'' in Latin, colloquially also ''caput porcinum'', "boar's head"), was used by both infantry and cavalry. The men deployed in a triangular or trapezoid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vanguard
The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives from the traditional division of a medieval army into three ''battles'' or ''wards''; the Van, the Main (or Middle), and the Rear. The term originated from the medieval French ''avant-garde'', i.e. "the advance guard". The vanguard would lead the line of march and would deploy first on the field of battle, either in front of the other wards or to the right if they deployed in line. The makeup of the vanguard of a 15th century Burgundian army is a typical example. This consisted of *A contingent of foreriders, from whom a forward detachment of scouts was drawn; *The main body of the vanguard, accompanied by civil officials and trumpeters to carry messages and summon enemy towns and castles to surrender; and *A body of workmen under the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vic Formation
The Vic formation is a formation devised for military aircraft and first used during the First World War. It has three or sometimes more aircraft fly in close formation with the leader at the apex and the rest of the flight '' en echelon'' to the left and the right, the whole resembling the letter "V". The formation's name is derived from the term that was then used for "V" in the RAF phonetic alphabet. The formation is still in use but has been superseded or replaced in some circumstances. History At the start of the First World War, little thought had been given to the most efficient formations to use for military aircraft. Groups of fliers, drawn from the various nations' army or navy, would fly in columns, or line, ahead as if they were troops of cavalry or flotillas of ships. That was soon found to be inefficient for several reasons. Firstly, the leaders and their squadrons could not communicate with each other except for the vague instruction to follow the leader. Secondl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Staggered Column
Staggered column is a military formation often used for walking along roads where squad members will walk in a zig-zag pattern. References Staggered Column or Combat Column {{mil-stub Tactical formations ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infantry Square
An infantry square, also known as a hollow square, was a historic combat formation in which an infantry unit formed in close order, usually when it was threatened with cavalry attack. As a traditional infantry unit generally formed a line to advance, more nimble cavalry could sweep around the end of the line and attack from the undefended rear or burst through the line, with much the same effect. By arranging the unit so that there was no undefended rear, a commander could organise an effective defense against a cavalry attack. With the development of modern firearms and the demise of cavalry, that formation is now considered obsolete. Early history The formation was described by Plutarch and used by the Ancient Romans; it was developed from an earlier circular formation. In particular, a large infantry square was used by the Roman legions at the Battle of Carrhae against Parthia, whose armies contained a large proportion of cavalry. That is not to be confused with the testudo f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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