No. 1 Division, D Battery, Royal Artillery, 'The Lucky Dogs'
D Battery, like most other Royal Artillery Foot Batteries, contains the standard compliment of five nine pounder cannon and a single five-and-a-half inch howitzer. Although they lack the killing power & range of the larger twelve pounder's many Nations use, the 'nines' acquit themselves well in their role of supporting infantry. Firing roundshot, shells & canister they are able to deal with whatever targets are presented to them. The howitzers, aside from firing roundshot & canister over the heads of friendly troops, are also armed with Spherical Case shot, a type of ammunition designed by Colonel Shrapnel. With the fuse cut correctly they will explode above the heads of the enemy, to rain canister and shell fragments down on to the enemy.
Each gun is crewed by a team of five men, with four gunners in reserve to replace casualties, bring forward spare wheels or more ammunition. The five gunners are listed as such;
No. 1: Gun Captain (Serjeant)
Oversees the loading, training & firing of the cannon.
No. 2: Spongeman
Equipped with a rammer, the Spongeman cleans the bore with the fleece-wrapped end of his rammer to extinguish any remnants of burning powder. Once No. 3 has loaded the powder & shot, the spongeman rams it home with the solid wooden end of the rammer.
No. 3: Loader
Responsible for loading both powder & shot into the mouth of the cannon.
No. 4: Ventsman
As the spongeman rams the charge home the ventsman, with his thumb protected by a leather sheath, covers the vent to prevent a draught igniting the powder remnants which could set off the fresh powder charge.
No. 5: Gunner
Once the gun has been loaded the gunner trains & fires the piece.
Battery History
D 'Mayall' Battery, No. 2 Company, 6th Battalion fought, under the command of Captain Mayall, through the Iberian Peninsula from early 1809 to 1814 moving from Brigade to Division to supplement the firepower of various formations. They were present at Waterloo and served as part of the occupation force until they returned to England mid-1816. The battery was disbanded in November 1816 as the Government pruned the army back to a standing peace time force. The 'nines' of D Battery were stowed away at the Woolwich Arsenal where they gathered dust, never to see action again.
D Battery, like most other Royal Artillery Foot Batteries, contains the standard compliment of five nine pounder cannon and a single five-and-a-half inch howitzer. Although they lack the killing power & range of the larger twelve pounder's many Nations use, the 'nines' acquit themselves well in their role of supporting infantry. Firing roundshot, shells & canister they are able to deal with whatever targets are presented to them. The howitzers, aside from firing roundshot & canister over the heads of friendly troops, are also armed with Spherical Case shot, a type of ammunition designed by Colonel Shrapnel. With the fuse cut correctly they will explode above the heads of the enemy, to rain canister and shell fragments down on to the enemy.
Each gun is crewed by a team of five men, with four gunners in reserve to replace casualties, bring forward spare wheels or more ammunition. The five gunners are listed as such;
No. 1: Gun Captain (Serjeant)
Oversees the loading, training & firing of the cannon.
No. 2: Spongeman
Equipped with a rammer, the Spongeman cleans the bore with the fleece-wrapped end of his rammer to extinguish any remnants of burning powder. Once No. 3 has loaded the powder & shot, the spongeman rams it home with the solid wooden end of the rammer.
No. 3: Loader
Responsible for loading both powder & shot into the mouth of the cannon.
No. 4: Ventsman
As the spongeman rams the charge home the ventsman, with his thumb protected by a leather sheath, covers the vent to prevent a draught igniting the powder remnants which could set off the fresh powder charge.
No. 5: Gunner
Once the gun has been loaded the gunner trains & fires the piece.
Battery History
D 'Mayall' Battery, No. 2 Company, 6th Battalion fought, under the command of Captain Mayall, through the Iberian Peninsula from early 1809 to 1814 moving from Brigade to Division to supplement the firepower of various formations. They were present at Waterloo and served as part of the occupation force until they returned to England mid-1816. The battery was disbanded in November 1816 as the Government pruned the army back to a standing peace time force. The 'nines' of D Battery were stowed away at the Woolwich Arsenal where they gathered dust, never to see action again.
'The Lucky Dogs' - Who are we and where have we come from?
The Lucky Dogs have established themselves across two multiplayer Warband mods as a group of friends who, with a shared love of military history, are keen on attending multiplayer events as a coordinated & organised group without the hassle of recruiting & holding training sessions. This has already worked very well for ourselves – we're all veteran M&B & M&B: Warband players, we've all played multiple mods alongside Native & are active within the Deluge & Vikingr communities. We're highly competent tactically & strategically and do not hold with ranks & ranking – those who 'hold ranks' merely do so as to give direction in battle or perform administration work, such as maintaining our forum threads. Most importantly we do not recruit. On occasion players may, for whatever reason, be invited to join us but this is very rare.
Our intention, within Napoleonic Warfare, is to work together as a coordinated, disciplined &, above all, effective artillery battery. We have found that we do very well at this and have already nailed how we will effectively serve our guns on the field.
Needless to say whilst we are labeling ourselves as an artillery unit we are interested in the other aspects of the periods warfare – namely infantry & cavalry. As such we may be seen playing infantry or cavalry as much as we play artillery and we will easily be able to adapt to playing as a coordinated infantry/cavalry unit if artillery crews are not needed for events.
The background for the 'regiment' is fictional. I'm sure there were several 'D' Batteries about but we decided to stick with fiction. The 'Mayall' refers to the actor Rik Mayall & his Bombardier beer adverts - batteries were often named after their commanding officer so we decided why not have 'Mayall'? We will always take 'proper' names for our avatars with our tag in front of it - as an example 6b_RichardFlockton.
The Lucky Dogs have established themselves across two multiplayer Warband mods as a group of friends who, with a shared love of military history, are keen on attending multiplayer events as a coordinated & organised group without the hassle of recruiting & holding training sessions. This has already worked very well for ourselves – we're all veteran M&B & M&B: Warband players, we've all played multiple mods alongside Native & are active within the Deluge & Vikingr communities. We're highly competent tactically & strategically and do not hold with ranks & ranking – those who 'hold ranks' merely do so as to give direction in battle or perform administration work, such as maintaining our forum threads. Most importantly we do not recruit. On occasion players may, for whatever reason, be invited to join us but this is very rare.
Our intention, within Napoleonic Warfare, is to work together as a coordinated, disciplined &, above all, effective artillery battery. We have found that we do very well at this and have already nailed how we will effectively serve our guns on the field.
Needless to say whilst we are labeling ourselves as an artillery unit we are interested in the other aspects of the periods warfare – namely infantry & cavalry. As such we may be seen playing infantry or cavalry as much as we play artillery and we will easily be able to adapt to playing as a coordinated infantry/cavalry unit if artillery crews are not needed for events.
The background for the 'regiment' is fictional. I'm sure there were several 'D' Batteries about but we decided to stick with fiction. The 'Mayall' refers to the actor Rik Mayall & his Bombardier beer adverts - batteries were often named after their commanding officer so we decided why not have 'Mayall'? We will always take 'proper' names for our avatars with our tag in front of it - as an example 6b_RichardFlockton.
Handling the Battery
As said in the first section 'D' Battery theoretically contains six pieces of artillery; five 'nines' and one howitzer. In view of keeping in with reality we're trimming this down to two active cannon each with a crew of three. The main reason being that when sticking to what can be portrayed by a small number we found that instead of trying to portray a fighting unit that would realistically consist of several hundred men, going with a single division of D Battery would sit better.
We man the guns with, as previously mentioned, crews of 3. The first man (Nr. 1) fulfills the role of the Gun-Captain, Ventsman & Gunner (crewmen No. 1, 4 & 5). His role is the most important, getting the shot on target to kill the enemy or destroy their defences. The two crewmen acting as loaders are as much his responsibility as training & firing the weapon.
With him is a loader (Nr. 2), ready with the ammunition, and the spongeman (Nr. 3). With one man dedicated to each task it allows for fast, coordinated loading of the guns to achieve a higher rate of fire. It also looks impressive having two men standing either side of the cannon waiting to sate its hunger with more ammunition – which is quite important!
No. 1 Divisions two cannon are completed with its Commanding Officer (Nr. 4), a Lieutenant who watches the fall of shot & corrects each cannon. He gives the orders to limber or unlimber, to switch aim, to change type of shot & when to open or cease fire.
The roles will be rotated so that none of us get stuck performing the same role constantly, which would only lead to boredom – it will also allow us to slip into each role quickly & easily in case of casualties within the battery.
Field & Siege Battery
When acting as a field battery, D Battery takes up it's standard deployment at full compliment;
The loader & spongeman stand either side of the cannons barrel, ready to leap into action to swab the barrel, load the ammunition & ram it home. The Gun-Captain then aims & fires the piece. The officer, equipped with a spyglass, then corrects the fall of the shot or alerts the battery to nearby threats.
When used as a siege battery the positions change. Instead of standing beside the barrel, Nr. 2 & 3 retreat after each shot is loaded to behind the cannon. As soon as the cannon has been fired they move forward to load the next round before retreating to behind the gun each time. This is to minimize casualties from counter-battery fire from any fortifications or to lessen the chances of being hit by marksmen or stray bullets.
As said in the first section 'D' Battery theoretically contains six pieces of artillery; five 'nines' and one howitzer. In view of keeping in with reality we're trimming this down to two active cannon each with a crew of three. The main reason being that when sticking to what can be portrayed by a small number we found that instead of trying to portray a fighting unit that would realistically consist of several hundred men, going with a single division of D Battery would sit better.
We man the guns with, as previously mentioned, crews of 3. The first man (Nr. 1) fulfills the role of the Gun-Captain, Ventsman & Gunner (crewmen No. 1, 4 & 5). His role is the most important, getting the shot on target to kill the enemy or destroy their defences. The two crewmen acting as loaders are as much his responsibility as training & firing the weapon.
With him is a loader (Nr. 2), ready with the ammunition, and the spongeman (Nr. 3). With one man dedicated to each task it allows for fast, coordinated loading of the guns to achieve a higher rate of fire. It also looks impressive having two men standing either side of the cannon waiting to sate its hunger with more ammunition – which is quite important!
No. 1 Divisions two cannon are completed with its Commanding Officer (Nr. 4), a Lieutenant who watches the fall of shot & corrects each cannon. He gives the orders to limber or unlimber, to switch aim, to change type of shot & when to open or cease fire.
The roles will be rotated so that none of us get stuck performing the same role constantly, which would only lead to boredom – it will also allow us to slip into each role quickly & easily in case of casualties within the battery.
Field & Siege Battery
When acting as a field battery, D Battery takes up it's standard deployment at full compliment;
The loader & spongeman stand either side of the cannons barrel, ready to leap into action to swab the barrel, load the ammunition & ram it home. The Gun-Captain then aims & fires the piece. The officer, equipped with a spyglass, then corrects the fall of the shot or alerts the battery to nearby threats.
When used as a siege battery the positions change. Instead of standing beside the barrel, Nr. 2 & 3 retreat after each shot is loaded to behind the cannon. As soon as the cannon has been fired they move forward to load the next round before retreating to behind the gun each time. This is to minimize casualties from counter-battery fire from any fortifications or to lessen the chances of being hit by marksmen or stray bullets.
Ranks & Ranking
As said before we do not hold with permanent ranks and we will rotate roles. So no one person will hold a set rank excepting the Battery Serjeant who maintains the administrative side of the Battery. With this said we do have a structure so that orders pass down the chain rather than having a democracy.
Lieutenant
Within the British Army of the period a Lieutenant was a junior commissioned rank, with only Ensigns, Cornets and, as is the case with the 95th Rifles, 2nd Lieutenants beneath them. To hold a Lieutenants commission an officer would generally be purchased into the army as an Ensign at a young age and then, when a Lieutenants commission was available & the man, or his family, had the money then he could purchase his way up to the rank. Sometimes the rank was awarded on merit but generally money paved the way to promotion. This had its positives & negatives but without it it is doubtful that Arthur Wellesly could have risen as he did at such a crucial period for Britain.
The role of the Lieutenant is effectively that of being the Captains aide-de-camp, or ADC. They assist with the daily running of the unit, may help their Captain with the administration and be responsible for part of the unit, whether a platoon, half-troop or division. Should their superior officer be killed, wounded or incapacitated the Lieutenant will take over command of the unit in the absence of their superior.
Battery Serjeant
The Battery Serjeant is the senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the battery, being a Serjeant of long-standing service & merit. The artillery counterpart to the infantrys Sergeant Major, the Battery Serjeant is the link between the officer & the men of the battery and vice-versa. The Battery Sergeant enforces the officers will upon the unit, oversees the daily running of the unit & deals with any problems or issues that do not merit an officers attention.
A Battery Serjeant will be promoted from the cream of the senior NCOs. They would need to be literate, have basic numeracy & the ability to impose their authority unquestioningly upon the gunners of the battery.
Serjeant/Corporal/Bombardier
The non-commissioned ranks of the Foot Artillery consisted of three full non-commissioned ranks.
Serjeants, like their infantry compatriots, are the senior NCOs of a battery and one will be assigned to each cannon within a battery as Gun-Captain. It is their duty & responsibility to see that their gun is served quickly, efficiently & effectively as well as making sure it is equipped & supplied.
Corporals, with two chevrons, are to Sergeants what Lieutenants are to Captains. They assist the Sergeant in his duties and take over his role should the Sergeant be killed or wounded or be otherwise incapacitated.
A Bombardier, during the Napoleonic Wars, was a junior Corporal and acted as a forerunner to the rank of Lance-Corporal.
Private (Gunner)
The Royal Artillery's Private soldier, the 'gunner' is at the bottom of the chain. They serve the guns, perform any manual labour, such as digging out gunpits or filling fascines or bringing up fresh shot and charges for the battery.
As said before we do not hold with permanent ranks and we will rotate roles. So no one person will hold a set rank excepting the Battery Serjeant who maintains the administrative side of the Battery. With this said we do have a structure so that orders pass down the chain rather than having a democracy.
Lieutenant
Within the British Army of the period a Lieutenant was a junior commissioned rank, with only Ensigns, Cornets and, as is the case with the 95th Rifles, 2nd Lieutenants beneath them. To hold a Lieutenants commission an officer would generally be purchased into the army as an Ensign at a young age and then, when a Lieutenants commission was available & the man, or his family, had the money then he could purchase his way up to the rank. Sometimes the rank was awarded on merit but generally money paved the way to promotion. This had its positives & negatives but without it it is doubtful that Arthur Wellesly could have risen as he did at such a crucial period for Britain.
The role of the Lieutenant is effectively that of being the Captains aide-de-camp, or ADC. They assist with the daily running of the unit, may help their Captain with the administration and be responsible for part of the unit, whether a platoon, half-troop or division. Should their superior officer be killed, wounded or incapacitated the Lieutenant will take over command of the unit in the absence of their superior.
Battery Serjeant
The Battery Serjeant is the senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the battery, being a Serjeant of long-standing service & merit. The artillery counterpart to the infantrys Sergeant Major, the Battery Serjeant is the link between the officer & the men of the battery and vice-versa. The Battery Sergeant enforces the officers will upon the unit, oversees the daily running of the unit & deals with any problems or issues that do not merit an officers attention.
A Battery Serjeant will be promoted from the cream of the senior NCOs. They would need to be literate, have basic numeracy & the ability to impose their authority unquestioningly upon the gunners of the battery.
Serjeant/Corporal/Bombardier
The non-commissioned ranks of the Foot Artillery consisted of three full non-commissioned ranks.
Serjeants, like their infantry compatriots, are the senior NCOs of a battery and one will be assigned to each cannon within a battery as Gun-Captain. It is their duty & responsibility to see that their gun is served quickly, efficiently & effectively as well as making sure it is equipped & supplied.
Corporals, with two chevrons, are to Sergeants what Lieutenants are to Captains. They assist the Sergeant in his duties and take over his role should the Sergeant be killed or wounded or be otherwise incapacitated.
A Bombardier, during the Napoleonic Wars, was a junior Corporal and acted as a forerunner to the rank of Lance-Corporal.
Private (Gunner)
The Royal Artillery's Private soldier, the 'gunner' is at the bottom of the chain. They serve the guns, perform any manual labour, such as digging out gunpits or filling fascines or bringing up fresh shot and charges for the battery.
