Pincer

The Pincer movement is basically an envelopment movement at both sides, its also known as the double envelopment. It is done in the following way: move your base back as if it is retreating. Now move your flanks forward. An unsuspecting enemy will presume to have found a soft spot in you defense and will move as much troops as possible to the base. Now your flanks will start to push forward, and as soon as the enemies flanks have passed you. Fold the flanks inward. This will cause a total encirclement, you can now attack the enemy from

the rear as well as moving the base forward again. Another possibility is to advance with you flanks and attack the flanks of the enemy using your base for a fighting retreat.

Take care of the following:

- If your base gets stretched out to much the enemy might force a breakthrough leaving your force with nothing but a pursuit
- If the enemy is on to your tactic he might leave one of his flanks to attack you in the rear again.
- It is vital that your flanks fold at the same time so as not to give the enemy a single opportunity to retreat.
- Do not start a battle before you are well in position, otherwise the enemy might simply turn around and leave your base retreating into oblivion.

Battles where this was used:

Cannae, 216 BC, Hannibal retreats his base and Romans sure of victory attack through the centre. This battle is a classic, by the way, study it well!

Rommel used this tactic in 1942 in the North Africa campaign to fold the enemy brigades, thereby isolating them and attacking them one by one. In 1942 he was severely outnumbered on numerous occassions, so this was the only way in which he could defeat the British Army.