Reconnaissance (military affairs)

A group of commanders of the 172nd Infantry Division on reconnaissance near Mogilev. 1941 year. Photo by P. Troshkin

Reconnaissance (from lat. Recognosco - inspect) - a visual study of the enemy and the terrain in order to clarify the decision made on the map. It is carried out personally by the commander of the battalion (company) and above, with the involvement of deputies and assistants, commanders of subordinates, attached and interacting units.

An example of reconnaissance is a detour of the entire Soviet-Finnish border by the commander of the Leningrad military district, K. A. Meretskov, together with Politburo member A. A. Zhdanov in September - November 1939 on the eve of the Soviet-Finnish war ^[1] .

Also, examples of reconnaissance include permanent inspections of the area and detours of the Middle East by Napoleon Bonaparte during the Egyptian campaign. Then the reconnaissance of the poorly studied military territory of Egypt, Malta and Syria was the main task for the French armies.