In warfare, a meeting engagement, or encounter battle, is a

combat Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

action that occurs when a moving force, incompletely deployed for battle, engages an enemy at an unexpected time and place.

Description

Such encounters normally occur by chance in small unit operations, typically when two moving forces collide unexpectedly. Engagements involving larger units may occur when intelligence,

surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as c ...

, or reconnaissance operations have been ineffective. Meeting engagements can also occur when opposing forces are aware of the general presence but not the exact location of each other and both decide to attack immediately. On contact, commanders quickly act to gain the advantage. Speed of action and movement, coupled with both direct and indirect fire, are essential. To maintain momentum, lead elements quickly bypass or fight through light resistance. Freedom to

maneuver Maneuver (American English), manoeuvre (British English), manoeuver, manœuver (also spelled, directly from the French, as manœuvre) denotes one's tactical move, or series of moves, that improves or maintains one's strategic situation in a compet ...

is always advantageous; however, commanders may choose to establish a hasty

defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

if the enemy force is larger or the terrain offers a significant benefit. In general, the force that gains and retains the initiative in a meeting engagement wins. If both sides choose to reinforce their position instead of disengaging, then what started out as a skirmish may turn into a pitched battle, as happened at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War and the Battle of Mars-la-Tour during the Franco-Prussian War.

References

US Department of Defense Dictionary
* {{cite book , author=Headquarters, Department of the Army , authorlink=United States Department of the Army#Headquarters, Department of the Army , title=FM 3–0, Operations , date=14 June 2001 , place=Washington, DC , publisher=

GPO GPO may refer to: Government and politics * General Post Office, Dublin * General Post Office, in Britain * Social Security Government Pension Offset, a provision reducing benefits * Government Pharmaceutical Organization, a Thai state enterpris ...

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ZIP Zip, Zips or ZIP may refer to: Common uses * ZIP Code, USPS postal code * Zipper or zip, clothing fastener Science and technology Computing * ZIP (file format), a compressed archive file format ** zip, a command-line program from Info-ZIP * Zi ...

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SFX SFX may refer to: Entertainment * Special effects (usually visual), illusions used in film, television, and entertainment * Sound effects, sounds that are artificially created or enhanced * SFX (magazine), ''SFX'' (magazine), a British magazine c ...

, accessdate=19 August 2013 Warfare by type