Originally Posted by
Adar
As 1/3 of the Swedish infantry carried pikes
What was result of a very aggressive Swedish infantry tactics, but still it’s strange they didn’t transfer to the bayonet solution in the same measure like on the western fronts. During the war in France 1696 appeared reports that pikeman simply started to drop their pikes and arm in anandoned enemies muskets. I’m curious if during GNW similar activities took place. Especially that I heard , that Danes after the lost in battle of Halsinborg in 1710 again started to rearm their troops in pikes, so much Swedish infantry impressed them.
BTW, here’s a nice pic about Swedish standard infantry advance formation
Looks interesting, when we compare it to the battle of Halsinborg’s infantry composition, especially in light of mentioned pike revelations.
Originally Posted by
”Adar”
On an international level I imagine that cavalry and skirmishers could serve a similar role
Originally Posted by
”Cyclops”
and of course technology and doctrinal changes develop over time: oh you can put a spearpoint in the end of a musket! Light cannons pulled by two horses for quick deployment? Arm the infantry with more muskets than pikes? No pikes? Put armour back on the cavalry? Bring back the long lance? What if we give the big blokes a bomb? Call them grenadiers? Now take away the bomb but keep the name? Gosh those Croats can't form a line to save themselves, but they are good shots, should we train more like them...and so on.
Yeah and especially the transformations of dragoons from mounted infantry into a cavalry, what I guess was quite a confusion in use at the time, especially in Russia, where they very popular at the time.
From what I read they were mainly used for skirmishes and harassing the enemies, like cossack formations, but were still used as infantry. What’s interesting, unlike their western counterparts who fought in dispersion, when dismounted they formed four man deep lines with fairly impressive fire power, what even stopped the Swedish charge in Leśna 1708.