"What about cavalry skirmishers?" Topic

"…But what about cavalry skirmishers? Not sure if I have ever seen this represented on any table but if the campaign stage of a game is missing, it would be fun to have this element introduced. Again in a limited way. The role of the umpire might become necessary to make this work. For example, if there are hidden forces in a wood or behind a hill, you would not send a whole regiment of cavalry to recce the area, but perhaps just a token force. This could be represented by 2 figures on a base, who can move further than other cavalry units, but have no offensive role. Would retire on contact with any formed unit and would stand off against any enemy cavalry skirmish stand, so would be almost impossible to wipe out. I appreciate they had their carbine, but enabling this token force to score disorders or hits, would make them too important. Their role would be to scout areas of the battlefield for hidden enemy units only. Perhaps just 2 bases per side…"

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Amicalement
Armand

Cav skirmishers would be a great expansion for the light cav and dragoons in 28mm. A plastic sprue w different distinctive and generic torsoes, such as hussars, coupled w firing and loading arms could make most plastic sets very versatile.
Could be used for aggregated rules as well as skirmish rules.

Neil Thomas "simplicity in Practice" rules use cavalry skirmishers (or at least, cavalry firing) – quite a bold call, since the rules are very stripped down in other ways.

IIRC, some of the 80s rules did – perhaps Newbury allowed it?

There is an option in "Over the Hills" to use cavalry skirmishers.

Thanks for the info!…

Amicalement
Armand

Empire III has rules for them, and I think every line cavalry regiment of my Prussians has them on the books.

I've made mounted French dragoon skirmishers – just use the firing arms which are supposed to be for the foot dragoons.

I seem to remember reading some accounts of French cavalry receiving a charge halted and firing carbines from the saddle! I think this was in 1809 ???

Not a good idea…..asking for trouble. I wonder how they got on…

Stange unit I have are a company of foot jagers in a Hobe's Prussian cavalry brigade. I have used them and they mostly just try to stay out of the way in a protected space.

There were a lot of accounts about Cavalry charges halted by the fire of other cavalry unit with their carbines… but also many more not halted… (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Deadhead I seem to remember the account suggesting that they won the encounter resoundingly! Also of note was that it was in the same time as a regiment of French Carribiniers were cleared from the field by a unit of Austrian Hussars! You try doing that on a wargames table lol.

@Three Armies maybe this, Battle of Sahagun 1808.

"The French cavalry became aware of the proximity of the British cavalry and exited from the town to the east unmolested. In the dawn light the French regiments, catching sight of the 15th Hussars to the south, formed up in two lines with the 1st Provisional Chasseurs (commanded by Colonel Tascher, a relative of the Empress Josephine – though he may not have been present) in front and the 8th Dragoons behind them. Unusually, the French cavalry received the charge of the British hussars whilst stationary and tried to halt it with carbine fire"

from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sahag%C3%BAn

'Napoleonic Warfare' (1st through 4th editions) by Newbury Rules and '1685-1845' by WRG both included cavalry skirmishers.

The WRG 1685-1845 Yahoo group is here:

link

The site is geared towards the Napoleonic period. It includes play sheets incorporating minor modifications introduced by the Stoke Wargames Group over the last 35 years or so.

The key to the rules is the move sequence. The sequence as printed is too loose, so one of our members, Phil Callcott, drafted a quick reference sheet including all the reaction tables set out in the required sequence. Deviating from the sequence gets you into all sorts of trouble since the alternate move sequence falls apart if you don't follow it properly.

- Allan (Group Moderator)

Three Armies

I seem to remember reading some accounts of French cavalry receiving a charge halted and firing carbines from the saddle! I think this was in 1809 ???

Deadhead:
q>Not a good idea…..asking for trouble. I wonder how they got on…

It was done, sometimes without firing carbines [I know of three accounts of Carabiniers and Cuirassiers standing to take a charge, two successful, one not]

It was done because
1. It could work,
2. The circumstances made the tactic more attractive,and
3. It was unexpected, which had a power all its own.

But I lay it down for a Maxim, That Troops behave well till they come to what they believe is the Point of Decision. If after that, Things should be carried beyond their Imagination, they will despond… Imaginary Hopes and Fears are stronger than the Reality…. There is no Profession where the Study of Human-nature is more necessary than ours.
—Sir James Young, Essay on the Command of Small Detachments, 1766

Read 'imagination' as beyond 'expectations.' Young gives as an example troops in a trenchline charging attackers with the bayonet instead of firing--as expected.

This is a pet peeve of mine I'm afraid: With the laudable exception of Perry AWI British light dragoons, there seem to be hardly any suitable figures, when light cavalry and even dragoons would have spent far more time in this sort of engagement than in massed charges. Perhaps the latest fashion for skirmish gaming can bring a change here?

From what I understand, cavalry skirmishing was often as much small groups of horsemen making small "charges" as much as sniping. This could discomfit infantry skirmishes or force formation changes and halts. So even saber armed skirmishers figs would not be out of character.