20 Facts About Infiltration tactics

In warfare, infiltration tactics involve small independent light infantry forces advancing into enemy rear areas, bypassing enemy frontline strongpoints, possibly isolating them for attack by follow-up troops with heavier weapons.

Forms of these infantry tactics were used by skirmishers and irregulars dating back to classical antiquity, but only as a defensive or secondary tactic; decisive battlefield victories were achieved by shock combat tactics with heavy infantry or heavy cavalry, typically charging en masse against the primary force of the opponent.

Infiltration tactics developed slowly through World War I and early World War II, partially as a way of turning these harassing tactics into a decisive offensive doctrine.

Infiltration tactics's analysis got the attention of the Oberste Heeresleitung.

German infiltration tactics are sometimes called Hutier tactics, after German General Oskar von Hutier, even though his role in developing the tactics was limited.

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Conventional mass-wave Infiltration tactics were typically preceded by days of constant bombardment of all defender positions, attempting to gain advantage by attrition.

Regular infantry with heavy weapons would follow up, using more standard Infiltration tactics, reducing isolated and weakened opposing strongpoints with flank attacks, as the stormtroopers continued the advance beyond them.

Germans employed and improved infiltration tactics with increasing success, at first defensively in counterattacks as part of Germany's defence in depth and then offensively, leading up to the Battle of Caporetto against the Italians in 1917 and finally the massive German spring offensive in 1918 against the British and French.

In post-war years, although information on "Hutier Infiltration tactics" was widely distributed in France, the US and Britain, most generals were skeptical about these new Infiltration tactics, given the German defeat.

In Germany, infiltration tactics were integrated into the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht.

New French tactics that included an initial step for infiltration were published by the Grand Quartier General on 16 April 1915, in But et conditions d'une action offensive d'ensemble, its widely circulated version being Note 5779.

Later French infantry Infiltration tactics moved away from the costly la percee towards a more practical grignotage doctrine, which employed a series of smaller and more methodical operations with limited objectives; each of these were still planned at headquarters, rather than from immediate local initiative.

Laffargue based his proposals in particular on his experiences in the initially successful but ultimately disappointing results of employing the Infiltration tactics of Note 5779 at the Second Battle of Artois; he commanded a company of the 153rd Infantry Regiment, attacking immediately south of Neuville-Saint-Vaast on 9 May 1915.

Elements of Brusilov's Infiltration tactics were eventually used by the Red Army in developing their Deep Battle doctrine for World War II.

British Third Army employed Infiltration tactics giving platoons more independence at the Battle of Arras in April 1917, following the reorganisation of British infantry platoons according to the new Manual SS 143.

Allies, led by the British, developed alternative artillery Infiltration tactics using shorter bombardments; these sought to achieve success by surprise.

Infiltration tactics began to perfect this while serving as a senior artillery officer on the Eastern Front in 1916.

Barrages with infiltration tactics had to be more intense and precise, and quickly moved to deeper targets.

Hutier and Bruchmuller were transferred together to the Western Front to take part in the Spring Offensive of 1918, where Bruchmuller's artillery Infiltration tactics had great effect on quickly breaking the British lines for Hutier's 18th Army.

At the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, Major Marcel Bigeard, commander of the French 6th Colonial Parachute Battalion, used infiltration tactics to defend the besieged garrison against Viet Minh trench warfare tactics.