03-06-2001, 01:40 PM
The issue of rotation has always been a mystery for me.<br>
Goldworthy mentions lulls in the fighting due to fatigue that could allow rotations but I have a series of comments and questions. Situation: I am a soldier and in front of me there is an opponent. Correctly Goldsworthy points out the there is a whole spectrum of aggressiveness from wild (attacking and out to kill) to mild (just on the defensive trying to stay alive). Both him and I tire at different rates according to training and constitution. Two ways to change a line come to my mind: all at once (like musketeers), or as needed individually (a continuous rotation). Lets indicate the first with MR (musketeer rotation), the second with CR (continuous rotation).<br>
The problem with MR is what will the opposing line do: will the enemy let us do a ballet? Will the rotating lines be momentarily vulnerable to a dashing charge or missile barrage? The only way I can imagine MR to succeed is if supported by a barrage of missiles of the upcoming second line. The soldiers of the opposing line would be stooping and covering themselves with their shields to meet the barrage and then would need to a certain amount of time to recompose themselves immediately after receiving (before sticking my head out I would want to make sure its all over! The dead and wounded need to be replaced and the continuity of the line re-established). During that time interval the rotation would be completed. To increase the time interval one could also have the third or forth lines throw their missiles in successive waves. The enemy would have to wait out the end of this bombardment in a defensive stance. The problem with this is how many pila would the legion have to carry to allow a certain number of line changes? A little math: number of legionary lines TIMES two pila per legionary DIVIDED by the number of supporting lines (1 if only second line throws, 2 if the third line participates etc) = maximum number of rotations supported by pila barrage. Considering one rotation every 5-15 minutes would then give the maximum duration in minutes a battle in this regime of pila supported rotations could last. Maybe more pila could be supplied from the rear?<br>
The problem with continuous rotation (CR) mode might be the difficulty of an individual to break away from his opponent. Could training and armour help make the legionary less exposed and in a better position to impose a rhythm and time scale in dueling with a badly trained barbarian? What about fighting other legionaries (wasteful civil wars). Maybe CR rotation occurred when the fighting was fatigue dominated AND/OR once everyone ran out of missiles. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/ugoffredo.showPublicProfile?language=EN>goffredo</A> at: 3/6/01 4:26:49 pm<br></i>
Goldworthy mentions lulls in the fighting due to fatigue that could allow rotations but I have a series of comments and questions. Situation: I am a soldier and in front of me there is an opponent. Correctly Goldsworthy points out the there is a whole spectrum of aggressiveness from wild (attacking and out to kill) to mild (just on the defensive trying to stay alive). Both him and I tire at different rates according to training and constitution. Two ways to change a line come to my mind: all at once (like musketeers), or as needed individually (a continuous rotation). Lets indicate the first with MR (musketeer rotation), the second with CR (continuous rotation).<br>
The problem with MR is what will the opposing line do: will the enemy let us do a ballet? Will the rotating lines be momentarily vulnerable to a dashing charge or missile barrage? The only way I can imagine MR to succeed is if supported by a barrage of missiles of the upcoming second line. The soldiers of the opposing line would be stooping and covering themselves with their shields to meet the barrage and then would need to a certain amount of time to recompose themselves immediately after receiving (before sticking my head out I would want to make sure its all over! The dead and wounded need to be replaced and the continuity of the line re-established). During that time interval the rotation would be completed. To increase the time interval one could also have the third or forth lines throw their missiles in successive waves. The enemy would have to wait out the end of this bombardment in a defensive stance. The problem with this is how many pila would the legion have to carry to allow a certain number of line changes? A little math: number of legionary lines TIMES two pila per legionary DIVIDED by the number of supporting lines (1 if only second line throws, 2 if the third line participates etc) = maximum number of rotations supported by pila barrage. Considering one rotation every 5-15 minutes would then give the maximum duration in minutes a battle in this regime of pila supported rotations could last. Maybe more pila could be supplied from the rear?<br>
The problem with continuous rotation (CR) mode might be the difficulty of an individual to break away from his opponent. Could training and armour help make the legionary less exposed and in a better position to impose a rhythm and time scale in dueling with a badly trained barbarian? What about fighting other legionaries (wasteful civil wars). Maybe CR rotation occurred when the fighting was fatigue dominated AND/OR once everyone ran out of missiles. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/ugoffredo.showPublicProfile?language=EN>goffredo</A> at: 3/6/01 4:26:49 pm<br></i>
Jeffery Wyss
"Si vos es non secui of solutio tunc vos es secui of preciptate."
"Si vos es non secui of solutio tunc vos es secui of preciptate."
