10-03-2022, 09:19 AM
Interesting. If I understand this correctly the battlefield is less a defile more of a valley. SP occupies the high ground perhaps with a horseshoe string of camps. (I present an alternative that also fits below.) In your diagram on the aerial photo there is no scale though from the field sizes I estimate the valley width, red line to red line, at about 800 metres or so and the Roman frontage shown in red is about 2,000 metres.
I asked myself - "convince me why Boudicca leads a "charge of the Light Brigade" up the valley?"
So Boudicca arrives at the end of the valley with her huge force. The valley (blue arrow) is about 1,500 metres (half a league?) long and at the valley end she sees the Legionaries (or their marching camp?). Just what she expects to see as her forces have already seen them. Maybe SPs scouts have feigned retreats to draw Boudicca on? The reserves brought up by SP, Auxiliaries and cavalry, are concealed in the woods or behind the ridge crest. Overnight Boudicca's massive force encamps, a conference of chiefs takes place, the wives and waggons form their camps and there is much confidence and beer, mead, wine. In the morning the tribes form up. Chiefs, warlords, Boudicca and others fire up the warriors' fervour. No doubt carnyx horns are blaring. Behind them the women, wives, camp followers move up behind and add their encouragement standing on their wagons to get a better view. All this takes time and the Romans infuriatingly stand silent. Whether by command or when the war blood was high the tribes charge.
So it is possible.
However, why did Boudicca's scouts miss the Roman camps on the high ground and not to explore the options of fighting on broken ground and woods at which her forces are better than the Romans? Had SP, perhaps taken a leaf out of Caesar's book and made his camp undersized deliberately to hide the number of troops that he had?
If this is the case then SP was clearly a brilliant commander, a risk taker as his flanks could be enveloped and was very lucky.
I asked myself - "convince me why Boudicca leads a "charge of the Light Brigade" up the valley?"
So Boudicca arrives at the end of the valley with her huge force. The valley (blue arrow) is about 1,500 metres (half a league?) long and at the valley end she sees the Legionaries (or their marching camp?). Just what she expects to see as her forces have already seen them. Maybe SPs scouts have feigned retreats to draw Boudicca on? The reserves brought up by SP, Auxiliaries and cavalry, are concealed in the woods or behind the ridge crest. Overnight Boudicca's massive force encamps, a conference of chiefs takes place, the wives and waggons form their camps and there is much confidence and beer, mead, wine. In the morning the tribes form up. Chiefs, warlords, Boudicca and others fire up the warriors' fervour. No doubt carnyx horns are blaring. Behind them the women, wives, camp followers move up behind and add their encouragement standing on their wagons to get a better view. All this takes time and the Romans infuriatingly stand silent. Whether by command or when the war blood was high the tribes charge.
So it is possible.
However, why did Boudicca's scouts miss the Roman camps on the high ground and not to explore the options of fighting on broken ground and woods at which her forces are better than the Romans? Had SP, perhaps taken a leaf out of Caesar's book and made his camp undersized deliberately to hide the number of troops that he had?
If this is the case then SP was clearly a brilliant commander, a risk taker as his flanks could be enveloped and was very lucky.
Alan
Lives in Caledonia not far from the Antonine Wall.
Lives in Caledonia not far from the Antonine Wall.
