A question about Enfilade

[Athos1660]

It says in the P&S (and FoG2) manual about Enfilade (10.7) : « units shot at from behind their flank will suffer higher losses from artillery fire. »

I have trouble understanding the words « from behind their flank » in the case of artillery. I read section 12.12.12 in FoG2 manual about flank attacks and understood it.

Does it correspond to the cases when the artillery is stationed/unlimbered in position 1, 2 and/or 3 ?



Do these ‘units shot at’ include artillery, meaning ‘artillery shot at by enemy artillery will suffer higher losses’ ?

If an enemy unit rotate 90° from my artillery showing me its flank during its turn, does this unit become in enfilade during my next turn ?

Does light artillery (I’ve never used in game and that don’t unlimber) follow the same pattern as flank attacks : they must « start their (whole) move behind the flank of a unit » then fire to « count as » enfilade ?

Sorry if all this has already been discussed or sounds self-evident.

P&S rocks

[SnuggleBunnies]

I believe it is Artillery 1 and 2, or maybe 1.5. A unit is enfiladed once it is in that position, there isn't a turn delay. Light Artillery can move without limbering, but they cannot move and fire in the same turn, so it's not an issue.

I'm not sure if artillery suffer from the same effect; counter battery fire is pretty useless so I never bother. It's most destructive against cavalry.

[Cronos09]

SnuggleBunnies is right. There is FUNCTION TargetEnfiladed(me, target) in CombatTools.BSF:

Code: Select all

FUNCTION TargetEnfiladed(me, target)
{
	int ret;
	int angle;

	ret = 0;

	angle = GetAngleFrom(me, target);

	if ((angle >= 87) && (angle < 138)) // Probably.
		{
			ret = 1;
		}

	return ret;
}

So «from behind their flank» is an angle from 87 to 138 degrees. This is equal for all sorts of artillery. In any case you can simulate the situation in the editor and check it in the multiplayer hot-seat mode.

[Athos1660]

@SnuggleBunnies @Cronos09 Thank you very much for all the information!

(...) counter battery fire is pretty useless so I never bother. It's most destructive against cavalry.

I’m not familiar with the real effectiveness of this tactic on the battlefield in the 17th century. But it was encouraged in Les Mémoires d’artillerie written in 1697 by P. Surirey de Saint-Remy (1645-1716), a successful artillery textbook used by the French artillerymen all through the 18th century. (It was the bedside reading of a certain Napoleon when he was young. The author favoured artillery movements.) This specific tactic in Enfilade against artillery was called ‘prendre une batterie en rouage’. I’d translate it as ‘firing at the enemy cannon wheels/carriage’. I guess it was recommended as the side of the cannons offers a larger target than their front (not to mention the presence of artillerymen and the placement of several cannons in enfilade). So I will test it in game just for the fun of it (to 'follow' Surirey's advice) whatever its in-game effectiveness

In any case you can simulate the situation in the editor and check it in the multiplayer hot-seat mode.

I will

[Athos1660]

I've just tested enfilade vs enemy artillery.

1) Stats :
Artillery vs artillery modifier : -66% !!!
Enfilade modifier vs arty : +33%
Losses (medium arty vs medium arty at short range) : 0-5 (frontal), 0-11 (enfilade)

2) Test
(1) Test conditions : medium vs medium arty, short range (8), 2x 20 first shots
(2) Test results :
- enemy average losses with a first frontal shot : 1,2. (Seven times, the loss was 0.)
- enemy average losses with a first in-enfilade shot : 4,25 + 'Disrupted' twice (out of 20).

3) Conclusion of this short test
Enfilade vs enemy artillery seems quite effective !
(A test of effectiveness at long range is necessary though.)

[Athos1660]

A formation or position is "in enfilade" if weapon fire can be directed along its longest axis. It is also called 'flanking fire’. The benefit of it is that it becomes easier to hit targets within that formation, causing more casualties.

Why is enfilade reserved to artillery in game ?

Couldn’t it apply to infantry and especially to detached musketeers (in ambush or in position for flanking fire) and dragoons, Carabins, Hussars, Croats, etc. flanking enemy cavalry ?

d’Aurignac wrote in Le livre de guerre (1663) : « Always place dragoons or ‘fusiliers' (1) ahead of the wings in order to flank » (in Paul Azan, Un tacticien du XVIIe siècle, p. 62 note 1).

Wouldn't it add even more tactical diversity in game ?

Was flanking fire by infantry rarely done, ineffective, etc. at that time ?

Cheers

_______

(1) certainly mounted ones.