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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
#55
Quote:I think the 'forest obstacle' is certainly intended as tactical rather than strategic. We probably shouldn't be too eager to go looking for likely forests though - patterns of forestation have changed almost totally in the last two thousand years.

Hmmm - well, the report only really claims two forts, which are the supposed twin marching camps around Castle Dykes. There could be another fortlet to the westwards, and some possibility of an embankment. Trouble is, Tacitus doesn't actually mention fortifications of this sort, or the use of artillery.

Totally agree about the forests, even more so after seeing Roberts deflation of the TP. In the case of the Church Stowe Ridge the whole perimeter north and south has a reasonable stream which could well have been unmanaged alder/willow scrub at the time, and that is really impassable in any meaningful way.

I assumed marching camps of this scale would be an intrinsic component of the campaign with 10,000 troops massing in one location over a series of days or a week. Depending on which translation you read Boudicca's speech pours scorn on the Romans hiding in their camps/behind their embankments (from memory), another case for field fortifications. Paulinus would surely be nuts to do anything other than take the first British charge from behind prepared positions.

The two enclosures referenced are both 2.4ha, what size of force would a site of that scale contain, I had read 1000 infantry or 500 cavalry, any thoughts?

As for artillery, my naive understanding was that a full Legion (XIV) would be carrying 60 Scorpio's as a matter of course, this I had assumed would be augmented by whatever they could purloin from the Twentieth and other sources, so a potential of around 100 units. Is this scenario unlikely?

As for the battlefront, if you have a Legion (XIV) 8 men deep that would be about a 600m battle front, a good fit for the saddle and the valley bottom. Leaving the vexillation of the XXth or their equivalent in number to man the forts, or abandon the uneccessary one to the west whilst the dice is rolled big time in hitting the Brits between their assaults.
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Messages In This Thread
Re: Calling all armchair generals! - by Ensifer - 03-11-2010, 03:13 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by John1 - 09-06-2011, 01:21 AM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-18-2012, 06:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 12:02 AM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 02:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 05:40 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 11:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 05:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 09:42 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 10:10 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:25 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 08:36 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-26-2012, 02:57 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-27-2012, 01:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 08-05-2012, 02:24 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-07-2014, 02:18 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-08-2014, 01:50 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-11-2014, 02:03 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-18-2014, 07:54 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-20-2014, 02:37 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-25-2014, 08:29 AM

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