barrage

In warfare, a linear concentration of artillery fire used to interpose a screen of bursting shells between attacking and defending troops.

When fired by a defending force to prevent an attack reaching its lines, a barrage may be a simple line of fire in front of a position or shaped so as to surround the position – a ‘box’ barrage. Fired to assist an attack, a barrage may be stationary, to prevent reinforcements reaching the threatened area, or moving, to act as a continuous screen ahead of the advancing force. Normally using high explosive shells, in World War I barrages often included gas and shrapnel projectiles so as to present a more complex threat to the target.

barrage

In geography, a structure built across a river or estuary in order to manage the water. The Thames barrier is an example of a flood-control barrage. A barrage may be used to regulate the water supply by controlling floods or storing water for irrigation, or to generate power by, for example, harnessing tidal energy in estuaries.