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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 ''Battle (formation), battles'' or ''wards''; the Van, the Main (or Middle), and the Rearguard, 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 (formation), line.

The makeup of the vanguard of a 15th century Duchy of Burgundy, Burgundian army is a typical example. This consisted of
*A contingent of Light cavalry, 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 direction of the Master of Artillery whose job it was to clear obstacles which would obstruct the baggage and artillery travelling with the main army.
In an English force of England in the Middle Ages, the period, the foreriders of the vanguard would be accompanied by the harbingers, whose job was to locate lodgings for the army for the following night.

Forward detachments

During World War II, the Red Army began forming ''ad hoc'' vanguard formations called "forward detachments" ''(peredovye otriady)'', from Field army, army, corps and Division (military), divisional units. Forward detachments brought together the mobile (motorized or mechanized) elements of the parent formation to play an exploitation role once a breakthrough of the German lines occurred. A rifle division, for example, might mount one or two battalions of infantry on trucks, with motorized Anti-tank_warfare#Anti-tank_guns, antitank guns and motorized artillery in support.David M. Glantz, ''Colossus Reborn'', University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2005, pp. 110, 119

See also

* Vanguardism, Lenin's political theory
* Medieval warfare
* Forlorn hope
* Front line
* Avant-garde
* Rearguard

References

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Military tactics
Military terminology