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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
Quote:Thanks for the map - very interesting indeed! I suspect, actually, that you've placed my Roman line a little too far to the south-east - I think it should be about a third of the way back towards Dunstable, but I might be wrong.
Your are right. Apologies. Corrected now.

Quote:could Paulinus have dammed one of those streams to the north-west to provide a reservoir? I don't know if this would help much!
Yes. And, that would especially help water the animals. However, you still need the flow rate into the reservoir, i.e. if your beasts suck up more than goes in then you will have a quagmire. Of course, a dam is also useful in restricting the flow to your enemy (assuming the river flows away from the Romans). As an aside, searching for signs of old dams is on my list of 'features' that might help locate the battle site.

Quote:Your idea of the reverse position is fascinating - if we imagine Boudica moving west from London (Paulinus himself could still have withdrawn north, of course...) and then backtracking north-east up the Iknield way towards Iceni country, she would have to pass the opening in the Chilterns at this point. Hmm. This would fit with a longer campaign of mutual manoeuvre and counter-manoeuvre - Paulinus' 'delays' - but with the shortage of evidence I prefer the Ockam's razor approach, being the most direct line between two points!
Firstly, from London Paulinus was retreating. Therefore Rule Number 2 of Campaigning in Russia applies: when retreating don't withdraw back down the road you used to advance (ask Napoleon). That's just one reason why I don't think P. took Watling Street.

Secondly, Boudica and the tribal leaders knew that once they started this bloody rebellion they had to destroy P. quickly. Therefore, B. must follow P. as rapidly and directly as possible, catch him and destroy his force. To fail in that task, or foolishly return home beforehand, is to hand yourself and your family members a death sentence. The rebels understood that if P. escaped with his force to units in the west then he would return, probably in the Spring, possibly earlier and ruthlessly destroy their homelands. "I shall return", General MacArthur, Corregidor, March 1942: and he did, with a vastly superior force and vanquished his enemy. That is what P. would have been thinking and the Brits knew it!

Small third point - when considering some form of Brit return to their homeland you do have to factor in the Trinovantes, not just the Iceni.

Quote: Might this imply that the 'open plain' was actually closed in on all sides, with one or more 'exits' that could be blocked by wagons? That would argue for a relatively constricted position, rather than a completely 'open plain'. In fact, Tacitus's 'open plain' (apertam planitiem) might refer more to the lack of forest cover, bushes etc than the size or flatness of the area. These considerations might support my suggested position, which certainly has a narrow exit to the south, easily blocked by wagons...
If I remember correctly, we discussed earlier what the plain might be, including a 'frying-pan shaped' area within a forest/wood rather than, say, a simple topographic feature. It's probably wise to keep all options open when searching or specifying criteria.

Regards, Steve
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Messages In This Thread
Re: Calling all armchair generals! - by Ensifer - 03-11-2010, 03:13 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-18-2012, 06:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 12:02 AM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 02:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 05:40 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 11:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 05:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 09:42 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 10:10 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:25 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 08:36 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-26-2012, 02:57 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-27-2012, 01:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 08-05-2012, 02:24 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-07-2014, 02:18 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-08-2014, 01:50 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-11-2014, 02:03 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-18-2014, 07:54 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-20-2014, 02:37 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-25-2014, 08:29 AM

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