Crimean War Battlefield Deployment Question

Started by mmcv, 31 August 2019, 11:51:18 PM

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mmcv

Calling all Crimean War/19th C buffs...

I've just received the first batch of 2mm figures to use in making my Crimean War project. This will be designed to work with BBB and will likely be basing on 25mm squares.

Here's my question though... How would the actual regiments/battalions normally deploy on the battlefield itself? I.e. would they draw up in a single line or split themselves into multiple lines?

The main reason I'm asking is around how I add the figures to the bases e.g. do I go with a single line of troops per 25mm base or go with say two separate lines on it to give a deeper look. Possibly switching one if those lines our for skirmishers or command as appropriate, or adding them in in front, space permitting.

The only relevant resource I found so far was a picture from the Zulu war which had each company as a different line on parade ground, but that isn't necessary representative of the time or battle conditions.

Any relevant advice would be much appreciated as it's a period I'm only starting to learn about. Would also be interesting to know if it was different for each of the different national armies involved.

I'm just wanting to get a good look and feel of the deployment, as that's the main strength of 2mm.

Leman

My intention is to use 6mm for this period. British and French will be based on 25mm squares in  a 2 rank deep line. Russians in a column formation. I will be using the 6mm figure blocks produced by Irregular.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

mmcv

I'm using the 2mm blocks from irregular. I just got their British and Russian army packs to get things started. For the British they gave me 2 rank infantry (in different widths for some reason), the Russians 3 rank. As each base is a regiment, I'd like to give some indication of how the companies within that regiment would have deployed.

I take it from what you're saying the French tended to have a two rank deployment similar to the British at this point, while the Russians still favoured a denser mass?

Leman

As far as I can tell from what I've read on the subject, but will double check on the French. British infantry still fought in Napoleonic lines and Russians still used the attack column. The longer British lines you received from Irregular is his way of depicting the larger Guards battalions.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

mmcv

Interestingly I ended up with more of the longer ones than the standard smaller ones when I counted. Though I suspect the packs are just a mix. I'm thinking two blocks per base makes sense, one in front of the other as as far as I can tell for the British they tended to fight with a main battle line and a reserve line, which is what made The Thin Red Line of Balaclava so thin, that it was a single line of 2 ranks rather than two lines of 2 ranks each.

Now to try and find if the reserve line was the same length or shorter than the main line. As could use a long line in front and a shorter line behind.

For the Russians I guess I'll do the two blocks close behind the other to represent the massed look.

Leman

This is my 2mm Prussian column from BBB's Langensalza 1866 scenario.




And this is the overall battlefield - 6'x4'

The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

mmcv

Nice, I've also picked up some of the scenic packs so good to see them in action too.