Phantom Warrior
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- May 1, 2009
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OK Mike. Now you have gotten me interested in Napoleonic artillery placement.
Here is an excerpt on Napoleons rules for artillery placement.
Napoleonic Era Artillery Tactics
The most potent arm of a Napoleonic Army was the artillery and if properly handled the artillery eclipsed all other arms for sheer destructive capacity.On the Napoleonic battlefield no other arm could control space on the battlefield like the artillery batteries did.They provided the leverage to unhinge the enemies line,hold important positions, and repel massed attacks just to name a few.Their influence on the battlefield far out weighed their numbers.
To be sure,there is much more to the Napoleonic military system than the handling of guns;but everything Napoleon did at every level of campaign was intended to bring the enemy to battle,where his adversaries army could be destroyed.The instrument of this destruction was always his beloved artillery"His Beautiful Daughters".Their job always being to carve a hole in the enemy line with the break through and exploitation being the task of the infantry and cavalry,but the artillery always lead the way.
Artillery by itself does not diminish the importance of the other arms, for without combined arms theory artillery would not survive on the battlefield. Combined arms on the Napoleonic battlefield is a concept truly routed upon the artillery. Without cannon there is no combined arms,and without infantry or cavalry support there will soon be no cannon. Unfortunately, artillery is only lethal to troops within their field of fire and is impotent everywhere else. Artillery must always be supported by infantry or cavalry...
As Napoleon saw it the artillery has three roles to fulfill:
1.At the opening of a battle the divisional and corps artillery had the tasks of supporting the infantry and at the same time battering away the enemies defensive line thus reducing the moral and resistance capability.
2.Then as a precursor to the main attack against a selected weak point of the enemies line,the greater part of the reserve artillery would be pushed to the front led by horse batteries at the gallop to lay down an intensive bombardment,assisted by every available divisional and corps gun,in order to batter a breach into which the main attack could plunge into.
3.In the pursuit phase ,the horse artillery was to accompany the light cavalry, and fill in the gaps in the line when necessary.
Artillery tactics varied,but as general rule great reliance was placed on massed batteries of 100 or more guns to batter enemies into submission.It also became customary for the guns to very boldly handled.At the opening of a battle the corps and divisional artillery would ride out in front of the infantry,unlimber at less than 500 yards range and commence firing with canister shot.As the battle line advanced the artillery would relimber and move forward
When fighting with artillery the most critical decision to be made is their placement.An ill considered position is potential disastrous.
Employment of artillery in battle
1. Horse artillery should be placed that it can move freely in any direction.
Historically horse artillery maneuvered with cavalry, but it is well worth attaching horse artillery to each army corps to be readily thrown into any threatened point. Horse in an offensive role.
2. Foot artillery,and especially that of the heavy caliber should be placed in positions where it’s front can be protected by woods, ditches, or hedges.On the defensive it is advisable to deploy some heavy batteries in the main line of battle,instead of holding them in reserve,since it is desirable to engage attacking infantry at the greatest distance possible to disorder or check the attacking formations advance.Also on the defensive it also advisable to have artillery deployed at regular intervals along the whole line,since it is important to stop advancing columns at all points.This is not, of coarse, to be regarded as a invariable rule for the designs of your opponent my oblige you to mass artillery upon either flank or center.
3. On the offensive,it is equally advisable to concentrate artillery fire upon a single point where it is desirable to deliver a decisive blow, and to threaten to such a degree that the troops holding the position will have no choice but to retreat or be destroyed.The artillery should first be used to disorder and weaken the enemies line.Then assist with its fire the attack of infantry and cavalry.
4.Batteries whatever their distribution along the line should give their attention to those points where enemy would most likely approach.The general should always be aware of the decisive strategic and tactical points of the battlefield.
5.Artillery placed on level or gently sloping ground to the front is better situated for point blank firing,a converging fire is best.
6.It should be noted that the chief occupation of artillery is to overwhelm the enemies troops,and not to reply to enemy batteries.It is sometimes nessesary to fire upon enemy batteries to draw their fire.When this is the case a third of the disposable artillery may be assigned to this task,but two thirds should be directed against infantry and cavalry.
7.When the enemy advances in deployed line ,the artillery should endeavor to cross their fire in order to strike their lines obliquely.If the guns could be deployed as to deliver enfilade fire upon a line of troops a most desirable effect is produced.
8.When the enemy advances in columns,they may by fired upon in the front.It is advantageous also to attack them obliquely,in the flank and rear.a few pieces thrown upon the enemies flanks may produce results far out weighing the risks run.
9.Artillery should always have supports of infantry and cavalry,and especially on their flanks as they impotent to troops approaching then on their flanks.
Terry
Here is an excerpt on Napoleons rules for artillery placement.
Napoleonic Era Artillery Tactics
The most potent arm of a Napoleonic Army was the artillery and if properly handled the artillery eclipsed all other arms for sheer destructive capacity.On the Napoleonic battlefield no other arm could control space on the battlefield like the artillery batteries did.They provided the leverage to unhinge the enemies line,hold important positions, and repel massed attacks just to name a few.Their influence on the battlefield far out weighed their numbers.
To be sure,there is much more to the Napoleonic military system than the handling of guns;but everything Napoleon did at every level of campaign was intended to bring the enemy to battle,where his adversaries army could be destroyed.The instrument of this destruction was always his beloved artillery"His Beautiful Daughters".Their job always being to carve a hole in the enemy line with the break through and exploitation being the task of the infantry and cavalry,but the artillery always lead the way.
Artillery by itself does not diminish the importance of the other arms, for without combined arms theory artillery would not survive on the battlefield. Combined arms on the Napoleonic battlefield is a concept truly routed upon the artillery. Without cannon there is no combined arms,and without infantry or cavalry support there will soon be no cannon. Unfortunately, artillery is only lethal to troops within their field of fire and is impotent everywhere else. Artillery must always be supported by infantry or cavalry...
As Napoleon saw it the artillery has three roles to fulfill:
1.At the opening of a battle the divisional and corps artillery had the tasks of supporting the infantry and at the same time battering away the enemies defensive line thus reducing the moral and resistance capability.
2.Then as a precursor to the main attack against a selected weak point of the enemies line,the greater part of the reserve artillery would be pushed to the front led by horse batteries at the gallop to lay down an intensive bombardment,assisted by every available divisional and corps gun,in order to batter a breach into which the main attack could plunge into.
3.In the pursuit phase ,the horse artillery was to accompany the light cavalry, and fill in the gaps in the line when necessary.
Artillery tactics varied,but as general rule great reliance was placed on massed batteries of 100 or more guns to batter enemies into submission.It also became customary for the guns to very boldly handled.At the opening of a battle the corps and divisional artillery would ride out in front of the infantry,unlimber at less than 500 yards range and commence firing with canister shot.As the battle line advanced the artillery would relimber and move forward
When fighting with artillery the most critical decision to be made is their placement.An ill considered position is potential disastrous.
Employment of artillery in battle
1. Horse artillery should be placed that it can move freely in any direction.
Historically horse artillery maneuvered with cavalry, but it is well worth attaching horse artillery to each army corps to be readily thrown into any threatened point. Horse in an offensive role.
2. Foot artillery,and especially that of the heavy caliber should be placed in positions where it’s front can be protected by woods, ditches, or hedges.On the defensive it is advisable to deploy some heavy batteries in the main line of battle,instead of holding them in reserve,since it is desirable to engage attacking infantry at the greatest distance possible to disorder or check the attacking formations advance.Also on the defensive it also advisable to have artillery deployed at regular intervals along the whole line,since it is important to stop advancing columns at all points.This is not, of coarse, to be regarded as a invariable rule for the designs of your opponent my oblige you to mass artillery upon either flank or center.
3. On the offensive,it is equally advisable to concentrate artillery fire upon a single point where it is desirable to deliver a decisive blow, and to threaten to such a degree that the troops holding the position will have no choice but to retreat or be destroyed.The artillery should first be used to disorder and weaken the enemies line.Then assist with its fire the attack of infantry and cavalry.
4.Batteries whatever their distribution along the line should give their attention to those points where enemy would most likely approach.The general should always be aware of the decisive strategic and tactical points of the battlefield.
5.Artillery placed on level or gently sloping ground to the front is better situated for point blank firing,a converging fire is best.
6.It should be noted that the chief occupation of artillery is to overwhelm the enemies troops,and not to reply to enemy batteries.It is sometimes nessesary to fire upon enemy batteries to draw their fire.When this is the case a third of the disposable artillery may be assigned to this task,but two thirds should be directed against infantry and cavalry.
7.When the enemy advances in deployed line ,the artillery should endeavor to cross their fire in order to strike their lines obliquely.If the guns could be deployed as to deliver enfilade fire upon a line of troops a most desirable effect is produced.
8.When the enemy advances in columns,they may by fired upon in the front.It is advantageous also to attack them obliquely,in the flank and rear.a few pieces thrown upon the enemies flanks may produce results far out weighing the risks run.
9.Artillery should always have supports of infantry and cavalry,and especially on their flanks as they impotent to troops approaching then on their flanks.
Terry
Look forward to your next project!
