Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

If you are interested in this topic please see:

http://www.napoleon-series.org/cgi-bin/ ... read=77663

The ACW series recently got an engine update for Artillery Prolong and while I havent found out how the rule works I posted a question on the Napoleon Forum if the artillery of our period used "Fire by Prolong" in practice as well.

I have also asked how long it would take for the battery to fall back 100 meters (one hex).

Bill Peters
Armee du Rhin - V Corps, 5ème Division, 20ème légère Brigade de Cavalerie, 13ème Hussar Regiment
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram, Jena-Auerstaedt and ... more to come)

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]

Hi Bill
Do you know if this will help with Defensive firing? At the moment guns quite often get frontally assualted without firing a shot in the turn based game.

cheers
Colin

Colonel Colin Knox,
Baron de l'Empire
2e Regiment Gardes d'Honneur
La Jeune Garde
IIIe Corps ADN
http://www.aspire.co.nz/colinknoxnwc.htm

Just read up on the new rule which goes something like this:

Unlimbered artillery can move one hex to the rear, retaining their facing, as long as BOTH hexes are clear terrain and the artillery doesnt go UP a contour.

Thus they can move but I dont know if they can fire after that. It doesnt say and I havent tried it out yet.

I do know that the ACW artillery now has better fire at one hex. I think its prior to melee only.

Bill Peters
Armee du Rhin - V Corps, 5ème Division, 20ème légère Brigade de Cavalerie, 13ème Hussar Regiment
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram, Jena-Auerstaedt and ... more to come)

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]

Here is a private reply I got from Kevin Kiley on this topic:

The prolonge in the French service of the period was used to both advance and withdraw. It was attached to the trail of the piece and the other end to the limber.

It was from 38 to 42 feet in length, and 27 feet were 'left' after it was tied to the limber and the trail of the piece.

Further, it was not a drag rope. That was another piece of artillery equipment that was employed to move the piece by its crew on foot. The prolonge was meant to be used with the gun team and limber for movement.

The Civil War prolonge in the US service was 26 feet 7 inches long and was used for both advance and withdrawal, 'and for various other purposes.' It was stored on the trail of the field piece. Again, it was essentially the same piece of equipment and used in the same way as its Napoleonic ancestor. See The Artillerists' Manual by John Gibbon, page 297. There is also an illustration of it on a plate between pages 296-297.

For the prolonge in the French service ca 1809 see Appendix III of Artillery of the Napoleonic Wars, page 266-269, with the illustration of the implement
on page 268.

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Kiley and Dave Hollins are at odds with each other on just about every topic. This is one of them.

My guess is that the rule should be added to this series too.

Bill Peters
Armee du Rhin - V Corps, 5ème Division, 20ème légère Brigade de Cavalerie, 13ème Hussar Regiment
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram, Jena-Auerstaedt and ... more to come)

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]

I'm more interested in porting over the ACW artillery capture feature than in retreat by prolong. But I've no objection to getting prolong as well.


Lt.Col. Rich White
4th Cavalry Brigade
Cavalry Corps
Anglo-Allied Army

I disagree Rich.

The rule as written in the ACW series has notable flaws. VPs change as if by magic. Artillery crews pop into being again after cowering in the woods (they WERE taken to the rear away from their guns in practice ... I guess their guards were out foraging for grub).

While the artillery by prolong rule does not work on the defensive it will give artillery the ability to fall back a hex during their turn and still be able to fire defensively in the next enemy phase. I still havent tried it out and dont know if you can fire at say 1/2 value after having moved - probably not.

But the current artillery capture rule .... only after they have refined it a tad. Guns taken are not able to be reused by the capturing side as far as I could see. And if they are then with F rated morale more than likely knowing how John would code it. Which to me would be a waste of coding. Firing with F morale is akin to militia firing on a rainy afternoon.

Bill Peters
Armee du Rhin - V Corps, 5ème Division, 20ème légère Brigade de Cavalerie, 13ème Hussar Regiment
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram, Jena-Auerstaedt and ... more to come)

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]