441:
31:
424:. There, he relates that the wedge must be formed by 354 cataphracts and 150 horse archers to a total number of 504 men. The row of the first line comprised 20 horsemen, the second 24, the third 28, down to the 12th line, which consisted of 64 men. If such a number of men is not available, he proposes that the wedge be formed by 304 cataphracts and 80 horse archers, or a total of 384 men, the first line comprising 10 men. In his next chapter (
547:
100:
519:
333:. In Book I, he describes a shallow wedge, with the front rank of two men then each thereafter doubled. In Book VII, he depicts a sharper pointed formation 10 men deep with the first rank being composed of 2 men, each rank composed of 2 more. Thus, each wedge was composed of 110 men, 10 deep, 2 men on its tip, and 20 on its base. According to the
39:
570:. The principle is similar to the military application: the ball carrier starts an attack and is joined on both sides by teammates who drive them forward towards the goal line. However due to the number of deaths and serious injuries related to the flying wedge, any attempt at this formation is now punished by in-game penalties.
383:. He gives examples of various formations varying from 200 men to 1000. The formation of 1000 men places seven men in the first rank, with each rank increasing by two men back to the eighth rank with 21. The remaining men are in a column 20 men wide behind the point. The banner would be carried in the seventh rank.
258:
with forty warriors in the first line and 1,600 men strong. In this formation, the wingmen are at most risk. It was therefore well possible that the wing marched with some caution and held back a bit, so that the center stormed further and looked like a wedge. The outer ranks of the rear on the other
155:
and
Alexander the Great faced Persian cavalry arrayed thus, as Arrian attests. The advantage of the wedge was that it offered a narrow point for piercing enemy formations and concentrated the leaders at the front. It was easier to turn than a square formation because everyone followed the leader at
469:
The hollow wedge formation remains one of the basic infantry formations at the squad and section level, especially when crossing open ground. However unlike in ancient and medieval times, the formation is used not to maximise effectiveness in melee combat, but to maximise the situational awareness
608:
Recent changes in the rules at various levels regarding runbacks of free kicks are stricter still in that they restrict blocking by teammates close together even without touching each other. The "wedge" commonly referred to in interference on free kick returns simply meant such a close group of
278:
to the sides. The triangular formation was used to overwhelm an enemy with a frontal assault. Family groups and tribes were placed side-by-side in units to maintain its cohesion in battle. The tactic was a formidable assault strategy against defenders in line or column, however, attackers faced
314:
formations when defenders would link their shields together to form an all-but impenetrable barrier. Armored, heavily armed infantry could use their momentum in wedge formation to drive open small sections in the shield wall. This would break up the shield wall exposing the defenders to flank
66:) is a configuration created from a body moving forward in a triangular formation. This V-shaped arrangement began as a successful military strategy in ancient times when infantry units would move forward in wedge formations to smash through an enemy's lines. This principle was later used by
597:, which forbids the locking together of players as well as pushing and pulling the ball carrier to increase force in the same manner as the historic flying wedge, remains in the American football rule books; its eradication has been so complete that the foul has not been called in the
504:
during the annual graduation parade, when the soon-to-be commissioned first-class cadets (seniors) leave the Cadet Wing. This is the reverse of the acceptance parade, held each fall, when the new fourth-class cadets (freshmen) join the Cadet Wing in the inverted wedge formation.
609:
blockers. Wedge blocking using only the shoulders to push forward teammates not holding the ball is still legal. Some leagues went still farther in theoretically not allowing any transfer of momentum between teammates in blocking but that prohibition is not strictly enforced.
440:
470:
and firepower of a unit. The intervals between soldiers is designed to give mutually supporting lines of sight that do not obscure one another forward and to the sides, and this also corresponds to mutually supporting overlapping arcs of fire. The
428:), he ordains that the wedge must be accompanied by two cavalry units, which will guard its flanks. A wedge whose ranks are not complete in the middle is shaped as an Λ instead of a Δ and is called a hollow wedge, or in Greek κοιλέμβολον,
589:
in 1892. Teammates would lock themselves together with the ball carrier using their hands and arms and rush forward. But despite its practicality, it was outlawed two seasons later in 1894 because of its contribution to serious injury.
243:. However, this was also the most dangerous point, whence the need to be heavily armoured. But an army leader who survived a lost battle often forfeited his life (usually suicide). Warriors who had fled were hanged or slain.
671:
227:
Due to the high discipline this formation required and the relatively high probability of failure, it is assumed that the front lines were filled with the best and most heavily armoured warriors of the
Germanic
224:. It is generally believed that the Germanic tribes were more successful with this tactic than the Celts. It was used to force the Roman forces to split and was later applied specifically to the weakest units.
379:, then a final rank of 14 picked men to hold the formation together. Sir Charles Oman refers to an unpublished manual of 1480 by Philip of Seldeneck which describes the formation, calling it the
927:
375:
fought in wedge formation. The
Nuremberg cavalry was drawn up in a wedge led by 5 picked knights, then seven, then nine, then 11. The following twenty ranks held 250 ordinary
298:); it begins with a muffled grumbling and swells with the heat of the battle up to the roar of the waves beating against the rocks. According to Germanic legend and Tacitus,
677:, 1920, History of warfare in the framework of political history, Part 2 The Teutons, Book 1 The struggle of the Romans and Teutons, Chapter 2 The Germanic warriordom
492:
can also be transitioned fast and efficiently. The regiment can change formation with ease and the front of it has a significant amount of strength from its crossfire.
368:
1074:
259:
hand swelled slightly. The goal was to hit hard at the same time and to drive a 40 yard wide hole into the enemy line, according to the German historian
254:
was a tightly packed crowd, strong on all sides, not only in front and back, but also on the flanks. The formation was not like a wedge but more like a
131:'s head"), was used by both infantry and cavalry. The men deployed in a triangular or trapezoid formation with the tip leading the way. According to
30:
958:
935:
708:"Quodque præcipuum fortitudinis incitamentum est, non casus, nec fortuita conglobatio turmam aut cuneum facit, sed familiæ et propinquitates" -
582:
975:
481:
Exactly the same principles of mutually supporting lines of sight and fire, apply to an armored vehicles deployed in a wedge formation.
601:
since 1991. The concept of wedge-shaped formations continued to influence several football plays in the modern game, particularly on
871:
846:
821:
682:
81:. It has also been used in some sports, although the use of wedges is sometimes banned due to the danger it poses to defenders.
1025:
501:
1040:
1104:
741:
216:, meaning throng) is a German phrase to describe the attack formation ("Tactical body") of the prehistoric infantry of the
1080:
Footage of the
Argentina national rugby union team carrying out a flying wedge against England in the 1995 Rugby World Cup
1014:
778:"The Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus", translated by Oliver Elton (Norroena Society, New York, 1905)
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997:
765:
761:
694:
602:
485:
387:
136:
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annihilation in the event of retreat because the wedge became an ill-defined mob if its forward momentum collapsed.
444:
US Navy sailors in a wedge patrol formation during patrol familiarization during a field training exercise in 2011.
1055:
598:
77:
In modern times the effectiveness of flying wedge means it is still employed by civilian police services for
478:
wedge. In a platoon wedge the command group and platoon machine guns are placed in the hollow of the wedge.
535:
471:
267:
1099:
955:
395:
184:
148:
239:
and glory in the battle. The most distinguished princes and their acolytes stood at the head of the
420:
809:
728:
Richard F. Burton (1987). "CHAPTER XIII. THE SWORD AMONGST THE BARBARIANS (EARLY ROMAN EMPIRE)".
578:
555:
489:
176:
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842:
817:
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628:
618:
567:
405:
363:
Deep wedges of cavalry were used by German armies in the later Middle Ages. At the Battle of
152:
900:
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324:
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99:
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71:
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112:
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329:
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531:
463:
357:
180:
164:
78:
70:
armies, as well as modern armed forces, which have adapted the V-shaped wedge for
889:"The Siete Partidas: A Repository of Mediaeval Military and Tactical Instruction"
538:
march into segments. It can also be used to escort VIPs through hostile crowds.
788:
730:
623:
559:
376:
364:
338:
311:
200:
67:
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sometimes charge in flying wedge formations, to break into a dense crowd as a
527:
454:
415:
295:
888:
757:
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team sports, the use of the flying wedge is now banned for safety reasons in
459:
372:
352:
A triangular or wedge formation was also used in the medieval period by the
255:
236:
160:
144:
140:
183:, with the wedge proving effective in campaigns in Britain, such as during
905:
310:
In the Middle Ages, the tactic was especially effective against defensive
38:
475:
353:
299:
1075:
Chinese riot police show off their skills in breaking up a demonstration
777:
275:
271:
247:
172:
17:
334:
132:
605:
returns, until 2009 when NFL league owners agreed to stop its use.
484:
There are many advantages to using this formation. It provides more
550:
Harvard unleashing a dangerous flying wedge on Yale, November 1892.
302:
once visited German soil and they sang of him first of all heroes.
545:
517:
439:
217:
188:
168:
120:
98:
37:
648:
Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in
Classical Antiquity,
449:
346:
229:
128:
998:"Mindful of Violence, the N.F.L. Rules Out the Wedge Formation"
187:, where a greatly outnumbered Roman army used it to defeat the
522:
CG image of 7 policemen in riot gear charging in flying wedge
323:
Two complete descriptions of an infantry wedge are given by
1062:. United States Army Infantry Training School. January 1996
1041:"No wedge means major adjustment for kickoff units" NFL.com
500:
The wedge formation is used ceremonially by cadets at the
448:
The wedge is still used in modern armies, especially by
34:
United States
Marines pose in a wedge formation in 1918
1026:
When is it a foul for pulling a ball carrier forward?
667:
665:
573:
In
American football, the formation was developed by
864:
A History of the Art of War in the
Sixteenth Century
452:and other armored units. An example of this is the
839:History of the Art of War vol III; The Middle Ages
729:
151:adopted it from them as the main formation of his
1015:Introduction: A Brief History of College Football
837:Delbrück, Hans; Trans Walter J. Renfroe (1990) .
534:to arrest a leader or speaker, or to chop a long
286:was advancing against the enemy, they sang the
270:, the central body consisted of heavily armed,
991:
989:
386:The use of the cavalry wedge in 13th Century
8:
723:
721:
841:. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood. p. 275.
736:. Dover Publications; Revised ed. edition.
704:
702:
474:will usually anchor one of the flanks of a
159:As an infantry formation it is attested by
235:Here the individual warrior tried to gain
179:. It was also used to great effect by the
904:
27:V-shaped configuration of multiple people
29:
639:
232:who had to break the Roman front line.
103:Tactical principles of the Flying Wedge
554:Although originally permitted in most
458:or "armored wedge" used by the German
337:, the wedge formation, called by them
976:"Rod Macqueen to get edge with wedge"
956:Section 4(n) of Law 10 of Rugby Union
816:. Oxford: Blackwell. pp. 231–2.
156:the apex, "like a flight of cranes".
7:
1056:"Infantry Squad Operations:Movement"
866:. London: Greenhill. pp. 82–3.
411:analyzes the wedge formation of the
488:as a result of the area it spans.
139:, the wedge was first used by the
25:
974:Harris, Bret (18 February 2011).
246:According to the Roman historian
212:(wild boar's head, wedge, Latin:
672:The Germanic warriordom (German)
659:Frontinus, Stratagems, II.iii.20
502:United States Air Force Academy
426:Ordinance on Cavalry Deployment
394:, a law code compiled for king
996:Battista, Judy (24 May 2009).
1:
650:Yale University Press, p. 98.
42:Macedonian Companion cavalry
418:in the third chapter of his
367:in 1450, both the armies of
862:Oman, Sir Charles (1987) .
526:Police and law enforcement
1121:
893:Acta Periodica Duellatorum
198:
195:Scandinavian and Germanic
163:to have been used by the
599:National Football League
577:and first introduced by
274:protecting less-armored
887:Gassmann, Jürg (2021).
814:War in the Middle Ages
799:(New York, 1970),p.285
797:The Viking Achievement
551:
523:
472:squad automatic weapon
445:
104:
47:
35:
1105:Banned sports tactics
906:10.36950/apd-2021-002
549:
521:
509:Civilian applications
443:
102:
41:
33:
932:www.benning.army.mil
646:Lendon, J.E. (2006)
595:assisting the runner
593:The penalty against
396:Alfonso X of Castile
390:is described in the
149:Philip II of Macedon
123:, colloquially also
107:The wedge (έμβολον,
1095:Tactical formations
1060:global security.org
810:Contamine, Philippe
421:Praecepta Militaria
294:, the battle song (
1029:FootballZebras.com
1002:The New York Times
961:2007-10-22 at the
552:
524:
490:Bounding overwatch
446:
345:, was invented by
282:When the Germanic
105:
48:
46:in wedge formation
36:
928:"Mission Command"
732:Book of the sword
629:Diamond formation
619:Armored spearhead
568:American football
409:Nikephoros Phocas
406:Byzantine Emperor
369:Albrecht Achilles
185:Boudicca's Revolt
153:Companion cavalry
95:Greeks and Romans
68:Medieval European
16:(Redirected from
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583:collegiate game
575:Lorin F. Deland
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496:Drill formation
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308:
306:The Middle Ages
222:Germanic tribes
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143:, and then the
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72:armored assault
60:wedge formation
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62:, or simply
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54:(also called
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19:
1100:Riot control
1066:November 13,
1064:. Retrieved
1059:
1036:
1028:
1021:
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1001:
979:
969:
951:
940:. Retrieved
936:the original
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922:
910:. Retrieved
896:
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863:
857:
838:
832:
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804:
796:
784:
773:
766:Hist. IV, 18
762:Hist. II, 22
758:Germania III
752:
731:
709:
695:Hist. IV, 20
689:
655:
647:
642:
607:
594:
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564:rugby league
556:full contact
553:
532:snatch squad
525:
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468:
464:World War II
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171:against the
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79:riot control
76:
63:
59:
55:
52:flying wedge
51:
49:
43:
899:(1): 9–10.
624:V formation
560:rugby union
528:riot squads
430:koilembolon
416:Cataphracts
377:men-at-arms
365:Pillenreuth
339:svinfylking
312:shield wall
201:Svinfylking
1089:Categories
942:2022-05-14
743:0486254348
455:Panzerkeil
360:infantry.
296:battle cry
206:Keilerkopf
173:Macedonian
756:Tacitus,
693:Tacitus,
486:overwatch
460:Wehrmacht
413:Byzantine
401:Byzantium
373:Nuremberg
349:himself.
315:attacks.
256:rectangle
161:Frontinus
145:Thracians
141:Scythians
90:Antiquity
959:Archived
812:(1984).
613:See also
585:against
514:Policing
476:fireteam
300:Hercules
292:barditus
272:warriors
175:line of
56:flying V
912:17 July
603:kickoff
579:Harvard
388:Castile
354:Flemish
335:Vikings
327:in his
288:baritus
276:archers
248:Tacitus
177:Perseus
109:embolon
18:Embolon
870:
845:
820:
740:
712:Refer
681:
566:, and
542:Sports
250:, the
214:cuneus
165:Romans
133:Arrian
117:cuneus
635:Notes
581:in a
450:tanks
381:Spitz
358:Swiss
230:sibbs
218:Celts
189:Iceni
169:Pydna
121:Latin
113:Greek
64:wedge
1068:2014
914:2021
868:ISBN
843:ISBN
818:ISBN
791:and
738:ISBN
679:ISBN
587:Yale
371:and
356:and
347:Odin
284:Keil
252:Keil
241:Keil
237:fame
220:and
210:Keil
135:and
129:boar
901:doi
462:in
290:or
208:or
167:in
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58:or
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