02-18-2013, 01:13 AM
Okay, I am not that familiar with Napoleonic warfare. I have read Nosworthy's book on Napoleonic tactics, but his work covers specific topics while assuming general knowledge I don't have. I think I can still understand some of the sections on Napoleonic infantry vs. Napoleonic cavalry however, and get the following impressions:
1. Cavalry could attack formed infantry in various ways, but cavalry often waited near the infantry, waiting for the infantry to make a mistake, or for artillery to arrive, or for carbine-armed cavalry to defeat the infantry.
2. Infantry relied on the bayonet, not the musket, to defeat attacking cavalry.
3. Cavalry could use the carbine or the lance to defeat formed infantry.
4. Horses normally shied away from formed infantry. However, wounded horses were unpredictable and sometimes crashed into the infantry. Even unwounded horses could sometimes be persuaded to rear and walk close to the infantry, and this could force them to fall onto the infantry bayonets.
5. Infantry formations tended to try to avoid musket fire at close range because of the unpredictability of wounded horses. I expect infantry formations would also have avoided throwing javelins at close range. Cavalry formations could use carbine fire at close range. I expect they could have used thrown darts and javelins too.
6. I expect that longer spears and pikes would limit the effectiveness of the rearing tactic, and would also limit the effectiveness of the cavalry lance.
1. Cavalry could attack formed infantry in various ways, but cavalry often waited near the infantry, waiting for the infantry to make a mistake, or for artillery to arrive, or for carbine-armed cavalry to defeat the infantry.
2. Infantry relied on the bayonet, not the musket, to defeat attacking cavalry.
3. Cavalry could use the carbine or the lance to defeat formed infantry.
4. Horses normally shied away from formed infantry. However, wounded horses were unpredictable and sometimes crashed into the infantry. Even unwounded horses could sometimes be persuaded to rear and walk close to the infantry, and this could force them to fall onto the infantry bayonets.
5. Infantry formations tended to try to avoid musket fire at close range because of the unpredictability of wounded horses. I expect infantry formations would also have avoided throwing javelins at close range. Cavalry formations could use carbine fire at close range. I expect they could have used thrown darts and javelins too.
6. I expect that longer spears and pikes would limit the effectiveness of the rearing tactic, and would also limit the effectiveness of the cavalry lance.
