Artillery deployment

[Formaldehyde]

Also, I have not yet seen gunners retire to infantry formations if close enough yet.  Very common occurence from my own research.

More often than not, the crews would not return to man the guns they served.  A few British batteries at Waterloo did, but the majority (Allied and French) left the field once charged.  Maybe this could be figured into that casualty ratios for artillery guns disrupted by charging cavalry/infantry?  Maybe a small percentage could be re-crewed.

[Hook]

As far as I know, there is no divisional artillery in the game.  We do have regimental artillery, but none of the regiments in the demo have them on either side.  The game models each gun separately, so a battery of 6 guns actually shows 6 guns when fully deployed.

At Waterloo, D'Erlon's corps actually made it to the ridge, driving off at least some of the defenders.  They were advancing against 3 batteries, two on their left and one on their right, none in the center.  When the British cavalry attacked, they were pursuing elements of D'Erlon's corps all the way back to the French lines.  The French grand battery probably didn't have clear shots because of the retreating French troops.  I think in the game the artillery would go ahead and shoot anyway.

Mercer's journal mentions being charged several times and he disobeyed the orders to retreat the gunners into the nearby squares.  The cavalry never got close enough to attack the artillery.

I think artillery crews taking shelter in nearby squares will be part of the British AI that has not yet been written.

Hook

[lodi57]

The French grand battery probably didn't have clear shots because of the retreating French troops

According to French reports, that's the reason why British cavarly reached the grand battery.

Also, I have not yet seen gunners retire to infantry formations if close enough yet.  Very common occurence from my own research

This may be a British gunners use.

It's strictly forbidden to Russian gunners to leave their guns, and doing it was often punished by death.

In French army, the gunners, in case of cavalry charge, are ordered to lay down under their guns and caissons, in order to defend them by musket fire, bayonets or else and to restore fire as soon as the charged is finished.

[Hook]

Also, I have not yet seen gunners retire to infantry formations if close enough yet.  Very common occurence from my own research

This may be a British gunners use.

I'm not even sure if it's that.  We know Wellington ordered it at Waterloo, but do we have any reports of this being done at any other battle by anyone?

Hook

[lodi57]

I'm not sure too.

It has to be checked in reports from Pinsula campaign. Did this see in Ligny ?

[Count von Csollich]

I've never read of such a behaviour in the Peninsular campaign...not under Wellington...

[Pariente]

It's strictly forbidden to Russian gunners to leave their guns, and doing it was often punished by death.

Hello.

Is Araktcheïev's merciless command's fear taken in account in HW:LG ?

[lodi57]

Hello.

Is Araktcheïev's merciless command's fear taken in account in HW:LG ?

it would be simulate by increasing the capacity of Russian gunners to take losses.

[waldo]

Two points:

1. In addition to flanking a battery, skirmishers could take down a battery by killing crew.

2. I recollect Napoleon wrote that a battery of 10 - 12 guns could not be taken frontally.  I think the context was that fewer guns than that could be taken from the front and so needed supporting infantry.  Can anyone refresh my recollection on the source of this?

Waldo

[Andrea]

I know there are are many discussions about artillery going on, I want to write about a strange behaviour I noticed while playing Austerlitz as solo game. I deployed Bernadotte's Corp quite close to a Russian Corp, the Russian Corp deploying at the same time in
front of mine, then a Russian artillery unit in "attacking mode" moved almost in contact with my artillery, stood there without any support by friendly unit and finally was destroyed by my fire. I kindly ask JMM about the changes in program in order to correct artillery behaviour, I only want to sum my voice to those who think artillery deployment problem is important

thank you very much JMM
 

[Gunner24]

I only want to sum my voice to those who think artillery deployment problem is important

As far as I'm concerned the artillery "problem" is the single most important thing that needs further attention, after the last 2e patch there are still some serious "silly" things happening at times.....

After a few more MP games NBC will be sending some files off to HW to try and help find what is casuing the artillery to "circle around" and not deploy correctly.

My idea of what should happen is that they should EITHER ;
1. Deploy, even if under fire, and return fire
2. Pull back to safety and then deploy, or at least get out of enemy fire and await further orders.

I prefer option 1.

[JMM]

I'll try to definitively fix the ART problem in the next patch.
By, now, it's the first priority in my list.

JMM

[Gunner24]

Many thanks.