MILITARY TACTICS. 



295 



line CC, B the line DD. But this reproduction of 

 . |iir:!!tl front*, of battalion opposed to battalion, un- 

 :iurubly re-tilts from incapacity on the part of the 

 The armies, thus drawn up, may de- 

 each other, withont either rr.iining a decisive ad- 

 vantage; and whichever gains the victory, it will not 

 be owing to the skill of the general. 



tifv!:nct An army, therefore, which is attacked on the march, 

 will immediately endeavour to form an angle; or, in 

 other words, the leading brigade of the columns will 

 instantly deploy ; and this deployment being either to 

 the right or left of the column.-, will constitute an an- 

 gle or potenct, as may be seen by the following figure. 



r 



The platoons nearest the enemy will prolong their Of B;.tn.'f. 

 file movement considerably more than at a greater dis- s p- v" 1/ 

 tance behind, the latter gradually taking less ground ; 

 so that the last forms the pivot, or has only to continue 

 its original perpendicular march. From this disposi- 

 tion an oblique formation will result, which outflanks 

 the enemy, and prevents his pressing forward upon the 

 retreating brigade, because, in consequence of the new 

 order of battle, he is in danger of being himself attack- 

 ed to great disadvantage, if the enemy operates with 

 vigour and unison. The manoeuvre is both more sim- 

 ple and more rapid in the execution. It offers the sin- 

 gular advantage of placing the whole army upon an ex- 

 tremity of the enemy's line ; while the change of front, 

 if permitted to be performed, only restores the parallel 

 order of battle. If this manoeuvre, of an open column 

 moving by files to a flank, appear complicated, others 

 may be substituted in its stead, provided they are con- 

 ducted on the principle of throwing the mass of the 

 forces on the, flank of the enemy. 



To conclude the subject of flank attacks. 



1. An army (B) may be placed out of the reach of v r'pu 

 the enemy's artillery, and consequently be ranged in a **! 

 line parallel, and having one wing greatly reinforced ',', 

 without being oblique. attack. 



m " fic *" 



A forms the advanced pn.ir.l, or the head of the co- 

 lumn- B ; if it be attacked by the enemy, it will de- 

 ploy to either hand, according to the direction of the 

 attack, and occupy the dotted lines, which form an 

 angle or potmct with respect to the columns. This 

 manoeuvre is necessary to oppose the first efforts of the 

 eneim ( Hut being secure front immediate danger, 

 does it follow that the army omit imitate the move- 

 ment of the leading brigade, and restore the parallel 

 order ? At first light, the manoeuvre appears natural, 

 and it is most commonly the refuge of generals pos- 

 sessed of interior talents ; yet it is not, on that ac- 

 count, the most advisable. If it be proved that an at- 

 tack upon a flank is most appropriate, why should 

 not an army, of which the vanguard, or the brigade on 

 the flank happens to be engaged with the enemy in 

 front, endeavour in its turn to gain the flank of the 

 assailant, and exchange defentive for offensive mea- 

 sures a probable defeat for almost certain victory ? 

 Nothing can prevent a commander, when attacked In 

 tlm manner, from ordering the brigade in action to de- 

 fend its post inch by inch. an-l to retire gradually 

 upon another intermediate brigade, placed echelon- 

 wi-e in ita rear; and while these are engaged, he can 

 change the direction of his columns, by facing the pla- 

 toons to the riitht or left, and move by their flank*, 

 until he has in hi turn outflanked the enemy's line 

 ($<* Plate CCCLXXXl 11. Fig. 1J.) 



9. The line ( D) may be greatly inclined, with its head 

 towards the attack, and consequently be positively dia- 

 gonal, without being reinforced. 



C 



rein- 



S. It may be perpendicular (F), with a wing 

 forced upon the flank of the enemy, without being dia- 

 gon d. Such was the disposition of the Prussians at 

 Kunendorf. 



CCL1 1 I'll. 



tig. . 



check Ihe enemy', front. and COYW the menaced flank, it win, inrteaH of changing front with the rest at the line, alter Ihc dirtc- 



^f* "''> "> culumn in 4 8,nk, to M to turn th eitrrmily of Ihe tattnj't line in it* turn. 4. An angle, ilh Ihe extremity 



i. doet not c,,vir th. fl ,nk of ihe army so swtctatllr, ai when turned to Ihe rear; for Ihe enemy, in Ihefurnu-r 



M*. would ri-jclily turn th ntr. :,.i-y of tl, angle, and throw it upon the line, merely by prolonging Ihe direction of hit leading 



{ "hile, m order u> attain to angle to the rear, he wouW be obliged to make the circuitous march aboe explained. 



