"Marching Paces" Topic

Does any one else use marching paces as laid down to move their troops. We played a Russian Division covering a retreat from the pursuing French, what a difference it made, a great little game using 18 men stand = 1 platoon in 6mm, the Cavalry were bionic with their moves.

Yes. In my home grown Napoleonic rules I use the march rates as laid down in the 1824 Kriegsspiel:

Infantry March 100 paces/minute
Attack 125
Skirmishers 200

Cavalry Walk 100
Trot 300
Trot & walk 200
Gallop 450
Gallop, heavy 400

Artillery Foot – as Infantry
Horse as Heavy Cavalry

The computer moderated Carnage & Glory rules use paces as a unit of measurement. From memory Charles Grant also used them in his rules.

Yes C.S. Grant did use them in his rules, I still picture him marching arround counting off paces.

So when I play those rules I am using paces, though I often just talk about inches on the table.

The computer moderated Carnage & Glory rules use paces as a unit of measurement. From memory Charles Grant also used them in his rules.

Interesting. Do C&G and the Grant rules use the 1824 Kreigsspiel rates or something different?

I have played again using the Russian marching paces v the French marching pacing, quite a difference again.

There may be a slight difference in the length of a pace from nation to nation.

100 paces is ordinary for campaigns

125 or quick time is battlefield maneuver.

Bob Coggins

I have decided to use historical from now on, it makes a massive difference and improvement to the whole game.

100 paces is ordinary for campaigns

125 or quick time is battlefield maneuver.

per minute?

yep.

Modern military marching is done at 120 30" steps per minute, but that's on paved or otherwise flat ground. 300 feet per minute.

Slow-time March, used for funerals, is 60 steps per minute.

The current US doubletime march is 180 36" steps per minute. That's a bit easier to do on uneven ground, oddly. Works out to a 9min30sec mile, which is reasonably easy to keep up for a long period.

And what I've read says that the British Rifles still march at the 140 step per minute pace they started with back in the way-backs.

The stereotype is that Prussians strut arrogantly, British stride confidently, Yanks saunter relaxed, Italians run in the opposite direction and the French mince around so as not to muddy their shoes……

There, that has upset everyone and added nothing.

In all seriousness, having marched at Rifles' (Royal Green Jackets) (UK light infantry) space (a very long time ago)you have to remember what the Light Division could do when needed! Daft thing was we stepped out faster but took shorter steps, which was hard on those of us that bit taller. (Having typed this I have only now, just in time, noticed comment above about Rifles!)

Another thing. Try walking up that Mt St J ridge on a muddy day. Not through the crops, remember….not after several units have already been up that ridge. Try walking from Wavre to Plancenoit (I haven't done it yet but intend to…but only with a nice hotel and sleep the night before, a good breakfast, modern kit and nothing heavy and no one waiting to kill me when I get there)

But you have to try, or wargames would never happen. Just accept the real thing ain't like that

@Deadahead my Granddad was 1 KRRC 1910 – 16 then & 7 KRRC for the Somme (Poor B*****D)

I have based my calculations on what the drill manual says and what is indeed the ploughed field reality, so maybe I will get a happy medium somewhere. I intend to use the marching paces for the good ground and slower speeds up hills etc.