221:
140:
237:
43:
206:
365:
the attacker nor defender will have a clear shot until the tank is within range of the defending antitank weapon. In such engagements the tank is usually at a further disadvantage because the defender will often be camouflaged while the attacking tank will be silhouetted against the sky, giving the defender an easier shot.
389:
A unit sited in defilade threatens an enemy that decides to pass it and move forward, because the enemy would be put in an enfiladed position when moving in a rank. The friendly unit would be in a position that is shielded by terrain from direct enemy fire, while still being able to fire on the enemy
364:
weapons, and especially short-range man-portable antitank rockets, defiladed positions behind a hill have several important advantages. This is because the dead space created by the intervening crest of the hill prevents an approaching tank from using the range of its direct-fire weapons, and neither
344:
of a hill or within a depression in level or rolling terrain. Defiladed positions on hilltops are advantageous because "dead space" – a space that cannot be engaged with direct fire – will be created in front of the position. Ideally, this dead space should be covered by the interlocking fields of
158:
used to describe a military formation's exposure to enemy fire. A formation or position is "in enfilade" if weapon fire can be directed along its longest axis. A unit or position is "in defilade" if it uses natural or artificial obstacles to shield or conceal itself from enfilade and hostile fire.
368:
In addition, if the tank fails to detect the defending antitank weapon while the tank is still defiladed, but advances beyond that position to the crest of the hill, it may expose the relatively thinner armor of its lower hull or belly to the defender. Early detection and elimination of antitank
305:
When planning field and other fortifications, it became common for mutually supporting positions to be arranged so that it became impossible to attack any one position without exposing oneself to enfilading fire from the others, this being found for example in the mutually supporting bastions of
301:
the weapon) than to correctly estimate the range to avoid shooting too long or short. Additionally, both indirect and direct fire projectiles that might miss an intended target are more likely to hit another valuable target within the formation if firing along the long axis.
380:
that increases the effective height of the ground, within an excavation that allows the troops to shelter below the surface of the ground or a combination of the two. The same principles apply to fighting positions for artillery and armored fighting vehicles.
297:. The benefit of enfilading an enemy formation is that, by firing along the long axis, it becomes easier to hit targets within that formation. Enfilade fire takes advantage of the fact that it is usually easier to aim laterally (
281:
or in fortifications designed to provide the defenders with opportunities to enfilade attacking forces. Although sophisticated archery tactics grew rare in
Western Europe during the
247:, 1944. The barbed wire fence is crude and not very high. However, when combined with the steep, curving sea wall it slows down any attacker, giving time for the
197:, firing on targets from a flying platform, is often done with enfilade fire. It is a very advantageous, and much sought for, position for the attacking force.
213:
with wounded
Canadian soldiers, 6 June 1944. The same bunker in September 2006. Finally, the view of the bunker's enfilading field of fire with respect to the
298:
596:
437:
228:
of 1942: dead
Canadian soldiers lie where they fell on "Blue Beach". Trapped between the beach and fortified sea wall, they made easy targets for
220:
107:
79:
266:
of marching troops is enfiladed if fired on from the front or rear such that the projectiles travel the length of the column. A
60:
577:
497:
86:
487:
317:
Fire is delivered so that the long axis of the target coincides or nearly coincides with the long axis of the beaten zone.
232:
machineguns in a German bunker. The bunker firing slit is visible in the distance, just above the German soldier's head.
93:
143:
Diagram showing units "in enfilade" (red) and "in defilade" (blue) with another unit (green) providing enfilading fire
554:
447:
185:
Enfilade fire—gunfire directed against an enfiladed formation or position—is also commonly known as "flanking fire".
126:
75:
258:
A formation or position is "in enfilade" if weapon fire can be directed along its longest axis. For instance, a
254:(visible on the far left) to enfilade any attackers. Note the soldier in the background, forced to use a ladder.
64:
611:
325:
A unit or position is "in defilade" if it uses natural or artificial obstacles to shield or conceal. For an
601:
566:
French
Fortresses in North America 1535–1763: Québec, Montréal, Louisbourg and New Orleans (Fortress 27)
606:
31:
326:
100:
17:
376:
Artificial entrenchments can provide defilade by allowing troops to seek shelter behind a raised
53:
290:
409:
341:
164:
513:
8:
263:
573:
569:
550:
546:
493:
443:
294:
282:
278:
270:
or line of advancing troops is enfiladed if fired on from the side (from the flank).
267:
155:
467:"Chivalry and Betrayal: The Hundred Years War - Trouble in the Family: 1337–1360"
350:
274:
168:
399:
259:
178:
590:
404:
346:
289:
using ranked archers combined with dismounted knights, first employed at the
190:
466:
172:
334:
236:
225:
186:
139:
307:
262:
is enfiladed if the opponent can fire down the length of the trench. A
248:
240:
210:
354:
330:
42:
370:
361:
311:
194:
273:
The advantages of enfilading missiles have been appreciated since
293:
in 1332 and used to devastating effect against the French in the
286:
214:
205:
160:
182:("to slip away or off") spoken by English nobility of the time.
251:
244:
229:
377:
439:
The
Evolution of Modern Land Warfare: Theory and Practice
492:. United States Marine Corps. 2007-03-01. p. 2.10.
369:
threats is an important reason that tanks attack with
345:
fire of other nearby positions, and/or by pre-planned
285:, enfilade fire was reemphasized by the late medieval
340:
Defilade is also used to refer to a position on the
67:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
588:
384:
224:The deadly result of enfilade fire during the
27:Military concepts about exposure to enemy fire
461:
459:
597:Tactical formations of the Napoleonic Wars
563:
431:
429:
427:
425:
277:, whether in pitched battles such as the
127:Learn how and when to remove this message
456:
235:
219:
204:
138:
435:
14:
589:
422:
329:(AFV), defilade is synonymous with a
176:("to put on a string or sling") and
65:adding citations to reliable sources
36:
24:
564:Chartrand, René (March 20, 2005).
535:
209:Top to bottom: a German bunker on
25:
623:
41:
52:needs additional citations for
506:
480:
13:
1:
543:Russian Fortresses, 1480–1682
415:
385:Enfilade–defilade combination
159:The strategies, named by the
7:
393:
320:
200:
10:
628:
189:is the equivalent term in
29:
314:of later fortifications.
32:Enfilade (disambiguation)
390:in an effective manner.
327:armored fighting vehicle
518:Encyclopedia Britannica
436:Bellamy, Chris (1990).
76:"Enfilade and defilade"
291:Battle of Dupplin Moor
255:
233:
217:
144:
514:"Military technology"
410:Reverse slope defence
239:
223:
208:
142:
612:Military terminology
549:. 28 February 2006.
61:improve this article
30:For other uses, see
602:Tactical formations
489:Marine Rifle Squad
353:or other forms of
256:
234:
218:
165:Hundred Years' War
145:
579:978-1-84176-714-7
570:Osprey Publishing
547:Osprey Publishing
499:978-1-60206-063-0
295:Hundred Years War
283:Early Middle Ages
279:Battle of Taginae
137:
136:
129:
111:
16:(Redirected from
619:
607:Weapon operation
583:
560:
529:
528:
526:
524:
510:
504:
503:
484:
478:
477:
475:
474:
463:
454:
453:
433:
156:military tactics
154:are concepts in
132:
125:
121:
118:
112:
110:
69:
45:
37:
21:
627:
626:
622:
621:
620:
618:
617:
616:
587:
586:
580:
557:
541:
538:
536:Further reading
533:
532:
522:
520:
512:
511:
507:
500:
486:
485:
481:
472:
470:
465:
464:
457:
450:
434:
423:
418:
396:
387:
360:In the case of
323:
203:
133:
122:
116:
113:
70:
68:
58:
46:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
625:
615:
614:
609:
604:
599:
585:
584:
578:
561:
555:
537:
534:
531:
530:
505:
498:
479:
455:
448:
420:
419:
417:
414:
413:
412:
407:
402:
400:Crossing the T
395:
392:
386:
383:
322:
319:
202:
199:
135:
134:
49:
47:
40:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
624:
613:
610:
608:
605:
603:
600:
598:
595:
594:
592:
581:
575:
571:
567:
562:
558:
556:1-84176-916-9
552:
548:
544:
540:
539:
519:
515:
509:
501:
495:
491:
490:
483:
468:
462:
460:
451:
449:0-415-02073-5
445:
442:. Routledge.
441:
440:
432:
430:
428:
426:
421:
411:
408:
406:
405:Plunging fire
403:
401:
398:
397:
391:
382:
379:
374:
372:
366:
363:
358:
356:
352:
348:
347:indirect fire
343:
342:reverse slope
338:
336:
332:
328:
318:
315:
313:
309:
303:
300:
296:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
271:
269:
265:
261:
253:
250:
246:
242:
238:
231:
227:
222:
216:
212:
207:
198:
196:
192:
191:naval warfare
188:
183:
181:
180:
175:
174:
170:
166:
162:
157:
153:
149:
141:
131:
128:
120:
109:
106:
102:
99:
95:
92:
88:
85:
81:
78: –
77:
73:
72:Find sources:
66:
62:
56:
55:
50:This article
48:
44:
39:
38:
33:
19:
565:
542:
521:. Retrieved
517:
508:
488:
482:
471:. Retrieved
469:. 2013-02-11
438:
388:
375:
367:
359:
339:
324:
316:
304:
272:
257:
184:
177:
171:
151:
147:
146:
123:
117:January 2013
114:
104:
97:
90:
83:
71:
59:Please help
54:verification
51:
523:11 February
335:turret-down
226:Dieppe Raid
187:Raking fire
163:during the
591:Categories
473:2021-09-08
416:References
337:position.
310:, and the
308:star forts
299:traversing
249:machinegun
241:Juno Beach
211:Juno Beach
167:, use the
87:newspapers
373:support.
355:artillery
331:hull-down
312:caponiers
275:antiquity
394:See also
371:infantry
362:antitank
349:such as
321:Defilade
201:Enfilade
195:Strafing
152:defilade
148:Enfilade
18:Enfilade
351:mortars
287:English
215:seawall
179:défiler
173:enfiler
161:English
101:scholar
576:
553:
496:
446:
264:column
260:trench
252:bunker
169:French
103:
96:
89:
82:
74:
245:D-Day
230:MG 34
150:and
108:JSTOR
94:books
574:ISBN
551:ISBN
525:2019
494:ISBN
444:ISBN
378:berm
268:rank
80:news
333:or
243:on
63:by
593::
572:.
568:.
545:.
516:.
458:^
424:^
357:.
193:.
582:.
559:.
527:.
502:.
476:.
452:.
130:)
124:(
119:)
115:(
105:·
98:·
91:·
84:·
57:.
34:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
