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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
Quote:If SP left with his refugees they would have travelled at least 10 miles per day. We understand from Tacitus that the Brythons destroyed London and this would have delayed them for at least 2 days. SP would have been far away by the time the Brythons left London and would increase the distance between them as time went on.

Ah, but only if Paulinus was retreating at a constant speed, and the Britons were pursuing constantly too. The rebels may have 'pressed upon him' (Dio) in a static position, or a succession of them, while he waited for reinforcements. If I'm right about Paulinus using a 'Fabian' delay strategy, he would have needed to stay close to the rebel army, counting on his superior speed to pull back ahead of them if he needed to. This doesn't mean he was fleeing away from them the whole time though.

Here's my current hypothesis:

Stage 1: Paulinus leaves London with refugees and withdraws 19 miles to St Albans. He remains here for several days, waiting for reinforcement along Akeman street from the west. The Iceni are plundering London and the surrounding area.

Stage 2: The Iceni get their collective act together and move north against St Albans. Paulinus, realising that reinforcements aren't coming from the west and unable to hold St Albans, withdraws again 9 miles to Dunstable. He takes up a new position there and waits. He could still be reinforced along the Iknield Way, possibly by the remains of Cerialis' force.

Stage 3: After a few days, the Iceni finish plundering St Albans and once again move north. Paulinus recognises that if he doesn't hold the Chiltern ridge he'll be pushed back into the Midlands. With the rebels approaching from the south, he resolves to stop delaying, marches a mile south himself and takes up a position in the saddle north-east of Kensworth. The battle takes place there.
Nathan Ross
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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 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
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Nathan Ross - 11-02-2012, 07:00 PM

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