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Combat engineers place satchel charges and detonating cord, preparatory to blowing up a railway bridge during the Korean War, 30 July 1950
Combat engineers place satchel charges and detonating cord, preparatory to blowing up a railway bridge during the Korean War, 30 July 1950

Combat engineering is the practice of using the knowledge, tools and techniques of engineering in combat. A satchel charge is a powerful man-portable explosive device used by Infantry and Airborne forces. Detonating cord (also called detonation cord, detacord, det cord, detcord, primer cord or sun cord) is a thin flexible The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and The ComBat was an Aluminium Cricket bat and the subject of an incident that occurred at the WACA cricket ground in Perth in December 1979. A combat engineer, in many armies also called pioneer or sapper, is a military specialist in using the tools and techniques of engineering under combat conditions, who may perform any of a variety of tasks. A sapper is an individual engineer soldier usually in British or Commonwealth military service

Such tasks typically include fortification, bridge and road construction or destruction, laying or clearing landmines, neutralization of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and general engineering tasks under fire. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. A land mine is an Explosive device designed to be placed on or in the ground to explode when triggered by an operator or the Proximity of a vehicle person An improvised explosive device ( IED) is a Bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional Military action More generally speaking, the combat engineer's tasks involve facilitating movement and support of friendly forces while impeding that of the enemy.

Usually, a combat engineer is also trained as an infantry rifleman, and combat engineer elements often have a secondary role fighting as formed infantry. Rifleman is a private Soldier in a rifle unit of Infantry. Origins Although ultimately originating with the 16th century handgunners and the 17th Beyond self-defense, combat engineers, infantry and assault troopers from Armored Corps units are generally the only troops that engage in the assault whilst dismounted. This role is limited by a lack of organic fire support (such as that obtained by Infantry units from their mortars), however combat engineers typically do have extensive anti-armored capability in their infantry fighting role.

Contents

Terminology

A general combat engineer is often called a Pioneer or "Sapper" (the word itself is derived from the French and British armies, and refers to the origin of combat engineering). A sapper is an individual engineer soldier usually in British or Commonwealth military service This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In some armies the term Pioneer or Sapper is a professional term and indicates a specific military rank and level of training. Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in Armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines

For example:

Also to note is that the term combat engineer is different from field engineer in the United States Army. Combat engineering is a Combat service support role of using the knowledge tools and techniques of Engineering by troops in peace and war but specifically in The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The latter usually denotes a mechanic of the Ordnance Corps who is skilled in field maintenance of equipment, weapons and armored fighting vehicles. A mechanic is a person who uses Tools to repair things (generally machinery or works to keep things operating properly An armoured fighting vehicle ( AFV) is a military Vehicle, protected by armour and armed with Weapons Most AFVs are equipped for driving in rugged In the British Army's Royal Engineers, however, the terms are synonymous, with a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers tradesman being designated a mechanic or technician. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers ( RE) and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers ( REME; pronounced phonetically as "Reemee" is a Corps of the British Army that has

The term Military engineer encompasses both combat engineers and construction engineers. A military engineer is primarily responsible for the design and construction of offensive defensive and logistical structures for Warfare Other duties include the In some armies the two are allocated to different Corps, such as the former Soviet Army. Geomatics, or surveying and cartography is another area that sometimes is integrated into military engineering, and in other cases is a separate responsibility, as was formerly the case in the Australian Army.

In the United States Marine Corps, combat engineers are trained in both combat and construction. They can perform any number of tasks from bridge construction, carpentry and concrete construction to destruction of enemy positions and combat operations with infantry units. While most combat engineers are not assigned much firepower, they are usually assigned an array of heavy weapons like shoulder fired medium armor weapons (SMAW), . 50 cal. M-2 machine guns, Mk-19 40mm machine guns, M-240 7. 62mm machine guns,M-249 squad automatic weapons (SAW) M-203 grenade launchers, and AT-4 anti-tank rockets. Along with a hefty allotment of explosives, platoon of combat engineers has about as much fire power as a company of Marine infantry-men and often of times lead the way clearing the route of obstacles, mines, booby-traps and unexploded ordinance or UXO.

The design and development of military equipment is generally not the province of the military engineer, although they can be involved in such design engineering when the technology in question has a military engineering application.

In the British, Canadian, and Australian armies, an assault pioneer is an infantry soldier with limited combat engineer training. As well as clearing obstacles during the assault and light engineering duties, until recently assault pioneers were responsible for the operation of flamethrowers. A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of Fire.

Role

Armoured front loader
Armoured front loader
This field-deployable apparatus, known as EFA, used by the engineers of the French Army, may either be used as a bridge (deployed in a series), or as a ferry
This field-deployable apparatus, known as EFA, used by the engineers of the French Army, may either be used as a bridge (deployed in a series), or as a ferry

Tools

German Army combat engineer vehicle Dachs
German Army combat engineer vehicle Dachs
This EBG combat engineering vehicle is used by the engineers of the French Army for a variety of missions
This EBG combat engineering vehicle is used by the engineers of the French Army for a variety of missions

History

In ancient times, combat engineers were responsible for siege warfare and building field fortifications, temporary camps and roads. A weapon of mass destruction ( WMD) is a weapon which can kill large numbers of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures (e Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of Chemical substances to kill injure or incapacitate an enemy. Biological warfare (BW — known as a germ warfare, biological weapons and bioweaponry — is the use of any Pathogen ( Bacterium A radiological weapon (or radiological dispersion device, RDD) is any weapon that is designed to spread Radioactive material with the intent to kill and The German Army (Deutsches Heer heɐ) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Land Army is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest Combat engineering vehicles (CEVs are armoured vehicles built for Engineering work on the battlefield or for the transportation of Sappers Types of combat A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical The M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle was based on an M60A1 Patton MBT (Main Battle Tank chassis with a hydraulically operated dozer blade mounted The Combat Engineer Tractor (CET is a specialist armoured vehicle of the British Army. Engineering vehicles, known by the other terms construction Equipment, earth movers heavy equipment or just plain equipment are machines specifically designed to execute ----A bulldozer is a crawler ( Caterpillar tracked Tractor) equipped with a substantial metal plate (known as a blade) used to push large quantities The armored Bulldozer is a basic tool of Combat engineering. These Combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer An excavator is an Engineering vehicle consisting of an articulated arm (boom stick bucket and Cab mounted on a Pivot (a rotating platform like a A crane is a lifting machine equipped with a Winder, Wire ropes or Chains and sheaves that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to A tractor is a Vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high Tractive effort at slow speeds for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information A Bangalore torpedo is an Explosive charge placed on the end of a long extendible tube The Anti-personnel Obstacle Breaching System ( APOBS) is an explosive line charge system that allows safe breaching through complex antipersonnel obstacles The M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC is a Rocket projected explosive line charge which provides a "close-in" Breaching capability for maneuver forces Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water The Bailey bridge is a portable pre-fabricated Truss Bridge, designed for use by Military engineering units to bridge up to 60 m (200 ft gaps Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for The most notable engineers of ancient times were the Romans and Chinese, who constructed huge siege-machines (catapults, battering rams and siege towers) and were responsible for constructing fortified wooden camps and paved roads for their legions. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National A catapult is any one of a number of non-handheld mechanical devices used to throw a Projectile a great distance without the aid of an explosive substance—particularly various A battering ram is a Siege engine originating in ancient times to break open Fortification walls or doors A siege tower (or in the Middle Ages a Belfry) is a specialized Siege engine, constructed to protect assailants and ladders while approaching For other uses see Legion The Roman Legion (from Latin legio "military levy Conscription," Many of these Roman roads are still in use two thousand years later. The Roman Roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire, by enabling the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate news

In the Middle Ages combat engineers focused on siege warfare. They planned castles and fortresses. When laying siege, they planned and oversaw efforts to penetrate castle defences. When castles served a military purpose, one of the tasks of the sappers was to weaken the bases of walls to enable them to be breached before means of thwarting these activities were devised. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. Broadly speaking, sappers were experts at demolishing or otherwise overcoming or bypassing fortification systems.

When cannon first appeared, combat engineers were responsible for maintaining them while planning counter-artillery fortifications. | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for

By the 18th century, regiments of foot (infantry) in the British, French, Prussian and other armies included pioneer detachments. In peacetime these specialists constituted the regimental tradesmen, constructing and repairing buildings, transport wagons etc. On active service they moved at the head of marching columns with axes, shovels and pickaxes clearing obstacles or building bridges to open the way for the bulk of the regiment to move through difficult terrain. The modern Royal Welch Fusiliers and French Foreign Legion still maintain pioneer sections who march at the front of ceremonial parades, carrying chromium plated tools intended for show only. The Royal Welch Fusiliers were a Regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. Other historic distinctions include long work aprons and the right to wear beards.

For more information about combat engineering before the modern era, see: Military engineer. A military engineer is primarily responsible for the design and construction of offensive defensive and logistical structures for Warfare Other duties include the

At the end of World War I, the standoff in the Western Front caused the Imperial German Army to gather experienced and particularly skilled soldiers to form "Assault Teams" which would breakthrough the Allied trenches. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All With enhanced training and special weapons (such as flamethrowers), these squads obtained some success, but too late to change the outcome of the war. A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of Fire. In early WWII, however, the Wehrmacht "Pioniere" battalions proved their efficiency in both attack and defense, somewhat inspiring other armies to develop their own combat engineers battalions. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 Notably, the attack on Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium was conducted by Luftwaffe glider-deployed combat engineers. Eben-Emael was a Belgian fortress between Liège and Maastricht, near the Albert Canal, defending the Belgian-German border Terminology A "glider" is an unpowered Aircraft. The most common types of glider are today used for sporting purposes

The need to defeat the German defensive positions of the "Atlantic wall" as part of the amphibious landings in Normandy in 1944 led to the development of specialist combat engineer vehicles. The Atlantikwall ( English: Atlantic wall) was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by the German Third Reich These, collectively known as Hobart's Funnies, included a specific vehicle to carry combat engineers, the Churchill AVRE. Hobart's Funnies were a number of unusually modified Tanks operated during World War II by the United Kingdom 's 79th Armoured Division The Tank Infantry Mk IV (A22 was a heavy British Infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour and its use as the

During the 20th century, combat engineers gained vast knowledge and experience in explosives. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied They are tasked with planting bombs, landmines and dynamite. A land mine is an Explosive device designed to be placed on or in the ground to explode when triggered by an operator or the Proximity of a vehicle person Dynamite is an explosive based on the explosive potential of Nitroglycerin, initially using Diatomaceous earth (kieselgur US Spelling kieselguhr Moreover, they are the only units with the clearance to detonate enemy explosive charges and the handling of unexploded ordnance. They share the role of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) with the Ordnance Corps, the delineation usually being that engineers perform this role when the task is below ground level (such as an aerially delivered bomb that has penetrated the earth), whilst ordnance personnel perform the same task at ground level. Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe Another distinction may be that engineers perform the EOD role in the battle zone, whilst ordnance handles EOD in rear areas.

Modern combat engineering still retains the Roman role of building field fortifications, road paving and the breaching of terrain obstacles. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for A notable combat engineer task was, for example, the breaching of the Suez Canal during the Yom Kippur War. The Suez Canal is a Canal in Egypt. Opened in 1869 it allows Water transportation between Europe and Asia without circumnavigation The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War (מלחמת יום הכיפורים transliterated: Milkhemet Yom HaKipurim or מלחמת יום

Specific combat engineering corps

United States

IED detonator in Iraq
IED detonator in Iraq

Main article: United States Army Corps of Engineers. The United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34600 Civilian and 650 Military personnel

In the United States Army, the four tasks of combat engineer units are mobility, countermobility, survivability, and general engineering. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities.

Plastic explosives are heavily used in combat engineering. Plastic explosive (or the obsolete term plastique) is a specialised form of Explosive material. Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and

MOTTO: The motto of the Canadian Combat Engineer, UBIQUE means "Everywhere" and the motto of the American Engineers, "ESSAYONS," is French for "Let us try. "

Explosive Ordnance Disposal units in the Canadian Military are Combat Engineers and in the U. Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe S. Army are manned by ordnance personnel.

See also the United States Navy's Seabees. The Seabees are the Construction Battalions of the United States Navy.

Israel

IDF Caterpillar D9. Armored bulldozers are standard combat engineering tools, as they can perform construction, destruction and EOD missions under heavy fire.
IDF Caterpillar D9. The armored Bulldozer is a basic tool of Combat engineering. These Combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer
Armored bulldozers are standard combat engineering tools, as they can perform construction, destruction and EOD missions under heavy fire.
Main article: Israeli Engineering Corps

In the Israeli Defence Forces the combat engineers are organized under the Israel Engineering Corps (Hebrew: חיל ההנדסה הקרבית‎)In addition to IEC sappers, each infantry brigade has an engineer company trained with basic engineering and EOD skills. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit IEC sappers are often attached to other units (such as armored divisions or infantry) in order to help them breach obstacles and handle explosive threats. The IEC operates advance engineering tools such as Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer, IDF Puma armored CEV, EOD robots and electromagnetic mine-detectors. The armored Bulldozer is a basic tool of Combat engineering. These Combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer The Puma ( Hebrew: פומ"ה פורץ מכשולים הנדסי is a heavily armored Combat engineering vehicle and Armored personnel carrier Combat engineering vehicles (CEVs are armoured vehicles built for Engineering work on the battlefield or for the transportation of Sappers Types of combat Electromagnetism is the Physics of the Electromagnetic field: a field which exerts a Force on particles that possess the property of Their main role is enabling Israeli forces to advance (breach the enemy's obstacles), stop the enemy's movement, handle explosives and perform construction and destruction under fire. The Israeli engineering corps is also responsible for counter-NBC warfare (i. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's e. defending troops against unconventional weapon and clean infected areas). A weapon of mass destruction ( WMD) is a weapon which can kill large numbers of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures (e The IEC has a special unit, called Yahalom (in Hebrew it means "Diamond" but also abbreviation of "Engineering Unit for Special Operations") which handles EOD, commando, engineering recon, advance robotics, tunnel warfare, maritime breaching, counter-NBC and other classified tasks. Yahalom ( Hebrew language: יהל"ם - יחידה הנדסית למשימות מיוחדות is a special elite Combat engineering unit of the Israeli In Mineralogy, diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe In Military science, the term commando can refer to an individual a Military unit, or a raiding style of military operation. See also Robot Robotics is the science and technology of Robots and their design manufacture and application

MOTTO: "Rishonim Tamid ראשונים תמיד", Hebrew for "Always first",

United Kingdom

Main article: Royal Engineers

Soviet Union/Russia

See also

External links

The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers ( RE) and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps Military history is a Humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity
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