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Defensive Feint Trap: Difference between revisions
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* Happened BY ACCIDENT in a battle during the revolutionary war in which one of Benedict Arnold's commanders misunderstood an order to march double time away from the British. The redcoats pursued thinking they were being routed when Arnold went to his commander and asked why they were fleeing the field. The commander replied 'does this look like we're fleeing?' when Arnold realized he had a great opportunity he ordered the men to stop, turn, and charge the redcoats. It turned into a complete victory.
* Borderline example from [[World War I]]: at Caporetto the Italian army was routed and demoralized, but when the pursuing Austro-Hungarians managed to make contact again they discovered that the new Italian commander in chief had managed to regroup his troops and motivate them with fear of what the invaders could do to their families, transforming an actual rout in a trap.
* The Spartans were credited with this though it is hard to see how it could be done with a phalanx. At Thermopylae though there would have likely been a place to hide an ambushing force under the cover of the hills and retreat past them using the main force as bait.
**At Salimis Straits the Corinthians turned tail when the Persians arrived. While they were being pursued the rest of the Greek fleet waited for a favorable wind change and hit them at a vulnerable point. Later generations of Athenians were to accuse the Corinthians of cowardice because of strife between the cities but the Corinthian fleet was always a formidable and highly competent one and would not likely have run at the first sight of an enemy except as a ploy.
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
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