Skirmishers are infantry or cavalry soldiers stationed ahead or alongside of a larger body of friendly troops. The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces. They are usually placed in a skirmish line to either harass enemy troops or to protect their own troops from similar attacks by the enemy. Skirmishers are generally lightly armoured for increased battlefield mobility and are usually armed with ranged weapons to attack the enemy from a distance. A ranged weapon or missile weapon is any Weapon that launches a Projectile or that is a projectile itself

History

Pre-modern

In ancient and medieval warfare, skirmishers typically carried bows, javelins, slings, and sometimes carried light shields. A bow is a Weapon that projects arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow A sling is a projectile Weapon typically used to throw a blunt Projectile such as a stone A shield is a protective device meant to intercept attacks The term often refers to a device that is held in the hand as opposed to Armour or a Bullet proof vest Acting as light infantry with their light arms and minimal armor, they could run ahead of the main battle line, release a volley of arrows, slingshots or javelins, and retreat behind their main battle line before the clash of the opposing main forces. Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a Skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of Infantry, harassing The aims of skirmishing were to disrupt enemy formations by causing casualties before the main battle, and to tempt the opposing infantry into attacking prematurely, throwing their organization into disarray. The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists Skirmishers could also be effectively used to surround opposing soldiers in the absence of friendly cavalry. The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on

Once the preliminary skirmishing was done, the skirmishers would participate during the main battle by shooting into the enemy formation, or could participate in melée combat with daggers or short swords. Melee (from the French mêlée meˈleː generally refers to disorganized Close combat involving a group of fighters Alternatively, they could also act as ammunition bearers or stretcher-bearers. Ammunition, often referred to as ammo, is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which A stretcher is a Medical device used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another

Due to their mobility, skirmishers were also valuable for reconnaissance, especially in wooded or urban areas. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information During the gunpowder era, a skirmish line could be used to discover the extent of the enemy front line. Gunpowder is a an explosive mixture of Sulfur, Charcoal and Potassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre/saltpeter that burns rapidly producing volumes

Napoleonic Wars

During the Napoleonic Wars, skirmishers played a key role in battles, attempting to disrupt the main enemy force by firing into their close-packed ranks, and by preventing enemy skirmishers from doing the same to friendly troops. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions As the skirmishers generally were spread out and were able to take cover behind trees, houses, and other obstacles, they were harder targets to hit with small arms and artillery fire. Small arms is a term used by the Armed forces to refer to Infantry Weapons such as the Firearms that an individual soldier can carry Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine While muskets were the predominant weapon at the time, the British Army experimented with rifles, which had a far greater range to deadly effect, increasing the effectiveness of the skirmisher in disrupting enemy movements and communication. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces.

American Civil War

The treatise New American Tactics by General John Watts de Peyster advocated making the skirmish line the new line of battle, and was considered revolutionary at the time. For his son see John Watts de Peyster Jr John Watts de Peyster Sr ^[1] During the American Civil War it was common for cavalrymen to dismount and form a skirmish line in order to delay enemy troops advancing towards an objective (for example, the actions of the Federal cavalrymen on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Cavalry in the American Civil War was a branch of army service in a process of transition See also Battle of Gettysburg See also [[Gettysburg Battlefield]] [[Gettysburg Confederate order of battle]] [[Confederate order of battle]] and [[Gettysburg Union order )

Modern

By the late 19th century the concept of fighting in formation was on the wane and the distinctions between skirmishers and heavy infantry began to disappear. Essentially, all infantry became skirmishers in practice.

See also

• List of military tactics

References

• Randolph, Lewis Hamersly. This page contains a list of Military tactics: Principles Identification of objectives Also referred to as 'Selection and Maintenance of the Aim' Biographical Sketches of Distinguished Officers of the Army and Navy, pp 82-88. Henry E. Huntington Library: New York, 1905.

Notes

External links

• Skirmish tactics during the Napoleonic wars: skirmishing, skirmishers