Re: damage as threat modifier for AWI-FMA

Damo wrote:

> Quality is *very* important.	Question is when does quality stop and
> equipment start?

To answer that, read Brent Nosworthy's book, _The Bloody Crucible of
Courage_. It's about the American Civil War, not the American War of
Independence (or the War of the American Rebellion *g*). Much of it
isn't relevant to the AWI, though he does mention the Napoleonic period.

One of his conclusions is that training and leadership dictated
engagement ranges far more than the weaponry. Rifled muskets could --
when properly used (meaning that the soldier stopped to use the
backsight properly) -- hit targets from 600 to 1000+ yards away.
However, the average engagement range of the ACW was 140 yards, with
many units holding fire to well within 100 yards. 

I don't have the book with me so I can't quote the numbers, but he
mentions casualties as a function of bullets fired in both the
Napoleonic Wars and the ACW. The casualty rate for the Napoleonic Wars
was something like a tenth of one percent (or a single casualty for
every 1 bullet fired). The ACW was between 0.6% and 1.5%, depending on
the battle. Quality of the unit firing was a bigger influence than the
weaponry.

The tricky part in all of this, and the part I'm struggling to add to my
Hardtack rules (SG2 for the ACW) is the effect of bayonet charges. _Not_
bayonet fighting, but what they called the bayonet charge. A unit would
charge the enemy with bayonets gleaming. More times than not, the enemy
would retreat -- in good order or in a rout -- giving ground to the
attacker. This was sometimes a deliberate withdrawal, but usually it was
due to a failure of morale. If the enemy did _not_ run away, the
attacker usually ended his charge in close range due to the same sort of
failure of morale. This resulted in a close action firefight. Rarely did
the attacker continue to charge while the defender held his ground,
resulting in a melee. The timely bayonet charge was a major tactic in
Napoleonic battles, and was often a decisive tactic in the ACW. The
trick is representing it properly on the wargame table.

--
Allan Goodall		   agoodall@att.net
http://www.hyperbear.com   agoodall@hyperbear.com