War Tactics

1. War Tactics By George Coin

2. British Warfare • British Warfare during the American Revolution was very bloody. Troops would line up in columns of 3 or 4 and fire volleys. • Soldiers lined up very close together and left themselves exposed to enemy fire. This was considered the only way to fight with honor.

3. British Warfare Cont. • The accuracy of the British guns was very poor and reloading the guns took a very long time to accomplish. • After a few volleys, bayonets would be attached and the armies would charge at each other. • Bayonets are sharp sword like objects that would be screwed onto the gun.

4. American Warfare • American Warfare was very similar to British Warfare due to the fact Colonists were British themselves. • The American army was not very organized and would sometimes break formation. • To overcome large forces of British troops, the Minutemen hid behind trees and other cover to combat the British.

5. Proper Warfare • The British believed that fighting should take place in open fields during the day. Fighting at night was unheard of. • Guerilla tactics were considered dishonorable. • From the British perspective, fighting in lines, shoulder-to-shoulder, was the only honorable way of fighting.

6. Advantages of Linear Warfare • Linear Warfare made it very easy to command and control the troops. • Firepower was concentrated on a specific target or area causing great devastation to that area. • Short range and great volume of troops made large dents in the front enemy lines.

7. Disadvantages of Linear Warfare • Lines of troops all together in one small area made it easy for artillery and guerilla warfare to combat linear warfare. • Troops in linear formation were easily killed because they were in close range of one another.

8. Advantages of Guerilla Warfare • Guerilla warfare was carried out by stealth, leading to many surprise attacks. • One soldier could easily kill another soldier and remain out of sight. • Guerilla warfare allowed a smaller army to take on a larger army in combat.

9. Disadvantages of Guerilla Warfare • Commands were hard to issue when guerilla tactics were in play. • Guerilla warfare was very unorganized and was responsible for some friendly fire. • If a soldier was found, there usually weren’t others close by to come to that soldier’s aid.

10. The Revolutionary War • The Revolutionary War was fought with both linear and guerilla warfare. • Guerilla tactics were a major factor in some of the Continental Army’s victories. • British forces were extremely well trained in linear warfare making them a deadly enemy.

11. Bibliography • http://ppl.nhmccd.edu/~craigl/06.html#1776 • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.americanrevolution.com/ContinentalArmy3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.americanrevolution.com/ContinentalArmy.htm&h=807&w=586&sz=112&tbnid=eBkgO7W_UEAJ:&tbnh=142&tbnw=103&hl=en&start=1&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcontinental%2Barmy%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.revwar75.com/ob/graphics/DonGW326.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.revwar75.com/ob/ob1.htm&h=326&w=326&sz=88&tbnid=78GyxBN-GuQJ:&tbnh=114&tbnw=114&hl=en&start=2&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcontinental%2Barmy%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff