Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Gentlemen Officers of France:

The Hanoverian Brigade would like to offer a very rare opportunity to all officers of France. Using the new Teamspeak protocol, we would like to train our noble, French brothers in advanced tactics that are sure to enhance their performance on the battlefields. We will cover such topics in great depth, such as:

1.) Forming Square - A proven method to repel an assault by enemy artillery.

2.) I Scoff at Your Horsemen - How to disperse your formed units into open order to defend against enemy cavalry charges. No sense losing everyone. A few are bound to get away.

3.) Limbers Are Your Friends - Methods for keeping you artillery ready to relocate, by always keeping it limbered.

Bring your notepads. There will be so much tactical wisdom imparted in this session, that you will definitely want to take copious notes.

Salute!

Ah, Maj Gen Jones, so glad to see you at the head of the class.

As you know I've been transferred to the Reserve Cavalerie from my old Tirailleur Bataillon.

Perhaps you can offer some instruction on a tactical controversy I'm facing in my new command?

As the Tirailleur I was wont to going it rough through the countryside, sneaking and crawling through the trees and splashing o'er streams, letting no obstructions get in my way.

The other day I was leading a patrol just so, we came upon a stream and my Dragons fell back behind even as I went straight ahead, turning about to holler at them to close up ranks and follow.

But the Quartier-Maitre insisted that they must go further downstream to find a bridge or ford.

I shouted at them, Ford this! and putting stirrups to horse went headlong into the stream.

Is that not the correct tactical maneuver to employ within the combatant matrix of expectations?

Regards,

General Schmidgall, you exhibit most excellent promise as a cavalry officer. Your grasp of advaced tactics is most profound. It is always best for French cavalry to cross a stream without a moment's hesitation. In this manner, you retain the initiative, a vital element to the successful outcome of any engagement. Let the much more conservative Coalition officers cross only in the safety of shallow fords and stout bridges. The French Army is not well suited for such behavior. Charge headlong across the waters that mock your passage, good sir. Seize the day, for the honor of France rides with you!

<salute> Exalted Sirs,

With all due respect and mentioned in a quiet voice - but the rules prevent such tactics being employed.

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And what tactics are those, Sir Barrett?

Fording rivers and their widest and deepest parts so as to surprise the enemy sir.

Thinks - remember the 1st rule in the military - never ever ever volunteer even if it is only an opinion ;-(

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Cavalry may always cross streams. I fully encourage the French to do so, as I find their disordered equestrians so much easier to subdue. As for their attempts to swim across deep, wide rivers, well this too I encourage, for if they drown in the process, their subdual becomes moot.

I find most steams are the allied fugitives in their attempts to flee the field of honour.

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Marechal Knox

Prince d'Austerlitz et Comte d'Argentan
Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur

"What is history but a fable agreed upon"

Obviously the French mistake the action of cleansing for something else - water is for washing - not something they understand

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I will be happy to guest speak for a 4th session if requested. This session would be called "Line to the Perpendicular" and would describe how when facing a British formation which is in line, the French line should form at right angle in order to decrease the width of the target presented.

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Field Marshal Sir Edward Blackburn, 1st Duke of Aberdeen K.G.
85th (Buck's Light Volunteers) Regiment of Foot
16th British Brigade
7th Division
III (Peninsular) Corps
2nd Battalion, Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards

I DON'T PLAY WITH ROUT LIMITING OR NME OFF

Water is for washing? Good lord!

First and foremost a fresh and clean stream of water is better to be saved for a distillery that will make a descent whisky (any Scottish friend will understand that), then you can use it to make beer.

My father always told me that only dirty people need to wash themselves.

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Général David Guegan

3ème Régiment de Grenadiers - Bataillon d'élite du 3ème Légère
2ème Brigade
Grenadiers de la Réserve
Réserve
La Grande Armée
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"From the sublime to the ridiculous is but a step."
Napoléon Bonaparte

Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.
Groucho Marx

Far be it from me to ever agree with a Frenchman, but I think this good General may certainly be on to something here.