"Infantry Charging (and catching) cavalry" Topic

I have a vague memory of reading about a 7YW Prussian infantry unit charging and catching a unit of cavalry. It may have been in Duffy, but the book is packed away from my last move and not accessible to me right now.

Can anyone here help me out?

Loren Wiseman
lorenwiseman.com
irbw.com now with gamer black!

I was trying to find examples of this from any period when my local group were trying to decide whether our rules would permit infantry to charge cavalry. be interested to see an answer to this.

Weren't the Zulus supposed to be able to do so from a standing
start??????

Whilst it wasn't exactly a common phenomenon, it was not unknown for (a) infantry who had protected flanks to charge static cavalry who might be penned in and/or could not get up any speed; or (b) infantry who were trapped/encircled to try and fight their way out of a melee.

The infantry would either require strong morale, or be utterly desperate.

I suspect there were a few examples from the SYW; there certainly are from the Napoleonic era.

The advance of the British infantry at MInden?

link

Rick

Prestonpans

Sounds like it might be the charge of Anhalt-Bernberg (IR. 3) at Liegnitz. They advanced, staggered Austrian cavalry with a volley and charged them forcing them back and eventually scattering them. They took this bold action as they had been smarting from the removal of their lace and swords, a humiliating punishment Frederick had inflicted because they had been scattered by an Austrian sortie at the siege of Dresden shortly beforehand. Fred was so impressed he restored what had been taken away.

Prussian jager against the dutch guard lancers?

In Christopher Duffy's book, Borodino if I remember correctly from reading it two decades ago…. It was surely Duffy but I am not totally certain it was in Borodino.

There were three recorded instances in musket period history of infantry charging cavalry. I don't remember the examples. One was probably an 1812 example – I presume. I no longer have the book. Someone here perhaps?
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Based on same, this activity is disallowed in BAR unless needed as a specific scenario exception.
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Respectfully.
Bill

I'm pretty sure clibinarium has it right. IR3 at Liegnitz.

"There were three recorded instances in musket period history of infantry charging cavalry."

Guess it didn't happen all that often

Two instances I know are both Napoleonic.
Can't remember any details.
1) British Infantry in the Peninsular War – maybe 5th FT.
2) Russian Guard Infantry at Borodino.

<<Guess it didn't happen all that often>>

There are a lot more than three in the H&M era. I would say it probably happened about as often as cavalry breaking a fully-formed square.

Here is a previous TMP thread on the subject – the initial post lists 7 examples, only three of which (El Bodon, Borodino, Vauchamps) have been mentioned so far on here:-

TMP link

From the correspondence on the link in that thread to the Nafziger website, it appears that the "charge" by the Prussian Silesian jaeger against the Polish Garde Lancers at Vauchamps, was not all that it has been made out to be.

Also, I'm open to correction, but I think that the "charge" of the British infantry at El Bodon was actually a square marching across a plain.

clibinarium saith:
"Sounds like it might be the charge of Anhalt-Bernberg (IR. 3) at Liegnitz."

This is indeed the incident I was thinking of . . . the bit about Fred restoring their honors confirms it.

Thank you!

Loren Wiseman
irbw.com
lorenwiseman.com

"In 1814 at the Battle of Vauchamps 2 companies of 'Silesian' Schützen made a bayonet-charge against Napoleon's guard lancers and threw them back in disorder."

link

link
list of inf carging cav in Nap Wars under a rare thing

It also happened at Falkirk during The Forty Five Rebellion with Jacobite foot charging some British dragoons and driving them away.

I think I saw that in Cairo last night.