Bridgehead

In military strategy, a bridgehead (or bridge-head) is the strategically important area of ground around the end of a bridge or other place of possible crossing over a body of water which at time of conflict is sought to be defended or taken over by the belligerent forces.

[1] When armies and military formations grew, more lodgement area was required to organize a force large enough to stage a break out against a determined enemy.

With the advent of modern warfare capabilities, including long-range tube artillery and high-powered rifles with effective ranges measured in the thousands of yards (metres), the term of art again had to expand in area, but now morphed to be just an area defended and controlled by ample firepower, with or without constructed fortifications.

The technical term refers in particular to the specific area on the far side of a defended river bank or a segment of a lake or riverine coastline held by the enemy forces, like the Bridge at Remagen.

The term is especially applied when such a territory is initially seized by an amphibious assault with the tactical intent of establishing a supply line across the geographic barrier feature to allow further operational manoeuvring.

A diagram of Huningue's former fortifications. Built by Vauban (1679–1681) with a bridge and bridgehead across the Rhine. It was demolished under the terms of Article III of the Treaty of Paris (1815) .