"British Infantry in Square and Skirmish Review" Topic

"The square was the means by which infantry could defend themselves against cavalry by showing an unbroken line of bayonets in all directions, and if they remained steady then there was nothing much cavalry could do about it. Waterloo was a classic example of this tactic, where for several hours the allied infantry held square against some massive charges by the superb French cavalry. Not one square was broken, and indeed witnesses suggest virtually no one in the squares was hurt during the attacks, since once the cavalry reached the allied lines, all they could do was mill about aimlessly and, at worst, fire off a carbine into the footmen. Many at Waterloo recorded their relief when the French cavalry arrived, because it meant the infantry were safe, particularly from the deadly artillery fire, and the solid British squares became an icon of the battle down the years…"

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Full Review here

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"In the wars of Napoleon, skirmishing, you might think, was something done by the light infantry companies, or dedicated light infantry regiments, but there is good evidence that grenadiers and battalion (centre) companies also received some training in skirmishing, and so could perform this role, with at least some competence, when the situation required it. Skirmishing was usually done with teams of two or four men, in open order, where each team kept up a regular rate of fire on the enemy. This could harass an enemy unit, disrupt their manoeuvres and potentially keep them away from your own troops while they prepared themselves, but if threatened by formed infantry or cavalry, they would retreat back to their own formed line if possible. The British had learned much about this method of fighting during the American Revolution, and it remained an important tactic despite their modern image of being either in a firing line or in square…"

Full Review here

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Armand

In an idle moment I so often will look through Plastic Model Soldier Review into the most obscure periods. A terrific resource.

Agree…

Armand

I am sure someone else out there agrees too.

But is is like that scene just before the 7th cavalry bugler gets an arrow in the chest and the Captain says "I don't like it, it is too quiet"……

Ha!Ha!….

Armand