Attack Columns

[Jim]

The traditional view is that the English Army usually prevailed over the French Army because the English preferred the line, especially on defense. This allowed every musket in the unit to fire. The French preferred to attack in the Attack Column which was in the ACW referred to as a column of regiments. The weakness to this formation is that only the front regiment can fire and the rest are masked. If the defenders can maintain an adequate rate of fire, then they can ruin an attack by all but the most elite of troops. This is because a brigade defending is essentially concentrating all of its fire on a single regiment of the attacking brigade.

If you are interested in an in depth study of battle tactics for either the ACW or the NW, check out the books by Brent Nosworthy.

-Jim

[BOSTON]

Jim

What configuration made up the "column of regiments"?

Line

attack attack attack attack

What I had in mind is.

attack attack attack attack attack

cuz when getting somewhere north of 100 yds I would go TC'd double quick brigade or go into charge.

Not leaving allot of time for defensive volleys. Have regiments or a brigade in reserve moving up to be ready to exploit breaks in defense.

HM4

[Armchair General]

hoistingman4 wrote:

You had me worried that you were an English pedigree. :laugh: The English army has an excellant reputation, it wasn't till when SM Waterloo came out that, and read that Napoleon had a different view, with less respect for the English Army, for the reasons you are quoted as saying. Are you keeping an eye on what Histwar is doing?

One other thing,
do you know if the French were using the Attack Column on the English field fortification with any success during the Peninsula Camgpain?

In the Peninsula War, the French Column did not once beat a British Line. Places like Barossa, and Bussaco became infamous for the British lines standing up against the French columns. The former included a British brigade sized force under General Thomas Graham forming lines against two divisions of French infantry. The British won with 1,200 casualties vs the 3,000 or so French. At Bussaco the Duke of Wellington formed his entire coalition of British, Spanish and Portuguese on a high ridge and the French Marshall Massena tried to pummel Wellington back with column; it didn't work.

[BOSTON]

AG

I read that the British had extensive field fortifications and that Massena gave up on attacking them. Again, a good case for having preparing a good defense. What was the final out-come of the Peninsula War?

HM4

[bedbug]

French retreat into France.

[BOSTON]

bedbug wrote:

French retreat into France.

Just went back to your "First Impression Article", which is still cool , and had to wonder if your SS were based on the Peninsula War. Is that a subject you might be considering on doing a mod of?

HM4

[BOSTON]

Who are the rest of the suspects in that picture?

[Armchair General]

hoistingman4 wrote:

AG

I read that the British had extensive field fortifications and that Massena gave up on attacking them. Again, a good case for having preparing a good defense. What was the final out-come of the Peninsula War?

HM4

Bedbug was correct, the French retreated into France, Wellington followed, the last battle of the Peninsula War was Toulouse. Napoleon was exiled, escaped later, went back to France, and thus Waterloo was transformed from just a small town in Belgium to one of the greatest face-offs in warfare.

[BOSTON]

Toulouse is way down in southern France, Why would Napoleon throw in the towel then?

[Armchair General]

hoistingman4 wrote:

Toulouse is way down in southern France, Why would Napoleon throw in the towel then?

Napoleon wasn't commanding in Toulouse, Marshall Soult was. Napoleon was up in Northern France, fighting off more Allies advancing, I believe it was the Prussians, could be wrong. An attack by the British, Spanish and Portuguese carried the defensive fortifications guarding the town, but hundreds were killed in the unnecessary attacks; Napoleon had already surrendered. Word had yet to reach Toulouse, which is why the attacks were carried out.