Tactical Napoleonic Warfare

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=185 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="04bb9c00dduajq.jpg"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="70" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 76 WIDTH="66"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="76" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="66" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="0b2a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Baden Hussars</B></div> <div> <B>15mm Minifig</B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Old Trousers: Rules for Warfare in the Horse & Musket Era</B></FONT>    |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Old Trousers: Rules for Warfare in the H"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Author"><U>The Author</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Design Details"><U>Design Details</U></A>   |   <B>Tactical Napoleonic Warfare</B>   |   <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kriegspeil Rules"><U>Kriegspeil Rules</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Operational Warfare"><U>Operational Warfare</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Info on Updates"><U>News & Info on Updates</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Microarmor Stuff"><U>Microarmor Stuff</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Downloads"><U>Downloads</U></A></div> <div> Tactical Napoleonic Warfare</div> <div> Anyone interested in designing a miniatures rule set on Napoleonic warfare should find the following facts of at least some interest & perhaps useful. The most important references include the following: Imperial Bayonets by George Nafziger. Tactics & Grand Tactics of the Napoleonic Wars, by George W Jeffrey. Weapons & Equipment of the Napoleonic Wars, by Philip J Haythornwaite. A Year at War 1809, by C A Sapherson. With Musket, Cannon and Sword, by Brent Nosworthy. Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon, by Roy Muir. Firepower, by BP Hughes.</div> <bR> <div> Click on this link for an article on the Russian Army:  <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Russian Army"><U>Russian Army</U></A></div> <div> Click here to go to notes on the major powers:  <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="National Notes"><U>National Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> Troop Frontages</div> <div> The space allotted for an infantryman in the ranks & between the ranks was:</div> <bR> <div> Country  Width   Interval between ranks</div> <div> Austria    ???       2 paces (40 ins)</div> <div> Britain     22 ins   1 pace</div> <div> France    26 ins   13 ins</div> <div> Prussia   ???       26 ins</div> <div> Russia     27 ins  14 ins</div> <bR> <div> The dimensions of line infantry in line of battle at full theoretical strength was:</div> <bR> <div> Country    Year    Battalion Length</div> <div> Austria      1807       228 to 254 yds</div> <div> Britain       1792       213</div> <div> France      1791       187</div> <div> France      1808       160</div> <div> Prussia     1792       120</div> <div> Prussia     1808       115</div> <div> Russia      1802       123</div> <bR> <div> The above are the theoretical frontages as sited by Nafziger. Nosworthy states that those based on a frontage of 22 inches per man (Britain) should be increased by 25% as under actual battlefield conditions, as opposed to parade ground conditions, the frontage per man was 27 to 30 inches.</div> <div> Infantry was deployed in 3 ranks (3 men deep) except for Great Britain & some of her allies which used a 2 rank formation. In 1813 Napoleon issued plans for the elimination of the 3rd rank from the French army. I do not believe that this was widely implemented.</div> <div> For cavalry & artillery I have been unable to locate the frontages for individual countries. The French regulations state that 12 files should occupy a space of 9 to 10 meters. This works out to 29 to 33 inches frontage per horse. George Jefferies says a cavalry squadron of 150 men, deployed in two ranks would have a frontage of 100 yards (48 inches per horse.) Hence a regiment of 6 squadrons would have a frontage of 600 yards. Cavalry was generally deployed in two ranks. Artillery guns were placed every 12 to 20 yards giving a 6 gun battery a frontage of  72 to 120 yards.</div> <bR> <div> Movement Rates</div> <div> Infantry movement rates by country are as follows:</div> <bR> <div> Country                                       Paces per Minute   Yards per Minute</div> <div> Austria       Ordinairschritt            90-95                          63-66</div> <div>                    Geschwindschritt      105                              73</div> <div>                    Doubleirschritt           120                              83</div> <div> France       Pas ordinaire              76                               55</div> <div>                    Pas de route               85-90                          61-65</div> <div>                    Pas accelere              100                              72</div> <div>                    Pas de manoeuvre     120                              87</div> <div>                    Pas de charge            120                              87</div> <div> Britain        Ordinary Pace             75                               63</div> <div>                    Quick Pace                 108                              90</div> <div> Prussia      Ordinaire schritt          75                                52</div> <div>                    Geschwindschritt       108                              63</div> <div> Russia       Tchyi szag                   60-70                           50-58</div> <div>                    Skoryi szag                 100-110                      83-92</div> <div>                    Udwonyi szag             140-160                      117-133</div> <bR> <div> Apparently the Russians used the "goose step" & one must wonder if they were ever able to march at the fastest rates listed for any distance. The French & Prussians marched with a locked knee with the foot swung forward as if to kick the leg of the man in front. The fastest paces were only used over short distances by almost all troops. The French Old Guard was able to charge 300 yards & maintain order, but this was considered to be most remarkable.</div> <div> Both the French & Prussian systems contained a back-step that was a pace of 12 inches. This was only used to make minor tactical adjustments. An oblique step was used to angle to the left or right. When using it troops would move at an angle of 22.5 degrees from their front. The step was shorter, covering about 1.5 feet, & the slower pace was used. French troops would advance at about 40 yards per minute when obliquing & other nations at about 37 yards per minute.</div> <div> A short-step of about 12 inches was apparently allowed for & one must suspect that it was frequently used on the uneven fields on which battles were normally fought. The calculated infantry rates of advance using it are as follows:</div> <bR> <div> Rate of March     France             Britain</div> <div> Ordinary Step     25 yds/min      25 yds/min</div> <div> Quick Step         33                     36</div> <div> Charge Step       40                     40</div> <bR> <div> Personally I suspect that these slower movement rates would have frequently been used on the battlefield. George Nafziger states that the medium cadences of 100 to 120 paces per minute were the most popular on the battlefield in the years from 1792 to 1815. I would assume that columns on good ground would use this rate whereas lines would have a tendency to use the slower rates on all types of ground.</div> <div> I have found only two references regarding the movement rates of artillery. They state that a French horse artillery team walked at 86 meters per minute, trotted at 189, & galloped at 200 or 370 meters per minute.</div> <div> The French regulations list cavalry movement rates as follows:</div> <bR> <div> Walk   97-107 meters per minute</div> <div> Trot     194-214 meters per minute</div> <div> Gallop 300 meters per minute</div> <bR> <div> Cavalry Charges</div> <div> Whatever formation may be adopted for an attack, cavalry would follow a set sequence in accelerating its movement during a charge. The speed of the cavalry would increase as it approached the enemy. The distance at which a more rapid pace was adopted varied by country.</div> <bR> <div>                                    Walk                  Trot                      Gallop                 Charge</div> <div> France                        ???                    ???                      190 yds               65 yds</div> <div> Prussia pre 1806       830 yds             790 to 625 yds   540 to 375 yds   250 to 165 yds</div> <div> Prussia 1812             665 to 500 yds  ????                    183 yds               85 yds</div> <div> Britain                         ????                  ????                     250 yds              80 yds</div> <bR> <div> Haythornthwaite summarizes in saying that in most armies the cavalry would trot 1/3 of the distance to the enemy, then canter, then break into a gallop at a distance of 150 yards, & finally charge at full speed at 50 yards.</div> <div> Cavalry attacks were generally to be made with at least 2 lines, with the second line acting as a reserve. After conducting its attack the first line would fall back behind the second to rally while the second line attacked. The fall back could be conducted by a passage of lines in which the second line would open up intervals for the first to fall back through or by the troopers of the first line flowing back around the flanks of the second.</div> <div> Favorite formations for attacking cavalry included the line with a main battle line & a reserve line. The echelon attack in which the squadrons were formed in line but with each squadron being staggered back slightly behind the squadron to its flank (left or right.) An echiquier attack also had squadrons staggered behind one another but they alternated checkerboard fashion. An attack in column was primarily used against infantry.</div> <bR> <div> Visibility</div> <div> The following notes are taken primarily from Haythornwaite, but it appears that the other sources are in agreement. Pages 24 & 25 of the latest edition of BP Hughes text contains some wonderful pictures demonstrating the target produced by a line of men at various ranges.</div> <bR> <div> Masses of troops may be seen at 1700 yards (about 1 mile.)</div> <div> Infantry may be distinguished from cavalry at 1300 yards.</div> <div> Crossbelts & white trousers are visible at 700 yards.</div> <div> Uniforms, face, & body movements visible at 500 yards.</div> <div> Officers may be distinguished at 200 to 250 yards.</div> <bR> <div> Artillery Fire</div> <div> Guns were organized into batteries that generally contained from 4 to 14 guns each with 6 or 8 being the most common number. In foot batteries the guns were pulled by horses with the gunners walking while in horse batteries all troops were mounted.</div> <div> When a battery deployed for battle the guns were placed in a staggered line (staggered to prevent a lucky flank shot from doing too much damage) with the guns at 15 yard or so intervals. The caissons associated with the battery were kept about 18 yards behind the guns according to Nafziger but a full 50 yards behind the guns according to Haythornwaite. There was also a second line of caissons further back along with other vehicles. When a battery limbered up or changed facing then all of these associated units had to also move or change facing.</div> <bR> <div> Estimating the effectiveness of artillery on the battlefield is not at all easy. Extensive data exists from tests conducted by the Royal artillery, by William Muller & by the Madras Artillery of the Honourable East India Company. Muller gives us an estimate of 48 casualties inflicted upon a cavalry regiment approaching & charging a single 6 pdr from a distance of around 1700 yards & of 138 casualties for an infantry battalion beginning its approach at the same distance. All of the modern day writers seem doubtful that these casualty rates could actually be achieved. BP Hughes states that fire would not begin at such a long range & that Muller used to high a rate of fire in his calculations.</div> <div> The Madras field tests give a theoretical hit % by a 6 pdr or 12 pdr as follows: (Interpolated from BP Hughes charts)</div> <div> Gun     400 yds  600 yds  900 yds  1200 yds</div> <div> 6 pdr    60%        60%        55%         35%</div> <div> 12 pdr  75%        70%        60%         35%</div> <bR> <div> Great uncertainties relate in transferring field tests to the battlefield. The following are a few statements by the authors listed above relating to the effectiveness of artillery.</div> <bR> <div> A well sited gun should produce between 60 & 120 casualties per hour of engagement & each shot from a well sited gun could be expected to produced 1 to 1.5 casualties.</div> <div> Clausewitz at least felt that artillery was more effective than infantry. He estimated that a battery with 1/3 the frontage of an infantry battalion & 1/8 the number of men was capable of causing 2 to 3 times the damage as an infantry battalion.</div> <div> BP Hughes states that a salvo of case fired by a full battery would produce the same number of hits as a single volley by an infantry battalion. The advantage of the case was that it had a greater range.</div> <div> Muller states that a 6 lb shot was 50% more effective than a 3 lb shot & that a 12 lb shot was twice as effective as a 6 lb shot.</div> <bR> <div> While artillery could theoretically fire at up to 8 to 9 times per minute the maximum rate of fire was generally limited to 2 to 3 rounds per minute. Based on the typical number of rounds carried this allows for 60 to 90 minutes of fire at the maximum rate. There does seem to be a consensus of opinion that the maximum practical effective range of field guns was 1000 yards. In general it appears that the use of canister was limited to ranges under 500 yards with the maximum range of light case being 250 yards. The British limited all case to a range of 350 yards. The disadvantage of canister was that it had very little penetration & would generally only injure soldiers in the front rank.</div> <div> While BP Hughes is the modern authority on firepower I would recommend Muir's book as giving the best overview.</div> <bR> <div> Next will be a discussion of musketry.</div> <div> John P Kelly</div> <div> May 18, 2001</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>