Everything about Military Engineering totally explained
A
military engineer is primarily responsible for the design and construction of offensive, defensive and logistical structures for
warfare. Other duties include the layout, placement, maintenance and dismantling of defensive
minefields and the clearing of enemy minefields and the construction and destruction of
bridges. In some cases an
engineer may be required to destroy something that that same engineer designed and constructed. In many armies the military engineers are also called
pioneers or
sappers.
In some countries, the modern military may comprise engineering units in say, weapon design or procurement, or of non-military civil engineering (for example flood control and river navigation works) which are not covered by this article.
In modern times a military engineer that usually operates during
battle and under fire is called a
combat engineer.
For more modern aspects of military engineering and tools of the combat engineering corps, see combat engineering.
Origins of military engineering
Perhaps the first civilization to have a dedicated force of military engineering specialists were the Romans, whose army contained a dedicated corps of military engineers known as
architecti.
Roman military engineering was pre-eminent amongst its contemporaries, and the scale of certain military engineering feats, such as the construction of a double-wall of fortifications 30 miles long in total (both walls combined total) in just six weeks to completely encircle the besieged city. Such military engineering feats would have been completely new, and probably bewildering and demoralizing, to the Gallic defenders. The best known of these Roman army engineers due to his writtings surviving is
Vitruvius.
Defensive
Defensive
fortifications are designed to prevent intrusion into the inner works by
siege infantry. For minor defensive locations these may only consist of simple walls and ditches. The design principle is to slow down the advance of attackers to where they can be destroyed by defenders from sheltered positions. Most large fortifications are not a single structure but rather a concentric series of fortifications of increasing strength.
Fortified cities would typically include an inner "old town"' within walls. Should the city be attacked, those residing outside the walls would enter the inner city. Within this would be a redoubt, or
citadel, to which defenders could retreat should the walls or gates be breached.
The placement of
mines to create
minefields and their maintenance and disassembly is another
defensive task.
When the defender must
retreat it's often desirable to destroy anything that may be of use to the enemy, but particularly bridges, as their destruction can slow the
advance of the attackers. The retreating forces may also leave
booby traps for enemy soldiers, even though these often wreak their havoc upon
non-combatant civilians.
Offensive
In ancient times, fortifications were assaulted by
siege engines. These could be projectile throwing devices or simple moving towers that could allow attackers protection while positioning them above the top of the fortification's walls.
The undermining of the defender's walls by tunneling is called
mining. With the military use of
gunpowder this
explosive could be placed in tunnels to explode directly under the walls. The most spectacular use of this technique in the 19th century was during the United States' Civil War.
The clearing of enemy minefields is another offensive task.
Often the defender in retreat will destroy bridges to impede the attacker. These must be quickly replaced by the attacker in order to retain offensive mobility. In
World War II a short portable bridge called the
Bailey bridge could be quickly placed by a specialized transporter vehicle.
Pontoon bridges have long been used as temporary replacements for destroyed river crossings.
Image gallery
The design, construction, and demolition of the works and devices shown would be the task of a military engineer in the appropriate era.
Image:GreatWallTower.jpg|Great Wall of China and watchtower (Ming Dynasty)
Image:Tarascon Castle on the Rhône.jpg|Castle at Tarascon, France
Image:Replica catapult.jpg|Replica Catapult siege engine
Image:Trebuchet.jpg|Replica Trebuchet siege engine
Image:Fortbourtange.jpg|Bourtange fortification (External Link
)
Image:Vauban-fortress.jpg|Plans for part of a penonal fortress
Image:Tarascon Castle (bridge).jpg|Tarascon Castle moat
Image:Cheshire Regiment trench Somme 1916.jpg|World War I trench works and shrapnel shelter
Image:Fort ticonderoga drawbridge to demilune.jpg|Drawbridge crossing fortification ditches at Fort Ticonderoga
Image:96046011HKOBAw_fs.jpg|Installing a Medium Girder Bridge (modern)
Image:Mines 501556 fh000026.jpg|Landmines (modern)
Famous Military engineers
Further Information
Get more info on 'Military Engineering'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://military_engineer.totallyexplained.com">Military engineer Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
