Position (military)
In the military, the position is the self-chosen location of combat units or parts of them during a battle .
Tactical term
A position is a section of terrain in which a task force is positioned for the following battle (“takes position” or “takes position”) and from which the firefight is conducted. As a rule, "covered positions" are taken in order to remain withdrawn from enemy reconnaissance for as long as possible and to be partially protected against direct enemy fire during fire fighting. The selection of positions is essentially determined by whether they in the types of operations to be used defense, delay or assault. For defensive battles, they are usually expanded in preparation, otherwise they are only used for a short period in mobile battles.
Characteristic of the First World War was the often little agile battle from trench positions ( trench warfare or trench warfare ).
Battle positions
A "combat stand" is a developed position from which two soldiers usually take part in the battle as a small combat group . This is attached to a bunker . The sense and purpose is cover from enemy fire. Bunker positions are massive reinforced concrete positions with loopholes . Large positions are gait-like, fixed and as high as a man.
Positions can be designed for one or more soldiers or for weapons (e.g. firing position for artillery ). In prepared positions for battle tanks , it is common to create a small depression with the clearing shield of an engineer tank and to push the earth out of the depression into a small wall so that only the turret protrudes over the position and the tank hull is protected.
The soldiers carry a folding spade with them for the excavation of individual positions in rapid expansion ; For the planned expansion, the group is carrying light infantry pioneer equipment. The lying surface of a shooting trough rises slightly towards the front; the excavated earth is heaped up to form a semicircular wall. This serves as a cover and as a rest for the rifle; Depressions at the foot of the shooting recess are used to hold the feet and the rucksack.
A position for a soldier with a machine gun is called a machine gun nest .
To protect the soldiers from reconnaissance , positions are camouflaged to the outside and above with plants, parts of plants or camouflage nets . Several layers of sandbags, earth walls , thick tree trunks or the like protect against enemy fire .
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Brett A. Stone Berger, Combat Leader's Field Guide , 13th Edition, Stackpole Books 2005, ISBN 0-8117-3195-2 , S. 252