"Pike and Shotte: Charging More Than One Unit" Topic

Apologies if this has been raised previously.

According to the rules, charging units are obliged to maximise contact with units adjacent to the target unit such as to bring them into the close combat if possible.

At the bottom of page 62 are some diagrams concerning the rules governing charging a unit that has another unit adjacent to it. There's a series of three diagrams depicting an infantry/cavalry unit charging a gun with an infantry/cavalry unit adjacent to it. The third diagram demonstrates the incorrect technique, whereby the charging unit has failed to maximise contact with the target unit, and is marked with a large cross. There's another diagram directly below this one showing a situation in which an infantry/cavalry unit has charged another infantry/cavalry unit that has an infantry/cavalry unit adjacent to it (all of equal frontage), but in this case the charging unit has aligned only with the target unit. In apparent contradiction to the diagram immediately above it, this is shown as the correct method. Have I misinterpreted something?

In the bottom right of the two diagrams the charging unit and the target unit have the same frontage, whereas the charging unit in the top diagram has a frontage greater than the target unit and can therefore also contact an adjacent unit. Essentially both diagrams show maximising frontage contact by the shortest route but in the bottom diagram the target unit the same frontage as the charging unit so the adjacent unit can only provide support.

I've had as couple of dri nks so if that doesn;lt make sense it's not your fault…