To save anyone who is interested in writing, or amending, rules for the 1660-1680 period from trawling through the two works on Gaya I have translated – The Treatise on Arms and The Art of War – I thought I would pick out what I think are the most relevant points.
From the Treatise
on Arms:
-
Weapons:
-
Most
ordinary soldiers have little or no training in the use of their sword, they
just do the best they can.
-
Cavalry
usually use the edge of the sword (usually called a sabre, though not curved),
not the point.
-
Bayonets
are used mainly by dragoons and fusiliers, these having flintlock muskets.
-
The
matchlock musket with a standard charge of powder has a range of about 230
metres or 250 yards, but the best shooting is done at half that range, so 115
metres or 125 yards.
-
The
matchlock musketeer’s bandolier has up to twelve charges.
-
Flintlock
muskets are more accurate, but have the same range as matchlock muskets.
-
Pistols
have a range of about 40 metres/45 yards.
-
Most
helmets are proof against edged weapons, a cuirass should be proof against a
musket ball, very few pikemen still wear helmet, cuirass, arm guards, thigh
guards and gauntlets.
-
Buff
coats are widely worn by cavalry, the best made sort can resist a sword.
-
Cannons
are sighted by aiming wedges to raise or lower the barrel.
-
A
cannon is usually provided with 100 cannonballs and 2,400 pounds of powder,
enough for a day’s shooting.
-
Cannons
are usually deployed in earthworks with embrasures.
-
Types
of artillery:
-
Cannon
– 19’ long on carriage, 4,800 pounds barrel weight, 6” calibre, 33⅓ pounds ball
weight, range about 680 metres or 750 yards; usually reserved for siege
operations.
-
Culverin
– 19’ long on carriage, 3,700 pounds barrel weight, 4⅚” calibre, 16½ pounds
ball weight, range about 680 metres or 750 yards; heaviest field gun.
-
Bastard
– sixteen feet long on carriage, 2,500 pounds barrel weight, 3¾” calibre,
7½ pounds ball weight, range about 975
metres or 1,050 yards; heavy field gun.
-
Demi-Cannon
– sixteen feet long on carriage, 1,500 pounds barrel weight, 3¼” calibre, 2¾
pounds ball weight, less range than Bastard (Gaya is not specific here); a
medium field gun.
-
Falcon
– eleven feet long on carriage, 800 pounds barrel weight, 2⅙” calibre, 1½
pounds ball weight, no range given by Gaya; a light field gun.
-
Falconet
– nine and a half feet on carriage, 740 pounds barrel weight, 1⅚” calibre, 14
ounces ball weight, range about 490 metres or 530 yards; usually used in
defence of fortresses.
-
Mortars
usually fire shells and fire bombs, the former explosive devices, the latter
incendiaries, but they can also fire carcasses, which was a combined
explosive/incendiary device.
-
Cannons
fired cannonballs, canister, red-hot shot, and in France they also had hollow
shot, the latter being like an explosive shell, but which was used only in
siege work.
-
Grenades
thrown by infantry were exclusively for siege work; petards are also used in
siege work, being explosive devices to demolish doors or bridges.
-
Colours
and instruments:
-
Infantry
carry “flags” about 170 centimetres or 67 inches square.
-
Cavalry
carry “ensigns”, “guidons” and “standards”, the latter 45 centimetres or 18”
square.
-
Infantry
have drums and fifes, bagpipes and oboes.
-
Cavalry
have trumpets and kettle drums.
From the Art of War:
-
Organisation
of troops:
-
Cavalry,
infantry, dragoons, artillery and supply.
-
Armies
have brigades.
-
Brigades
up to twelve squadrons or six battalions, of varying numbers of companies and
strength.
-
Dragoons
generally operate independently of the main battle line.
-
Cavalry
brigades are organised into “wings” of an army.
-
Camps
are invariably established at the end of a day’s march.
-
The
artillery park provides ammunition and equipment for all troops, not just the
artillery.
-
Marches:
-
Armies
usually march in three columns, with the artillery and baggage as the central
column, cavalry and dragoons form the advance guard or operate on the wings.
-
Sieges:
-
Fortresses
are invested first by cavalry.
-
Lines
of circumvallation and contravallation are built by the besiegers.
-
The
besiegers’ camp is always out of range of the defenders’ artillery.
-
The
besiegers’ battalions are mixed with squadrons around the fortress, with each
unit responsible for its own sector.
-
Cavalry,
apart from providing outposts and patrols, spend most of their time making
fascines and gabions.
-
There
is usually one main line of attack, known as “the trench”, but there can be supporting
lines of attack as well.
-
Regiments
rotate on a daily basis when working in “the trench”.
-
Defending
units also rotate their duties, only undertake essential sorties, only fire at close
range, use plenty of canister-style munitions, countermine where possible, use
local counterattacks if the besiegers gain a foothold on the works.
-
Battles:
-
Armies
deploy in two lines, plus a reserve.
-
Cavalry
deploy on the wings, infantry in the centre, artillery in front of the latter;
the reserve can be of both cavalry and infantry.
-
Units
of the second line should be positioned opposite the gaps in the first line,
not directly behind the units in front.
-
Dragoons
can be used for advance detachments or flank guards.
-
The
commanding general should be with the reserve.
-
Units
should try to keep their spacing so that if the first line has to retire it can
pass through the intervals of the second line; if the latter needs to advance, it
can pass through the intervals of the first line.
-
Cavalry
and Infantry:
-
Cavalry
and infantry manoeuvre by wheeling on a fixed point.
-
Infantry
colonels and all other officers, except the major, fight on foot; only the
major is mounted. The colonel takes post in front of the pikes. The major’s
role is to pass on commands to the other officers.
-
For
defence against cavalry, infantry draw up so that the pikes surround the
musketeers, enclosing them in a square, or the ranks of pikes are between the ranks
of musketeers, pikes thrust forward, so that the musketeers can still shoot.
-
Battalions
draw up by companies, six ranks deep, then the pikes are assembled in the
centre and the musketeers on the wings.
-
Battalions
can double their ranks, i.e. reduce from six to three ranks, the simplest way was
by even numbered ranks moving into the intervals between the soldiers of odd numbered
ranks.
-
Infantry
can fire by rank, with the front five ranks kneeling, and the rear rank standing,
which then shoots over the heads of the ranks in front, who then rise in
sequence to shoot in turn, with those who have fired reloading.
-
In
battle, officers take post in front of the soldiers, at the end, and at the
rear. The battalion advances at a slow pace until at half musket range, the
flags join the pikes, the ranks close up, then fire by rank.
-
Cavalry
squadrons deploy in three ranks.
There is a lot of other information in the Art of War about duties of all grades of officers and men, supplying an army, medical care, enforcing discipline, fortress guard duties, siege methods and tactics, and matters specific to the French army, as well as a glossary of military terms and some diagrams to support the text.
