{{short description|Military unit of troops aligned one behind the other}} [[File:U.S. army troops marching in single file.jpg|300px|thumb|Troops from the U.S. and Bangladesh march in single file during a tactical training exercise in 2014.]]
In military organization, a '''file''' is a number of troops drawn up in line ahead (i.e. one behind the other) in a column. The number of files is the measure of the width of a column of troops in several ranks one behind the other.<ref name=MC55>McNab, p. 55.</ref><ref name="S9">Schwartz, p. 9</ref><ref>Holbrook, p. 10.</ref><ref>United States Army, p. 9.</ref>
==Usage== Files are useful when troops don't know where the enemy is, since there are overlapping fields of fire from each soldier, and cover from a possible flanking attack. Files are at a disadvantage when there are heavy weapons nearby, supported by infantry, especially machine guns and tanks.<ref name="MC55" /><ref name="S9" />
== Ancient Greek use == A file of men in the Greek phalanx was called a lochos ({{Langx|el|λόχος}}) and usually ranged from eight to sixteen men.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asclepiodotus, Tactica, chapter 2 |url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0556.tlg001.perseus-grc1:2 |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}} === Bibliography === * {{cite book |title=Royal military panorama, or, Officers' companion |oclc=8007063 |year=1813 |volume=3}} * Duparcq, Edouard Le Barre (1863). ''Elements of Military Art and History: Comprising the History and Tactics of the Separate Arms; the Combination of the Arms; and the Minor Operations of War''. D. Vand Nostrand. {{oclc|3104705}} * Holbrook, John (1826). ''Military Tactics: Adapted to the Different Corps in the United States, According to the Latest Improvements''. E. A. Clark. {{oclc|3139910}} * McNab, Chris (2007). ''Combat Techniques: An Elite Forces Guide to Modern Infantry Tactics''. Macmillan. {{ISBN|978-0-312-36824-1}} * Schwartz, Richard B. (2008). ''Tactical Emergency Medicine''. Williams & Wilkins. {{ISBN|978-0-7817-7332-4}} ===Web sources=== * {{cite web | url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/5-10/appa.pdf | title=Basic Formations, Movement Techniques, and Hand-and-Arm Signals | publisher=global.security.org | date=2001 | accessdate=15 June 2015 | author=United States Army | format=PDF}}
Category:Tactical formations of the Napoleonic Wars Category:Tactical formations