Frontal assault
Encyclopedia
The military tactic of frontal assault is a direct, hostile movement of forces toward the front of an enemy force (as compared to the flanks
or rear of the enemy). By targeting the enemy's front, the attackers are subjecting themselves to the maximum defensive power of the enemy. It is often a commander's last resort when he has run out of tactical options.
Before the 19th century, a frontal assault against a thin line could be effective when conducted by horse cavalry. However, as the accuracy and range of firearms increased, this procedure proved increasingly suicidal. Cavalry charges against deeply regimented infantry formations were also frequently repulsed as exemplified by the Battle of the Golden Spurs
in Flanders in 1302.
This style of combat was sometimes used in the American Civil War
. Although officers were taught the value of tactical flanking attacks and strategic turning movements, they occasionally resorted to direct assaults when other options were unavailable. The bloody results of such assaults against field fortifications as Cold Harbor
, Fredericksburg
, and Franklin have made these battles some of the most memorable of the war. Pickett's Charge
, arguably the most famous direct assault of the war, was unsuccessful against defenders with minimal fortifications, but with superior artillery support. This style of combat was rapidly becoming outmoded because of the increased accuracy of rifles and the increased use of defensive field works in the later years of the war.
Frontal assaults were also the cause of massive casualties in the trench warfare
of World War I
. In many cases, frontal assaults were made by thousands of men towards trenches defended by machine gun
emplacements, artillery and barbed wire with predictable and tragic results.
Flanking maneuver
In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its...
or rear of the enemy). By targeting the enemy's front, the attackers are subjecting themselves to the maximum defensive power of the enemy. It is often a commander's last resort when he has run out of tactical options.
Before the 19th century, a frontal assault against a thin line could be effective when conducted by horse cavalry. However, as the accuracy and range of firearms increased, this procedure proved increasingly suicidal. Cavalry charges against deeply regimented infantry formations were also frequently repulsed as exemplified by the Battle of the Golden Spurs
Battle of the Golden Spurs
The Battle of the Golden Spurs, known also as the Battle of Courtrai was fought on July 11, 1302, near Kortrijk in Flanders...
in Flanders in 1302.
This style of combat was sometimes used in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Although officers were taught the value of tactical flanking attacks and strategic turning movements, they occasionally resorted to direct assaults when other options were unavailable. The bloody results of such assaults against field fortifications as Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
, Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, and Franklin have made these battles some of the most memorable of the war. Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
, arguably the most famous direct assault of the war, was unsuccessful against defenders with minimal fortifications, but with superior artillery support. This style of combat was rapidly becoming outmoded because of the increased accuracy of rifles and the increased use of defensive field works in the later years of the war.
Frontal assaults were also the cause of massive casualties in the trench warfare
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In many cases, frontal assaults were made by thousands of men towards trenches defended by machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
emplacements, artillery and barbed wire with predictable and tragic results.
Battles with notably successful frontal assaults
- Battle of Bunker HillBattle of Bunker HillThe Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
- after two failed attempts British army succeeds in capturing heights - Battle of Missionary RidgeBattle of Missionary RidgeThe Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Missionary Ridge and defeated the...
- Union army storms Missionary Ridge after flank attacks are stalled - Battle of Pea RidgeBattle of Pea RidgeThe Battle of Pea Ridge was a land battle of the American Civil War, fought on March 6–8, 1862, at Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas, near Garfield. In the battle, Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis defeated Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn. The outcome of the...
- Union army routes Confederate forces in a frontal assault on the second day - Battle of Spotsylvania Court HouseBattle of Spotsylvania Court HouseThe Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania , was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the bloody but inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant's army disengaged...
- Union army captures "Mule Shoe Salient" - Brusilov OffensiveBrusilov OffensiveThe Brusilov Offensive , also known as the June Advance, was the Russian Empire's greatest feat of arms during World War I, and among the most lethal battles in world history. Prof. Graydon A. Tunstall of the University of South Florida called the Brusilov Offensive of 1916 the worst crisis of...
- Russian army breaks Austro-Hungarian lines during WWI
Battles with notably unsuccessful frontal assaults
- Battle of GettysburgBattle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
- Pickett's ChargePickett's ChargePickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
aims at the Union center and is repulsed - Battle of FredericksburgBattle of FredericksburgThe Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
- Union army fails to take Marye's Heights - Siege of Vicksburg - failure of frontal assaults force Grant into siege operations
- Battle of Franklin - repeated Confederate charges are repulsed
See also
- Military scienceMilitary scienceMilitary science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for...
- Rush (computer and video games)Rush (computer and video games)In video games, rushing is analogous to the human wave attack in real-world ground warfare, in which speed and surprise are used to overwhelm and/or cripple an enemy before they achieve effective buildups of sizable defensive and/or expansionist capabilities....