Screenies

[Ulstan]

Uhm no. A battalion in column were not meant for exchanging fire. It was not used like that in Age of Reason, Napoleonic Wars nor American Civil War.

The Brits used lines and columns pretty much like everyone else did at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. The main difference was a more extensive use of 2 rank than 3 rank line.

The formations pictured in the screenshots are not columns at all, but lines. Their depth is entirely appropriate for the period (early 1700's) depending on what the formation was trying to accomplish. Only the british, as I said, specialized in the very thin very long line to maximize fire power. Other nations went with much more massed formations which would be closer to squares in shape. And they did indeed exchange musketry fire while in these formations.

Of course, musketry fire was not very effective and was not the primary means of winning battle. Typically forces didn't advance solely for the purpose of exchanging fire at all, but rather to charge or repel the enemy and sieze a key piece of ground.

The napoleonic wars were not fought as a series of long thing lines of troops engaging in extended musketry duels, and it would be historically inaccurate to portray it as such.