Williamite Foot at the Boyne, pike to shot ratios.

A section devoted to questions and answers for this period.
Post Reply
BerkshireJacobite
Private First Class
Private First Class
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2012 8:40 pm

Williamite Foot at the Boyne, pike to shot ratios.

Post by BerkshireJacobite » Sun Dec 09, 2012 2:50 pm

I am planning to build in miniature the armies of both sides at the Battle of the Boyne.
I need information on the shot to pike ratios of the Williamite foot regiments present.
Can anyone supply this information or links to on-line sources?
turrabear
Major General
Major General
Posts: 522
Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2012 10:33 pm

Re: Williamite Foot at the Boyne, pike to shot ratios.

Post by turrabear » Sun Dec 09, 2012 8:11 pm

would be great if someone could post the pike to shot ratio for the williamite foot. i know ray has done an exallent job for the jacobite foot.
BerkshireJacobite
Private First Class
Private First Class
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2012 8:40 pm

Re: Williamite Foot at the Boyne, pike to shot ratios.

Post by BerkshireJacobite » Sun Dec 09, 2012 8:44 pm

Graf Bretlach has, very kindly, supplied numbers for the Williamite forces. Has anyone got pike to shot ratios for the Foot?
User avatar
quindia
General
General
Posts: 1259
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:51 am
Location: Chesapeake, VA USA
Contact:

Re: Williamite Foot at the Boyne, pike to shot ratios.

Post by quindia » Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:35 pm

Most of the foreign troops in William's army (i.e. not Anglo-Irish) did not carry pikes, or sported so few as to not be necessary modeling for the tabletop...

Of the foot engaged at the main crossing around Oldbridge, only Hamner's would have pikes, though I'm not sure of the ratio...
turrabear
Major General
Major General
Posts: 522
Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2012 10:33 pm

Re: Williamite Foot at the Boyne, pike to shot ratios.

Post by turrabear » Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:26 am

the danish and hugonot regiment's didn't carry the pike at all . only the danish guard regiment had a grenadier company in ireland. william's irish forces would have had the pike i also suspect that they would have been armed with matchlock musket's not flintlock musket's . not entirly sure if they had grenadier companies . british regiments would have had the pike , but as far as i can rember not all british regiment's had flintlock's . as for the dutch i think they may still have retained the pike but at what ratio to musket's i'm not very sure.
EvilGinger
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Posts: 462
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:27 am
Location: Burton On Trent

Re: Williamite Foot at the Boyne, pike to shot ratios.

Post by EvilGinger » Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:35 am

My guess would be 1:5 or 6 at best as the pike was by this point only there as a defence against cavalry. The only exceptions to this would be newly raised formations which lacked sufficient fire arms these could well have been all or mostly pike.

I am also of the mind that such formations would have tried to replace pikes with firearms as quickly as possible & that the Boyne was well into the campaign if I recall correctly.

This is where Beneath the Lilly banners is so cunning as pike bases are really only markers signifying the presence of pike in a unit & with the rules having no fixed figure to man ratio you dont have to worry about ratios.

:evil: Ginger
Graf Bretlach
Captain
Captain
Posts: 146
Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:27 pm

Re: Williamite Foot at the Boyne, pike to shot ratios.

Post by Graf Bretlach » Tue Dec 11, 2012 11:35 pm

no pike ratios (although 1/5 sounds OK) but people may find this interesting.

battle of boyne picture
http://www.digam.net/?dok=2750

odb written for August 1690 William
http://www.digam.net/?dok=2749

odb drawing for August 1690 William
http://www.digam.net/?dok=2748
Graf Bretlach
Captain
Captain
Posts: 146
Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:27 pm

Re: Williamite Foot at the Boyne, pike to shot ratios.

Post by Graf Bretlach » Tue Dec 11, 2012 11:39 pm

Sorry don't no why I put august in there.
Bazz
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2013 10:20 pm

Re: Williamite Foot at the Boyne, pike to shot ratios.

Post by Bazz » Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:02 am

According to a discussion on the 'Pike and Shot Society' group on Williamite Dutch Infantry the "official" Pike to Shot ratios for Williamite infantry were as follows:

"For the English the ratio was 1 pike to 2 muskets up to 1692-5 when it was increased to 1-3. The 3 year time span is because William was forced to re-issue the order for reduction as many colonels had ignored the original (Walton - History of the British Army). The Dutch pike to musket ratio from the mid 1680's was 1-4. (Ten Raa/Wijn - Het Staatche Leger Vols VII & VIII)"

I was actually quite surprised to learn the high ratio of pikes to shot at this date, 1-2 for the British and 1-4 for the Dutch. I do wonder how close the real ratio came to the official ratio. If you look at the review of the Jacobite army of 1/2 October 1689 there are many 1-2 ratios, but also quite a few 1-5/6/7/10 ratios. I have a sneeking suspicion that both armies were not disimilar when it came to pike/shot ratios. I always believed that the jacobites had more pikes due to a lack of firearms, but that seems not to have been the case.
Post Reply