The Original L'Aigle Thread, for the sake of history. Be ye warned.

[1er_Gren_Mr_T]

Usually the infantry regiments would form three ranks with none crouched, these were the Line of Battle, of course it being Napoleon's era, the more common infantry formation was the column.

 

[11sparky11]

How much better were the French columns in melee than the rest? Did they receive special training?

 

[djogloc02]

I think Old Guard is very good at melee combat. Young Guard is good in ranged and a bit better in melee than line infantry.

 

[Evelyn]

Old Guard is very good at melee combat. Young Guard is good in ranged and a bit better in melee than line infantry.

Are you just taking unit stats from Napoleon Total War and calling them facts?

 

[djogloc02]

I would be very happy if my computer could run Napoleon Total War. And I forgot to write "I think". Fixed.

 

[1er_Gren_Mr_T]

How much better were the French columns in melee than the rest? Did they receive special training?

The French were generally very skilled in column and knew how to use them, but the French artillery also played a part in the column's success as they weakened the enemy line and then the columns were sent in to penetrate the hopefully weakened enemy. Its a certainty that the French trained in using to column.

I would be very happy if my computer could run Napoleon Total War. And I forgot to write "I think". Fixed.

Be careful with NTW, it is incredibly inaccurate.

 

[Vicccard]

How much better were the French columns in melee than the rest? Did they receive special training?

The idea is that you have so many people walking into a line you win by sheer numbers and brute force.
A commander of a Dutch militia batallion at waterloo noted how French columns simply smashes their way into the Allied lines. Apart from that, it's also easier to keep your men together. Advancing in line was very difficult.

And now for something completly different. Will we see some vizorless cossack hats? I quite like both, but the vizorless just looks so funny. I just recently ran into them, so that's why I'm asking it so late.

 

[Patchouli Knowledge]

Like this? I don't know if I'll bother adding them, but I would like more variation in the Cossack uniforms.

 

[BenKenobi]

Hopefully the mini-series Steven Spielberg is going to be making will be good and to the way Kubrick wanted it.

Well, it is not, since Kubrick's movies are not made only by script. It would be impossible to do it in a way Kubrick wanted it, since you somehow dont have Kubrick. You could have done this with, say, Lucas, but definitely not with Kubrick.

 

[Bluehawk]

If you mean the low forage caps like this, worn by all rankers and not just cossacks:

Spoiler

It wasn't prescribed until September of 1811. Before that, the regular army both infantry and cavalry were wearing a forage cap akin to the bonnet de police. The Suhr brothers of course were witnessing an army in 1814.

Spoiler

And the tall forage cap with the visor associated with the Don Cossacks was intended for non-combatants of the regiment (cobblers, smiths, doctors etc.) yet was worn into battle, at least in the summer.

 

[Ililsa]

Regarding formations, at least in the British Army, weren't two ranks more widely used than three?

As I recall Dundas advised three, but it was hotly debated.

 

[HoJu]

Hopefully the mini-series Steven Spielberg is going to be making will be good and to the way Kubrick wanted it.

Well, it is not, since Kubrick's movies are not made only by script. It would be impossible to do it in a way Kubrick wanted it, since you somehow dont have Kubrick. You could have done this with, say, Lucas, but definitely not with Kubrick.

The tears of the tortured actors just added that special Kubrick flavour 

 

[Rangerplus10]

Regarding formations, at least in the British Army, weren't two ranks more widely used than three?

As I recall Dundas advised three, but it was hotly debated.

I've also always heard two was the British norm.

 

[DiplexHeated]

Regarding formations, at least in the British Army, weren't two ranks more widely used than three?

As I recall Dundas advised three, but it was hotly debated.

I've also always heard two was the British norm.

Most paintings and recreations that I've seen from various battles show lines using two-deep file, but the tree-deep file was officially prescribed by the drill book.

 

[RoboSenshi]

Here's an in depth article on the matter, if your interested.

 

[Vicccard]

Like this? I don't know if I'll bother adding them, but I would like more variation in the Cossack uniforms.

Like the mounted guy on the left.

I've also seen a version with silver braid, apparantly for an officer or such. Of course, I'm not sure how accurate it was.

 

[zois]

THAT VIDEO GAVE ME CANCER....... A Single russian scundrell killing guardsmen in a rooftop. and for gods shake where was the blood... anyway since when napoleon used air baloons to spy on enemy lines? I dropped the video at 10 mins.

 

[1er_Gren_Mr_T]

Regarding formations, at least in the British Army, weren't two ranks more widely used than three?

As I recall Dundas advised three, but it was hotly debated.

Usually the Brits did use two deep lines, though not to say it was the line they always formed, for example many troops at Waterloo were formed in 4 deep ranks.

 

[Captured Joe]

That movie is bad.

Quick, I have to watch the end of War&Peace part 2 before my brain melts.
Seriously, I love that scene.

 

[Rowaan]

THAT VIDEO GAVE ME CANCER....... A Single russian scundrell killing guardsmen in a rooftop. and for gods shake where was the blood... anyway since when napoleon used air baloons to spy on enemy lines? I dropped the video at 10 mins.

Actually France had the worlds first Air Force in the mid 1790's, Napoleon used it to spy upon the enemy in a battle (can't remember which one) but he did away with them in 1799 because he didn't like the idea of aerial combat.