ECW skirmisher question

[Ragnar]

Hi,

Excuse the probably ignorant question but I know very little about the ECW.

In going through the ECW Royalist list last night, I notice that there is no provision for skirmishing musket. Is this because skirmishers are inappropriate for the ECW period or could any musket unit be asked to go skirmish?

The reason for the question is because I had started to paint individual musketeers on round bases before I had got the book and now it appears that the list doesn't really allow them.

Thanks in advance.

[mrtn]

The unit you're looking for is probably the Firelock Storming Party. It's called a Storming Party in the army-list as well.

[HobbitMiles]

It is a bit of a tricky question.

Original training manuals nearly all mention "the skirmish" but it isn't clear exactly what is meant by the term. "Skirmish" could simply be being used to mean "fighting" of any kind. Most of the manuals describe one or two files of men being drawn out from the main body, moving 10 to 20 paces ahead and then one rank firing, marching back to the main body to reload, the 2nd file follows suit and then the process is repeated as often as needed.

However there are also hints such as (working from memory so wording may not be 100% correct) "skirmishing is fighting out of order", the implication being that normal "order" of ranks and files is abandoned. To say that there was no "skirmishing" as we would think of it (as has been suggested by at least one respected ECW historian) is to discredit our ancestors as having no intelligence. It is difficult to imagine say 10 musketeers on some kind of detached duty sticking rigidly to their drill, forming a nice neat line and all firing in one direction on command. If they had a modicum of training and common sense they would face as needed, fire as needed and load as needed - sounds a bit like skirmishing HOWEVER such skirmishing probably wasn't very effective as the weapons were horribly inaccurate and muskets really rely on mass firing for effect.

At least one plan of a large action (I think it is Naseby, but as I said before I'm working from memory) shows a "forlorne hope" of musketeers, but there is only one for the whole field army. In addition to the term "forlorne hope" infantry "skirmishers" could also be referred to as "commanded shot". Rupert used small detached bodies of "commanded shot" to support the royalist horse at Edgehill, though such troops were hugely vulnerable and it isn't 100% clear if they were "skirmishing" or simply small bodies using standard mucket deployment & tactics but just without pike support.

Hope that helps a bit!!!

[Dream17]

I think this is also the role of dragoons. deployed forward and fighting semi-independently. Hiding behind hedges to help break up attacks.

[Morsleib]

I have no strong evidence but I suspect you are right. Skirmishers as we know them don't seem to have been deployed on the battlefield. Dragoons were a bit more free as they operated at hit and run raiders. Similarly ad-hoc raiding parties in small actions would have acted out of formation. I am thinking specifically of the men who were sent out from Lathom House at night to run interference with the parliamentary besiegers. They were armed with muskets which were no doubt very effective at short range.

Remember also that one of the firelock's stated advantages was that there was no tell-tale glowing match at night. That implies nocturnal skirmishing rather than formed units.

Just my 2 (seige) pence.

Terry

[England'sFire]

I wouldn't worry about the round bases, just make some movement trays and rank them up as units in the trays. My ECW are on 2p pieces and put in trays.

[Stuart]

I wouldn't worry about the round bases, just make some movement trays and rank them up as units in the trays. My ECW are on 2p pieces and put in trays.

I was going to mention this as well, all 13 Reg's ( ) of mine are based as singles, I actually prefer it this way, then they're just placed on movement trays.

[Ragnar]

Hi all, thanks for the detailed responses.

It certainly does seem to be a tricky one. Based on the skirmishing mentioned in the manuals, I think I will have my detachment of skirmishers, although now I want some dragoons as well.

[Morsleib]

Warbases make some nice penny bases.
www.warbases.co.uk

Terry

[HobbitMiles]

The chief advantage of dragoons was, of course, their mobility, but period manuals repreatedly emphasise that they were meant to be nothing more than musketeers who travelled to the fight by horse. Nevertheless their stated duties include such things as siezing bridges, fords,defiles and the like. Famously in several major ECW actions they were deployed into hedged/enclosed areas on the flanks of the main action and used their firepower to break up enemy cavalry.