A flying wedge is a charging technique in which troops are arrayed to form a wedge or V shape. If the point of the wedge can breach the enemy line, the following troops can widen the gap. As successive ranks of the wedge engage, they can draw their opponents' attention away from previous ranks, thereby protecting them.

This tactic relies on momentum and penetration. If the point of the wedge can be stopped for even a moment, the wedge can be easily enveloped in a pincer attack. The tactic is especially effective when used by armored and heavily-armed infantry against shield wall defensive formations, where defenders link their shields to form an all-but impenetrable wall, such as was used at the Battle of Hastings. The flying wedge can be used to knock a small section of the wall open, and flank the enemy from inside their own line. The wedge is still used in modern armies, especially by tanks and other armored units. An example of this is the Panzerkeil or Armored wedge used by the Germans in World War II. A pincer movement whereby the blue force doubly envelops the red force. ... The formation of Shield walls is a military tactic common to many cultures. ... Combatants Normans, supported by Bretons,Flemings&French Anglo-Saxons and Danish mercenaries Commanders William of Normandy, Odo of Bayeux Harold Godwinson† Strength 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000 Casualties Unknown, thought to be around 2,000 killed and wounded Unknown, but significantly more than the Normans The Battle... The Panzerkeil was a military tactic developed by the Germans on the eastern front during World War II. The Panzerkiel was developed in response to the soviet employment of the Pakfront tactic. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II...

The flying wedge formation is used ceremonially by cadets at the United States Air Force Academy during the annual graduation parade, when the soon-to-be commissioned first-class cadets (seniors) leave the Cadet Wing. This is the reverse of the acceptance parade, held each fall, when the new fourth-class cadets (freshmen) join the Cadet Wing in the inverted wedge formation. The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, (, ), is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers in the United States Air Force. ... The inverted wedge is a military formation resembling an inverted V or triangle, and is sometimes known as a V-formation. In the inverted wedge, two units advance abreast of each other, and a third unit follows behind and between the two, in reserve. ...

Sports Usage

The formation can also apply to sports, particularly a formation in American football that was introduced by Harvard in an 1892 game against Yale. Identical in concept to the military formation, the flying wedge was known for being brutally effective, but also resulting in a high rate of injury on both sides. The formation was banned shortly afterward for this reason, though its concept remains in certain modern football plays. This is also the most common and generally most effective formation in the game of rugby, allowing the spear-head player to, if needed, pass either left or right. The formation would be headed by either the flyhalf, or one of the forwards (probably the 8 man), with the back making up one side and the forwards making up the other. United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Harvard University campus (old map) Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... The Game (always capitalized) is a title used to describe several college football rivalry games, but most particularly the annual game in November at the end of the schools football season, between the Harvard University Crimson and the Yale University Bulldogs or Elis, currently alternating between Harvard Stadium and the... Yale redirects here. ... Rugby may refer to: The sport of Rugby football, in its various forms: Rugby league Rugby union Touch Rugby Tag Rugby Wheelchair Rugby Places: Rugby, Warwickshire, England Rugby borough Rugby Rural District Rugby and Kenilworth constituency Rugby, Cape Town, South Africa Rugby, North Dakota, USA Rugby, Tennessee, USA Rugby, Brooklyn...