Название: British Rifleman vs French Skirmisher: Peninsular War and Waterloo 1808-1818 (Osprey Combat 46)
Издательство: Osprey Publishing
Формат: True PDF
Страниц: 81
Размер: 22 Mb
Язык: English
The battles between British and French forces during the Peninsular War (1807-14) and the Hundred Days campaign of 1815 saw both sides deploy specialist units of skirmishers trained in marksmanship and open-order combat. These ‘light' troops fulfilled several important roles on the battlefield, such as ‘masking' large bodies of close-order troops as they manoeuvred in battle, firing upon enemy troops to provoke them into attacking prematurely, and harassing enemy artillery crews and senior officers with aimed fire. On occasion, the skirmishers were tasked with special missions requiring individual initiative, such as the capture or defence of key battlefield positions, especially those situated in difficult terrain.