Breakout (military)
Encyclopedia
A breakout is a military operation to end a situation of encirclement
or siege
. It is used in contexts such as: "The British breakout attempt from Normandy".
A breakout is achieved when the encircled forces, and its allies (perhaps from outside the encirclement), attack a weak point in the encirclement, creating a breakthrough, and then move through that gap to freedom.
An example is the battle of Hube's Pocket on the Eastern Front in World War II
, where the German First Panzer Army was encircled by Soviet forces, but broke out by attacking west, linking with the II SS Panzer Corps
, which was breaking into the encirclement from outside.
Of necessity, the broad concept is subject to interpretation. In The Blitzkrieg Myth, John Mosier poses interesting questions as to whether the concept as applied to tank and other warfare in World War II was more misleading to planning than helpful, on account of the numerous exceptional conditions faced in war, and also whether evaluation based largely on how well breakout or breakthrough potential was realized is appropriate.
Encirclement
Encirclement is a military term for the situation when a force or target is isolated and surrounded by enemy forces. The German term for this is Kesselschlacht ; a comparable English term might be "in the bag"....
or siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
. It is used in contexts such as: "The British breakout attempt from Normandy".
A breakout is achieved when the encircled forces, and its allies (perhaps from outside the encirclement), attack a weak point in the encirclement, creating a breakthrough, and then move through that gap to freedom.
An example is the battle of Hube's Pocket on the Eastern Front in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, where the German First Panzer Army was encircled by Soviet forces, but broke out by attacking west, linking with the II SS Panzer Corps
II SS Panzer Corps
The II SS Panzer Corps was a Nazi German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II.- Formation - Kharkov :...
, which was breaking into the encirclement from outside.
Of necessity, the broad concept is subject to interpretation. In The Blitzkrieg Myth, John Mosier poses interesting questions as to whether the concept as applied to tank and other warfare in World War II was more misleading to planning than helpful, on account of the numerous exceptional conditions faced in war, and also whether evaluation based largely on how well breakout or breakthrough potential was realized is appropriate.