tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post5009346010953681533..comments2024-03-28T01:22:13.683-03:00Comments on Battle Game of the Month: Things Rattling Around in my brain.Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04053555991679802013noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-47550473471342182032013-09-03T22:58:44.208-03:002013-09-03T22:58:44.208-03:00Jerry, I wasn't suggesting there were no chang...Jerry, I wasn't suggesting there were no changes or that improved weapons didn't eventually have an effect as they they appeared in increasing numbers but of typical troop deployments and official formations and attempted battlefield maneuvers. Thinking of a comparison between the thick skirmisher firing lines backed by lines and columns for final assaults as used by the Prussians and French in 1814 and the empty battlefields of the Boer War, or even the stalled skirmish/firing lines of the Franco-Prussian War, to me, the various rifled musket wars look closer to the earlier wars than the later ones.<br /><br />I agree that breech-loaders began to change things during the American war but they were a small percentage over all. Mind you, without intending any disrespect, given the state & leadership of the remnants of the army of Tennessee at Franklin, they probably could have been routed by smooth bore armed troops.<br /><br />The short answer to the gaming era is that the record so far indicates a series of campaigns reaching at least from c 1813 to c 1900 so it will all need to be catered for a some point. <br /><br />More to the point perhaps, I had originally been thinking Indian Mutiny and early ACW but recently I had been thinking of dipping a toe into breech-loaders for both sides (Fenian Raids, NW Rebellion, 1st Boer War, Franco Prussian, Russo-Turkish wars etc) but changed my mind since, with a few exceptions, if both sides had breech-loaders, fights seemed to bog down into prolonged firefights with little movement apart from efforts to find a flank or occasionally a final rush. So I'm back to the '57-'63 era if you will, probably to be followed by 1900-ish with breechloadersRoss Mac rmacfa@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04053555991679802013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-28260573830734244012013-09-03T22:14:29.269-03:002013-09-03T22:14:29.269-03:00Probably not a bad analogy.Probably not a bad analogy.Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04053555991679802013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-38871574917657013722013-09-03T20:34:08.726-03:002013-09-03T20:34:08.726-03:00BTW, the battle to which I referred was the battle...BTW, the battle to which I referred was the battle of Franklin in 1864. <br />JerryCelticCurmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17687177512999052331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-68746648322405220172013-09-03T20:31:51.375-03:002013-09-03T20:31:51.375-03:00Dear Ross,
There should be some radical changes ...Dear Ross,<br /><br /> There should be some radical changes afoot for troops in the 1860s from the effectiveness shown in the 1840s. The US fought two wars in these periods and some things really do stick out. First, the unrifled muskets used by many troops in the Mexican-American Unfortunate Situation, had an effective range much more like the Napoleonic Wars and that other unfortunate misunderstanding, the War of 1812, although rifled muskets were becoming much more common. BY 1861 in the American Un-Civil War, warfare by the midpoint of the war was about to change forever. Not only was the Gatling gun available but unfortunately unused but breechloaders and repeaters were becoming much more common. One battle in particular comes to mind, where one company of Union infantry armed with Henry repeaters drove off several regiments of Rebel infantry. Even breechloaders could permit dismounted cavalry to pour a volume of fire three to four times greater than enemies firing musket loaders. And one short year later in 1866, Prussian infantry would be able to blunt Austrian attacks time and again with the fire of their breech loaders. And Wilder's Brigade of mounted troops armed with Henry repeaters were worth a full division of cavalry armed with single shot weapons.<br />Just looking at ROF as an issue might cause you to ask a simple question about the timing for your battles. Are they taking place in the period 1858-1863 where fighting had more of an 1840's feel? Or are you going to place your Imagi-Nation in campaign in the period 1864-1869 where heavier firepower will dictate changes in tactics? Ranges will be stretched out but more importantly the numbers of bullets being fired will be much greater.<br />I am looking forward to your further thoughts on how you will ultimately handle this situation.<br />Jerry<br />A/K/A The Celtic CurmudgeonCelticCurmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17687177512999052331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839601747923375105.post-3556228458977300072013-09-03T16:42:44.709-03:002013-09-03T16:42:44.709-03:00Ross,
Regarding skirmish fire vs volley fire . . ...Ross,<br /><br />Regarding skirmish fire vs volley fire . . . when I read this my mind flew off in a tangent to when I first learned to hunt ducks with a shotgun.<br /><br />My father gave me a single shot shotgun (as opposed to the over-and-under double barrel I used later or the pump he used). His reason was simple.<br /><br />I would only have one shot and I'd have to make it good. There wasn't a second or third try. So instead of shooting at the "flock", I'd have to pick a single target.<br /><br />It was a very good way to learn to wing shoot. <br /><br />Now it struck me that in volley fire, most troops would just point in the direction of the enemy and trust that the mass of shots would hit something . . . while skirmishers didn't have that mass of firepower and had to make their individual shots count.<br /><br />Funny how our minds work sometimes, isn't it?<br /><br /><br />-- Jeff<br />Bluebear Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05171345165563779232noreply@blogger.com