Illogical Forming into Square

[Ingles of the 57th]

In the La Garde Recule scenario, I am puzzled by the antics of La Garde regiments who seem routinely to form squares even when there is not a horse in sight. Surely this should not be so ? You are losing three-quarters of your firepower by standing in square against infantry in line.

I am not sure how one attacks a square with infantry. Trying to charge it with a regiment improbably produces the same dire calamity as trying to charge it with cavalry. Standing off and patiently firing at it with regiment in line seems the only solution. In the above scenario, I had no artillery under command to assist.

Since attacking a square with any unit, is, under the above conditions, suicide, why does the game not prevent it happening: i.e. just vetoing any order to charge any square (even if TC is set off). I have had cases where regiments have had three choices of enemy regiments facing them to charge, stupidly chose the only one in square formation and got a bloody nose.

There were some bozos at Waterloo,to be sure, but none as daft as that.

Geoff Laver

Late of Her Britannic Majesty's 57th Regiment of Foot

[Saddletank]

Squares collapse easily when charged by infantry, especially if you soften them up a bit first. I have done this several times. Squares are only powerful vs cavalry, not infantry.

[zu Pferd]

One reason could be :

http://napolun.com/mirror/napoleonistyk ... terloo.htm


Guard's advance.
The Guard "bend under artillery fire
like corn smitten by the wind."
- Ensign Macready of 30th Foot

The 3rd Chasseurs at Waterloo, Picture by Jean Auge, France. According to General Petit who witnessed the advance, the battalions of the Middle Guard were formed in squares to eventually repulse the Allied cavalry. There was a possibility of repetition of cavalry counter-attack as it happened during d'Erlon's assault (or the slaughter of Luneburg Btn. and V KGL Line Btn. by French cuirassiers).

Mark Adkin writes: "All the battalions were formed up in squares, advanced in squares and attacked in squares, as they had no wish to be caught on the move by cavalry ... There were no skirmishers deployed from these battalions. Senior officers rode or walked ahead. Each battalion's drummers were in the center." (- Adkin p 391)
Majority of witness accounts were written some 10-20 years after the battle when memory was not the freshest. Additionally a square with drummers and officers inside could easily give the impression of a column.
- "The advance of the enemy upon this part of the position was in heavy columns of infantry, with crowds of tirailleurs in their front ..." - Lord Somerset
- "I could see the French advancing ... in heavy masses of close columns." - Lt. Wilson
- "The French advanced in masses of infantry." - Lt. Rudyard

General Friant The Middle Guard followed their mounted commanders, Marshal Ney and General Louis Friant. Henri Lachoque writes: "Without a single skirmisher to scout ahead, Ney, Friant, and Poret de Morvan marched at the head of Guillemin's battalion of the 3rd Grenadiers."

Part of Donzelot's division advanced on the immediate right of the Guard, along the Genappe Road. Small group of cuirassiers and Guard cavalry rode behind the Guard infantry. The slope was steep and sufficient to slow both infantrymen and cavalrymen.

The first echelon was formed by the I/3rd Grenadiers. As they marched on the left side of the road to La-Haye-Sainte they were shortly joined by Napooleon. To the left and rear marched I/4th Grenadiers. Further to the left were three other battalions. These five battalions formed the first wave of attack. The Guard advanced at the pas de charge.

British horse gunner at Waterloo. Adkin - The Waterloo Companion The British batteries fired canister and double canister "from the front and on one side" while the skirmishers and sharpshooters aimed at officers and generals. The Middle Guard "bend under artillery fire like corn smitten by the wind." (- Ensign Macready of 30th Foot)
"The Guard suffers severely from artillery fire during its advance." (- Mark Adkin)
"The Guard already under fire from the English guns in front, began to be shelled on the right by the Prussians." (- Henri Lachoque)

[conjotter]

I tried to play this and noticed the Guard battalions formed in square for no reason as well.

The French are supposed to be attacking, not preparing to receive cavalry.

Is this a design bug?

This scenario is not worth playing in its current form.

[Saddletank]

I think the post above yours answers the reason why the Garde form squares. If they didn't then the scenario would be a-historical and unbalanced. Ordering the Garde to attack in squares was probably the last of a long series of poor decisions by the French high command that day.

Remember this was the first and only time the Garde was defeated - this scenario is good at explaining why.

[ferragus]

The square formation addopted by the guard does not get unanimity from the sources. And being that on this game squares do not move, I would say it was a better choice to put them in company columns. Also if historical accuracy is the thing, where are the "collones de division par battalion" in d'erlons assault?