"Movement through unlimbered artillery" Topic

With all the impedimenta of the battery behind the gun line was it practical for an infantry or indeed cavalry unit to move through the battery? Empire allows Cavalry to charge and not be disordered if they start their movement 2" or less behind the battery. Can this be logical/historically accurate?

It doesn't sound right. I'm thinking of big reenactment shows I've seen and the idea of cavalry charging undisordered through a battery that lacks all the cassions and battery horses seems like a fantasy.

Is there an historical precedent that I can't think of?

Certainly it would be unlikely that cavalry on a broad front could or would gallop through all of that impedimenta. But virtually all of a "charge", except the final few hundred paces, was made at the walk or trot. The attacking regiments could weave their way through gaps in batteries or sections, maneuvering by fours or by troops/companies, until they cleared the battery. Then, reforming by squadron/regiment, they could continue their attack.

Considering how much of a Napoleonic corps front was typically covered by engaged batteries, I would expect that more cavalry charges than not had to pass through their own batteries before executing their attack.

I'm not familiar with "Empire", but if I were writing the rules I would say something along the line that as long as the cavalry has half of its movement allowance (including any "charge" bonus) left after clearing its own battery, the charge could proceed.

Republic to Empire disallows movement through the rear area of batteries for reasons just as you noted….

I play Empire III don't allow movement through a battery or any other units. Find many other rules played at convention seem to allow all kinds of movement through units.

IIRC, Empire II allowed cavalry to move through unlimbered arty at a walk. If it wanted to charge, it needed to clear the arty first. The distance it could charge was proportionally reduced based on the percentage of its' walk speed distance used to clear the obstacle.

IIRC.

A trained unit "should" be able to move through a battery in a disorderly fashion, form back up in line, and charge home. I fail to see how it would be unrealistic for a professional unit.

But should they then at least suffer a movement distance penalty compared to a cavalry unit charging in the open?

I can't help thinking that falling out of order, moving in small files or as individuals and then reordering the line has got to take some time. And presumably, the guns don't get to move (or fire!).

Still trying to think of that historical example of cavalry massed behind guns and then moving through them to charge the enemy. You'd think they'd get in the way of the cannister shot…..

When I was reenacting heavily we used to practice doing just that, albeit on foot. We actually did it for the movie Gods and Generals, but they didn't use the footage.

A unit marching in line can move to a formation with each company in a column, (can't remember the name of the maneuver), pass through the guns, and go back into a line. The whole thing done at a marching pace. with a bit of practice it didn't slow us down very much.

It happens on one of the best anti-war film (in my view) Gettysburg Armistead's Brigade march through the gun line. Off at a tangent Gettysburg's the only war film that's made me cry and I'm an American. Actors that played Armistead, Burford, and Longstreet were remarkable.

Not an American

And I can see that with infantry it's more achievable to move through a gun line in a relatively straightforward way (although I'd probably dock them a part move for two formation changes).

Equally so with horses? Still not fully convinced.

I am not sure that I'd be too pleased – as battery commander – of a bunch of unwashed infanteers wandering through my stores, my equipment, my gun-line.

Imagine the moaning as the gunners discover that all the buckets and tools have been stolen – not to mention their personal stashes hidden in the caissons having been rifled-through.

Walk around.

The only infantry I'd allow nearby are my Yeger protection squad.