Firing drills - rules design implications.
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 4:54 pm
I am trying to get my head around period firing drills and their implications for a game as far as I can see form what I have read for 1680-1700 they seem to have been either some sort of rotational drill designed to keep up a constant hail of fire on an opponent whist still retaining some loaded weapons to fire if needed. Or some sort of section "platoon" fire system where the unit was split into firing sub units who would volley and reload whilst other sub units fired this was to increase the shock effect of the fire whilst keeping up a continual hail of fire.
Volley fire was rather limited and not particularly liked as the loading drills where slower and more involved than later and infantry did not like to be caught unloaded, especially in the open by horse, when their only protection was a bayonet which stopped you shooting back, or a handful of pikemen. I am coming to the opinion that any thing like later volley fire would be limited to troops in a defensive position and the start of the fire fight and then only by troops of reasonable quality.
I also rather get the impression that moving a line once it was in a fire fight was a bit of a task for its officers
I however expect to be educated about this by more learned fellows on the forum.
Ginger
Volley fire was rather limited and not particularly liked as the loading drills where slower and more involved than later and infantry did not like to be caught unloaded, especially in the open by horse, when their only protection was a bayonet which stopped you shooting back, or a handful of pikemen. I am coming to the opinion that any thing like later volley fire would be limited to troops in a defensive position and the start of the fire fight and then only by troops of reasonable quality.
I also rather get the impression that moving a line once it was in a fire fight was a bit of a task for its officers
I however expect to be educated about this by more learned fellows on the forum.
Ginger