Line (formation)

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The Line Formation was a standard tactical formation used throughout history. The Line formation provided the best frontage for volley fire, while sacrificing maneuverability and defence against cavalry. The Line formation came to the fore during the Age of Reason, when it was used to great effect by Frederick the Great and his enemies during the Seven Years' War.

A Line formation was usually formed from an infantry battalion. The battalion was comprised between two and five ranks of infantry, with three ranks being the most common. Each rank was approximately half a meter apart from the next, to allow the troops to present, fire and reload. The troops in each rank were positioned closely to each other, with just enough room to present, fire and reload. The line formation required that the troops be well drilled and constantly supervised by officers and NCOs.

In 17th and 18th century European armies, NCOs were positioned to the rear of the line. They were equipped with long polearm. The polearm was used to 'dress' the lines, a practice which included pushing down the barrels of any soldier who was aiming too high, as well as ensuring that the rank remained well organised and correctly placed. Movement in line formation was very slow, and unless the battalion was superbly trained, a breakdown in cohesion was virtually assured. As a result, the Line was mostly used as a stationary formation, with troops advancing in columns and then deploying to line.

Due to its rigidity, the Line formation was extremely vulnerable to cavalry attacks from the flanks and rear, and most cavalry attacks resulted in complete breakdown of cohesion and even destruction of the unit.

During the Napoleonic Wars, the British Army famously adopted a thin two rank line formation. This was adopted to combat their lack of numbers and to maximise their fire frontage. The British continued to use a two rank line until the late 1800s. The famous Thin Red Line of the 93rd (Highland) Regiment at the Battle of Balaklava successfully held against a Russian cavalry attack, a very rare occurrence.

The line formation is also used by many modern forces during assaults as it enables maximum firepower to be directed in one direction at once, useful when attacking an enemy position. It also enables the use of fire and movement.