HA

[SckizoBoy]

Or horse-artillery...

Random question time, to settle a discussion I'm having:

How many men, how many horses and how many caissons will there be in a six six-pounder troop of horse artillery?

 

[srm79]

When, and in whose army? Lots of armies have used 6lb guns, the actual number of men required for a 6-gun artillery section would vary depending on the who, when and where.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

Well, whatever I was expecting when I opened this thread, Horse Artillery wasn't high on my list.

On topic: I have no idea, but I've got a great mental picture of the horses being fired out of the artillery cannons instead of pulling them.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Strange...depends completely on the war/era/army but around

~80 gunners + a similar number of drivers ~160 men

Over 200 horses. Usually 6 horses to each piece and caisson so you could work out how many caissons from that

I'm taking most of my knowledge from researching Sharpe novels after I read them so take my numbers with a pinch of salt...

LOL for the reference and BAM!

I win!

(That's more directed at my friend who's also reading this thread.)

When, and in whose army? Lots of armies have used 6lb guns, the actual number of men required for a 6-gun artillery section would vary depending on the who, when and where.

Napoleonic era, though specifically, I'm thinking the RHA.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Yeah, my calculations would have been for the RHA. Six-pounders were pulled by a team of six, 9-pounders by 8, and 12 pounders by 12.

What did your friend think it was?

Didn't really get 12lber HA troops, because the gun was too heavy and the number of horses required to pull the extra caissons of spare ammo was considered too impractical, considering the lack of decent warmounts at the time.

Anyway, our discussion was firstly about the Battle of Waterloo and D/H Troops' involvement. Then it went on to a Troop's composition which is roughly 60 Troopers, 60 drivers and 60 gunners/loaders with about three hundred horses and thirty caissons.

My friend knows I frequent Esc's forums and I big up the community quite a bit. The bet was that no-one would give a remotely accurate answer within an hour.

We're now about to go have a mammoth re-enactment of the Battle of Leipzig on N:TW... and he's Bennigsen!

 

[SckizoBoy]

snip

You're welcome, I'd like to meet with your dad one day(!), and thanks very much... respectively.

The Peninsular War's actually a very good illustration of all the necessary facets of war handled brilliantly by an individual: the politics; the grand strategy; the strategy; and the tactics. And we all know who the individual is.

I will forever love reading about the Battle of Salamanca!

...

WHAT?! DE TOLLY'S DEAD?!?! (sorry...(!))

 

[SckizoBoy]

Don't be sorry for one second!

Nah, de Tolly got decapitated by a lucky artillery shell while I was typing up my last post!

I love talking to other people who share a fascination with the war from that time period.

Friend request incoming!

So much so that I forced one of my best friends into reading the Sharpe novels (as far as I can tell he is now hooked!)

Y'know, I've never read any of the Sharpe books... though I may just give them a go now... but he sure does get around, doesn't he?!

I actually went to a school named after Wellington (It's built on the area he grew up in).

Wellington College, Belfast?

Still, part of me feels that if Napoleon had formed his infantry in line formation rather than columns, the outcome of that war could have been completely different. I suppose that just proves the Iron Duke was the better tactician at the time

Huzzah! *cracks knuckles* *shouts at guys to pause battle* Actually, there were loads of ifs about Waterloo, including (but not limited to) the disposition of Lobau's IV Corps, the advance and formation of d'Erlon's I Corps as you mention, Ney's cavalry charges, and the piecemeal disposal of Reille's III Corps on taking Hougoumont and vitally, starting the attack two hours early.

I'm generally of the opinion that as things stood, Wellington didn't even need the Prussians to intervene to gain victory, because he was well dug in first behind the ridge at Mont St Jean and then on the other side of the sunken road. If he stuck it out for another hour and a half or so, and then reformed to advance, the French would've broken, though pursuit would've been difficult. The Prussians just ensured that the victory was total because of Gneisenau's rather ruthless two day pursuit with three Corps' worth of hussars and uhlans.

Anyway, I'm away to the pub. I'll have a drink for you winning your bet!

Enjoy your beer, while I enjoy my laurels! XD

 

[SckizoBoy]

He definitely does, the fact that Cornwell managed to put him at Trafalgar is testament to that. They're well worth a read, even though he does spread others glory to Sharpe (but then gives the actual heroes credit in the historical notes at the end of the books)

*sigh* I feel another Amazon.co.uk shopping spree coming...

To be fair, I haven't really researched Waterloo, it seemed to obvious to go straight into researching the 'biggest' battle. Having said that, my Dad has a similar opinion to yours

And there's even more to it when you look at the rest of the Hundred Days campaign and the smaller (though by no means insignificant) engagements (Ligny and Quatre Bras... and d'Erlon's absence from both...!).

I will, and don't let any more ridiculously decorated officers die by fluke...

Um, I'm actually Poniatowski! So I want more allied officers to die! XD

 

[SckizoBoy]

Sorry, from your reaction I thought replying to my post had distracted you, I will now take minor credit for his death!

LOL! Not keeping you from the pub, am I?

And not sure how much you know about the Battle of Leipzig... but if we keep ahold of Probstheida before Charles XIV arrives, we can win this!