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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
John1 Wrote:680 mile sail to London ????

6 knots = 7 mph = 4 days sailing to London?

But only if they sailed 24 hours a day. Sailing at night while hugging the coast, as they probably would have done, would be extraordinarily dangerous. It is more likely that they would have beached the boat(s) or found a sheltered anchorage overnight. Assuming that your distances and speeds are correct, this means that a voyage at the time of the summer solstice (16 hours of daylight) would have taken a minimum of 6 days and, at the time of the equinox, a minimum of 8 days. Let's split the difference and say that the voyage would have taken about a week, on your figures shorter than a legion marching but longer than a cavalry dash.

We therefore have three options:

1.  Paulinus proceeds to London with his army. This is the slowest method but means that he is in constant communication with his troops and can react immediately to any situation that might arise. Also, if on arrival in London he finds that the rebels are fewer in number than anticipated, he could give battle immediately. Scouts can ride ahead of the army to report on any problems that might be encountered.

2. Cavalry dash. This gets him to London quicker but with few troops. Some of his men can scout ahead and look for signs of danger and, if he finds his way blocked, he can return to his army. On the other hand, he is vulnerable to ambush or to the enemy getting behind him and barring him from his army. In that event, he might be able to extricate himself but it is more likely that he would be trapped and his small party wiped out. This would leave his army and the province leaderless until one of the legionary legates is able to pick up the reins. He is in tenuous contact with his army, so that, if it encountered unexpected difficulties, a dispatch rider could be sent down to fetch him back. How long this might take would depend on the relative speeds of the two and the availability of remounts.

3.  Sea voyage. He is personally safe from the enemy until such time as he chooses to leave London to rejoin his army but this separates him entirely from his troops. There is no way to maintain contact, no one will know precisely where he is at any given time and he will not know how his army has fared until he reaches London at the earliest. Likewise, he will not know what awaits him in London until he gets there.

Which of these options is a cautious general who likes to leave nothing to chance most likely to choose?
Michael King Macdona

And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
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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
RE: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand. - by Renatus - 05-23-2020, 04:17 PM

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