British Light Infantry Rifle Tactics Of The Napoleonic Wars

In an age when infantry units manoeuvred and fought in rigid blocks, the idea of encouraging initiative and allowing a unit to 'skirmish' was regarded as revolutionary and fell out of favour in the years following the French-Indian and American Revolutionary wars. It was revived by far-sighted British and foreign-mercenary officers, who observed the way in which French Revolutionary armies deployed skirmishers to prepare the way for their assault columns. Offering a detailed analysis of the tactics, this book is studded with period 'battle descriptions' quoted from eye-witness accounts, creating a comprehensive guide to the Light and Rifles units of Wellington's Light Division. As the result of the first tentative experiments in skirmishing the units achieved an unsurpassed peak of efficiency – they marched faster, were versatile in any sort of tactical situation and could shoot more accurately than either friend or foe. No other national army, either allied or enemy, achieved these standards.

The British Light Infantryman of the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) was proficient at scouting and skirmishing, and more than a match for the French and their Indian allies. Shooting rapids in canoes, traversing swamps and snowshoeing through endless tracts of forest, British redcoats earned a reputation for resilience and resourcefulness as they adapted to the wilderness conditions of North America. Their development was a watershed in the history of irregular warfare, and this book provides a full examination of their fighting methods, covering training, tactics and campaigning from Canada to the Caribbean.

Old Regime armies, recruited from a narrow social base and armed with slow-firing, short-range, inaccurate weapons, relied upon harsh discipline and formalized evolutions to attain tactical proficiency. When the French Royal Army collapsed it was replaced with a mass citizen army. This contained elements of the old tactical system but placed a new emphasis on mobility, flexibility, and individual initiative. Napoleon's rivals either imitated aspects of the French system or sought to copy the spirit of the new tactics, engineering social reforms from above and creating their own citizen armies.

The British Army that faced Napoleon in the Peninsula was small by continental standards, but it consistently out-fought larger French armies, never losing a major open-field action. Its cavalry and artillery were standard; but its infantry achieved unique results, as their tactics were brought to a peak of professional perfection by Wellington. Using contemporary instruction manuals, first-hand accounts and in-depth analysis of individual actions, this book examines exactly how Wellington was able to convert a rabble of volunteers and criminals into a well-oiled, highly disciplined and professional war-winning machine. With a detailed look at the effective use of terrain, line rather than column manoeuvres and fortification assaults, Philip Haythornthwaite reveals the crucial tactics of Wellington's army, illustrated with comprehensive maps, images and full-colour artwork.

The British Army that faced Napoleon in the Peninsula was small by continental standards, but it consistently out-fought larger French armies, never losing a major open-field action. Its cavalry and artillery were standard; but its infantry achieved unique results, as their tactics were brought to a peak of professional perfection by Wellington. Using contemporary instruction manuals, first-hand accounts and in-depth analysis of individual actions, this book examines exactly how Wellington was able to convert a rabble of volunteers and criminals into a well-oiled, highly disciplined and professional war-winning machine. With a detailed look at the effective use of terrain, line rather than column manoeuvres and fortification assaults, Philip Haythornthwaite reveals the crucial tactics of Wellington's army, illustrated with comprehensive maps, images and full-colour artwork.

Bonaparte's Grande Armée, one of the most renowned battle-winning machines in history, evolved from a merging of the professional army of the Ancien Régime and the volunteers and conscripts of the Revolutionary levée en masse – although the contribution of the former is often underestimated. A leading authority on the history of tactics draws here on original drill manuals and later writings to explain how the French infantry of 1792–1815 were organized for fire and movement on the battlefield. Illustrated with clear diagrams and relevant paintings and prints, and specially prepared colour plates, this text brings the tactical aspects of eight battles vividly to life.

Udrustning; Udstyr; Artilleriet; Carriages; Howitzers; Gribeauval System; Gun-drill; Projectiler; Roundshot; Shrapnels; Siege-trains; Canister; Common Shell; Heste; Militære Heste; Ammunition; Carronades; Muskets; Feltposter; Pistols; Manual Exercise; Medical Services; Light Cavalry; Light Infantry; Jägers; Irregulars; Infanteriet; Gunpowder; Grenadiers; Fusiliers; Befæstninger; Forsvarsværker; Artilleriet; Bayonetter; Bivouacs; Bivauakker; Wad-Hooks; Mule-trains; Militærmusik; Transport; Wurst-wagen; Waggons; Sværd; Sabler; Surgeons; Skirmishes; Sabres; Rifles; Rifle Corps; Rationer; Disciplinære Straffe; Soldaterliv; Feltliv; Taktik; Trunnions.

Firearms technology dominates the modern day battlefield, but how did the earliest guns affect battles in the Middle Ages? From their earliest incarnations in the 14th Century – which were as much a danger to their operator as they were to the enemy – to the muskets and breech-loading rifles of the 19th century, Piers Platt traces the technological advancements that revolutionized weapons, and how infantry tactics were forced to evolve as new and more lethal weapons were developed.