line infantry
Formation battle troops
Line infantry were foot soldiers who fought in close-order linear formations, standing shoulder to shoulder in ranks to deliver massed volleys of musket fire.
This was the dominant infantry tactic from the late 17th through mid-19th century, before rifled weapons and artillery made such exposed formations suicidal.
The line infantry advanced in perfect order across the field.
- musketeerSoldier armed with musket
- grenadierElite explosive-hurling soldier
- foot soldierBasic infantry combatant
- battalionMid-sized military unit
- marchingRhythmic group walking
drum beat · shoulder arms · formation · ranks · fusilier · platoon · volley fire · redcoat · bayonet charge · rifleman · regiment · company · Seven Years' War · Napoleonic Wars · squad · powder · salvo · musket ball
- soldiersprivate, grenadier, grenadiers, fusilier, fusiliers
- historical warfaremusket, bayonet, cannon, flintlock, cavalry
- colonial militaryredcoats, militia, minutemen, Continental Army, musket
- French militaryFrench Foreign Legion, French Army, legionnaires, chasseurs, gendarme
- infantryfoot soldiers, foot soldier, rifleman, riflemen, infantrymen
- infantry unitsfoot soldiers, riflemen, platoon, squad, company
line infantrycavalry
Mounted military force
mounted infantry · mounted troops · dragoons · hussars · lancers
line infantryskirmishers
Light troops in loose formation
light infantry · riflemen · sharpshooters · chasseurs · guerrillas
line infantryartillery
Large-caliber battlefield weapons
naval forces · air force · special forces · commandos · sappers
line, lined, outline, underline, liner, infantry, frontline, linesman, lineman