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Line infantry mainly used three formations in its battles: the line, the square, and the column. With the universal adoption of small arms (firearms that could be carried by hand, as opposed to cannon) in infantry units from the mid-17th century, the battlefield was dominated by linear tactics, according to which the infantry was aligned into long thin lines, shoulder to shoulder, and fired ...
The line formation is a standard tactical formation which was used in early modern warfare. It continued the phalanx formation or shield wall of infantry armed with polearms in use during antiquity and the Middle Ages. The line formation provided the best frontage for volley fire, while
A tactical formation (or tactical order) is the arrangement or deployment of movable military forces such as infantry, cavalry, AFVs, military aircraft, or naval vessels. History [ edit ]
Deployment of a 10-company infantry regiment in line formation. The core of these tactics was organizing soldiers into ranks and files in order to form a regiment into a line of battle or column. [21] The line was the primary formation of combat as it allowed the soldiers to fire a full volley at the enemy.
The line formation also fell prey to cavalry charges since the horses could cover the final 50 yards (46 m) while only receiving a single volley of fire from the infantry. The third formation, known as infantry square, used 4–6 ranks in depth with a square or rectangular shape to protect infantry from cavalry charges with the goal of not ...
Combined attacks by infantry and cavalry would also have the same effect; the defending infantry unit would be placed in the difficult position of either forming square and being shot to pieces by the attacking infantry, which would usually be in line formation, or being ridden down by the cavalry if it decided to remain in line and trade ...
Each state was expected to arm, clothe, and equip its regiments. A state's quota of infantry regiments was collectively known as that state's "line", such as the Pennsylvania Line. A state "line" was an administrative designation and not a tactical formation like a brigade or division. [24]
Infantry could be described as line infantry, guards, grenadiers, light infantry or skirmishers, but the roles and arms employed often overlapped between these. Line infantry Infantry of the line were so named for the dominant line combat formation used to deliver a volume of musket fire. Forming the bulk of the Napoleonic armies it was the ...