p.1 The concept of a line of operation originated with Major General Henry Lloyd, a Welshman
who served in the French, Prussian, Austrian, and Russian armies during the Seven Years War... Lloyd saw the line
of operations as central to the conduct of strategy
p.2 Baron Henri Jomini is the most famous writer on the concept of a line of operations...Jomini
derived his concept of a line of operations from Lloyd, but departed from the Welshman to develop the concept of lines of
operations along more dynamic lines.
p.3 The purpose of this study is to further explore and expand the concept of a line of operations
and determine its relevance to operational art, and its application to campaign design.
p.11-12 An aim of a line of operations is to gain a positional advantage over the enemy... To gain
a positional advantage over an enemy requires agility... Accidental lines are those brought about by events which
change the original plan and give new direction to operations. These are of the highest importance. The proper occasions for
their use are fully recognized only by a great and active mind...The essence of a line of operation is to facilitate
a concentration of force... The commander can not impose his will on an enemy without a superior concentration of
force.
p.14 the concept of a line of operations assists a commander to orient a force on operational objectives;
move and sustain a concentration of force, and posture the force in a position of advantage to achieve its objective through
decisive combat operations.
p.14 [Russian strategist G. A.] Leer saw a line of operations as having two components: logistics and maneuver.
p.19 The maneuver component [of a line of operations] consists of the area of concentration and lines of
maneuver. Both posture the force in a position of advantage for decisive operations.
p.22 one can distinguish two types of lines of maneuver: tactical and operational. Tactical lines
of maneuver are oriented on enemy formations. Operational lines of maneuver are oriented on cutting the enemy's lines of communications
and facilitating the establishment of new lines of operation... Whereas tactical lines of operation facilitate destruction
of enemy units, operational lines of maneuver are used to dislocate the enemy. When situations permit the combination
of both tactical and operational lines of maneuver, the effects of destruction and dislocation result in the enemy's annihilation
p.23 Operational lines of maneuver allow a commander to exploit an opportunity. Jomini identified these
opportunities as accidental lines of operation... Accidental lines of operation were "...those brought about by events which
change the original plan and give new direction to operations."
p.27 To summarize, the maneuver component consists of the area of concentration and lines of maneuver. Both
posture the force in a position of advantage for decisive maneuver.
p.33 Jomini... saw a line of operations as embracing the enterprises of the army in its seizure of decisive
points that controlled the enemy.
p.34 To compare the opposing lines of operations, one must focus on the dynamic relationship between space,
mass, and time.
p.35-36 Successive lines of operations are lines that concentrate against the same space at different times...
Sequential lines of operations are lines of operation that concentrate against a series of spaces at different times... Concentrated
lines of operations are lines of operation that concentrate against the same space at the same time... Distributed lines of
operations are lines of operation that concentrate against several spaces at the same time.
