Читать книгу American Civil War For Dummies - Keith D. Dickson - Страница 95

Strategically and tactically, the defender uses interior lines to avoid combat or collect combat power at vulnerable points exposed to an attacker (see Figure 4-1). Interior lines represent the area the defender occupies, usually an arc. Because the interior distance to all points in the arc is shorter than the exterior distance, the defender has the advantage. A commander can shift forces more quickly to meet an enemy attack than the enemy commander can shift forces to attack a vulnerable spot in the defender’s lines. Interior lines, therefore, can negate the combat power of an attacking army and allow the defender to set the pace of battle. If a defender uses interior lines, an attacker almost always operates on exterior lines. Exterior lines have some advantages, allowing the attacker to maneuver to surround the enemy, threaten a number of weak points all at once, or attack simultaneously all along the enemy’s defensive line to prevent any opportunity to mass forces against the threat.

John Wiley & Sons

FIGURE 4-1: Interior and exterior lines.