Envelopment
Envelopment is the military tactic of attacking the enemy's flank or rear.[1] This is done while keeping the enemy's attention focused on his front by the use of diversionary attacks.[1] The envelopment makes the enemy fight in a direction they are the least prepared for.[2] The maneuver requires a flank that can be attacked. Unlike a flanking maneuver, which uses the enemy's forward movement to create an attackable flank, envelopment depends on the enemy's defensive position, any obstacles and the terrain.[2] The envelopment has both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include being able to capture or defeat all or part of an opposing army.[3] It offers less risk than other offensive maneuvers.[3] Disadvantages include the possibility of an enemy counterattack on the weakened center or on the other flank.[3]
Types of envelopment
- Turning movement where the object is to "turn" the enemy from his defensive position and force them to act.[1]
- Single envelopment is an attack on one flank or the enemy rear from one direction while holding their attention to their front.[4]
- Double envelopment, also called a Pincer movement, requires three forces. One holds the center while the other two attack the right and left flanks.[4] Once both flanking attacks reach the rear, the enemy is encircled.
- Vertical envelopment is an envelopment from the sky.[5] First thought of by Benjamin Franklin, it was not practical until the invention of the airplane.[5] Vertical envelopment uses paratroopers or other soldiers that arrive by air on the enemy's flank or rear.[5]
Historic examples
Famous examples of the single envelopment include Alexander the Great who used it at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC.[6] Robert E. Lee used the tactic at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863.[6] During World War II, German General Erwin Rommel used it successfully at the Battle of Gazala, which led directly to his capture of Tobruk in 1941.[6] Some of the famous double envelopments include Hannibal at the Battle of Cannae where he defeated the Roman army in 216 BC.[6] In 1781 during the American Revolutionary War, American general Daniel Morgan used it successfully against British general Banastre Tarleton, causing many of the British soldiers to surrender.[6] In the 1944 Falaise Gap during Operation Overlord, German troops were caught in a double envelopment by British and American forces.[6]
