Afrontal assault is amilitary tactic which involves a direct, full-force attack on the front line of an enemy force, rather than to theflanks or rear of the enemy. It allows for a quick and decisive victory, but at the cost of subjecting the attackers to the maximum defensive power of the enemy; this can make frontal assaults costly even if successful, and often disastrously costly if unsuccessful. It may be used as a last resort when time, terrain, limited command control, or low troop quality do not allow for any battlefield flexibility. The risks of a frontal assault can be mitigated by the use of heavy supporting fire, diversionary attacks, the use of cover (such as smokescreens or the darkness of night), orinfiltration tactics.
Frontal assaults were common inancient warfare, whereheavy infantry made up the core of armies such as the Greekphalanx and theRoman legion. These dense formations, many ranks deep, would utilize their weight in numbers to press forward and break enemy lines. Inmedieval warfare,heavy cavalry such as mountedknights relied on frontal assaults for easy victories against infantry levies.
These tactics waned as the defensive quality of infantry increased, especially with the introduction offirearms. Both heavy infantry and heavy cavalry were replaced with lighter, more maneuverable troops.
Yet even inNapoleonic warfare, a frontal assault bycavalry against a thin line could be effective when conditions were right, or even by infantry if the enemy was shaken or weakened by preceding attacks. But as firepower increased, as with the introduction of therifle, successful frontal assaults against a prepared enemy became rare. They continued to be attempted, however, as alternative tactics that could achieve a decisive victory for the attacker were not developed.
During theAmerican Civil War, it took some time for generals on both sides to understand that a frontal assault against an enemy who was well entrenched or otherwise held a strong defensive position was unlikely to succeed and was wasteful of manpower.
DuringWorld War I, advances inmachine guns andartillery greatly increased defensive firepower, whiletrench warfare removed almost all options for battlefield maneuver. This resulted in repeated frontal assaults with horrific casualties. Only at the end of the war, with the introduction oftanks,infiltration tactics, andcombined arms, were the beginnings of modernmaneuver warfare found as a way to avoid the necessity of frontal assaults.
Battles with notably successful frontal assaults
edit- Battle of Bunker Hill – After two failed attempts, theBritish army succeeds in capturing the heights.
- Battle of Missionary Ridge –Union army storms Missionary Ridge after flank attacks are stalled.
- Battle of Pea Ridge – Union army routsConfederate forces in a frontal assault on the second day.
- Battle of Spotsylvania Court House – Union army captures the "Mule Shoe"salient.
- Brusilov Offensive –Russian army breaksAustro-Hungarian lines during theFirst World War, though infiltration tactics were used.
- Battle of Vimy Ridge – Operationally, a frontal assault, though new platoon-based tactics enabled tactical maneuver at the lowest levels.
Battles with notably unsuccessful frontal assaults
edit- Battle of Carillon – A classic example of tactical military incompetence.
- Battle of Gettysburg –Pickett's Charge aims at the Union center and is repulsed.
- Battle of Fredericksburg – Union army fails to take Marye's Heights.
- Battle of Franklin – Repeated Confederate charges are repulsed.
- Battle of Balaklava – TheCharge of the Light Brigade.
- Battle of Cold Harbor – Union assaults repulsed by Confederate forces with heavy casualties.
- Battle of Longewala – Failure ofPakistan Army's 206 and 51 Brigades with 2000-3000 men and 40 tanks attack on 120 Indian soldiers of the A company of thePunjab Regiment defending theLongewala border post.