how to use advance and fire?

[Didz]

I am making my way through a book about warfare in the Napoleonic age and it cites that a common British tactic was to from up two ranks deep for increased fire power and fire off two volleys at close range followed immediately by a bayonet charge for shock value.

I would not say it was common, it became more prevalent as the Napoleonic Wars progressed. However, even in 1815 there were regiments formed four deep on the Waterloo ridge and bayonet charges were rare during that battle simply because the French were to well organised and supported. One Battalion of the Kings German Legion did attempt it near La Haye Sainte and were promptly cut to ribbons by supporting cavalry.

As I said earlier in the debate the romantic ideal of 'cold steel' appealled to everyone except the soldiers who were being asked to put it into practice. In 1794 Carnot ordered the French Army to seek 'action with the bayonet on every occassion', and Napoleon had a festish for the idea of cold steel. One French officer commented wryly to another that if asked 'one must be killed by a bayonet, as the Emperor has a fondness for those who die in this manner.' Official French Army doctrine, as expounded by the Ecole Polytechnique, claimed that only the first volley of musketry was effective, 'after which the bayonet and the sword may charge without sustaining great loss.'

Austrian and Prussian regulations also stressed the role of the bayonet in the attack, and Archdukle Chalres considered it the best weapon for use in close combat. In Russia the 'Precepts for Infantry Officers on the Day of Battle', issued in 1812, still advocated the bayonet charge delivered in deep column formation as the preferred tactic.

Yet, in practice very few soldiers actually fought each other with cold steel.

At Austerlitz the Russian Guards made a classic 300 yard bayonet charge, but were so exhausted after breaking through the first French line that they were easily driven off by musketry fire from the second. Generally, it was the threat of the bayonet, rather than its actual use that decided an issue. General Larry, of the Grand Army noted that in all his years of service with the French Army he had only ever seen five bayonet wounds, and concluded that the effect of the weapon was largely psychological.

Whilst Guthrie a senior medical officer in the British Army noted that 'troops charging with the bayonet never actually meet and struggle hand to hand and foot to foot; and this for the best possible reason, that one side turns and runs away as soon as the other comes close enough to do mischief.'

General Lejeune supports these views stating that in his expereince it is 'very rare, for as a rule one of the the corps is demoralised to begin with by the firing, and draws back before the enemy is close enough to cross muzzles.'

Jomini declares on the same subject 'I never saw such a thing on a regular field of battle.'

Extracts from 'The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon' by Rothenberg

The only occassion when bayonets were used in the Peninsula Campaign was at the battle of Roncesvalles on 25 July 1813 as described by Captain Tovey of the 2oth Foot.

'The division had been expecting an attack that morning and the twentieth were lying in column by their arms. It was daylight however, when a german Sergeant form the Brunswick Corps, who had been out in front, came in haste to tell us that the French had made the Spainish piquet prisoner without firing a shot. The left wing of the Twentieth were moved instantly to form on some strong ground in the direction they were coming, and while doing so the enemy light troops opened so galling a fire that Major Ross, who was on the spot called for a company to go in front and drive them off. Without waiting for further orders, I pushed out with mine, and in close order and double quick march cleared away the skirmishers from a sort of plateau to our front. They did not wait for us, and, on reaching the opposite side, we came so suddenly on the head of the enemy's infantry column, who had just gained a footing on the summit of the hill , that the men of my comany absolutely paused in astonishment, for we were face to face with them, and the French officers called on us 'to disarm; I repeated 'Bayonet Away!', and rushing headlong among them, we fairly turned them back into the descent of the hill; and such was the panic and confusion occassioned amongst them by our sudden onset that our small party, for such it was compared to the French had time to regain the regiment. The enemy had many killed and their leading officer fell at my feet with two others, all bayonetted. The company, with which I was the only officer present on this occasison, did not amount to more than seventy or eighty men, and we had eleven killed and fourteen wounded....a powerful man by the name of Budworth returned with only the blood-soiled socket of his bayonet on his piece; and he declared that he had killed away until his bayonet broke; I am confident, from the reckless and intrepid nature of the man, that he had done so.

Extract from 'Wellington's Army' by Glover.