"Crows-foot, Small Pickets and Entanglements " Topic

"Crows-foot, Small Pickets and Entanglements could put you on the disabled list

A fine point about the functional nature of obstacles – determent value is measured in both the ability to impede and injure. You might call it a philosophical nuance, in context of the military art, but the distinction is important when considering the application of obstacle types. In practical terms, recall how the abattis and palisade were employed. These were designed, first and foremost, to slow the attackers' forward progress, if not bar such entirely, by standing on the line of advance. Granted, if the obstruction were oriented properly and the attacker approaches with a high rate of speed, there could be injuries. An abattis is all fun and games until someone looses and eye! But even with a chevaux-de-frise, with the specified iron points, an attacker would need to do something really… well… awkward to induce a blood-letting injury. Their chief value lay in slowing or stopping the attacker just by being in the way…"
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Wonder to know if anyone have used them in your wargames…

Amicalement
Armand

Fact: "An obstacle is only an obstacle if it's covered by fire."

You can fell all the trees you want to fell, build all the abbatis, stakes, pits, tangle-foot wires, etc, but unless you have artillery and supporting infantry to put fire on the obstacles, they'll be reasonably easily and rather quickly disabled and tossed aside by engineers, sappers, pioneers, or even the PBI themselves.

In my scenarios,if a unit encounters such fieldworks, it halts for half a turn if the obstacle isn't covered by fire, then goes forward normally, If, however, the defender has artillery or infantry covering the works, then the attacker is treated as stationary, and massed and has a choice of either attempting to remove the obstacle, or return fire. He cannot do both.

The types of obstacles I commonly use or encounter in wargames are ones designed to halt and advancing force, thus allowing the defender more, and more efficient, missile fire. That would be stakes, barbed wire, chain link fences, abattis, etc., depending on the period. Caltrops and punji pits serve the same function but can cause some damage as well.

There are many instances of obstacles serving to slow down and army's progress in order to buy time. For example cutting down trees to block roads. That doesn't cause any damage but does require time to clear (not to mention tiring out the advancing force). There are tons of examples of that but it doesn't make good wargaming.

Thanks…

Amicalement
Armand