tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267180105171392028.post7074800343914411474..comments2024-03-28T11:27:53.788-07:00Comments on Palouse Wargaming Journal: Musketry Effectiveness on the Early Nineteenth Century Battlefield - Part 1Jonathan Freitaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862373894196924886noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267180105171392028.post-14452539424615863642012-12-22T04:44:10.583-08:002012-12-22T04:44:10.583-08:00Monty, that is an interesting conclusion regarding...Monty, that is an interesting conclusion regarding multiple weapon charges. I, too, have read of this battlefield phenomenon and it is often attributed to battlefield chaos. That is, when the tension, anxiety, smoke, and noise of a firefight envelop a combatant coupled with the pressure of maintaining the fire drill, mistakes happen. Is it equally plausible that in the heat of battle a soldier thinks he has discharged his weapon but has not?<br /><br />I have also read accounts of double-charged muskets blowing up in the face of the firer. Would the soldier take this risk if he was intent on not firing?<br /><br />Does the author specify how many double-charged weapons were found at Gettysburg? Were the numbers significant to form this inference? Perhaps, the ACW was different in this respect due to the fraternity of the common soldier on the ACW battlefield?<br /><br />Many questions and an interesting topic. Jonathan Freitaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862373894196924886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267180105171392028.post-86923121355842782592012-12-20T16:40:48.820-08:002012-12-20T16:40:48.820-08:00One of his points is the muskets gathered after Ge...One of his points is the muskets gathered after Gettysburg with multiple charges. He points out that if you forget to fire and pack another charge, it'll fire the double charge. And if you forget a third time, same-same. So when you have muskets with 5, 10 even 15 charges, it's pretty clear the combatant was mimicking his partners and not firing on purpose. <br /><br />He also reaches back to the Romans and the historical accounts of how Roman soldiers had a tendency to slice with their swords and how they had to be trained to stab, stabbing being much more lethal and difficult to do. Montyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16094254709103687259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267180105171392028.post-5872946892527327362012-12-20T05:42:38.480-08:002012-12-20T05:42:38.480-08:00...and I bet the British officer corps thought the......and I bet the British officer corps thought the American tactic as unsporting behavior.Jonathan Freitaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862373894196924886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267180105171392028.post-89992415467935894532012-12-19T18:15:42.314-08:002012-12-19T18:15:42.314-08:00I need to find my original sources, but when I was...I need to find my original sources, but when I was studying the War of 1812 I found reference to the differences in fire commands. The British used "present, fire!". The Americans used "present, AIM, fire". The casualty rates were comparable on both sides, but the British NCO & Officers casualties were significantly higher. Perhaps the Everyman has an easier time going after those of privilege...Dartfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01786991975241723198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267180105171392028.post-48023818005483789082012-12-19T17:27:38.787-08:002012-12-19T17:27:38.787-08:00I think it was the photo that cued up my memory of...I think it was the photo that cued up my memory of AoG. It has been too long since last I played it. Dartfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01786991975241723198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267180105171392028.post-43198365268294262572012-12-19T17:00:06.952-08:002012-12-19T17:00:06.952-08:00With two recommendations, I better pick up a copy!...With two recommendations, I better pick up a copy!<br /><br />Do you think the premise of training soldiers to shoot to kill was applicable in the early 19th century? Few armies did much live ammo musket drilling and soldiers were trained not to aim and fire but to level their muskets and fire. With smoke quickly obscuring the battlefield, targets wouldn't be visible for long anyway. I say the common recruit was barely trained to shoot. <br /><br />If you were being charged by a line of infantry would you purposely fire astray knowing that your opposition was set on skewering you?<br /><br />You'll see in following entries that the model would easily accommodate this thesis by simply adjusting the misfire rate.<br /><br />Appreciate the book recommendation and your comments.Jonathan Freitaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862373894196924886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267180105171392028.post-53434248319638614922012-12-19T16:48:44.328-08:002012-12-19T16:48:44.328-08:00The Anatomy of Glory (AoG) engine pre-dates this s...The Anatomy of Glory (AoG) engine pre-dates this study. You may recall that AoG used poisson distribution to model inter-arrival times of volleys. Better quality troops had the greater probability of throwing more lead downfield with greater impact in any given time interval (smaller mean time between volleys).<br /><br />Do you recognize the battle scene? That photo was from our Handlkirchen game.<br /><br />Thanks for the feedback. Jonathan Freitaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862373894196924886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267180105171392028.post-63578659841723446852012-12-19T14:37:01.958-08:002012-12-19T14:37:01.958-08:00I second Dartfrog's recommendation.
I'm r...I second Dartfrog's recommendation.<br /><br />I'm reading Grossman's "On Killing" right now and it makes the case that most soldiers must be trained to shoot to kill. He pulls up quite a lot of stuff to back that up-ACW forward. I'm quite persuaded. Good read. Montyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16094254709103687259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267180105171392028.post-10169515215911957082012-12-19T12:55:17.192-08:002012-12-19T12:55:17.192-08:00Great analysis. Was this the project that led int...Great analysis. Was this the project that led into your Anatomy of Glory rules?<br /><br />You may also want to look at Dave Grossman's "On Killing" he addresses the additional issue of soldiers actively trying to avoid hitting one another under actual combat conditions. Dartfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01786991975241723198noreply@blogger.com