Tactics, Military

Specific methods used to engage and defeat an enemy in combat. Tactics stand in contrast to strategy, which is the military's overall plan to achieve its objectives.

[Page 702]The history of U.S. involvement in World War II offers an example of the differences between strategy and tactics. In 1941, Japan planned to seize much of Southeast Asia to secure much-needed supplies of oil and rubber. Knowing that the United States would oppose this plan, Japan adopted the strategy of crippling the United States' ability to respond to Japanese invasions in the region. The tactics they employed to achieve their objective included a surprise air attack on the U.S. fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and an amphibious assault on U.S. Army forces in the Philippines. The Japanese attacks brought the formerly neutral United States into World War II.

Types of Tactics

Military tactics can be classified into several categories, including offensive tactics, defensive tactics, and tactics of deception. The tactics one chooses to employ depend upon the military situation and the composition of one's forces. In fact, an army's makeup is often a reflection of the types of tactics it prefers to use. An army consisting mainly of light and mobile units will be more likely to employ tactics that emphasize speed and flexibility. By contrast, an army made up primarily of heavy units will probably prefer tactics that rely on massive firepower and strength of numbers for success.

Offensive Tactics

The oldest and simplest offensive tactic is the frontal assault—a straightforward charge into known enemy positions. The frontal assault typically relies on sheer numbers and firepower to overwhelm the defenders. There is no pretense of deception or question about where the main attack will take place.

Until quite recently, the frontal assault was the preferred offensive tactic in most combat situations. However, the increasing accuracy, range, and dependability of firearms since the mid-1800s have made the frontal assault nearly obsolete. The use of the machine gun in World War I made frontal assaults on prepared defensive positions almost suicidal.

Flanking and encirclement maneuvers offer an alternative to the risks of a frontal assault. A flanking attack is one that strikes an enemy from the side rather than the front. A flank attack is usually preceded by a holding attack—a limited assault on the front of the enemy line meant to draw the defender's attention. While the opponent is busy dealing with the holding attack, the real assault comes from the side, with the goal of surprising the defenders and throwing them into confusion. The troops conducting the holding attack then press their assault, driving the defenders back from both the front and side.

In an encirclement, the attacking force completely surrounds its enemy, cutting off the opponent's lines of communication, supply, and retreat. Many times, an encircling army does not need to make a concerted attack on the opposing force to destroy it. By denying the encircled enemy access to vital supplies such as food, medicine, and ammunition, the attackers are often able to compel the defender to surrender with limited use of force. Encirclement requires a very mobile and well-coordinated army that can get around an enemy position and maintain its own supply lines while doing so. The increasing use of tanks and other mechanized vehicles in the mid-20th century made encirclement a much more common military tactic.

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