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Double Envelopment and Turning Movements

Encirclement involves using strong double envelopment forces to trap an enemy force within a surrounded area, neutralizing or destroying them. Large encirclements require significant forces and time to reduce the trapped enemy's fighting power. A properly encircled enemy can only be resupplied by air or the local population. A turning movement passes around or over an enemy's defensive positions to threaten objectives in their rear and force them to abandon positions or divert major forces. It uses a fixing force to hold the enemy in place while a maneuvering force threatens their rear areas beyond mutual support distance.

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526 views1 page

Double Envelopment and Turning Movements

Encirclement involves using strong double envelopment forces to trap an enemy force within a surrounded area, neutralizing or destroying them. Large encirclements require significant forces and time to reduce the trapped enemy's fighting power. A properly encircled enemy can only be resupplied by air or the local population. A turning movement passes around or over an enemy's defensive positions to threaten objectives in their rear and force them to abandon positions or divert major forces. It uses a fixing force to hold the enemy in place while a maneuvering force threatens their rear areas beyond mutual support distance.

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Grozny Grozny
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Army Field Manual I Warfighting Tactics - Part 1 The Fundamentals | 4-7

4-15. Encirclement. If the arms of a double envelopment are strong enough to meet after
trapping an enemy force and to prevent it from breaking out, large forces may be
neutralised, destroyed or forced to surrender within the encirclement. Large encirclements
may be costly operations in terms of forces required and the time taken to reduce the
fighting power of the encircled enemy. A properly encircled enemy can only be resupplied
by air or by the population inside the encirclement.

The deep envelopment based on surprise, which severs the enemy’s supply lines,
is and always has been the most decisive maneuver of war. A short envelopment
which fails to envelop and leaves the enemy’s supply system intact merely divides
your own forces and can lead to heavy loss and even jeopardy.

General Douglas MacArthur

4-16. Turning movement. A turning movement is a variation of the envelopment in which


the attacking force passes around or over the enemy’s principal defensive positions to
secure objectives deep in the enemy’s rear, force the enemy to abandon their position
or divert major forces to meet the threat (see Figure 4-5). When the enemy occupies a
strong defensive position, the turning movement offers a means of causing the enemy
to abandon the position and fight on ground more favourable to the attacker. A turning
movement requires a fixing force to hold the enemy in place and a force aimed at vital
areas in the enemy’s rear. Because these forces operate beyond mutual supporting
distance, each should have sufficient combat power and mobility to protect itself.

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