Reserve (troop leadership)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the military, the reserve in the sense of troop command refers to troop units that are initially withheld during operations . They stand ready in a disposition room in order to reinforce their own positions on command, to intercept enemy forces or to carry out a counterattack.

Principles for reserves

The formation of reserves in or for combat is a general tactical requirement. As a rule of thumb for the size of the reserve, a quarter to a third of the respective troops are named. The previous abandonment of a reserve can be the delay of enemy forces.

Reserves are hidden from enemy reconnaissance and, as far as possible, protected against the effects of enemy weapons in staging areas that are assigned to them by the responsible military leader and from which they can quickly reach their operational areas. They may only be used on the orders of the military leader who ordered their formation. As soon as a reserve has been set up, a new reserve must be created.

The orders for a reserve can be:

  • Counterattack against advancing enemies or enemies who were formerly in their own positions.
  • Reinforcement of a force already in action so that it can fulfill its mission. For this purpose, the defense reserve goes into positions with the troops to be reinforced. In the attack, she sits between or next to the troops to be reinforced.
  • Catching enemy parts that have broken into the position. To this end, the reserve occupies a previously explored defensive position that has not yet been occupied.

The orders are to be given to the reserve in good time so that they can be prepared before deployment so that they can be carried out immediately on cue. Usually a reserve has several of these orders at the same time, which are "triggered" by keyword. Other orders (than those already provided for in the operational plan) should not be given to a reserve.

Tactical, operational and strategic reserves

Tactical reserves

At the tactical level, reserves are generally formed from the association level ( battalion ). Most of these hold back one company as a reserve. Companies can also hold back a reserve in the form of a platoon . In principle, no reserves are formed under this. In contrast to the operational reserve, the tactical reserve up to the regimental level does not basically include any support weapons (such as tank destroyers, artillery, army aviators, engineers, etc.), but only combat troops.

Operating reserves

Operational reserves are formed by army groups , armies or comparable troop bodies, and more rarely by corps . In them ready-to-use units are held back for use as a reserve. In operational reserves there are usually units from regimental level upwards in their normal structure, i.e. with all support components such as artillery, engineers, etc.

Strategic reserves

Depending on the interpretation of the term strategy , strategic reserves are understood to mean personnel and material reserves that are already established and maintained in peacetime, or active, deployable units that are not sent to any front or theater of war. The classical strategic literature (e.g. Moltke ) strongly advised against the formation or retention of a strategic reserve in the second sense , since "... one can never be too strong for the decision". However, this is based on a different image of war than in the reality of the early 21st century (e.g. USA - Iraq).

history

The formation of reserves during the battle in antiquity is undetectable up to Alexander the Great and took place under and after him only in exceptional cases. Only with the introduction of the meeting tactic by the Romans around 200 BC The third meeting of a battle order can regularly be viewed as a battle reserve. From late antiquity to modern times , reserves were only found in exceptional cases, at least in armies of European style. It was only with the change from linear tactics to column tactics that reserves were generally built up for use in battle. The pioneer and example of this practice was Napoleon , who often withheld a large part of his cavalry and his guards until the last moment ( unbearably long for his company ).

literature