Line, Oblique. A straight line which is neither parallel nor perpendicular to another line; also a line of troops posted or marching obliquely.
Line of Battle. The position of troops drawn up in their usual order without any determined manœuvre.
Line of Counter-approach. A sort of trench which the besieged make, and push forward from the glacis, for the purpose of counteracting the enemy’s works.
Line of Defense. See [Defense, Line of].
Line of Demarcation. A line which is drawn by consent, to ascertain the limits of lands or territories belonging to different powers.
Line of Direction. In gunnery, was a line formerly marked upon guns, by a short point upon the muzzle, and a cavity on the base-ring, to direct the eye in pointing the gun.
Line of Duty. An officer or soldier disabled while performing properly authorized duty is said to be injured in line of duty, and as such is entitled to the allowances fixed by law.
Line of Fire. In gunnery, the axis of the gun produced.
Line of Fire. In fortification, this term admits of two distinct acceptations: first, when it is found necessary to give an idea of the manner in which a rampart or an intrenchment covers any space of ground by the discharge of ordnance or musketry, lines must be drawn to express the distances traversed by the shot, etc. These lines are called lines of fire, being representations of the actual ranges; second, all that extent of a rampart or intrenchment from which the projectiles of ordnance or musketry are discharged, is understood to be the line of fire.
Line of Least Resistance. The shortest distance from the centre of the charge of a mine to the open air.