The War of the Spanish Succession project is coming along at a steady pace and I completing units at the rate of two a week. My initial goal is to create enough units for some One-Hour Wargaming gaming using the scenarios, which will mean each army will require:
- 4 Infantry
- 2 Dragoons
- 2 Artillery
- 2 Cavalry
A command stand will also be included, possibly just for completeness and the look.
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| Units completed so far. |
I have a been reading a few books on the armies and their tactics.
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| Current reading |
So far in my reading I have gleaned:
- Cavalry has two types - horse and dragoons
- Cavalry make up about 30% of armies on average
- Dragoons reconnoitred ahead and protected flanks
- Brigades were ad-hoc formations
- Cavalry were to engage and defeat enemy cavalry, then fall upon enemy trains, guns and infantry
- Infantry faced each other at about 60 yards and blazed away until the nerve of one side failed
- Guns slow rate of movement
- Guns used to support the destruction of strong points
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| This weekend's task waiting for the scissors to snip out two more units |
Hi Peter,
ReplyDeleteYour progress on this Project is terrific- you'l soon get to battle. I wanted to do Marlborough in 6mm with Baccus Figures- I had the figures though decided against it- fearing I could not paint 6mm. Always regretted not going through with the Project. Cheers. KEV.
Thanks KEV. It is a period I have wanted to do for a while after reading about Marlborough many, many years ago.
DeleteHi Kev. I urge you to give it a try. Remember that you won’t be able to see any detail from normal distance when the figures are on the table. Hats, coat colours and that’s about all you notice.
DeleteYou make good progress on this project!
ReplyDeleteThanks. It should take about two months to complete at the pace I am going.
DeleteThere were a few early hussars and grenadiers were the specialists for everything from their classical storming role through advance guard detachments and skirmishing - in fact anything that wasn't standard marching and fighting usually fell to them.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to how you're going to construct a campaign for them.
Thanks for the information, there are hussars and grenadiers in the paper soldiers book and they will definitely be making an appearance. With any campaign I will have to consider sieges (somehow).
DeleteIf you get the chance, I would heartily recommend any of the books on the WSS written by James Falkner. His knowledge of the period is incredible and his books are very readable. I had the great honour to visit all of the Duke of Marlborough's famous battlefields in his company and he was a very entertaining guide and an all round splendid chap.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tip. I will do some investigating.
DeleteExcellent. I'd recommend some of John Childs' works on the period (or the decade just before it). He elaborates quite nicely on (1) how the arms complemented one another and (2) how inefficient a lot of this warfare was, and how inept the generals could be.
ReplyDeleteI believe that's why I like to wargame this period...I have an excuse for bad decision making :)
The more I read the more interesting it is as a period. I will look out for Childs' work. Thanks.
DeleteNice progress Peter. Of the points you list above I think that point 6 is really important. Infantry vs infantry was very much a firefight, unless assaulting a position - even then it could devolve into a standoff firefight.
ReplyDeleteI second Andy's suggestion of getting some James Falkner books. Very readable.
Thanks. I will be keeping an eye out for these books.
DeleteTen units a side, plus a General and perhaps a unit each of Hussars and Grenadiers per side, about 25 units total, should make a nice, tidy force. The Paper soldiers look great once again!
ReplyDeleteI am hoping the force composition (with additional Hussars, etc) should be sufficient for my 6x4 foot tabletop. The unit frontage is 7 inches.
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