Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: Khurasan Miniatures on January 26, 2017, 04:15:21 PM
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For the wars of the mid-late 19th century, was it standard for the Prussian infantry to remove their packs for a battle? Or did they wear them in action?
Was it permitted to fight wearing the feldmutze or were they expected to change into the pickelhaube?
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Any thoughts? Thanks.
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The Feldmütze ("Krätzchen") was used in fighting, too. Because of the Pickelhaube doesn't protect against shooting (leather) it was used for protection, when cavalry-attacks were expected.
So in the Danish campaign of 1864 the pickelhaube wasn't used, because no cavalry in sight.
It was telled, that the Pickelhaubes were sent back to the depots.
I think wearing the backpacks in fighting depends a lot of the situation. For a planned attack, the backpacks might be left back at the train, but if attacked on march or on longer march/fighting situations, were the train isn't following, they might have their backpacks on. as well as the mantlet-roll... but this is only speculation by me...I don't know exact facts, but this doesn't really matter these days...;-)
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Re backpacks, most contemporary prints I have seen show Prussian infantry with a blanket roll across their bodies and packs.
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French infantry of the period used to remove backpacks before a charge....and most of the time couldn't find them back at the end of the day. I suppose prussians (and others armies) were more intelligent and used to keep them.
I suppose this kind of thing depend of the day and of the unit commander: if you plan a limited assault and limited advance, you can remove the backpacks for ease of movement (althought as a ACW re-enactor I can say backpacks or mantlet roll aren't much of an encumbrance in combat) but if you don't know where the action will lead you it's wiser to keep them.
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As stated above, most drawings show troops in action with blanket roll and pack.
Regarding leaving packs behind: Hibbert's "Destruction of Lord Raglan" says the French dropped packs at the Alma. When Raglan supposedly said pursuit was needed, St. Arnaud replied his men needed to retrieve their packs, a long way back. I recently read (forget what book) in the ACW of a Union regiment dropping their packs before an action. When they returned a veteran Union outfit had helped themselves to the contents.