Thread Rating:
  • 4 Vote(s) - 5 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
(09-07-2018, 12:42 PM)Nathan Ross Wrote:
(09-07-2018, 11:29 AM)Renatus Wrote: the narrower the defile, within reason, the better. That way, the Britons trying to funnel into a relatively narrow gap would tend to bunch together and impede each other, presenting a solid target

Yes, that sounds absolutely right, and tactically I think that was exactly the purpose of the 'defile'.

If we go with my rough estimate above for Paulinus's force (8640 infantry and 1384 cavalry), the infantry drawn up in one unbroken line eight men deep would occupy 1080 metres - or just over half a mile. Ten deep they would cover 864 metres. Twelve deep would be 720 metres. Sixteen deep (two lines of eight ranks) would be 540 metres. Eighteen (three lines of six ranks) deep would be 480 metres. I would say this is the very minimum frontage possible.

Allowing for a few gaps in the line between units, this would give us a possible range of between 500 metres and 1100 metres (0.3 to 0.7 of a mile). This is assuming that the auxiliary infantry formed a line with the legionaries, and were not on the hill slopes to either side, and that the cavalry occupied the hills and were not in the defile. All these considerations would add variables to the calculation, of course.

I must say, I don't think I've seen any suitable sites, either by peering at topographical maps or suggested by other people, that fall much outside those general parameters. My proposed line at Newground is c.800-900 metres, but if turned obliquely into the valley below Wiggington it could be c.490. South-eastern and central England are quite short on narrower valleys with pronounced slopes - the higher the elevation on either side, the wider the valley tends to be. I'd be interested to see any you might have in mind though!
That number of infantry and cavalry can fight on battlefields up to 2-3km wide, but would prefer perhaps 1-1.5m wide. However that very much depends on how the cavalry are being used. If you don't intend using the cavalry, then anything less than 900m is going to start reducing your fighting effectiveness (not having enough men engaged).

And to put it simply, if Paulinus did chose to go "down a rabbit burrow" less than 500m wide, which was too difficult for the Britons to get into ... but was likewise difficult for Paulinus to get out of ... why bother going in after him? Just wait him out until he starves. He had to draw them in.

The standard tactics for defeating are large rabble are:

1. To draw them into battle in a way where they rush headlong at the Romans (so little point in it being too defensive)
2. To stop the front ranks dead in the water (using a combination of depth, order and brutal killing efficiency).
3. To shock them into sudden retreat and slaughter them as they flee in disorder (using the timely and targetted use of re-enforcements)

The best shock troops are calvary (or light infantry) which can quickly out-manoeuvre the enemy and attack them from the rear. But this requires space on the battlefield to allow the cavalry to get around the back. And space also gives the allusion of a poorly defended army.

1400 cavalry probably want around 1km of open space to launch an assault. I would be surprised if the cavalry were used in a single line, so if we assume two attacking waves of 700 horses that needs around 500m.

Anything less that 1km and you're going to start killing as many Romans as Britons when the cavalry charge.
Oh the grand oh Duke Suetonius, he had a Roman legion, he galloped rushed down to (a minor settlement called) Londinium then he galloped rushed back again. Londinium Bridge is falling down, falling down ... HOLD IT ... change of plans, we're leaving the bridge for Boudica and galloping rushing north.
Reply


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
RE: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand. - by MonsGraupius - 09-07-2018, 03:13 PM

Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Armchair Wall walking mcbishop 3 3,479 01-11-2012, 03:22 AM
Last Post: Vindex

Forum Jump: