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List of military tactics 1

List of military tactics

This page contains a list of military tactics:

Principles

Identification of objectives: Also referred to as 'Selection and Maintenance of the Aim'; Tactics should be directed

to achieve a particular outcome such as the capture of a hill, a successful disengagement from an advancing

enemy, or merely causing a greater proportional loss to the enemy than to your own force (attrition). Once an aim

is identified, time, resources and effort are expended to achieve it; therefore, these are wasted if the aim is

frequently changed. By way of an operational/strategic level of example, consider Hitler's frequent shift of focus

in 1941 in the invasion of the Soviet Union; constantly shifting resources from one operation to another; when he

might have done better to remain focused on the capture of Moscow first.

Force concentration A blade is edged so that it lands with more energy per square centimeter than an equally

sized blunt object. Concentration of effort is a fighting force's edge. Once an aim is identified, earmark enough

resources to achieve it and focus them on the task.

Exploiting prevailing weather. This is not one of the stated principles of war, but is a good habit. Most of the most

successful attacks in the First World War: Vimy Ridge, Amiens or the opening of the German March offensive of

1918 began - mostly coincidentally - in fog or a snow storm. The Japanese carrier groups sent to attack Pearl

Harbor and Midway advanced whenever possible behind a storm front, as the bad weather cut down on the

chance of detection.

Exploiting night: Again, this is not a principle of war, but a temporary advantage of technology in the last 40

years. Western troops, in particular, have been well-equipped with night vision equipment.

Maintenance of reserves: Again, in many national armies "Principles of War", this is not listed, except perhaps

generally under the heading of 'Flexibility'. The maintenance of a reserve force allows a tactician to exploit new

opportunities, or react quickly to reverses and unexpected developments. Typically, most commanders keep about

a quarter of the forces back in reserve for this function - a battalion might keep a company back, the brigade

might keep a battalion back, etc.

Economy of force: A common principle of war; the attentive commander knows that his troops, equipment and

supplies must be husbanded and used carefully, only if there is a good chance of success.

Force protection: Another component is the principle of security. A military unit or formation must always have

sentries or reconnaissance deployed, specialized weapons against specific attacks - such as anti-aircraft defenses

today - must always be carefully sited and available, even if halted for only a short period, defensive measures

should be taken.

Force dispersal: This is not a principle of war, but is a very necessary practice in modern circumstances where

contemporary firepower is so overwhelming. It is interesting to consider that in a kilometer wide battlefield,

the Classic Greeks or Romans might have stuffed over 8,000 men in a front line formation, Wellington would

consider half that number crowded; a World War One Army would deploy 1,000 men, and today's forces

might use less than 100.

Military camouflage: Camouflage is an ancient measure designed to deceive opponents and protect one's

forces. Outlines have to be broken up, textures disguised, and reflective surfaces dulled. An example of this is

the ghillie suit. Camouflage techniques also extend beyond the visible spectra that the human eye normally

uses, as the same principles now need to work in infrared light, against starlight scopes and radar frequencies.

Deception: Sun Tzu said that all war is based on deception back in the 4th century BC; a wise commander

takes measures to let his opponent only react to the wrong circumstances. Diversionary attacks, feints, decoys;there are thousands of tricks that have been successfully used, and still have a role in the future.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sun_Tzuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deceptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ghillie_suithttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Military_camouflagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Force_dispersalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Economy_of_forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Military_reservehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Night_operations_%28military%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amienshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vimy_Ridgehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Force_concentrationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Military_tactics

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Perfidy: Soldiers tend to have assumptions and ideas of rules and fair practices in combat, but those

combatants who raise surrender flags to lure their attackers in the open, or who act as stretcher bearers to

deceive their targets tend to be especially disliked.

False flag: An ancient ruse de guerre - in the days of sail, it was permissible for a warship to fly the flag of

an enemy, so long as it properly hoisted its true colors before attacking. Wearing enemy uniforms and using

enemy equipment to infiltrate or achieve surprise is possible.

Electronic countermeasures

Electronic counter-counter-measures

Radio silence - while travelling, an fleet will not communicate with their radios to avoid detection by enemy

forces.

Fortification

Field works (entrenchments)

Over Head Protection

Revetting

Sangars: In areas where the ground is too rocky for troops to dig in, they construct bullet resistant fighting

positions by stacking stones.

Shell scrapes

Foxholes

Strong points

Use and improvement of terrain

High ground

Protection

Natural barriers - e.g. rivers

Obstacles and barriers - man made

Barbed wire Anti-vehicle ditches

Anti-vehicle berms (knife edges)

Multiple Axis of Movement

Reconnaissance

Fire Attacks: Reconnaissance by fire is used by apprehensive soldiers when they suspect the enemy is lurking

nearby. Basically, fire into likely enemy positions and see if anyone returns fire, or otherwise reveal themselves.

Small unit tactics

Infantry Minor Tactics

Fire and movement or "pepper potting"

Basic Drill

Contact Drill

Immediate Ambush Drill

Counter Ambush Drill

Hull-down (in armored warfare)

Shoot-and-scoot

Infiltration tactics

Fire and Movement

Four Fs Overwatch
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Overwatchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Four_Fs_%28military%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fire_and_Movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Infiltration_tacticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shoot-and-scoothttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Armored_warfarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hull-downhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Infantry_Minor_Tactics%23Basic_Drillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fire_and_Movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Infantry_Minor_Tacticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reconnaissancehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bermhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ditch_%28fortification%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barbed_wirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=High_groundhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foxholehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shell_scrapeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sangar_%28fortification%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Revettinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Entrenchmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fortificationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Radio_silencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electronic_counter-counter-measureshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electronic_countermeasureshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=False_flaghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Perfidy

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Bounding Overwatch

Center Peel

Patrolling

Reconnaissance Patrol

Fighting Patrol

Standing Patrol (OP/LP) Saturation patrol

Ambush

Linear Ambush

'L' Ambush

Area Ambush

Guerrilla

Offensive tactics

Charge

Highland charge

Ambush

Skirmish

trench raiding

Peaceful Penetration

Rapid dominance

Blitzkrieg: A misnomer, usually associated with specific weapons systems (such as the use of tanks and

aircraft) rather than as a technique. Blitzkrieg could be also referred to as the "Expanding Torrent" (Liddell

Hart), Tukhachevsky's and the post 1960 Soviet theorists of 'Deep Battle', or even the 'OODA Loop' of

contemporary US usage. Essentially, the ideas are the same. These include utilizing speed, manoeuvre, and theshock of sudden violence throughout the entire depth of an enemy's defence to create conditions of

psychological shock in the minds of their troops and commanders. The idea is to beat them mentally, as a

prelude to their destruction or surrender. Deep penetrations by raiding formations - such as a Soviet

Operational Manoeuvre Group (OMG) or a battalion of air cavalry - coupled with disruptive techniques and air

superiority wrest the initiative away from the enemy, keep them off balance and unable to react faster than one

can exploit, and prevent them from establishing effective defences.

Carpet bombing: The usage of massive bomber squadrons to annihilate an enemy city. While useful in

destroying industrial might and wrecking the enemy's ability to wage war, it can often fail to impact civilian

morale. During various stages of World War II, air raids against British and German cities became as routine

for civilians as the weather. Human wave attack

Shock tactics

Swarming (Military)

Planned attack

Use of Supporting Fire

Indirect Fire Support

Base of fire

Flying wedge (used by Alexander the Great)

Armoured spearhead

Encirclement

Hammer and anvil
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Base_of_firehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flying_wedgehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Armoured_spearheadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Encirclementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hammer_and_anvilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hammer_and_anvilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Encirclementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Armoured_spearheadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flying_wedgehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Base_of_firehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fire_Supporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fire_supporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swarming_%28Military%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shock_tacticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Human_wave_attackhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carpet_bombinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operational_Manoeuvre_Grouphttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mikhail_Tukhachevskyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liddell_Harthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liddell_Harthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blitzkrieghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peaceful_Penetrationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trench_raidinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Skirmishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ambushhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Highland_chargehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charge_%28warfare%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Guerrillahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ambushhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saturation_patrolhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Patrollinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Center_Peelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bounding_Overwatch

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Inverted wedge

the "refuse" (cavalry formation)

Frontal assault

Holding attack - to hold the enemy in position while other offensive or defensive activity takes place

Penetration or infiltration

Pincer movement - An army assaults an enemy by attacking two sides at opposite locations, often planning to

cut off the enemy from retreat or additional support in preparation for annihilation.

Flanking maneuver

Interdiction - Severing or disrupting lines of communication and supply

Air interdiction

Control MSR (Main supply routes)

Envelopment tactics

Circumvallation

Finnish motti tactics

Siege

Vertical envelopment

Airborne Forces

Air Mobile Forces

Rapid deployment

Capturing key points

Airborne operations

Air Mobile operations

Amphibious operations

Motorized operations

Tank desant

Mechanized operations

Armored operations

Raiding: A small team is inserted deep behind enemy lines to capture a high valued individual or destroy a

vital enemy installation then extracted before the enemy can respond.

Preemptive Strike

Disrupting Communications

Electronic countermeasures

Radar Jamming

Radio Jamming

Defensive tactics

Basic Principles

Defense in depth

Mutual Support (e.g. by crossfire)

Phalanx formation

All round defense

Fighting withdrawal

Reserved demolitions

Scorched earth Booby traps
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Booby_traphttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scorched_earthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=All_round_defensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phalanx_formationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crossfirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Defense_in_depthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Radio_Jamminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Radar_Jamminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electronic_countermeasureshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Preemptive_warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Raid_%28military%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Armored_warfarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mechanized_warfarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tank_desanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amphibious_warfarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerial_warfarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vertical_Envelopmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Siegehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Salients%2C_re-entrants_and_pockets%23Pockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Circumvallationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Air_interdictionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interdiction_%28military%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flanking_maneuverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pincer_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Infiltration_tacticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frontal_assaulthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_%22refuse%22http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Inverted_wedge

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Minefields

Trench warfare

Counter attack

Breakout

Counter battery fire

Rapid reaction force Delaying Defense

Break contact

Hedgehog defense

military bottleneck

Pakfront

Deception

Deception and misdirection

Military camouflage

Stealth technology

Disinformation

Feint or diversionary attacks

Reverse slope defence

Electronic warfare

Force multiplication

Use of surprise

Parthian shot

Hit-and-run tactics

Irregular warfare
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Irregular_militaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hit-and-run_tacticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Parthian_shothttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Force_multiplicationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electronic_warfarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reverse_slope_defence%23See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Feinthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Disinformationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stealth_technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Military_camouflagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Misdirectionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deceptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pakfronthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hedgehog_defensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rapid_reaction_forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Counter_battery_firehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Breakout_%28military%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Counter_attackhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trench_warfarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Land_mine

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Article Sources and Contributors 6

Article Sources and ContributorsList of military tactics Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=398670532 Contributors: -OOPSIE-, A D Monroe III, Adam78, Adnan Rahman, Ahoerstemeier, Alansohn, Alex S,

Asiaticus, Binksternet, Bloody fear, Bluerasberry, Buddy23Lee, Chris the speller, Chris29032, Closedmouth, Colonies Chris, Conversion script, Cptkirkc, Daniel, Deathphoenix, Dybeck,

Excirial, Falcon9x5, Fetch, Finn-Zoltan, Gameboy4194, Gsl, Ineffable3000, Inwind, JHFTC, JK47, JohnI, Julianp, JustPhil, Kirate, Klemen Kocjancic, Kross, MFIreland, Mark7-2, Matt107bghs,

Maurreen, Michael Hardy, Mike McGregor (Can), Mr T (Based), Muchenhaeser, Muriel Gottrop, Mzajac, Neutrality, Nimur, NorsemanII, Palm dogg, Petri Krohn, Philip Baird Shearer,

Pioneer-12, Prometheus, PvtKing, Raudsep, Reinyday, Rigadoun, Rjwilmsi, Rmt2m, Robbskey, RobertG, SGGH, Scriberius, Shattered Wikiglass, Squid661, The Anome, The Transhumanist,

The connman, Thryduulf, Thunderbird15, Thunderflame, TigerShark, Trebor, Verygrateful, Yosri, Yosy, 84 anonymous edits

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