Colonial Campaigns Club (CCC)

Except that enemy units could enter those hexes "where the skirmishers really are" without noticing any effect?

<font color=gold>Lt. Col. D.S. Walter OSM
4th Regiment "King's Own"
AdC, Royal North American Corps</font id=gold>

ADF takes care of that.

Major Al Amos
1st U.S. Dragoons 1812-R

Well in digging a bit farther, and getting back to the original point (2-rank vs 3-rank), for most of the battles of 1776/1812, the British were likely in 2-rank lines.

From Nafziger's Imperial Bayonets: "The British regulations... specifically directed that the infantry be organized in three ranks. All of these regulations also directed that if the company strength fell below a specific strength the third rank was to be incorporated into the front rank to maintain its frontage. Assuming a company strength of 100 rank and file, the frontage in three ranks would have been 33 men. The minimum frontage of a platoon is set at 5 files by regulation, which would give a company two platoons, each with a frontage of 10 men, a total of 60 men in all three ranks. This means that a battalion with 660 men could meet the requirements of the minimum frontage of 20 files per company and three full ranks. By the same analysis, if the strength fell to 400 men, the battalion would absolutely have to be in 2 ranks if it were to maintain minimum frontage"

I think that he makes a mistake here in that he confused sections and platoons. As there are 4 sections to a company giving the 20 man frontage. Whatever.

There was some leeway for commanding officers to order 2 or 3 rank deployment, depending on the campaign situation. (BTW -one deploys into lines and ploys into column.)

Amherst on July 9, 1759: "the regulars were to be 'drawn up on all services two deep' because 'the enemy have very few regular troops to oppose us, and no yelling of Indians, or fire of Canadians, can possibly withstand two ranks, if the men are silent, attentive, and obedient to their Officers.'" In June 1755 Braddock's men "were told that upon the signal to assemble, 'all the troops are to turn out, accoutre and form two deep at the head of their encampments.'"

From all of this I think we can extrapolate that unless the regiment was of sufficient strength, commanding officers in America would have few qualms of forming in two ranks, and likely did so. However, since larger companies would almost always assume three ranks, maybe the engine in the future could set a max figure for firepower, say 60 men. If a firing unit is 90 men strong, it will not receive any more value than a unit of 60.

As to the breaking down of companies into their component platoon or firing section, I am not sure of the practical value. In a 125 foot hex, the sections would never really break apart. They are created both for the evolution of fire, to maintain a constant barrage from the firing line, as well as to give order to the tactical movemens (the forming of line to column, etc.)

If pickets or other detachments are to be represnted, they could be addressed in the OB. Keep the 10 (or 8 if lights and Grenadiers are composited) company formation, subtract out the men posted as pickets and create them as a separtate unit, of L type. L type is appropriate for pickets/skirmishers and light infantry, not regular lines. Extended Order is not close to Open Order. Any company in line, alone in a hex, not adjacent to the enemy, might very well be assumed to be in open order (up to three feet between files!). Since the men still present a big target (broadside of a barn) they should not recieve the benefit of X order. The ability to form X order should be reserved for those units using cover and moving at the Quick Pace.

What I see as the most important thing for recreating historic tactics, is to keep your companies in contact with each other and trying to maintain a 5 hex max frontage for your battalions in line. A one hex interval between battalions is also a max. The game rewards this wit hthe command and control rules.

In general the British often prefered to deploy to lines early and maneuver as such. The Americans and French tended to move in column and deploy at the last minute. There was a big debate among the British to adopt more Prussian (read linear) or French (read columnar) tactics.

Last thing: ADF is good reflection of the tactical practice of constant fire form a unit. Yes, the standard ammo issue is 36, but if you look at the sections firing, that yields 144 shots. (Correct me if I am wrong, but Def fire is weaker, could be thought of as the fire of a section or line, Off fire the result of both ranks firing.)

Enough of these confused and mad ramblings. The Madiera is empty.

Maj. Mike Cox
Imbachi Hattak
NJ Militia
AdC Colonial

My sources are Nafziger's Imperial Bayonets and Brumwell's Redcoats. I realize that these two works bracket the 1776 war, but the British system did not evolve that much in relevant areas.

Edited by - Mike Cox on 04/20/2002 23:35:31

Finally!!

The files are up to test.

http://www.geocities.com/albert_amos/18 ... _test.html

Three scenarios will be created for HPS' 1776 to see how a battle plays out if initial parameters differ.

0.Test.1776_1.scn will be the Camden_a.scn with the new pdt file (0.Test.1776.pdt) inserted.

0.Test.1776_2.scn will be based upon the Camden_a.scn with the 0.Test.1776. pdt file and a modified oob file (0.Test.1776_1.oob) which will have the British broken up into firing platoons instead of companies.

0.Test.1776_3.scn will be based upon the Camden_a.scn with the 0.Test.1776.pdt file and a modified oob file (0.Test.1776_2.oob) which will have the unit in battalion sized units or subdivided equally so as to not violate stacking limits.

Some initial observations:

0.Test.1776_1.oob has the British broken into firing platoons (fp) instead of companies. The rule of thumb I used was each fp was to have 12 files maximum. By rounding a bit, I achieved this. Each battalion has a different number of fps. At 24 men each, 4 fps can be stacked in one hex reflecting the 2-rank stacking limit.

Players will be able execute the 'rolling platoon' fire system by firing each platoon separately, or firing stacks at a time to represent 'volley fire'. Of course firing each fp may cause return fire, so I recommend players perform volley fire during their offensive fire phase and then during ADF, when the fps fire back individually, think of that as the 'rolling platoon' system of fire, or 'battle fire'. This gives a nice effect of showing when a unit's fire is under control (offensive fire) and when it's fire is out of control (ADF.)

In this oob all units are multiples of 2, since both armies fought in 2 ranks and would count off for the firing line. Since the British "told off " into fps they will be able to stack more efficently than the Americans will. US companies are most generally stronger than 24 so only 2 companies will be able to stack in a hex.

US units of over 160 files (320 men) are deployed into two half-battalion commands. US units of less than 80 files (160 men) will be combined together. The Maryland troops will be combined. The militia will, generally, be split in two. Also the militia is rated as infantry (I) for the line companies and light (L) for the light company, as are the Regulars. Since the militia has been given muskets without bayonets, I felt switching their rating over would show poorer training than the M unit type does. (M allows the unit to go into extended order which in this engine is a huge advantage in a firefight.)

0.Test.1776_2.oob has both armies in stacks of 96 or there about. For example a unit of 216 men will have a counter 96 men strong and 2 counters 60 men strong each. In the oob one of the 60 man counters is labeled 'Right' and the other 'Left'. The 96 man counter is labeled 'Center'. This will allow units to be deployed in line with the unit's strength concentrated on it's center.



Major Al Amos
1st U.S. Dragoons 1812-R

oops! error in the pdt file! new one up now.

Major Al Amos
1st U.S. Dragoons 1812-R

Anyone try any of these out?

If so please post your opinions.

Thanks.

Lt. Col. Al Amos
1st U.S. Dragoons 1812-R