Tactics

Tactics, technique or science of dispensing and maneuvering forces to accomplish a limited objective or an immediate end, as opposed to strategy, which is the art of employing all elements of the power of a nation or nations to accomplish the objectives of a nation. Military tactics involve the manipulation of forces to accomplish the aims of a campaign or to defeat the enemy. Tactics are developed based on the size, composition, and quality of forces available to a commander, and taking into account the forces that are available to the enemy to oppose the commander's forces. commander will seek tactics that will give the optimum chance of accomplishing a mission with the least damage to the commander's forces. Tactics include using deception and surprise, maneuvers and fire power, and other capabilities of available forces. Tactics must be adapted to the specific conditions that e!ist. "mportant elements in determining tactics are logistics, geography, the available intelligence on the enemy's forces, the enemy's usual tactics, and other matters that may influence the outcome of a battle. Tactics used by successful commanders in the past are carefully studied to modify them for use under current conditions. The #oman general $cipio fricanus the %lder used a two&pronged attack to overwhelm the enemy. $o did 'illiam Tecumseh $herman, commander of (nion forces, in his march to the sea during the merican )ivil 'ar *+,-+&+,-./. The Mongol leader 0enghis 1han used overwhelming force in sudden attacks against smaller enemy forces to defeat his enemy piecemeal. The 0ermans used the same idea in their blitzkrieg *war conducted with speed and force/ in 'orld 'ar "" *+232&+24./. Tactics successful at one point in history are not, however, necessarily successful at another. Marquis Togo 5eihachiro, the 6apanese naval commander in the #usso&6apanese 'ar *+274&+27./, defeated the #ussians at Tsushima8 when 6apan applied the same general tactics against 9earl 5arbor, the immediate result was highly destructive to (nited $tates aircraft, ships, and personnel, but ultimately the (nited $tates overcame the blow. 5owever, the tactics of the :ritish admiral 5oratio ;elson<destruction of enemy communications and commerce< were used successfully by the merican fleets in 'orld 'ar "". "n modern warfare, tactics are becoming increasingly more comple! because of the sophisticated equipment now available. )onsequently, coordination of operations within and among military units is more important but also more difficult to achieve.

Contributed By: Arleigh Burke

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