What is Pincer movement?
[[File:Pincer.png|thumb|{{center|Here the red force executes a '''pincer movement''' attempting to [[Envelopment|envelop]] or surround the advancing blue force}} ]] The '''pincer movement''', or '''double envelopment''', is a [[Military tactics|tactic]] in which [[Military force|forces]] attack both [[flanking maneuver|flanks]] (sides) of an [[enemy]] [[Tactical formation|formation]] at the same time. The pincer movement can be used when opposing [[Military force|forces]] [[Wikt:advance|advance]] towards the center of an [[army]]. That army responds by moving its outside forces to the enemy's [[Flanking maneuver|flanks]] to surround it. At the same time, a second layer of pincers may attack on the more distant flanks to cut off the enemy [[:en:wikt:reinforcement|reinforcements]]. == Description == A full pincer movement leads to the attacking army facing the enemy in front, on both flanks, and in the rear.<ref name=Hayden159>H. T. Hayden, ''Warfighting: Maneuver Warfare in the U.S. Marine Corps'' (London: Greenhill Books; Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1995), p. 159</ref> If attacking pincers link up in the enemy's rear, the enemy is [[:en:wikt:encircle|encircled]].<ref name=Hayden159/> Such battles often end in surrender or destruction of the enemy force. The encircled force can try to [[Breakout (military)|break out]] or [[counterattack]]. A successful flanking maneuver can be difficult to accomplish. == History == This is called “Turan Tactic” and this tactic is originated from Turks which was used very successfully as early in 800 B.C. by Scythians. [[Sun Tzu]], in ''[[The Art of War]]'', talked about the maneuver.<ref name=Tzu129>Sun Tzu, ''The Art of War'' (London: Wordsworth, 1998), p. 129</ref> But he made the point to leave a surrounded enemy an escape route.<ref name=Tzu129/> Otherwise, faced with death, a surrounded enemy would fight much harder. This advice seems to have been followed by General [[George Patton]] when his sweeping pincer movement trapped the [[Nazi Germany|German]] ar