Patriots Day

[AVGWarhawk]

History in action! Looked like a good day for the event and a nice commemorative.

I often wonder why the British believe the red coat was the best uniform to wear? Honestly, they can be seen coming a mile away.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

History in action! Looked like a good day for the event and a nice commemorative.

I often wonder why the British believe the red coat was the best uniform to wear? Honestly, they can be seen coming a mile away.

That is precisely what scared the crap out of the enemy...well up until the above

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

History in action! Looked like a good day for the event and a nice commemorative.

I often wonder why the British believe the red coat was the best uniform to wear? Honestly, they can be seen coming a mile away.

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

That is precisely what scared the crap out of the enemy...well up until the above

Indeed! The redcoat on 1/22/1879 was not the uniform of choice to be in even on open ground at Isandlwana the Zulu War: a total disaster. " COL Pulleine's 1,400 soldiers were totally overwhelmed. The Zulus took no prisoners and killed any they could, including Pulleine and Durnford. Approximately 60 British regulars escaped, none of whom were wearing red coats ( The Zulu King had specifically ordered his men to kill all the men wearing the red coats).
The surviving British soldiers were either officers wearing their dark blue field uniforms, troopers with the Royal Artillery (who wore light blue uniforms), or members of irregular cavalry units such as the Natal mounted units. " Some poetic license is taken in the movies with the scarlet uniform. In the movie Zulu for example, Michael Cain's officer character is in a red uniform but the real officer wore blue at Roarkes Drift, thus surviving and winning the Victoria Cross. So too with the soldiers in Heath Ledger's version of the Four Feathers, portrayed in red, actually wore khaki, introduced from India, in the Sudan against the Mahdi-but it (red) just looked better to the director. It took the sharp shooting Boer commando of the First Boer War with Mausers, to finally 'fold' the red garb with (white cross belts..( X)..(at RED framed sight pic with crossbelt target 1000yds??!... to any Mauser equipped Boer! no scope needed! ) and switch out the single shot Martini-Henry rifle...in time for WWI The Four Feathers: ^ this didn't happen! And after 1897; for the second Boer War: This ('service dress') did happen!

[AVGWarhawk]

The Zulu warriors listened well if the only remaining soldiers standing were wearing anything but a red coat.

[August]

I don't know if it would have turned out any different if the British had been wearing Khaki at Concord. Proper tactics are far more important than uniform colors and the British made several tactical errors that significantly contributed to the problems they encountered.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by August

I don't know if it would have turned out any different if the British had been wearing Khaki at Concord. Proper tactics are far more important than uniform colors and the British made several tactical errors that significantly contributed to the problems they encountered.

Agreed...the tactics to be employed were usually always predictable and the colonists used the fact well to their advantage more often than not.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Agreed...the tactics to be employed were usually always predictable and the colonists used the fact well to their advantage more often than not.

And they wore brown color clothing, knew the terrain and practiced guerrilla warfare tactics. I'm of mind no matter what tactics the British employed, the red coat was not wise.

[Dread Knot]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Honestly, they can be seen coming a mile away.

You hit upon it right there. Visibility. Muskets were the most popular weapon on the 18th century battlefield, and due to their inaccuracy and reliability problems armies employed line formations in battle. Line formations allowed armies to overcome the inaccuracy and reliability problems of the musket. However, by using line formations large clouds of smoke were produced from the concentration of so many muskets, not to mention all the artillery on the battlefield. With so much smoke, leaders needed to quickly identify friend from foe as quickly as possible, and the best way to do that was to use distrinct elaborate uniforms. Of course, when the rifle came along all that began to change.

Another reason was cost and effectiveness. At the time, red dye was very cheap and readily available. In order to dye a coat with red dye the process is easier than other colors since other colors require more than one stage in the dying process. Red dye only requires one stage for dying coats and this makes the process less expensive.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I often wonder why the British believe the red coat was the best uniform to wear? Honestly, they can be seen coming a mile away.

It's simple, really. At the time battles were fought along strict lines. The opposing armies would find each other and then form up on an open field, firing and advancing by ranks until either the enemy broke and ran or they were close enough for a bayonet charge. There had already been many cases of "irregular" warfare, but until Braddock's Defeat at the Monongahela forming a regular line of battle had always worked. Despite the legendary stories of American snipers shooting from behind trees and rocks (which they did), the Continental Army did not prevail until they created a real army and started using Regular tactics, just like the British.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

It's simple, really. At the time battles were fought along strict lines. The opposing armies would find each other and then form up on an open field, firing and advancing by ranks until either the enemy broke and ran or they were close enough for a bayonet charge. There had already been many cases of "irregular" warfare, but until Braddock's Defeat at the Monongahela forming a regular line of battle had always worked. Despite the legendary stories of American snipers shooting from behind trees and rocks (which they did), the Continental Army did not prevail until they created a real army and started using Regular tactics, just like the British.

Does not explain the red coats. They British were fighting in the wood against a force that knew the landscape and wore brown in color clothing. Generally the regular garb of the day. Red coat is not the best choice IMO.

[August]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Does not explain the red coats. They British were fighting in the wood against a force that knew the landscape and wore brown in color clothing. Generally the regular garb of the day. Red coat is not the best choice IMO.

Well they weren't wearing red coats so much as they were wearing uniform coats that happened to be colored red. It being the uniform of their national army means that it would have been almost impossible to change it even if tradition and training weren't factors.

Armies have gotten better over the years at adapting their uniforms to the local environment but they are no means perfect. Witness the US Army's ACU for example, but the problems and expenses involved with changing their uniform to something better still exists.

[nikimcbee]

@August
Did you shoot any video by chance?

[August]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

@August
Did you shoot any video by chance?

No as you can tell from the pictures I had a real lousy spot for that.

Although it's further away next year we plan to be on the colonist side which is a much better view then cross over during the intermission and pick out a (better) spot to film the parade. Why don't you getcherbutt over here next April and go with us?

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by August

Well they weren't wearing red coats so much as they were wearing uniform coats that happened to be colored red. It being the uniform of their national army means that it would have been almost impossible to change it even if tradition and training weren't factors.

Armies have gotten better over the years at adapting their uniforms to the local environment but they are no means perfect. Witness the US Army's ACU for example, but the problems and expenses involved with changing their uniform to something better still exists.

Coat, uniform, flare gun....at the end of the day the soldier became easy pick'ins while standing in the wood wearing the chosen outfit of the day.

[August]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Coat, uniform, flare gun....at the end of the day the soldier became easy pick'ins while standing in the wood wearing the chosen outfit of the day.

Maybe on that day but it took cannon to actually eject the British from Boston. After all sniping from the woods may give ones enemy a bloody nose when he sticks his neck out like they did at Concord but only going toe to toe can defeat them.

I think Baron von Struben contributed as much to our victory in the Revolution as anyone else except perhaps George Washington.