Philip Haythornthwaite

Napoleonic Heavy Cavalry & Dragoon Tactics (eBook, PDF)

Illustrator: Hook, Adam

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

During the Napoleonic Wars the supreme battlefield shock weapon was the heavy cavalry - the French cuirassiers, and their British, Austrian, Prussian and Russian counterparts. Big men mounted on big horses, the heavy cavalry were armed with swords nearly a metre long, used for slashing or thrusting at their opponents; many wore steel armour, a practice revived by Napoleon. They were tasked with smashing a hole in the enemy's line of battle, with exploiting a weakness, or with turning a flank. Their classic manoeuvre was the charge; arrayed in close-order lines or columns, the heavy cavalry would begin their attack at the walk, building up to a gallop for the final 50 metres before impact. Illustrated with diagrams, relevant paintings and prints and specially prepared colour plates, this is the first volume of a two-part study of the cavalry tactics of the armies of Napoleon and those of his allies and opponents. Written by a leading authority on the period, it draws upon drill manuals and later writings to offer a vivid assessment of how heavy cavalry actually fought on the Napoleonic battlefield.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury UK eBooks
• Seitenzahl: 64
• Erscheinungstermin: 20. Juli 2013
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781849087117
• Artikelnr.: 44868095

Autorenporträt

Philip Haythornthwaite is an internationally respected author and historical consultant specializing in the military history, uniforms and equipment of the 18th and 19th centuries. His main area of research covers the Napoleonic Wars. He has written some 40 books, including more than 20 Osprey titles, and numerous articles and papers on military history - but still finds time to indulge in his other great passion, cricket.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction
Weaponry and equipment, and how they affected tactical deployment - heavy regiments; medium regiments
Theoretical doctrine, and training - formations, and tactics
Actual battlefield deployments - their success or failure
Leadership
Logistics - procurement, supply and care of horses
Bibliography