alexjones | 03 Jan 2017 5:38 a.m. PST |
I was thinking about the Gettysburg and Gods and General films and assaults therein. The assaulting troops and defending troops are all in battle line, with no skirmish screen. Is this because the action picks up at a point where the skirmishers have absorbed back into the main line or a skirmish line wasn't always appropriate? |
Jeigheff | 03 Jan 2017 6:17 a.m. PST |
This won't answer your question, but your comments made me remember something. In one very brief shot during Pickett's Charge in "Gettysburg", there were a handful of Confederate skirmishers moving in front of the Confederate battle line as they all advanced under fire. The shot was taken from the vantage point of the Union lines. It has been a long time since I saw "Gettysburg." But this shot at least acknowledged the use of skirmishers, even if the rest of the filmed action didn't depict them. |
Northern Monkey | 03 Jan 2017 6:40 a.m. PST |
Maybe it's because it's a film and not real? |
Milhouse | 03 Jan 2017 7:01 a.m. PST |
In Gettysburg, when the Iron Brigade is moving on the Herbst Woods , there is a skirmish line in front. |
BeefForDinner | 03 Jan 2017 7:05 a.m. PST |
There are Confederate skirmishers fighting Bufords cavalry as well, I was watching some of Gettysburg last night. |
vtsaogames | 03 Jan 2017 8:20 a.m. PST |
John Huston's Red Badge of Courage showed skirmishers being deployed when the regiment had their first alarm. But there wasn't any further depiction of them in the rest of the film. |
Old Peculiar | 03 Jan 2017 8:53 a.m. PST |
From a directors view point skirmishers have little visual impact so why show them? |
alexjones | 03 Jan 2017 11:07 a.m. PST |
Admittedly, I haven't watched them for a while and so must have forgotten about those scenes. Thanks for the answers. Time to organise a back to back movie day! |
McLaddie | 03 Jan 2017 4:38 p.m. PST |
When the Three divisions of Pickett's Charge advanced, there was a skirmish line in front of them. Skirmish lines aren't dramatic enough to make it into the movies much. |
Old Contemptibles | 04 Jan 2017 12:23 a.m. PST |
So why wasn't all the Confederates in skirmish advancing or had more skirmishers in depth to absorb the artillery fire? Seems that would have been better than advancing in close formations. I understand that it is easier for officers to control close formations but still each artillery shell took out a number of men. Loose formations may have been better. Then just before making contact you close up. |
BeefForDinner | 04 Jan 2017 4:11 a.m. PST |
I would assume it's quite difficult to reform a line under that much fire, better to try and keep the formation you have in place rather than regroup elements. |
ScottWashburn | 04 Jan 2017 5:20 a.m. PST |
To deploy the whole attack in skirmish order would require them to either be deployed on a much broader front, or deployed in great depth. In either case, you have issues with controlling the huge mass and the even greater problem of dispersing your strength. In normal circumstances a skirmish line doesn't have the strength to attack a line in close order. |
Old Contemptibles | 04 Jan 2017 8:02 a.m. PST |
Good points. Easier to do on the game table than in real life. |