tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post4729823594008064346..comments2024-03-28T01:22:13.683-03:00Comments on Battle Game of the Month: The Plot and Plan ThickenRoss Mac rmacfa@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04053555991679802013noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-35582742469384139442017-06-10T20:58:08.100-03:002017-06-10T20:58:08.100-03:00Your comment about the practices of local commande...Your comment about the practices of local commanders during colonial wars reminds me of the manner in which Col Whitmore organised his slender forces against Titokowaru in the late 1860s in New Zealand. By this time, the Imperial forces that had featured prominently in the Land wars in North Taranaki (1860-1) and the Waikato (1864), had been withdrawn, leaving the colonists reliant upon local militia and Maori allies.<br /><br />The colonial soldiery were organised into 'Divisions' of about 100 men apiece.<br />https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/moturoa-battle-plan<br />The numbers involved were very small on both sides - perhaps 250 Europeans and 70 Maori engaged on the Colonialists's side; a much smaller number, I believe, among Titokowaru's Maori supporters.<br /><br />From this I infer that Whitmore's 'army' was about the size of a small battalion: four 'Divisions' (numbered 1,2,3, and 6) of 'Armed constabulary', plus other bits and pieces of volunteers, with possibly a few Armstrong guns available (though for some reason not brought up for the Moturoa action). <br /><br />This seems to fit your comment anent variable sized units. Archduke Piccolohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15533325665451889661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-4017957672701033412017-06-10T15:52:30.281-03:002017-06-10T15:52:30.281-03:00"Trompe l’œil"...that's a word I can..."Trompe l’œil"...that's a word I can easily understand!Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08913029478686087197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-60631522574400912252017-06-09T18:22:02.108-03:002017-06-09T18:22:02.108-03:00Thank you Phil, the river is a quick and easy tric...Thank you Phil, the river is a quick and easy trick, a sort of trompe l'oeil to make a piece of masking tape look more than what it is.Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04053555991679802013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-28711288583446558602017-06-09T18:17:27.433-03:002017-06-09T18:17:27.433-03:00Thanks Michael, its true that there were a lot of ...Thanks Michael, its true that there were a lot of small detachments manning blockhouses and small forts but they rarely ventured out in any numbers. The rangers certainly did but even a large Ranger raid would only be 5 or 6 figures.<br /><br />Looking at battles like Braddocks ambush the troops certainly seemed disorganized but that was in a forest setting (note to self to include that thought). At other actions such as Belle Familee (relief attempt for Niagara, Chrysler's farm, etc where the 2 regular British regiment kept most of their companies in a battlion line but which each detached some to form separate detachments of 2 or 3 companies operating as a unit. This sort of thing doesn't usually seem to happen mid-battle though. <br /><br />I think the key apart from lack of open order training, was the lack of initiative training/experience for junior officers, thus the need for a higher rank to control them in battle. <br /><br />hmm Which seems to reinforce yesterday's decision to just go with variable sized units up to battalion size that can't make detachments mid-game except to do something like throw a garrison into a building.Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04053555991679802013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-31189174638613592142017-06-09T18:04:56.043-03:002017-06-09T18:04:56.043-03:00Norm, yes they do. They are also crowded into one ...Norm, yes they do. They are also crowded into one small corner of the board. I'm going to play a smaller game then I'm going to see what happens when I fill the table! <br /><br />I mumbled a bit every time I had to circle the table to find one of the rulers but one does have more freedom with bigger units/figures when off grid. I think hexes give some of the same effect bit it won't happen at home. Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04053555991679802013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-37867169340408584642017-06-09T16:53:19.810-03:002017-06-09T16:53:19.810-03:00Having looked again, I think it is the combination...Having looked again, I think it is the combination of bigger units and being free form rather than gridded. Those figures have quite a lot of presence. Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-11560153385273276692017-06-09T16:35:24.514-03:002017-06-09T16:35:24.514-03:00Thanks Norm. Interesting that you should put it th...Thanks Norm. Interesting that you should put it that way, this was the game with slightly smaller units (10 vs 12) but with an extra unit making the troop density a bit higher,Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04053555991679802013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-19517487005013939822017-06-09T15:41:02.629-03:002017-06-09T15:41:02.629-03:00What a fantastic river to cross, wonderful terrain...What a fantastic river to cross, wonderful terrain and minis Ross!Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08913029478686087197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-88025813642233921632017-06-09T15:30:39.781-03:002017-06-09T15:30:39.781-03:00As always your photos are lovely and dynamic. I a...As always your photos are lovely and dynamic. I am not enough of a student of the period to comment, except to say that I suspect the detached troop or squadron may have been the norm rather than the exception for much of the period, especially in North America, and that oft-seen wargames rules bonuses for Unit Integrity belong to modern games at the operational scale.Mad Padrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00410143683610813671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-81510039784712355012017-06-09T10:24:22.632-03:002017-06-09T10:24:22.632-03:00Your table looks better than ever (no .... change ...Your table looks better than ever (no .... change that to wonderful!) with the larger units.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-91374041829579174822017-06-09T09:05:30.073-03:002017-06-09T09:05:30.073-03:00That was my original thinking 20 years ago. But th...That was my original thinking 20 years ago. But then I was just copying Lawford and Young and playing CS Grant teasers. I never expected to find myself using the rules to fight games based on small historical actions and hadn't done all that much reading into such affairs but that's what I ended up doing. <br /><br />While late 19th companies were sometimes used as tactical units, 18th and early 19th century companies were too small to be tactical units, nd were largely administrative. When a battalion formed for battle, it was divided into 4 (usually) equal 'divisions' heedless of the companies. <br /><br />During "colonial" wars where there were never enough troops away from the main armies, you often find local commanders before the battle, detaching companies to form adhoc bodies of troops for specific missions. It doesn't seem to happen very often during a battle, so there is good reason to just have variable sized wargame "units". <br /><br />However, that practical solution is just not as satisfying from either a certain OSW perspective or a certain toy soldier perspective so its going to take some though and some the final solution will have to include some verbose explaining to both myself and others. Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04053555991679802013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-54767718624857785922017-06-09T08:30:09.537-03:002017-06-09T08:30:09.537-03:00On the matter of nomenclature, I think it is reaso...On the matter of nomenclature, I think it is reasonable to make your own definitions anent your own game system. It seems to me your standard tactical body is a company, or something company-sized. If so, that is your unit - which is of course a squadron for cavalry. As batteries tend to be the artillery unit of choice in larger battles, perhaps the troop is more appropriate under your system.<br /><br />Anything substantially smaller - a platoon (foot), troop (horse) or section (artillery) might be considered under 'sub-units'. Bodies larger than company sized (battalions, legions, regiments and gun batteries might be given the appellation 'Formations' - admittedly a term more usually associated with brigades and larger bodies.<br /><br />I have found in the past that such definitions have helped clarify in my own mind what I am talking (often to myself) about.Archduke Piccolohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15533325665451889661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-88905061055582342442017-06-09T07:58:08.921-03:002017-06-09T07:58:08.921-03:00Yes Stu, I'm sure we have but thank you.Yes Stu, I'm sure we have but thank you. Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04053555991679802013noreply@blogger.com