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 Post subject: DEFENDING A VILLAGE
PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 10:56 am 
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Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2019 5:14 pm
Posts: 29
Hi all,

I am currently playing Champaubert as Allies. I am about to defend the villages to the last man, but I wondered if any of the great generals in this forum could advice this humble rittmeister what are the best formation (column? Line?) to defend a village.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Toni

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Oberstleutnant, Cheveauxleger-Kavallerie-Regiment Graf O’Reilly Nr. 3
2. Schwere (Heavy) Kavallerie-Brigade
3. Kavallerie-Division
Österreichisches Imperiales Armeekorps (Kaiserlich-Königliches Korps)


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 Post subject: Re: DEFENDING A VILLAGE
PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:42 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:34 pm
Posts: 298
Hi,

Historically, the troops did not defend villages, houses in full, deep formation. Lines and columns stood in front of or behind the village with batteries of guns. In sight and in the commander's voice. Just in the open area around.

Of course, there was chic: Defense of the buildings. Circular defense. But it was a distracted chic. Like as light infantry. Soldiers foughts between fences, orchards, in homes, behind walls.

Skirmishers should be in villages and alone houses. Good idea, not best is a column infantry in a village with a road hex. The infantry line, extended too is forbidden.

Best,

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Général de Brigade Cezary Pluskwa,
17ème Régiment de Dragons,
1ère Brigade,
4ème Division de Dragons,
3ème Corps d'Armée,
La Grande Armée.


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 Post subject: Re: DEFENDING A VILLAGE
PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 8:30 pm 
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Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:49 pm
Posts: 164
Villages quite often and an all-round defense as stated above. We have squares, being meleed in square has a bonus for the attacker and being in square has a negative for firing from square.

In my opinion, the best, realistic formation to defend a village is a square. All around fire. All around ZOC which encourages an opponent to give a village a wide birth. If you're not keen about allowing this, just remember you can surround the village and put it in isolation.

If a unit is in square, the defender will have to change formation to get the unit out quickly, so the unit can't be disorganized which it will become as you move it into the village, because you have to form square in the open, ie you have to prepare to defend said village, and you have to hope it un-disorganizes the next turn or so, and that doesn't always happen.

BTW, squares weren't just for anti-cavalry needs by the drill books of the time, and lines could be crocheted one or both flanks. We can't do that in the engine, so the games square formation is a good way to handle things like this, with all the advantages and disadvantages using it brings.

This is one reason why I play with no house rules. I enjoy the game that way.

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1ère Brigade
Cavalerie, 3ème Division de Dragons,
Réserve de Cavalerie, La Grande Armée

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 Post subject: Re: DEFENDING A VILLAGE
PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2021 7:05 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:34 pm
Posts: 298
Hi,

Historically, squares have not been as slow as in the game, where they move at a speed of 1 hex per turn. They were as almost fast as infantry columns, i.e. 4 hexes per turn. Of course, the faster they moved, the greater the chance of disorganization. In the game, they could be 3-2 hexes per turn.

The squares had no zone of control, the attacking cavalry should freely avoid the standing unit while moving or charging. Of course, exposing yourself to the fire of the muskets of the individual walls of the square.

Of course, this should work both ways. There should be no such behavior as here:

At that point the weather turned to heavy rain and mud and the pursing Cossacks raced down parallel roads and cut off the retreating columns of one of corps. This is where I threw in the towel as the 700 man battalions could do nothing about 20 man platoons of cavalry blocking the way with their zocs while the rest of Allied army caught up.

Best,

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Général de Brigade Cezary Pluskwa,
17ème Régiment de Dragons,
1ère Brigade,
4ème Division de Dragons,
3ème Corps d'Armée,
La Grande Armée.


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