vanguard
The vanguard , originally also called Avantgarde (French: avant-garde ) in German , is a smaller military unit ; in the parlance of the cavalry , it is also referred to as the vault . Your task is to reconnaissance , occupy important positions and gain time advantages over the enemy (for example, by having an advance guard intercept an enemy advance so that the majority can attack it on the flank ).
The Prussian general and military theorist Carl von Clausewitz explains in his work Vom Kriege : “The effects of such vanguard go from mere observation to resistance, and this resistance is not only suitable for giving the corps the time it needs in order to get ready for battle, but also to bring the enemy's measures and intentions to an earlier development, and consequently to increase observation significantly. "
Depending on the tactical level, there are a few scouts up to entire battalions . Troops marching at the end of a column are called the rearguard (arrièregarde).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ The term avant-garde is used in regimental stories that deal with their history before the Franco-Prussian War .
- ^ Carl von Clausewitz: From the war. Chapter 7: Vanguard and Outpost