The raid on Trenton, December 1776

I love me a raid and one of my favorites happened this week 248 years ago. 

Raids are attacks with a specific aim that is NOT to stay there forever. There is a planned withdrawl, timed so that the particular task to be performed is done, and that is all, then leave. 

Raids are great for lots of tactical tasks, but also a very useful thing when fighting asymmetric in any way as they are a physical and temporal way to concentrate forces. If your forces are outnumbered generally, you find an objective worth destroying, disrupting, stealing from etc — and which you can get to covertly — where you have very local superiority. By the time reserves and reinforcements can arrive, you are gone so it doesn't matter. 

In the first winter of the American Revolution, defeats and lack of funds had seen Washington's army wither away, with whole companies returning to their farms for the winter, maybe forever. In early December, with a respite while the British failed to pursue him, Washington moved across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania and was left alone because of the weather, and because the British didn't yet know how to fight small wars against determined enemies. 

Washington knew that he needed — more than a tactical or operational victory — a strategic, a psychological victory. Whole chapters on this in Callwell's Small Wars a century later. Washington's army like most guerrillas could not face the might of the British not just across the continent but even locally in any traditional attack to occupy any land, but they could perform a raid. 

Washington’s Plan, with Ewing’s Crossing (Red) and Cadwalader’s Crossing (Blue) south of Washington’s Crossing (Green).

Weather sealed the deal, with a serious storm and confidence putting the bulk of the British forces — their Hessian mercenaries — in garrison for Christmas with few guards on watch, ineffective due to visibility and their attempts to keep warm.

This was no small action and even Leutze's famous painting implies that under close examination, with boats retreating into the distance. There were three different crossings; the one Washington led himself was 2400 men, and others had barges with horses, wagons with equipment, ammunition and fodder and more. Another set a blocking action on a bridge to delay the arrival of reinforcements. 

Still, it was a Light action with troops carrying three days food themselves; no chow wagons, no shelters and campsites. And like all good revolutions, they had not just area knowledge but the actual material support of the locals, using barges, boats, and most importantly boatmen to bring them across when available. 

Washington again learned that no plan survives contact with reality, and by the time his crossing was done at 3 am — hours behind schedule due to severe weather — he had heard from runners that the other crossing had failed and the blocking force would also not be there. Half is attacking force was missing, but he pressed on if only because he was so behind he feared discovery before he could finish crossing back, and coming under enemy fires in the open, in daylight. 

The troops were happy finally for the 10 mile march to Trenton to stave off the cold, and as they approached town, the force was split to prevent counter-attacks flanking, and Washington had his guns set up. The guards were rapidly overwhelmed but some raised the alarm and soon the bulk of 1500 troops including artillery were engaged. Counter battery fire silenced the Hessian guns, driving back their infantry, and well-practiced reactions to enemy and friendly actions resulted in Washington's infantry gaining a foothold inside structures with a good view of Hessian positions, eventually gaining control of the Hessian guns and putting them into action. 

In the end only 22 Hessians were killed — with another 86 wounded — but nearly 900 were captured. Proving the original plan was on the right track, 400 escaped because the blocking force never got into position. 

It was a classic victory for a guerrilla force, with the British moving from a winter rest to an assumed mopping up in the spring to actively defending thru the winter, and having to reformulate the plan of action moving into '77, while strengthening the resolve of his troops, and gaining further support that allowed the revolution to continue. 

https://www.thenmusa.org/articles/crossing-the-delaware/