Mike Loades Tests Iconic Weapons Of The Peninsular War!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 มิ.ย. 2022
- 'Mike Loades Tests Iconic Weapons Of The Peninsular War!'
On 21st of August 1808, the 39-year-old Sir Arthur Wellesley (later to become the Duke of Wellington) stood at the head of an Anglo-Portuguese army numbering approximately 14,000.
His army was positioned on the blind side of a slope, awaiting the advance of a French Army under General Jean-Andoche Junot, that outnumbered him by between 3,000 and 6,000.
He held his men steady and waited until the French crested the hill and descended on this side to within range. Only then did he open fire.
This deployment of an army on the blind side of a hill became known as the ‘reverse slope tactIc’. At Vimeiro, it proved to be immensely successful and Wellesley subsequently made frequent use of it throughout the Peninsular War.
That the future Duke of Wellington should be in command of the combined British and Portuguese forces at this juncture, however, was an accident of Fate.
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#mikeloades #peninsularwar #dukeofwellington
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I remember that in a very old TV series, this person tested a harquebus against untreated leather armor, which even had grease on the armor, and it was colored stains, the leather armor had 8 layers, and the leather armor could withstand the shot by the harquebus
it was amazing
😮
We need more of Mike Loades!
Big respect to Portugal 🇵🇹🇬🇧 the worlds oldest alliance
Yes, dating back to the 1373.. Churchill invoked it during WW2, stunning the House of Commons, when he announced Britain had occupied the Azores
Mike Loades is top tier. He makes history fun and his knowledge is amazing
he still wrongly parrots the same myth that smoothbore muskets have maximum effective range of 40 meters at 1:46 . which is totally false as there are many videos online of muskets hitting single targets out to several hundred meters.
Mike Loades is the only person that inspires me to learn more about history. I watched his documentary back in 2004 about the weapon that made Britain. Thank you for your enthusiasm.
Using a shorter barrel, but still being great snipers... Now that's soldiering.
haha, i got that reference. I miss Sharpe
I live in Alentejo, Portugal, 25km from Portalegre, close to the border with Spain. I regularly visit Badajoz, in Spain, 55km from here. This entire area is unbelievably rich with the history of the Peninsular War. The word for those Portuguese soldiers, 'Caçadores', means hunters. There's a local hunting association in my village and those boys know every inch of this mountainous terrain like the back of their hands. They are incredible shots and incredibly stealthy hunters. Many times we've walked along a track and seen someone pop up, completely hidden, out of thick undergrowth to say hello. Those Portuguese uniforms are perfectly camouflaged, particularly for those times. The French wouldn't have stood a chance.
Badajoz region so rich in peninsula war history and border wars of Portugal and Espana, I got goosebumps and was overjoyed being there want to explore more.
cacadores were very effective units. most british divisions had at least one cacadore unit
Mike Loades is always informative and entertaining. Thanks HH
Expert snipers, green jackets, and three shots a minute? Now that’s soldiering!
i want more Mike, he's amazing, he made me love history, back when the history channel was good
This guy is so infectious! Love his enthusiasm
So glad I stumbled across this! Started up my old wargame hobby after 35yrs a couple of years ago and chose the peninsular war. Not just for the models but it's a part of history I didn't know much about... especially about the Portuguese! The more I get to know about their abilities the more affectionate (?) I am towards them! Great troops, highly motivated and highly skilled, love em! Can't have a British division without a brigade of them!!! Nice models to paint up too, not tried the Cacadores yet... Great video thoroughly enjoyed it!
I liked the European campaigns . More German States and Rhine Valley allies and lots of battles with Coalition states
Keep an eye open for all of Mr. Loads projects as he always delivers genuine hands on educational entertainment at its best !
Love the way Mike pulls that to the shoulder like his life depends on it.
At Bussaco when Wellington decided to stop his retreat and give Messena a bloody nose. He also wanted to give the Portugese a victory against the French to strenghten their moral. And it worked brilliantly
Enthusiastic and also doesn't dumb it down, a rare combination
As a Portuguese I am honored in having Mike Loades talk about my country, my Professor at University once told us a story that when the cemetery next to the military hospital in Coimbra during the battle of Vimeiro was excavated they found bodies belonging to strong younger soldiers and others that were older and marked by disease and bad teeth, knowing that there were portuguese and british fallen in the graves at first it was believed that the stronger bodies belonged to the british forces, after some tests it was discovered that the young stronger ones were almost all Portuguese, when Wellington formed the Caçadores he took the pick of the litter, the best the Portuguese had to offer, much like a Ghurka regiment I guess, they were hoping for a steady pay and food in time of war, I wish to thank my Professor, José Varandas for all his good work.
Much of the British Army of that time were criminals, or as Wellington put it ‘the scum of the earth’. They were hard men who had led hard lives. They were extremely tough as the French discovered to their cost.
The British army and sailors of the time period ie napolonnic era. It should be remembered that the British army the infantry We're from the lowest of the. Low in society the bottom of the barrel some historians play down this or concentrate on the battles itself but Wellington (Wellesley soldiers he ) described them as "" the scum of the earth"" yes indeed they were.. Some were escaping from the law possible killed someone or murdered someone in a scuffle the army was more favorable then being looked up in prison waiting the hangman or commited commited robbery serial rapist on the run villains of all descriptions just like the French foreign Legion did accepted all commer's into the ranks gladly because it wasnt easy to acquire new recruits because it was a volunteer army they were press ganged into service as the navy did lored by drink and the shilling they bribed the recruiters until it was too late and this was one method used some joined willingly thus this was Wellesley peninsula army to a large extent and yes they were a forced army that were flogged daily to maintain army discpline in the ranks theses were brutalized men escaping extreme poverty deprivation. desperation to escape one can not judge then or experiences Thier life by today's standards back then the army or navy offered hope of a kind offering 3 squire meals cloths On your back And a roof over head at a price the British term "" taking the queen or king shilling" means they are paying for your service to the sovergien you have signed up. Drunk or otherwise you be under the sergeants eye and your life and treatment depends on him As he deemed fit to administer corporal punishment in the camp routinely using a hand whip to strike across your back if he thought you were slacking in camp or tending tasks talking too much or any other infractions this was the life of a common soldier in the early 19th century and before that under arther Wellesley (Wellington) he maintained ridged iron discpline specially in the peninsula war to stop soldiers stealing commiting robbery or rape on the locals he would order the soldier or soldiers to be hung front of the victims family to demonstrate Justice was done and to stop any revenge attacks on his soldiers as had happened to French soldiers who took what they wanted and commited crimes the unforunate French soldiers if caught would wish a quick death it was said when a siege was ordered at a enemy fortification volunteers were called to storm the the enemy position in the first wave and many rushed forward they were known as the ""forlorn hope"" was a sucidal attack but it gave the common soldier relief to escape the harsh camp life and constantly under the Sargents lash if they survived the ordeal they take the prize of looting and plunder the enemy's stores of food and alcohol it offered a slim chance but they took it
Kudos for actually showing the difference between Grape shot and Canister. Can't say how often I see them used interchangably.
Sold shot = long range, Grape = intermediate range Cannister = Close range
I am an avid muzzle loader. I shoot mostly 50 cal and 75 cal....even on my best day it takes me up to 48 seconds to load the next round and that's without bullets whizzing past my head. Peace!
The voice, the knowledge, the presenting style, the energy, the demonstration style.....Mike just has everything to present history in such an engaging way! Hands down my favourite presenter!
I’m a simple man, I see mike loades I watch the video
Wonderful enthusiasm and video, small maps added when the presenter is talking about movements on a battlefield are great for visualising and making it clearer. Would be great if you could keep that in mind and add some
Mike Loades is the David Attenborough of historical warfare and weaponry.
Fantastic - looking forward to the rest of the series -
Thank you for covering the Cazadores and the Battle of Vimero.
Now reinstalling Napoleon Total War to play the Peninsular campaign because of this
great game! I have more preferred TW games, but the era is excellent.
Great episode. Very engaging. Thanks! :D
The only problem with rifles of that day, was they fouled easily. Additionally, they needed specialized ammo that fit the bore. At Waterloo, the 95th ran out of ammo half way through the battle and were reduced to using their bakers as clubs.
they would have been able to use french ammunition, but I think they would have to wait untill the french retreated to get any , which would be after they no longer needed it
They would remove their buttons from their Jackets and use them as ammo. As a tradition and to represent this, the buttons on our dress uniforms were Black. Also to compensate for the shorter length of the Baker Rifle to match the length of the Musket, they had what they named a "sword" instead of trying to use the shorter musket bayonet, "fix swords" a term that was installed in me when I served with the 1 BN Royal Green Jackets. The Royal Green Jacket museum in Winchester England, covers this and meany more facts about this and the amazing history of the 95th Regiment of foot to the modern day Rifles Regiments
Windsor treaty was honored during the peninsular war, and it changed history forever.
We know so much about the Battle of Waterloo, but so little on the Peninsular War where Wellesley cut his teeth … thanks for talking about the Portuguese, they get so very little credit here and in World War 1.
History Hit is such an incredible channel for bringing content like this for us!
And the cherry on top are the presenters: Mike Loades, Dan Snow and Eleanor Janega are my absolute favorites!
Fantastic video. Mike are the best
Really great . Thanks. Wellington and the Baker rifle ..what a combination 🇬🇧
Please tell me you've watched (or read) the Richard Sharpe series, Don?? If Napoleonic warfare, Baker rifles, and Sean Bean calling almost everyone he meets a "bastard" is your thing I highly recommend the TV show lol
@@residentelect oh yes , I love it ! Chosen men !
I love Mike's enthusiasm. For being 72 he sure is in great shape!
Oh good Lord that thumbnail quote
Hes like an enthusiastic gardener but with history and thats why we love him
A vid with Mike Loades ! i must to watch it
Mike Loades is a LEGEND!
There are a few channels I can recommend for anyone interested in more in-depth information. Kings and Generals has an excellent series on basically every land action in the Napoleonic wars, as well as an overview of the French Martials.
And British Muzzleloaders has manufacture and testing of several weapons of the era, including speed and accuracy with both patched and unpatched ball in the Baker Rifle. For the viewing delectation of anyone wanting more information.
excellent as ever
You had me at Mike Loades!
Fantastic
Mike Loads is legendary in midevel weapons 🇬🇧👍
He's the history teacher all kids deserve.
His enthusiasm is infectious.
Excellent
Oh God, the Myth of "the French always attacked in column". French drill books of the period state: "manoeuvre in column, FIGHT in LINE". They didn't always manage it, because Wellesly hid his line behind the crest of a hill, denying the French the ability to judge when to deploy from one to the other. OH, and ANOTHER thing: the redcoats in the American War of Independence, under Lord Howe, fought in 2 lines, (and open order, FWTW). I'm surprised someone so knowledgeable as Mike put his name to this stuff. He must have known it wasn't entirely accurate.
It's a 'Sharpe' myth but there are some historical nuances there. French doctrine used the attack column (column by division) along with linear drill as you mentioned. Advancing over broken ground or trying to punch through the enemy's line meant advancing in line formation would run into problems trying to maintain cohesion. Wellesly did use the reverse slope to mask his lines which meant French commanders often had to rely on the attack column to try to 'rush' through without proper deployment into 2 lines. French commanders did fight in linear formation often during the Peninsular War and gave as good as the British when trading volleys.
@@celston51 Yup. Just look at Albuera
that was awesome!!....Gotta love Mike!!....wish we had more stuff like this on TV instead of frikkin crap like love island etc.
Wellsley aka Sir Arthur Duke of Wellington was the British Anglo Portuguese general who at this battle began ordering his infantry and riflemen and cacadores to fire by two ranks brought more muskets and rifles to bear on l'armee du Portugal et espangnol?!
Mike Loades knows his loads.
Great video. Nice to see the two caçadores standing there, illustrating the pre 1811 uniform (with gold lacings) and the post 1811 one, with black lacings. Actually, the traditional colour of the caçadores' uniforms can be traced at least to the Regimento de Voluntários Reais (Regiment of Royal Volunteers), a light infantry and cavalry unit created in 1762 (and disbanded 7 years later), who wore brown (or saragoça) fabric.
Damn y'all got any more of that Mike Loades? I got a fever and the only prescription is more Mike Loades.
Well done
Using the reverse slope also meant the attacking artillery couldn't /hit/ the defending troops either as shot would at best bounce off the slope's top, whereas the attacking infantry could be hit.
Arthur Wellesley learnt and used this technique of two line formation when he was fighting the Mahrattas in the late eighteenth century
& he always said that his most successful battle was at Assaye.
"Sniper, skirmisher ....same difference."
~No One Ever
Sniper is the correct terminology for skirmishers of that time. Becuase they ducked, and weaved their way around the battlefield, officers who were used to shooting birds commented on their snipe-like movements (waterfowl known for erratic flight patterns making them hard to hit), calling their actions "sniping". Logically, people who engage in sniping must be snipers. Later, because british and portuguese "snipers", armed with rifles, rather than the smooth-bore muskets of french skirmishers, were so well known for being deadly crack-shots, the word sniper became synonymous with marksmen, and due to the nature of trench warfare in the 1st World War, then became the word for a marksman using a fixed, camouflaged position to pick out targets, rather than someone using movement to avoid being shot, especially as the general infantry tactics had evolved to more fire and manoeuvre than line by that point.
@@freddiespreckley6324 There was similar muddying of the boundaries in terminology in the American Civil War.
I just take issue with the fact that this is being put out there for consumption by a public that, by and large, hasn't done a great deal of background study and thus aren't going to know the wording has changed and are likely to take that old terminology and run with it.
Just seems that using modern terminology in situations where there's no room for a lengthy explanation might be more useful to the public.
Cheers.
Mike Loads is a farkin *LEGEND*
The French used their light infantry (Voltigeurs) to off set the disadvantage of attacking with column, namely the lack of muskets that could be brought to bear. By spreading his light infantry out in front of the enemy lines he could effectively have a comparable amount of firepower pointed at the enemy with the weight of a regular infantry column closing in behind to smash a line to pieces. The Voltigeurs' therefore used smoothbore "dragoon" style muskets favoring reloading speed over accuracy. The British light infantry on the other hand were armed with the Baker Rifle expressly to be able to pick out and eliminate individual Voltigeurs to counter Napoleon's tactic of using light infantry to support a column style assault.
Now England! Nows Your Time! Fire!
The column formation made it easier to control large numbers of men, and as the French army was mainly conscripts, poorly trained compared to regular soldiers who wanted to be there, it was easier for the French to use columns. They did /try/ to redeploy into line sometimes when they were close enough but usually unsuccessfully.
"Ordre Mixte" combined column and line (more experienced) elements in a sort of early 1800s suppression and assault arrangement
Mr Loades is very good indeed. Excellent info packed film. 👍
So I don’t know if saying the shorter length made it perfect for sniping is the right way to phrase it. Instead he could have said the shorter length made it perfect for skirmishing and mobility
Exactly. Scouts and skirmishers.
I tend to agree with you - that may have been a better way to express it. Bear in mind though that, for a general audience, the word 'skirmishing' would need some tangental explanation. I was attempting to quickly get the idea across that the shorter barrel of the Baker together with its rifling, which enabled accuracy at greater range, made it useful for shooting at range from concealed positions (part of the modus operandi of a skirmisher). In that narrow context, I would submit that sniping is not altogether the wrong word, though I understand the nuances and why some people have got irritated by it.
@@loadesofhistory wow thanks for responding. I wasn’t angry about it
So what is the difference between a cannon and a howitzer? Besides the howitzer being bigger. Do they rifling in the barrel as well, or is size the only difference?
Mike loades, let's be seeing more of you please sir
Confession: as it passed through 1:42, I thought for a second I was seeing Sgt Harper ... 🙂
I thought the same thing!
@@jona.scholt4362
Whats your favourite Richard Sharpe "... Bastard..." quote?
Personally mine is when he first meets the Chosen Men who are all pretending to be passed out drunk amongst the hay;
"UP! UP, YOU LAZY BASTARDS!" 🤣
I think I've read that the two-rank line was first used by British in the American Revolution, then the three-rank line restored, then 2-rank.
No doubt interesting channel
Mike Loades is the best
Loades more of Mike, please.
...I'll get my coat.
More of Mike's Loads, please.
During one of the many crusades,the English went by sea to get to the Mediterranean.Stopping by in Portugual for a pit stop.
Well turned out body of men you've got there, Portugal. I'd keep them on the muster roll in case the French have another go!
I've got to put a glove on as it's original ammunition....proceeds to throw it up and down 😂
Oldest alliance in history I heard was the Brits and the Portuguese.
Has Loades done a top 5 tanks, at the TANK museum?
Mike Loades mentioned the US national anthem. The 'rockets red glare' mentioned were in fact the British Congreve rockets attacking Fort McHenry.
Genuinely had no idea shrapnel was named after a person !
Thinking the rifling may have given the rifles a higher muzzle velocity than muskets despite the barrel being shorter.
"Iconic"! Now there's a word you don't come across often. Ironic.
You just gotta love Mike. Cool guy. Remember when he actually jumped/fell off a horse in full armor totally on purpose just to show us it was a myth that armored knights couldn’t get up easy?
Thomas Plunkett made a pretty good job with that gun ☠️
6:00 Mike is spitting facts
in one of the books fictional British Rifleman Sharp uses the tools in his patch box to enter the Manor house to find important information
I must protest a little. The effective range of the musket was 40-50 meters but you find examples of lines going at each other mucb further out and also you can use it as a area denial weapon further afield as well.
i play with muskets a bit and would say you can regularly hit a man sized target at 60 paces but when we remember they would be shooting at large formations of men... would not doubt being able to hit that at 120 paces.
I also want to mention effective range is talking about hitting what your aiming at, a musket ball retains lethal energy much further than that. I would not stand in front of one fired at any distance.
@@blujthewombat Thanks! Nice to have some extra details and no i wouldn't either!
Yeah, putting a specific number on the range of the musket is hard to do.
In the 1850ties the danish army did live firing at 180m as training in peacetime.
And 120m was the most used range for live firing as training.
Sure it was with (smoothbore) percussion muskets, that did have a rear sight, so not directly comparable. But it do show that it was expected that at least some round would hit a battalion sized target at even that range.
@@thomasbaagaard Yes, but when you are under fire, their is smoke in your eyes, and men are falling dead on you, it is a very different matter.
Over the hill's and far away!
I was this day old when I learned that shrapnel is named after Sir Henry Shrapnel!
Soldiers who used to man this rifle (not à musket but technically à rifle) started to load thé patched undercalibered bullet with à small Hammer. They then used thé ramming Rod after having introduced thé bullet deeper inside thé barrel with thé grip of the Hammer. It is very difficult not to use thé Hammer that was provided with. This rifle had been made usefull after thé Américan Indépendance War, when volley fire was less usefull and most of the fights needed more précision. It was supposed to replace thé infamous Brown Bess. But usual doctrines of volley fire were still prédominent at that time and thé rifle was too slow to load. So only 22000 of them were manufactured and its use was limited to à warfare or à side rôle.
Thé famous "Sharpe" tv serie features this rifle in a sympathetic but not that historicaly accurate manner...
The faster loading musket still had a practical advantage over the rifle, especially in pitched battle where the platoon volley fire was very devastating. The Sharpe books present a more accurate depiction of the rifle used in battle, the tv show was still fun adventure.
@@JrrrNikolaus
Indeed, until thé invention of the Minié bullet that allowed thé same rate of fire with à rifled barrel. Without thé Minié bullet, there would not have been any victory for thé French or thé British troops in the Crimean war...The Sharpe books are indeed good, thé tv show was also à great moment, especially thé first seasons. I enjoyed à lot.
@@savatete4161
Totally agree re Sharpe. Almost embarrassed to admit it, but I watched the TV series in the 90s and early 2000s before I enjoyed the books.
It's one of those series which I genuinely hope they never try to remake, as it had a unique character and spectacle all of It's own, which only Horatio Hornblower could hope to match!
British Army Major-General Sir Arthur Wellesley His Grace The 1st Duke of Wellington.
Why do they never mention the 60th? The 5/60th was formed before the 95th and were engaged in every action of the Peninsula war
Brand recognition and the whole 'Sharpe' series of novels. The 5/60th performed just as capably as the 95th but were disbanded shortly after the Napoleonic Wars ended.
@@celston51 And yet the 60th do get a look in during several Sharpe episodes, and books, in the memorable shape of Capt. William Frederickson. The 95th did do well on branding, though, right back to the biographies of the Peninsula War written by the veterans.
"The shorter barrel was perfect for sniping" - said no sniper, ever.
"between the bushes and everything you know, needs the shorter gun"
- Interrupted >THE SNIPERS
What should have been said was, "The shorter barrel was perfect for sniping as a skirmisher circa 1806 with nowhere really good to hide in Portugal." The reason a shorter barrel would be preferred back in the day was because sharpshooters would have to inevitably reload and the last thing any of them wanted after a big cloud of blackpowder goes off is a three to four foot barrel sticking up in the air with a nice target trying desperately to shove a paper cartridge in it before calvary chase you down. Even with rifling, the best distance from the target you could reasonably hit them at would be no more than 200m, which is well within a detachment of calvary's ability to chase you down and shank you with a fancy sword.
When people do not know the difference between "sniping" and "skirmishing"
:/
The Baker Rifle was rifled as opposed to smoothbore muskets, therefore longer barrels were not required.
The Baker rifle was also much slower to load due to the rifling. The Baker has a 30" barrel, which is approx 4-6 inches LONGER than a standard modern urban sniper rifle chambered in .308. Depending on the iteration.
Does it even matter on the length of barrel if the ammunition you were using was round and not machined fit for the barrel?
I feel like the only way to really get the benefit of extra pressure in a longer barrel is from actual case ammunition that was a 100% perfect fit for the barrel.
What did he put in the gun to see the grooves ?
the paper patch is the origin of the cigarette, soldiers were issued pipe tobacco loose and rolled it up and smoked it in the gun papers.
That is a lie. First report of it was by a sailor in the 16th century. And the poor were rolling cigs with leftover cigar leftovers. The first cigarette paper was produced in Alcoy, Spain, in 1764. I am sure soldiers used it a substitute but no means is it the first or origin of cigs.
Right from the off the Portuguese bloke makes a false claim- range of the Brown Bess was much longer than 40m.
Double spotted canister made The Cornfield at Antietam the abattoir that it was.
Imagine marching for days and days the only Goal to fight for your country earn glory in Battle and then you get hit by a shrapnel ball without firing a single Shot ...xD
You miss Bussaco 😂😂😂
Incorrect about French columns; armies fought in lines, columns and squares; the column was less powerful than the line, but the line would not fit in the irregular terrain of the peninsula; the Austrian/Imperial army fought in elongated squares that resemble columns because it was easier to train their feudal levies to form something of a fat column/long square that could repel cavalry, could advance easily, and didn't require extensive drilling to change formations at the cost of being particularly advantageous at none of the aspects of combat occupied by line, square and column.
First time learning where the word
Isn't the Baker the British version of the American Kentucky Rifle?.
Not quite so the American long rifle is based more off of the German yeagers and they were much longer and lighter caliber. The baker is based off of the British pattern 1776 rifle, which itself was based off of German Jager rifles. However, it was shorter and a much larger caliber
"Pursued by the british" **Proceeds to point at portuguese soldiers**
this guy is such a good presenter!!
This is a good video but there is one problem. The baker rifle was accurate at 300 but it could be fired well beyond that range and still hit it’s mark. It’s the same with other flintlocks. Just because 100 yards is the most accurate doesn’t mean it can only be fired at 100 yards.
The same goes for the Brown Bess, it may have an "accurate" range of 50 yards, but the bullet would go much further.
👍🏻