League Of Augsburg - Fighting Talk

Given the linear tatics of the time how did second line troops end up in the front line without passing through troops to the front or visa versa.

iain

troops were usually formed with a space on either side in a kind of chequer board formation.

Having recently read one of Paddy Griffith's books on ACW tactics the so called 'passage of the lines' was just as much a hit and miss affair in the 1860's as it might have been in the 1680's. Veteran units engaged and under pressure in the frontline often flatly refused to be reinforced or replaced for fear of the chaos that would ensue when the 2nd rank tried to take their place. So, standing and taking more casualties was preferable to being reinforced... sounds like it was not very easy, scientific, certain. Pls ref: Interpenetration rules in both BLB and R2E

I usualy deploy in 2 lines in checkerboard formation; I leave at least 2 stands between the infantry battalionsin the same line (1st & 2nd). That works well for giving routers/retreaters enough space without interpenetarting and disordering troops. It also gives opportunity to send in reinforcements once a front battalion is reduced in bases.

I think you will generally find that it's usually the front rank that falls back behind the supports as there's no way troops would want to be marching in front of their own troops that are already shooting.
Cheers
Dave