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Marching camp construction
#14
(01-12-2019, 01:01 PM)Stug50 Wrote: From my experience, based on light infantry tactics, an 8 man section could be tasked with probing or scouting out an area, if you think back to the troubled times in Northern Ireland it was quite common for a platoon divided into sections to be tasked with patrolling a specific area, manning check points and setting up observation posts and more importantly supporting local law enforcement. Again these patrols were launched from a fortified position. Same thing during the Vietnam war. In fact the Vietnam war is a classic example of how patrols would be sent out from a fortified position to an LZ for either a search and destroy mission or reconnaissance, the U.S marines for example could spend weeks out in the field and it wasn’t unusual for the yanks to dig in and fortify an area strike camp and then move onto the next location. The American civil war also has quite a few examples of regiments and battalions marching from camp to camp and again reconnaissance patrols and scouting units being employed in advance of the main force. I’m reminded of the tactics of the Missouri guerrilla units (Quantrills raiders) no defensive camp so to speak of but they used their knowledge of the area to their advantage, occasionally they would stay in a friendly areas but when they were close to an enemy target they would choose an area that provided the best defensive position, in some respects those guerrilla units were doing the same thing as the Roman army, move, camp, strike and move. I’ve read that the Roman army would use the same marching camp repeatedly, it’s all about knowing the terrain.
Another good example can be found in 1879, think Isandlwana, a massive British camp with a small force a Natal troops, they set up a large camp and sent out patrols, unfortunately Lord Chelmsford underestimated the Zulu and his mistake resulted in a massacre. isandlwana is an extremely good example of why strong defences are needed.
Hope that helps.

The evidence we have is in the form of camps - usually large ones. But I've never been able to work out how an army could get from one to the next. I'm now beginning to think that the actual camp move was a relatively unimportant part of the activity and that the vast bulk of activity was various forms of reconnaissance and combat patrols. This means going back to the original question, I would suggest the army would gain control of the ground before they start surveying. This is very different from what I had been thinking so I'm trying to work out the implications.
Oh the grand oh Duke Suetonius, he had a Roman legion, he galloped rushed down to (a minor settlement called) Londinium then he galloped rushed back again. Londinium Bridge is falling down, falling down ... HOLD IT ... change of plans, we're leaving the bridge for Boudica and galloping rushing north.
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Messages In This Thread
Marching camp construction - by Stug50 - 01-09-2019, 11:27 AM
RE: Marching camp construction - by MonsGraupius - 01-09-2019, 04:25 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by agrimensor - 01-10-2019, 08:21 AM
RE: Marching camp construction - by MonsGraupius - 01-10-2019, 01:36 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Stug50 - 01-10-2019, 04:00 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by MonsGraupius - 01-10-2019, 09:00 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by MonsGraupius - 01-10-2019, 10:24 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Stug50 - 01-11-2019, 10:32 AM
RE: Marching camp construction - by MonsGraupius - 01-11-2019, 11:07 AM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Stug50 - 01-11-2019, 10:50 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by MonsGraupius - 01-11-2019, 11:22 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Stug50 - 01-12-2019, 01:01 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by MonsGraupius - 01-13-2019, 12:01 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Stug50 - 01-13-2019, 01:25 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by MonsGraupius - 01-13-2019, 06:00 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Stug50 - 01-13-2019, 07:01 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Nathan Ross - 01-13-2019, 07:45 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Stug50 - 01-13-2019, 08:37 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Steve Kaye - 01-15-2019, 01:49 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Stug50 - 01-15-2019, 09:39 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Mark Hygate - 01-15-2019, 08:02 PM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Mark Hygate - 01-16-2019, 10:55 AM
RE: Marching camp construction - by Damian Roe - 03-08-2019, 04:25 PM

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