Infantry of the Line

E86066

Infantry of the Line refers to the regular, non-specialist infantry regiments that formed the main body of the British Army’s traditional regimental structure.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf branch of service
component of the British Army
military formation type
contrastedWith Guards regiments
light infantry
rifle regiments
specialist infantry
country United Kingdom
doctrine line‑of‑battle tactics in earlier eras
trench and fire‑and‑movement tactics in later eras
forms main body of British Army infantry
hasCharacteristic close‑order formations in historical periods
distinctive regimental insignia
later use of rifles
numbered regiments
permanent regular units
regimental traditions
regional recruiting areas
standard line‑infantry tactics
use of smoothbore muskets in early periods
hasFunction front‑line combat
holding and seizing ground
providing bulk of infantry manpower
hasOpposedForce French line infantry (historical)
German infantry (World Wars)
Prussian Army
surface form: "Prussian line infantry (historical)"
hasRole line infantry
non‑specialist infantry
regular infantry
historicalPeriod 18th century
19th century
20th century
languageOfTerminology English
organizedAs battalions
regiments
partOf British Army
relatedTo British Army regiments
surface form: "British regimental system"

Childers Reforms
surface form: "Cardwell Reforms"

Childers Reforms
Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
subclassOf infantry
line infantry
usedBy British Army doctrinal literature
British military historians
usedInConflict Crimean War
World War I
surface form: "First World War"

Napoleonic Wars
Second Boer War
World War II
surface form: "Second World War"

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Royal Warwickshire Regiment partOf Infantry of the Line
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers partOf Infantry of the Line

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