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Re: Prussian Landwehr in sqaure

Terrific work as ever, detailed painting, realistic scenery, excellent composition all topped off with great camera skills, chapeau!

One thing that puzzles me though. From my reading I always understood it was the wall of bayonets in an infantry square (as supplied by the kneeling rank) that was the real discouragement for horses to charge? I thought that hedge of bayonets was really intimidating for them?

I just wonder how a square without a rank of bayonets glinting in the sun would have provided the same fear factor? I appreciate the standing ranks would still have had fixed bayonets, but they don’t seem to present the same intimidation factor as a line of steel all poking up from the ground?

I guess it must still have worked for the Prussian’s to have adopted it!

Re: Prussian Landwehr in sqaure

Hello APB,

I don't think it was the bayonets that kept the horses from charging.

Horses do not gallop toward an obstacle because their instinct tells them it is dangerous.
Therefore, they always try to run past a large obstacle that they cannot jump over.

A group of soldiers standing close together is such an obstacle...
The horses only run into such an obstacle if they are pressed together and pushed forward and have no way of avoiding them. Therefore, in cavalry charges, great care was taken to keep the horses in close contact with one another. A stampede of the horses is thus provoked from which they cannot escape.

The bayonets certainly had a frightening effect on the horses, but they are only recognized by the animals when they are quite close to the square.

But the blinking of the bayonets in the sun is an absolute fairy tale.
I can tell you from my own experience in reenactment that after three shots from a flintlock musket, the bayonet attached to the front is covered in soot and combustion residues.
The bayonets then look as if they had been painted black.
Nothing shines anymore... :smile: :wink:

Re: Prussian Landwehr in sqaure

Hi Gerd

Many thanks for the reply and the detailed explanation! I think things are a little clearer for me now amid the fog of war!

So you are a reenactor then? What period and type of soldier do you reenact? It must give you quite a good insight for when you are painting/modelling/wargaming with our little guys?!

Re: Prussian Landwehr in sqaure

Hello,
I´m member of the 5th Prussian Brigade since many years and still have all my gear.
But for health reasons I can no longer manage the long marches with luggage, gun and equipment.

But in the 15 years that I have been actively involved, we have been able to locate many historical sources. From this we were able to gain a lot of information, some of which was completely new, about the uniform, the equipment and the implementation of battle formations of prussian units.

We have published much of this information on our website.

You can take a look there (www.5-preussische-brigade.de).

But most of the texts are written in German.

Re: Prussian Landwehr in sqaure

Interesting site, thanks Gerd!

Re: Prussian Landwehr in sqaure

My last great reenactment-event..: :worried:

Waterloo-Project 2015:

http://www.5-preussische-brigade.de/wb/pages/galerie/waterloo-2015.php

Re: Prussian Landwehr in sqaure

Wow, that must have been an incredible event! Great pictures, very evocative! It’s a shame you can no longer march with your comrades.

Re: Prussian Landwehr in sqaure

If I may cut in here, thank you for the links. If text, my MSN software automatically asks me if I want to translate, so text translation is easy. Links to the Waterloo Re-enactment are just as is -authentic and amazing. Thank you everyone. So enjoyable with one or even two cups of coffee! - GC

Re: Prussian Landwehr in sqaure

I am pleased that this insight into the world of the Prussian Landwehr gave you some pleasure.

It was a wonderful time...

But I've made the decision that it's over for me.

Because everything has its time..