Active Defense is a tactic used by theFrench Foreign Legion.
Description[]
Example[]
The French Foreign Legion applied this tactic at the Battle of Bir Hakeim against the Nazi and Italian forces during WWll. The FFL tried to stop the German and Italian forces in their advance to the Suez canal. The attacking German and Italian forces formed an encircling band around Bir Hakeim, outnumbering the French forces 10 to 1. The German Commander, Rhonald, believed that the battle would be over in a day, but every time the Nazi's and Italians approached the French position, they assaulted with concentrated anti-tank and rifle fire, keeping the Axis at bay. The FFL also conducted nighttime raids on Axis supply lines, slowing the German and Italian advance, and forcing the Germans and Italians to change their formation to protect their supply lines. The Germans and Italians attempted to contain the French Legion for 2 weeks, a crucial 2 weeks for the Allied powers. At the end of the second week, the French forces were down on supplies, so they snuck out to fight another day. The FFL detected small gaps and hinges in the German and Italian lines and snuck through them at night to escape containment. Winston Churchill later said that the Allies owed their survival to the resistance of the French Foreign Legion at the battle of Bir Hakeim.
On the Show[]
This tactic was pitted against Gurkha's Improvised Ambush tactic for the X-Factor of Battlefield Tactics. The Edge was given to the French Foreign Legion due to the significance of the Battle of Bir Hakeim's outcome to the survival of the Allied forces as a whole and the outcome of the World War 2 in general.
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