In
warfare, a meeting engagement, or encounter battle, is a
combat action that occurs when a moving force, incompletely deployed for
battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...
, 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
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can ...
,
surveillance, or
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops ( skirmishe ...
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 is always advantageous; however, commanders may choose to establish a hasty
defense if the enemy force is larger or the
terrain
Terrain or relief (also topographical relief) involves the vertical and horizontal dimensions of land surface. The term bathymetry is used to describe underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level. The Latin word ...
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
The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
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 , oclc=50597897 , url=http://155.217.58.58/cgi–bin/atdl.dll/fm/3-0/fm3-0.exe , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020219134603/http://155.217.58.58/cgi-bin/atdl.dll/fm/3-0/fm3-0.exe , archivedate=19 February 2002 , url-status=dead , format=PDF inside
ZIP–
SFX , accessdate=19 August 2013
Warfare by type