Wondering if there is any information out there on how British zulu war invasion columns were organised?
My guess is that you'd have cavalry or mounted troops, regular or irregular out ahead scouting, followed by the baggage train, support troops, engineers and artillery etc following on, with some infantry to protect them, and the bulk of the infantry trudging along at the back- unless the infantry could travel as fast, or faster than wagons?
My logic is that the fastest troops, capable of scouting and reporting back would go first, with engineers, baggage and supplies next as there was no point of the infantry turning up en masse then having to wait around for tents, ammunition etc to arrive, or getting stuck at obstacles.
However I could have this completely wrong. Maybe all troop types were interspersed? Presumably there was an optimum, or even standard way of getting an invasion column from A to B through both friendly and enemy territory?
My guess is that you'd have cavalry or mounted troops, regular or irregular out ahead scouting, followed by the baggage train, support troops, engineers and artillery etc following on, with some infantry to protect them, and the bulk of the infantry trudging along at the back- unless the infantry could travel as fast, or faster than wagons?
My logic is that the fastest troops, capable of scouting and reporting back would go first, with engineers, baggage and supplies next as there was no point of the infantry turning up en masse then having to wait around for tents, ammunition etc to arrive, or getting stuck at obstacles.
However I could have this completely wrong. Maybe all troop types were interspersed? Presumably there was an optimum, or even standard way of getting an invasion column from A to B through both friendly and enemy territory?