Post
by davidsharpe » Fri Mar 25, 2011 8:28 pm
Hello
Cavalry charging infantry in square, never, hardly ever, contact the infantry.
It happenend at Garcia Hernandez in 1812 by chance because a wounded horse from KGL heavy dragoons was shot just a few spaces from the square and fell on it, opening a breach where other dragoons entered inside the square, leading to the utterly destruction of the french batallion.
But most of the time, if not all, the cavalry evades contact by galloping right and left, allowing some square faces to fire an ineffective sporadic fires.
At Waterloo French cavalry would have been destroyed in just one charge if using RTE rules.
Historically after many "charges" two hours later, french cavalry regiments were just half strength.
It s fire which kills cavalry, never, hardly ever, close combat with infantry bayonets.
When there is a contact, it means cavalry penetrates the infantry formation and destroy it with few losses for cavalry.
So cavalry towards infantry has a two possibilities:
no contact or infantry destruction if contact.
But infantry fires can attrition cavalry, and multiples charges blown horses.
So in games, cavalry should be able to charge squares or infantry trying to form squares without being impaled on it.
And there should be a little chance the square could be penetrated, if not no players would charge it.
"British infantry ? In Duel, it s the Devil !"
Général Foy to Napoléon in the morning of june the 18th, 1815.