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data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">This article is about the military term. For the publisher, see <a href="/wiki/Skirmisher_Publishing" title="Skirmisher Publishing">Skirmisher Publishing</a>. For the video game term, see <a href="/wiki/Skirmish_mode" class="mw-redirect" title="Skirmish mode">Skirmish mode</a>.</div> <p><b>Skirmishers</b> are <a href="/wiki/Light_infantry" title="Light infantry">light infantry</a> or <a href="/wiki/Light_cavalry" title="Light cavalry">light cavalry</a> <a href="/wiki/Soldier" title="Soldier">soldiers</a> deployed as a <a href="/wiki/Vanguard" title="Vanguard">vanguard</a>, flank guard or <a href="/wiki/Rearguard" title="Rearguard">rearguard</a> to <a href="/wiki/Screening_(tactical)" title="Screening (tactical)">screen</a> a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They may be deployed in a skirmish line, an irregular open formation that is much more spread out in depth and in breadth than a traditional <a href="/wiki/Line_formation" class="mw-redirect" title="Line formation">line formation</a>. Their purpose is to <a href="/wiki/Hit-and-run_tactics" title="Hit-and-run tactics">harass</a> the enemy by engaging them in only light or sporadic combat to delay their movement, disrupt their attack, or weaken their morale. Such tactics are collectively called skirmishing. An engagement with only light, relatively indecisive combat is sometimes called a skirmish even if heavier troops are sometimes involved. </p><figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Austrian_pandur_from_1760.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Austrian_pandur_from_1760.png/170px-Austrian_pandur_from_1760.png" decoding="async" width="170" height="247" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Austrian_pandur_from_1760.png/255px-Austrian_pandur_from_1760.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Austrian_pandur_from_1760.png/340px-Austrian_pandur_from_1760.png 2x" data-file-width="380" data-file-height="552"></a><figcaption>Austrian <a href="/wiki/Pandur" title="Pandur">pandur</a>, <abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1760</span>, using a tree for cover while skirmishing</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:3rd_Battalion_6th_Marine_Regiment_patrol_outskirts_of_Marjah.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/3rd_Battalion_6th_Marine_Regiment_patrol_outskirts_of_Marjah.jpg/280px-3rd_Battalion_6th_Marine_Regiment_patrol_outskirts_of_Marjah.jpg" decoding="async" width="280" height="180" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/3rd_Battalion_6th_Marine_Regiment_patrol_outskirts_of_Marjah.jpg/420px-3rd_Battalion_6th_Marine_Regiment_patrol_outskirts_of_Marjah.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/3rd_Battalion_6th_Marine_Regiment_patrol_outskirts_of_Marjah.jpg/560px-3rd_Battalion_6th_Marine_Regiment_patrol_outskirts_of_Marjah.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3384" data-file-height="2170"></a><figcaption>As with most other modern foot soldiers, the <a href="/wiki/US_6th_Marine_Regiment" class="mw-redirect" title="US 6th Marine Regiment">US 6th Marine Regiment</a>, on patrol near <a href="/wiki/Marjah" title="Marjah">Marjah</a>, 2010, routinely uses skirmish formation.</figcaption></figure> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist 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<p>Skirmishers can be either <a href="/wiki/Regular_army" title="Regular army">regular army</a> units that are temporarily detached to perform skirmishing or specialty units that were specifically armed and trained for such low-level <a href="/wiki/Irregular_warfare" title="Irregular warfare">irregular warfare</a> tactics. Light infantry, light cavalry (historically), and <a href="/wiki/Irregular_military" title="Irregular military">irregular</a> units often specialize in skirmishing. Skirmishers' open formations and smaller numbers can give them superior mobility over the regular forces, allowing them to engage only on favorable terms, taking advantage of better position or terrain, and quickly withdrawing from any threat of superior enemy forces. Though often critical in protecting the main army from sudden enemy advances, skirmishers were historically poor at taking or defending ground from <a href="/wiki/Heavy_infantry" title="Heavy infantry">heavy infantry</a> or <a href="/wiki/Heavy_cavalry" title="Heavy cavalry">heavy cavalry</a>. </p> <div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none"><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div> <ul> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Ancient_history"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Ancient history</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="#Middle_Ages"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Middle Ages</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="#Early_modern_period"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Early modern period</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#Americas"><span class="tocnumber">3.1</span> <span class="toctext">Americas</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="#Napoleonic_Wars"><span class="tocnumber">3.2</span> <span class="toctext">Napoleonic Wars</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6"><a href="#American_Civil_War"><span class="tocnumber">3.3</span> <span class="toctext">American Civil War</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="#Late_modern_period"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Late modern period</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8"><a href="#Cold_War_and_beyond"><span class="tocnumber">4.1</span> <span class="toctext">Cold War and beyond</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9"><a href="#See_also"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10"><a href="#References"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-11"><a href="#Sources"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">Sources</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-12"><a href="#Further_reading"><span class="tocnumber">8</span> <span class="toctext">Further reading</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-13"><a href="#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">9</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(1)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="Ancient_history">Ancient history</h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Ancient history" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-1 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-1"> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Agrianian3.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><noscript><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Agrianian3.jpg/170px-Agrianian3.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="280" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="874" data-file-height="1440"></noscript><span class="lazy-image-placeholder" style="width: 170px;height: 280px;" data-mw-src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Agrianian3.jpg/170px-Agrianian3.jpg" data-width="170" data-height="280" data-mw-srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Agrianian3.jpg/255px-Agrianian3.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Agrianian3.jpg/340px-Agrianian3.jpg 2x" data-class="mw-file-element"> </span></a><figcaption>An <a href="/wiki/Agrianian" class="mw-redirect" title="Agrianian">Agrianian</a> <a href="/wiki/Peltast" title="Peltast">peltast</a> holding three javelins, one in his throwing hand and two in his <a href="/wiki/Peltarion_(shield)" class="mw-redirect" title="Peltarion (shield)">pelte</a> hand as additional ammunition</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Balearic_Slinger.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><noscript><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Balearic_Slinger.jpg/170px-Balearic_Slinger.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="234" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="1695" data-file-height="2336"></noscript><span class="lazy-image-placeholder" style="width: 170px;height: 234px;" data-mw-src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Balearic_Slinger.jpg/170px-Balearic_Slinger.jpg" data-width="170" data-height="234" data-mw-srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Balearic_Slinger.jpg/255px-Balearic_Slinger.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Balearic_Slinger.jpg/340px-Balearic_Slinger.jpg 2x" data-class="mw-file-element"> </span></a><figcaption>Slinger from the <a href="/wiki/Balearic_islands" class="mw-redirect" title="Balearic islands">Balearic islands</a>, famous for the skill of its <a href="/wiki/Balearic_slinger" title="Balearic slinger">slingers</a></figcaption></figure> <p>In <a href="/wiki/Ancient_warfare" title="Ancient warfare">ancient warfare</a>, skirmishers typically carried <a href="/wiki/Bow_(weapon)" class="mw-redirect" title="Bow (weapon)">bows</a>, <a href="/wiki/Javelin_(weapon)" class="mw-redirect" title="Javelin (weapon)">javelins</a>, <a href="/wiki/Sling_(weapon)" title="Sling (weapon)">slings</a> and sometimes light <a href="/wiki/Shield" title="Shield">shields</a>. Acting as <a href="/wiki/Light_infantry" title="Light infantry">light infantry</a> with their light arms and minimal armour, they could run ahead of the main battle line; release a volley of arrows, sling stones, or javelins; and retreat behind their main battle line before the clash of the opposing main forces. The aims of skirmishing were to disrupt enemy formations by causing casualties before the main battle and to tempt the opposing <a href="/wiki/Infantry" title="Infantry">infantry</a> into attacking prematurely, thus throwing their organization into disarray. Skirmishers could also be effectively used to surround opposing soldiers in the absence of friendly <a href="/wiki/Cavalry" title="Cavalry">cavalry</a>. </p><p>Once preliminary skirmishing was over, skirmishers participated in the main battle by shooting into the enemy formation, or they joined in <a href="/wiki/Mel%C3%A9e" class="mw-redirect" title="Melée">melée</a> combat with daggers or short swords. Their mobility made skirmishers also valuable for <a href="/wiki/Reconnaissance" title="Reconnaissance">reconnaissance</a>, especially in wooded or urban areas. </p><p>In <a href="/wiki/Classical_Greece" title="Classical Greece">Classical Greece</a>, skirmishers originally had a low status. For example, <a href="/wiki/Herodotus" title="Herodotus">Herodotus</a>, in his account of the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Plataea" title="Battle of Plataea">Battle of Plataea</a> of 479 BC, mentioned that the <a href="/wiki/Spartan_Army" class="mw-redirect" title="Spartan Army">Spartan Army</a> fielded 35,000 lightly armed <a href="/wiki/Helot" class="mw-redirect" title="Helot">helots</a> to 5,000 <a href="/wiki/Hoplite" title="Hoplite">hoplites</a>, but there is no mention of them in his account of the fighting.<sup id="cite_ref-Greek_Warfare_p61_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Greek_Warfare_p61-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Often, Greek historians ignored them altogether,<sup id="cite_ref-Greek_Warfare_p61_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Greek_Warfare_p61-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> but <a href="/wiki/Xenophon" title="Xenophon">Xenophon</a> distinguished them explicitly from the <a href="/wiki/Statary" title="Statary">statary</a> troops.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It was far cheaper to equip oneself as lightly armed than a fully-armed hoplite. Indeed, it was common for the lightly armed to go into battle equipped with stones.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The low status of skirmishers reflected the low status of the poorer sections of society that made up skirmishers.<sup id="cite_ref-Greek_Warfare_p65_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Greek_Warfare_p65-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Additionally, <a href="/wiki/Hit-and-run_tactics" title="Hit-and-run tactics">hit-and-run tactics</a> went against the Greek ideal of heroism. <a href="/wiki/Plato" title="Plato">Plato</a> gives the skirmisher a voice to advocate "flight without shame" but only to denounce it as an inversion of decent values.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Nevertheless, skirmishers then chalked up significant victories, such as the <a href="/wiki/Aetolian_campaign" title="Aetolian campaign">Athenian defeat at the hands of the Aetolian javelin men</a> in 426 BC and, during the same war, the Athenian victory at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Sphacteria" title="Battle of Sphacteria">Battle of Sphacteria</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Greek_Warfare_p65_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Greek_Warfare_p65-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Skirmisher infantry gained more respect in subsequent years, as their usefulness was more widely recognised and as the ancient bias against them waned. <a href="/wiki/Peltast" title="Peltast">Peltasts</a>, light javelin infantry, played a vital role in the <a href="/wiki/Peloponnesian_War" title="Peloponnesian War">Peloponnesian War</a>, and well-equipped skirmisher troops such as <i><a href="/wiki/Thureophoroi" class="mw-redirect" title="Thureophoroi">thureophoroi</a></i> and <i><a href="/wiki/Thorakites" class="mw-redirect" title="Thorakites">thorakites</a></i> would be developed to provide a strong mobile force for the Greek and the Macedonian armies. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Celts" title="Celts">Celts</a> did not, in general, favour ranged weapons. The exceptions tended not to include the use of skirmishers. The <a href="/wiki/Britons_(historical)" class="mw-redirect" title="Britons (historical)">Britons</a> used the sling and javelin extensively but for siege warfare, not skirmishing.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Among the <a href="/wiki/Gauls" title="Gauls">Gauls</a>, likewise, the bow was employed to defend a fixed position.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Celts' lack of skirmishers cost them dearly during the <a href="/wiki/Gallic_Invasion_of_Greece" class="mw-redirect" title="Gallic Invasion of Greece">Gallic Invasion of Greece</a> of 279 BC when they found themselves helpless in the face of Aetolian skirmishing tactics.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Thracians were famous for their skirmish war tactics and offered their services as mercenaries more than once in the Greek civil wars in ancient times.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the <a href="/wiki/Punic_Wars" title="Punic Wars">Punic Wars</a>, despite the Roman and Carthaginian armies' different organisations, both had the role for skirmishers as screening the main armies.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Roman legions had a specialised infantry class, <a href="/wiki/Velites" title="Velites">Velites</a>, which acted as skirmish troops who engaged the enemy before the Roman heavy infantry made contact, and the Carthaginians recruited their skirmishers from the native peoples across the <a href="/wiki/Carthaginian_Empire" class="mw-redirect" title="Carthaginian Empire">Carthaginian Empire</a>. </p><p>The Roman army of the late republican and early imperial periods frequently recruited foreign <a href="/wiki/Auxilia" title="Auxilia">auxiliary troops</a> to act as skirmishers to supplement the citizen <a href="/wiki/Roman_legion" title="Roman legion">legions</a>. </p> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(2)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="Middle_Ages">Middle Ages</h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Middle Ages" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-2 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-2"> <p>Medieval skirmishers were generally <a href="/wiki/Commoner" title="Commoner">commoners</a> armed with crossbows or longbows. In the 14th century, although long held in <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/disdain" class="extiw" title="wiktionary:disdain">disdain</a> by the aristocratic Castilian heavy cavalry, the crossbowmen contributed greatly to the Portuguese victory at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Aljubarrota" title="Battle of Aljubarrota">Battle of Aljubarrota</a>. Similarly, English <a href="/wiki/History_of_archery" title="History of archery">archers</a> played a key role in the English victory over French heavy cavalry at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Cr%C3%A9cy" title="Battle of Crécy">Battle of Crécy</a>. In the next century, they largely repeated that feat at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Agincourt" title="Battle of Agincourt">Battle of Agincourt</a>. Such disasters have been seen as marking the beginning of the end of the dominance of medieval cavalry in general and of the <a href="/wiki/Heavy_cavalry" title="Heavy cavalry">heavy cavalry</a> in particular. </p> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(3)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="Early_modern_period">Early modern period</h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Early modern period" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-3 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-3"> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Americas">Americas</h3><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Americas" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Seven_Years%27_War" title="Seven Years' War">Seven Years' War</a> and <a href="/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War" title="American Revolutionary War">American Revolutionary War</a> were two early conflicts in which the modern <a href="/wiki/Rifle" title="Rifle">rifle</a> began to make a significant contribution to warfare. Despite its lower rate of fire, its accuracy at long range offered advantages over the smoothbore <a href="/wiki/Musket" title="Musket">musket</a>, then commonly used by regular armies. In both wars, many American frontiersmen served in the <a href="/wiki/Militia_(United_States)" title="Militia (United States)">militia</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Continental_Army" title="Continental Army">Continental Army</a> during the <a href="/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War" title="American Revolutionary War">American Revolutionary War</a> was assisted by such irregular troops, such as the <a href="/wiki/Minutemen" title="Minutemen">Minutemen</a>, who engaged in skirmishing tactics by firing from cover, rather than in the open-field engagements that were customary at the time. Their tactics were influenced by experiences in fighting <a href="/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States" title="Native Americans in the United States">Native Americans</a>. Militia in a skirmish role was particularly effective in the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Cowpens" title="Battle of Cowpens">Battle of Cowpens</a>. The character of <a href="/wiki/Natty_Bumppo" title="Natty Bumppo">Natty Bumppo</a> in <a href="/wiki/James_Fenimore_Cooper" title="James Fenimore Cooper">James Fenimore Cooper</a>'s novel <i><a href="/wiki/The_Last_of_the_Mohicans" title="The Last of the Mohicans">The Last of the Mohicans</a></i> was notably called <i>La Longue Carabine</i> by the French because of his skill with the <a href="/wiki/Kentucky_Rifle" class="mw-redirect" title="Kentucky Rifle">long rifle</a>, which was common among the Colonials. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Napoleonic_Wars">Napoleonic Wars</h3><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Napoleonic Wars" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Ottenfeld_-_J%C3%A4ger_1798-1805.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><noscript><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Ottenfeld_-_J%C3%A4ger_1798-1805.jpg/170px-Ottenfeld_-_J%C3%A4ger_1798-1805.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="237" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="629" data-file-height="878"></noscript><span class="lazy-image-placeholder" style="width: 170px;height: 237px;" data-mw-src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Ottenfeld_-_J%C3%A4ger_1798-1805.jpg/170px-Ottenfeld_-_J%C3%A4ger_1798-1805.jpg" data-width="170" data-height="237" data-mw-srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Ottenfeld_-_J%C3%A4ger_1798-1805.jpg/255px-Ottenfeld_-_J%C3%A4ger_1798-1805.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Ottenfeld_-_J%C3%A4ger_1798-1805.jpg/340px-Ottenfeld_-_J%C3%A4ger_1798-1805.jpg 2x" data-class="mw-file-element"> </span></a><figcaption>Austrian <i><a href="/wiki/J%C3%A4ger_(infantry)" title="Jäger (infantry)">Jäger</a></i> around 1800, showing the relatively drab uniforms of soldiers specializing in skirmishing in Napoleonic times, as an aid in using cover</figcaption></figure> <p>During the <a href="/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars" title="Napoleonic Wars">Napoleonic Wars</a>, skirmishers played a key role in battles; they attempted to disrupt the main enemy force by firing into their close-packed ranks and to prevent enemy skirmishers from doing the same to friendly troops. Because skirmishers generally fought in open order, they could take cover behind trees, houses, towers and similar items, thereby presenting unrewarding targets for <a href="/wiki/Small_arms" class="mw-redirect" title="Small arms">small arms</a> and <a href="/wiki/Artillery" title="Artillery">artillery</a> fire. Such tactics often made them vulnerable to cavalry. Some skirmishers had a minor <a href="/wiki/Sapper" title="Sapper">sapper</a> role by placing <i><a href="/wiki/Cheval_de_frise" title="Cheval de frise">cheval de frise</a></i> to deter cavalry. </p><p>A skirmish force screening the main body of infantry became so important to any army in the field that eventually, all major European powers developed specialised skirmishing infantry. Examples included the German <i><a href="/wiki/J%C3%A4ger_(infantry)" title="Jäger (infantry)">Jäger</a></i>, the French <i><a href="/wiki/Voltigeur" title="Voltigeur">voltigeurs</a></i> and the British <a href="/wiki/Rifle_Brigade_(Prince_Consort%27s_Own)" class="mw-redirect" title="Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)">riflemen</a>. </p><p>Muskets were the predominant infantry weapon of the late 18th century, but the <a href="/wiki/British_Army" title="British Army">British Army</a> learned firsthand of the importance of rifles during the <a href="/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War" title="American Revolutionary War">American Revolutionary War</a> and began experimenting with them shortly thereafter, resulting in the <a href="/wiki/Baker_rifle" title="Baker rifle">Baker rifle</a>. Although slower to reload and more costly to produce than a musket, it was much more accurate and proved its worth during the <a href="/wiki/Peninsular_War" title="Peninsular War">Peninsular War</a>. Throughout the conflict, British riflemen could selectively target and eliminate the officers and NCOs of French forces from outside musket range.<sup id="cite_ref-Urban_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Urban-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>During the <a href="/wiki/War_of_1812" title="War of 1812">War of 1812</a>, American riflemen again contributed to British casualties but also had to contend with the revised British light infantry tactics. </p><p>A consequence of those wars' experiences was a trend to training line troops to adopt tactics that had been used only by skirmishers.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="American_Civil_War">American Civil War</h3><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: American Civil War" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div> <p>The treatise <i>New American Tactics</i>, by General <a href="/wiki/John_Watts_de_Peyster" title="John Watts de Peyster">John Watts de Peyster</a>, advocated making the skirmish line the new line of battle, which was then a revolutionary idea.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> During the <a href="/wiki/American_Civil_War" title="American Civil War">American Civil War</a>, <a href="/wiki/Cavalry_in_the_American_Civil_War" title="Cavalry in the American Civil War">cavalrymen</a> often dismounted and formed a skirmish line to delay enemy troops who were advancing toward an objective. An example was the action of the Union cavalrymen led by Brigadier General <a href="/wiki/John_Buford" title="John Buford">John Buford</a> on the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Gettysburg,_First_Day" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Gettysburg, First Day">first day of the Battle of Gettysburg</a>. Skirmish lines were also used to harass enemy probing missions, hampering the other force from gaining an effective intelligence picture by engaging their scouts, and likewise forcing them to deploy.<sup id="cite_ref-Williamson_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Williamson-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(4)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="Late_modern_period">Late modern period</h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Late modern period" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-4 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-4"> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Jackal_2_Convoy_in_Jordan_MOD_45151209.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><noscript><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Jackal_2_Convoy_in_Jordan_MOD_45151209.jpg/260px-Jackal_2_Convoy_in_Jordan_MOD_45151209.jpg" decoding="async" width="260" height="173" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="3600" data-file-height="2400"></noscript><span class="lazy-image-placeholder" style="width: 260px;height: 173px;" data-mw-src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Jackal_2_Convoy_in_Jordan_MOD_45151209.jpg/260px-Jackal_2_Convoy_in_Jordan_MOD_45151209.jpg" data-width="260" data-height="173" data-mw-srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Jackal_2_Convoy_in_Jordan_MOD_45151209.jpg/390px-Jackal_2_Convoy_in_Jordan_MOD_45151209.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Jackal_2_Convoy_in_Jordan_MOD_45151209.jpg/520px-Jackal_2_Convoy_in_Jordan_MOD_45151209.jpg 2x" data-class="mw-file-element"> </span></a><figcaption>Modern <a href="/wiki/Reconnaissance_vehicle" title="Reconnaissance vehicle">reconnaissance vehicles</a> can perform skirmishing duties, as is shown here by members of the British <a href="/wiki/4_Mechanised_Brigade" class="mw-redirect" title="4 Mechanised Brigade">4 Mechanised Brigade</a>, Brigade Reconnaissance Force mounted on <a href="/wiki/Jackal_(vehicle)" title="Jackal (vehicle)">Jackals</a>, on a <a href="/wiki/Training_exercise" class="mw-redirect" title="Training exercise">training exercise</a> in <a href="/wiki/Jordan" title="Jordan">Jordan</a>, in preparation for <a href="/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%932021)" title="War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)">deployment to Afghanistan</a> in 2009</figcaption></figure> <p>By the <a href="/wiki/Late_modern_period" title="Late modern period">late 19th century</a>, the concept of fighting in formation was on the wane. <a href="/wiki/Heavy_infantry" title="Heavy infantry">Heavy infantry</a> had disappeared, and all infantry effectively became skirmishers. The term has become obsolete, but as late as <a href="/wiki/World_War_I" title="World War I">World War I</a>, it continued to be associated with battlefield <a href="/wiki/Reconnaissance" title="Reconnaissance">reconnaissance</a> screens, which are essentially modern skirmish lines. As in the American Civil War, the primary role of the infantry skirmish line was to screen the advance of a parent force and to disrupt the enemy's own reconnaissance efforts.<sup id="cite_ref-Clarke_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Clarke-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> With the mechanization of <a href="/wiki/Modern_warfare" title="Modern warfare">modern warfare</a>, the role of infantry skirmishers was more or less combined with those of <a href="/wiki/Light_cavalry" title="Light cavalry">light cavalry</a>, as mounted scouts in specialized <a href="/wiki/Reconnaissance_vehicle" title="Reconnaissance vehicle">reconnaissance vehicles</a> took over the responsibility of screening large formations during maneuvers, in addition to conducting their own probing actions.<sup id="cite_ref-Glantz_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Glantz-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Cold_War_and_beyond">Cold War and beyond</h3><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Cold War and beyond" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div> <p><a href="/wiki/Apartheid_South_Africa" class="mw-redirect" title="Apartheid South Africa">Apartheid South Africa</a>'s military doctrine stressed the use of highly-mobile, light-mechanized forces that could cover ground swiftly while they kept heavier enemy armoured and infantry formations off balance and did not engage until the conditions were favourable.<sup id="cite_ref-Scholtz_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Scholtz-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The lightly armed South African units used tactics such as rapid movement, flank harassment and confusing the enemy with continuous maneuvering to compensate for their inferiority in firepower when they were faced with <a href="/wiki/Angola" title="Angola">Angolan</a> and <a href="/wiki/Cuba" title="Cuba">Cuban</a> forces during the <a href="/wiki/South_African_Border_War" title="South African Border War">South African Border War</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Scholtz_17-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Scholtz-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The innovative use of South African reconnaissance units to throw Angolan tank formations into disarray before it lured them into ambushes, effectively deploying the units as skirmishers, was another consistent feature of that conflict.<sup id="cite_ref-DTIC1_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-DTIC1-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(5)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: See also" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-5 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-5"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle" title="Battle">Battle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Demoralization_(warfare)" title="Demoralization (warfare)">Demoralization (warfare)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Francs-tireurs" title="Francs-tireurs">Francs-tireurs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grenz_infantry" title="Grenz infantry">Grenz infantry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_military_tactics" title="List of military tactics">List of military tactics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Picket_(military)" title="Picket (military)">Picket (military)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Raid_(military)" title="Raid (military)">Raider</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rifleman" title="Rifleman">Rifleman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Military_reconnaissance" class="mw-redirect" title="Military reconnaissance">Scouting</a></li></ul> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(6)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: References" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-6 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-6"> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-Greek_Warfare_p61-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Greek_Warfare_p61_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Greek_Warfare_p61_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Greek Warfare, Myths and Realities, Hans van Wees p61</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Xenophon, (tr. Bingham, John). The Historie of Xenophon. 1623. Publ: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789022107041" title="Special:BookSources/9789022107041">9789022107041</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Greek Warfare, Myths and Realities, Hans van Wees p64p</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Greek_Warfare_p65-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Greek_Warfare_p65_4-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Greek_Warfare_p65_4-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Greek Warfare, Myths and Realities, Hans van Wees p65</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Greek Warfare, Myths and Realities, Hans van Wees p65. <i><a href="/wiki/Laws_(dialogue)" title="Laws (dialogue)">Laws</a></i> 706c</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The Ancient Celts, Barry Cunliffe pp 94–95</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Caesar, <i>De Bello Gallico</i>, Book 7, XLI</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Peter Green, Alexander to Actium, p 133</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.honga.net/totalwar/rome2/unit.php?l=en&v=rome2&f=rom_odryssia&u=Thr_Skirm">"Thracian Skirmishers - Odrysian Kingdom - Total War: Rome II"</a>. <i>Royal Military Academy</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2021-12-20</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Royal+Military+Academy&rft.atitle=Thracian+Skirmishers+-+Odrysian+Kingdom+-+Total+War%3A+Rome+II&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.honga.net%2Ftotalwar%2Frome2%2Funit.php%3Fl%3Den%26v%3Drome2%26f%3Drom_odryssia%26u%3DThr_Skirm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASkirmisher" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Hannibal's Last Battle: Zama and the Fall of Carthage, Brian Todd Carey p. 12 (Carthage) and p. 18 (Rome)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Urban-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Urban_11-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Urban, Mark. <i>Rifles: Six Years with Wellington's Legendary Sharpshooters</i>. Faber & Faber 2004, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0571216819" title="Special:BookSources/978-0571216819">978-0571216819</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">History of the Art of War, Vol IV Hans Delbrück p449-51</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Randolph, pp.82–88</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Williamson-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Williamson_14-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWilliamson2009" class="citation book cs1">Williamson, David (2009). <i>The Third Battalion Mississippi Infantry and the 45th Mississippi Regiment: A Civil War History</i>. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Publishers. pp. <span class="nowrap">105–</span>106. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0786443444" title="Special:BookSources/978-0786443444"><bdi>978-0786443444</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Third+Battalion+Mississippi+Infantry+and+the+45th+Mississippi+Regiment%3A+A+Civil+War+History&rft.place=Jefferson%2C+North+Carolina&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E105-%3C%2Fspan%3E106&rft.pub=McFarland+%26+Company%2C+Publishers&rft.date=2009&rft.isbn=978-0786443444&rft.aulast=Williamson&rft.aufirst=David&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASkirmisher" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Clarke-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Clarke_15-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFClarke2014" class="citation book cs1">Clarke, Dale (2014). <i>World War I Battlefield Artillery Tactics</i>. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. pp. <span class="nowrap">15–</span>16. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1782005902" title="Special:BookSources/978-1782005902"><bdi>978-1782005902</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=World+War+I+Battlefield+Artillery+Tactics&rft.place=Oxford&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E15-%3C%2Fspan%3E16&rft.pub=Osprey+Publishing&rft.date=2014&rft.isbn=978-1782005902&rft.aulast=Clarke&rft.aufirst=Dale&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASkirmisher" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Glantz-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Glantz_16-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGlantz1990" class="citation book cs1">Glantz, David (1990). <i>Soviet Military Intelligence in War</i>. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge Books. pp. <span class="nowrap">364–</span>365. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0714633749" title="Special:BookSources/978-0714633749"><bdi>978-0714633749</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Soviet+Military+Intelligence+in+War&rft.place=Abingdon-on-Thames&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E364-%3C%2Fspan%3E365&rft.pub=Routledge+Books&rft.date=1990&rft.isbn=978-0714633749&rft.aulast=Glantz&rft.aufirst=David&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASkirmisher" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Scholtz-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Scholtz_17-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Scholtz_17-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFScholtz2013" class="citation book cs1">Scholtz, Leopold (2013). <i>The SADF in the Border War, 1966–1989</i>. Cape Town: Tafelberg. pp. <span class="nowrap">40–</span>41. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-624-05410-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-624-05410-8"><bdi>978-0-624-05410-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+SADF+in+the+Border+War%2C+1966%E2%80%931989&rft.place=Cape+Town&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E40-%3C%2Fspan%3E41&rft.pub=Tafelberg&rft.date=2013&rft.isbn=978-0-624-05410-8&rft.aulast=Scholtz&rft.aufirst=Leopold&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASkirmisher" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-DTIC1-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-DTIC1_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a262562.pdf">"Mobile firepower for contingency operations: Emerging concepts for US light armour forces"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Defense Technical Information Center. 1993-01-04. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141022030959/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a262562.pdf">Archived</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> from the original on October 22, 2014<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-08-18</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Mobile+firepower+for+contingency+operations%3A+Emerging+concepts+for+US+light+armour+forces&rft.pub=Defense+Technical+Information+Center&rft.date=1993-01-04&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fapps.dtic.mil%2Fdtic%2Ftr%2Ffulltext%2Fu2%2Fa262562.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASkirmisher" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(7)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="Sources">Sources</h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Sources" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-7 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-7"> <ul><li>Randolph, Lewis Hamersly, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/biographicalske00hamegoog/page/n98"><i>Biographical Sketches of Distinguished Officers of the Army and Navy</i></a>, Henry E. Huntington Library: New York, 1905.</li></ul> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(8)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Further reading" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-8 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-8"> <ul><li>"Light Infantry", special issue of <i><a href="/wiki/Ancient_Warfare_(magazine)" title="Ancient Warfare (magazine)">Ancient Warfare</a></i>, 2/1 (2008)</li></ul> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(9)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: External links" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-9 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-9"> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/infantry_tactics_4.htm">Skirmish tactics during the Napoleonic wars: skirmishing, skirmishers</a></li></ul>    </section></div> <noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=mobile&type=1x1&usesul3=0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&oldid=1274912215">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&oldid=1274912215</a>"</div></div> </div> <div class="post-content" id="page-secondary-actions"> </div> </main> <footer class="mw-footer minerva-footer" role="contentinfo"> <a class="last-modified-bar" href="/w/index.php?title=Skirmisher&action=history"> <div class="post-content last-modified-bar__content"> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon-size-medium minerva-icon--modified-history"></span> <span class="last-modified-bar__text modified-enhancement" data-user-name="Swatjester" data-user-gender="unknown" data-timestamp="1739143961"> <span>Last edited on 9 February 2025, at 23:32</span> </span> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon-size-small minerva-icon--expand"></span> </div> </a> <div class="post-content footer-content"> <div id='mw-data-after-content'> <div class="read-more-container"></div> </div> <div id="p-lang"> <h4>Languages</h4> <section> <ul id="p-variants" class="minerva-languages"></ul> <ul class="minerva-languages"><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B4" title="مناوش – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="مناوش" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harcovn%C3%ADk" title="Harcovník – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Harcovník" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gepl%C3%A4nkel" title="Geplänkel – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Geplänkel" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostigador" title="Hostigador – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Hostigador" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AA%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86" title="تیراندازان – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="تیراندازان" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%82%B0%EB%B3%91" title="산병 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="산병" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penskirmis" title="Penskirmis – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Penskirmis" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skirmi%C5%A1eriai" title="Skirmišeriai – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Skirmišeriai" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mr mw-list-item"><a href="https://mr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE" title="चकमक्या – Marathi" lang="mr" hreflang="mr" data-title="चकमक्या" data-language-autonym="मराठी" data-language-local-name="Marathi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>मराठी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skirmisher" title="Skirmisher – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Skirmisher" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%95%A3%E5%85%B5" title="散兵 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="散兵" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiralj%C3%B8r" title="Tiraljør – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Tiraljør" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atirador" title="Atirador – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Atirador" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skirmisher" title="Skirmisher – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Skirmisher" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%8Carka" title="Čarka – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Čarka" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avc%C4%B1_birli%C4%9Fi" title="Avcı birliği – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Avcı birliği" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%95%A3%E5%85%B5" title="散兵 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="散兵" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li></ul> </section> </div> <div class="minerva-footer-logo"><img src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg" alt="Wikipedia" width="120" height="18" style="width: 7.5em; 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<script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.main-6cc877bdc-nq2lg","wgBackendResponseTime":163,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.420","walltime":"0.542","ppvisitednodes":{"value":1552,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":65867,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":1030,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":16,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":3,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":41581,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":0,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 394.484 1 -total"," 41.23% 162.645 1 Template:Reflist"," 28.45% 112.243 1 Template:War"," 27.83% 109.776 1 Template:Sidebar_with_collapsible_lists"," 20.93% 82.581 1 Template:Short_description"," 19.32% 76.224 2 Template:Cite_web"," 11.94% 47.090 2 Template:ISBN"," 10.68% 42.117 2 Template:Pagetype"," 9.46% 37.314 2 Template:Catalog_lookup_link"," 7.57% 29.866 6 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