FirstLegion
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2007
- Messages
- 1,901
I started a new thread with this as it really doesn't fit in the British Guards Pre-Order thread which is getting unreadable because of too many topics and too many posts...
You are correct of course, that skirmishers represented a major element of Napoleonic warfare. The French adopted tactics focused on the heavy use of skirmishers before the other continental powers, but after having been defeated again and again the other powers also began using them in greater numbers. If you notice with our release of the French Line Infantry, we released the 61st Line Advancing in close order with fusiliers, grenadiers, and voltigeurs. However, to cover the skirmishing that you mention, we released just the voltigeurs of the 85th Line in firing poses. This type of release was designed purposes to allow displays showing a full battalion in close order formation as well as deployed skirmishers out in Front. The Westphalian Jaegers and Wurttemberg Jaegers, both light infantry, were also designed to be used as skirmishers in the same display.
For Waterloo in specific, you are correct that massed skirmishers were engaged in and around the woods south of hougoumont, the orchard, walled garden etc... This is primarily due to the fact that close order formations simply can't operate in such terrain (which is also usually why you seldom see entire divisions deployed in such terrain - Waterloo was certainly an exception and you can see how that attack worked out). Jerome's Division which lead the assault on the area you speak of also consisted of an inordinate number of light regiments. Typically, a division would have 3 line and 1 light regiment. Jerome's was nearly all light if I remember correctly (going off of the top of my head here). So his men were trained to operate effectively in large open skirmish order. Line battalions only have a single company of skirmishers while light battalions often deploy up to 5 companies as skirmishers, so in the woods and broken ground around waterloo you see a massed skirmish battle between the french and allied light infantry units.
How will First Legion represent the fact of skirmishers playing a large role in Napoleonic Wars? Well, as per our current French Line infantry, we already do to some extent. Of course, the most logical answer is that we haven't released any French Legere regiments yet and those are certainly something we will cover and when we do, we'll provide options both for skirmishing and close order supports. As for the Waterloo Allies and other European powers such as Russia, there are already several skirmishing units and figures on our workbench (Russian Jaegers, Brunswick Advanced Guard Jaegers, etc.).
The key to remember in all of this, though, is that while skirmishers typically operated between formed enemy units and were generally used to wear down an opposing line of battle (hence the need to be countered by their own skirmishers), they rarely if ever came into close contact with an enemy force. The exception to this is of course a situation like Waterloo with combat in the woods (or at Borodino in the woods south of the Fleches) where close order units simply couldn't operate and the combatants were all deployed in open skirmish order. Other than this, skirmishers were usually easily driven back upon their supports by cavalry or by a determined infantry advance in close order formation. Thus, for example, the British skirmishers which would have lined the ridges at Waterloo served both as the eyes of the army as well as to pepper the advancing French columns with musket fire until they themselves were driven back into their support units by advancing French Skirmishers and close order formations. Once the French crested the ridge in close order, their skirmishers as well would collapse back on to their close order formations. So in the end, though skirmishers play an important preliminary role in softening up the enemy, the deciding combat is usually determined by close order formations firing at one another until one or the other gives way. So, close order still dominates the battlefield. My point here is that most displays I see typically involve skirmishing forces. While many of them are excellent and of course accurate, our goal is to allow you to recreate both the skirmishing formations as well as their close order supporting formations so that displays can look more the part of a full pitched battle with skirmishers out in front and close order formations coming up behind.
Regards,
Matt
First Legion Ltd
You are correct of course, that skirmishers represented a major element of Napoleonic warfare. The French adopted tactics focused on the heavy use of skirmishers before the other continental powers, but after having been defeated again and again the other powers also began using them in greater numbers. If you notice with our release of the French Line Infantry, we released the 61st Line Advancing in close order with fusiliers, grenadiers, and voltigeurs. However, to cover the skirmishing that you mention, we released just the voltigeurs of the 85th Line in firing poses. This type of release was designed purposes to allow displays showing a full battalion in close order formation as well as deployed skirmishers out in Front. The Westphalian Jaegers and Wurttemberg Jaegers, both light infantry, were also designed to be used as skirmishers in the same display.
For Waterloo in specific, you are correct that massed skirmishers were engaged in and around the woods south of hougoumont, the orchard, walled garden etc... This is primarily due to the fact that close order formations simply can't operate in such terrain (which is also usually why you seldom see entire divisions deployed in such terrain - Waterloo was certainly an exception and you can see how that attack worked out). Jerome's Division which lead the assault on the area you speak of also consisted of an inordinate number of light regiments. Typically, a division would have 3 line and 1 light regiment. Jerome's was nearly all light if I remember correctly (going off of the top of my head here). So his men were trained to operate effectively in large open skirmish order. Line battalions only have a single company of skirmishers while light battalions often deploy up to 5 companies as skirmishers, so in the woods and broken ground around waterloo you see a massed skirmish battle between the french and allied light infantry units.
How will First Legion represent the fact of skirmishers playing a large role in Napoleonic Wars? Well, as per our current French Line infantry, we already do to some extent. Of course, the most logical answer is that we haven't released any French Legere regiments yet and those are certainly something we will cover and when we do, we'll provide options both for skirmishing and close order supports. As for the Waterloo Allies and other European powers such as Russia, there are already several skirmishing units and figures on our workbench (Russian Jaegers, Brunswick Advanced Guard Jaegers, etc.).
The key to remember in all of this, though, is that while skirmishers typically operated between formed enemy units and were generally used to wear down an opposing line of battle (hence the need to be countered by their own skirmishers), they rarely if ever came into close contact with an enemy force. The exception to this is of course a situation like Waterloo with combat in the woods (or at Borodino in the woods south of the Fleches) where close order units simply couldn't operate and the combatants were all deployed in open skirmish order. Other than this, skirmishers were usually easily driven back upon their supports by cavalry or by a determined infantry advance in close order formation. Thus, for example, the British skirmishers which would have lined the ridges at Waterloo served both as the eyes of the army as well as to pepper the advancing French columns with musket fire until they themselves were driven back into their support units by advancing French Skirmishers and close order formations. Once the French crested the ridge in close order, their skirmishers as well would collapse back on to their close order formations. So in the end, though skirmishers play an important preliminary role in softening up the enemy, the deciding combat is usually determined by close order formations firing at one another until one or the other gives way. So, close order still dominates the battlefield. My point here is that most displays I see typically involve skirmishing forces. While many of them are excellent and of course accurate, our goal is to allow you to recreate both the skirmishing formations as well as their close order supporting formations so that displays can look more the part of a full pitched battle with skirmishers out in front and close order formations coming up behind.
Regards,
Matt
First Legion Ltd
I certainly do appreciate the use of the firing figure voltigeurs of the 85th Line for the Skirmisher role, that is why I have a number of those now. Will there be some comparable British versions for Waterloo? Also, as I see for your Jaegers, will there be French and British figures in the varied moving and other positions that suppliment the firing ones? Of course, we need some hand to hand fighters for those parts of Waterloo as well it seems.
