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Revision as of 03:08, 6 October 2010
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A rearguard is that part of a military force that protects it from rear attack, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used describe forces protecting lines of communication behind an army.[1]
Origins
The term rearguard (also rereward, rearward) originates from the medieval custom of dividing an army into three battles or wards; Van, Main or Middle and Rear.[2] The Rear Ward usually followed the other wards on the march and during a battle usually formed the rearmost of the three if deployed in column or the left-hand ward if deployed in line.
20th. century usage
In blitzkrieg
In the inter-war period German commanders (in particular Heinz Guderian) developed the doctrine of blitzkrieg. In this military doctrine the rear guard troops (mainly dismounted infantry) were tasked to eliminate the remaining enemy groups after Panzer and motorized troops had broken through the enemy positions.
Soviet doctrine
During and after World War II the Soviets developed the doctrine of the echelons, influenced by blitzkrieg. In spite of sending all the troops to the attack, they divided the force in various parts according to the mission: for example, in a division-launched attack, one regiment could overrun enemy defenses, the second could have exploited the breech and the third (the rear guard troops) could have mopped up the enemy pockets of resistance and guard the supply lines. For example, in an hypothetical attack on NATO lines during the Cold War, the Red Army had created the operational manoeuvre groups, corps-sized units (in general 5 or 6 tank or mechanized divisions) that had to exploit the success of an attack of the shock army creating the chaos behind Western lines, leaving disorganized enemy troops to be cleared off. To counter the operative maneuvre groups, NATO created a lot of quickly deployable units (the bulk of NATO special forces).
Rear guard troops can also be troops that protect the withdrawal of an army, blocking the enemy advance.
See also
References
- ^ "rear guard." Military and Associated Words. US Department of Defense, 2003. [1]
- ^ Rogers, Clifford (2007). Soldiers Lives through History: The Middle Ages. Westport: Greenwood. p. 73. ISBN 9780313333507.