gpang788

Hi guys,

Am new to this great forum! 1st up would like to say Hello!

Guess I have something new (I hope) here for you medieval warfare lovers to discuss

Was watching "Warrior Queen Boudica" on the history channel and what struck me was how during her last battle with the Romans - she didnt employ or even gave much thought to strategy or tactics but simply charged her army headlong into battle!!

What resulted was needless to say - mass slaughter on the battlefield!! In the end her army was soundly defeated after several mass (brainless) charges.

Now If the account was true, then Boudica might have been in serious need of some schooling in the fine art of war!

That set me thinking - what tactics does one use that would be effective in defeating the Roman army of the period (60AD) given the kind of equipment/weapons Queen Boudica's Celtic army would have had at her final battle with the romans?

Fun topic isn't it?

Now Imagine it you were the general of her army (assuming that Boudica had one), what would you have done to defeat the Romans??

I have tried to come up with some ideas, but given my lack of knowledge on this subject, have come up short.

Now I know there are lots of talented "generals" in this forum who might be able to offer some assistance on this?

Go ahead! Fire away gentleman! I am all ears..

Blademaster

If I was Queen Boudica, I would have set a small force for the Romans to mass mobilize and move against it and then use the rest of the main body to maneuver around and smash its logistics train and then make sure that the Romans could never get resupplied and then starve the army out using Fabian strategy. The Romany army is too well trained and disciplined but it can be beaten by unconvetional methods. The Roman Army was operating far ahead out of its supporting base and LOCs and in deep enemy territory.

I would employ assassination methods and try to knock out the top leadership, poison the food left behind, poison the water wells, anything to weaken the Roman Army. When the Roman Army is on its last legs, then I would organize the army into 3-4 elements. One to go against the enemy head on and pin down the enemy, then one or two to flank it, and the the last as a reserve to use as a charge once an opening is confirmed and then you smash the enemy like a hammer and a nut.

Officer of Engineers

Hard call. Boudica had met with success against smaller Roman forces and when she got room to maneuver, she was a bear to contend with. The problem was that the Battle of Watling Street, she read the ground wrong. According to the history, the terrain was hilly with the side slopes too steep for chariots and hard on the legs. The front slope is gentler and the only way up. But you can only view this when you're actually standing on the hill. So, it was kind of a Thermopalaye type battle. The Britons could not maneuver to the flanks and had to throw themselves against Roman discipline.

On open and flatter terrain, the Romans would not have such an easy time.

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Chimo

Blademaster

Queen Boudica never encountered a place where it would necessitate coordination and well planning and discipline among the army. She simply thought that numbers would be enough.

The Roman general recognized this weakness and purposely chose the terrain and ground where it could negate the advantages of numbers and put Roman discipline and formation to very effective use. Queen Boudica did not recognize this trap. She could have easily sent scouts out to survey the land and report back and make readjustment and preparations accordingly but no, she just rolled into the Roman army whose back was against the mountain and was focused into a channel. The roman army withstood and began pushing back. As a result, the front of Boudica's army was pressed against the Roman army by still incoming numbers from the rear of Boudica's army. No longer able to fight, they start panicking and began pushing back against their comrades. In no time, all order and formation were quickly lost leading into a panic rout. There was no orderly retreat and their supply wagons were in the way, further entangling them and leaving them trapped from the advancing Roman army.

gpang788

I think she simply lacks experience in warfare. Cos almost all of her other battles involved mass charging into the enemy. That seemed to be the only thing she ever did.

She must have commanded such immense respect from her ppl that no one questioned her orders, or, more likely, her whole army seemed somewhat inexperienced and disorganised.

I mean, its one thing for Boudica to have misjudged the situation, but for the whole army to have committed wholeheartedly to her orders without question? I believe there surely would have been at least 1 or 2 of her battle-hardened veterans who could have better advise her - as they could see the futility of such a strategy. Yet its funny no one did?

Triple C

I recall that Boudica was good, actually. She planned her strike on the first Roman force that was sent against her, caught it in an ambush and wiped it out. She also marched pretty quickly, giving the Romans no time to put up a prepared defense and burned quite a few towns.

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What benefits the body is called medicine; what benefits the soul, discipline.
-Augustine of Hippo

Blademaster

The Romans were not expecting armed and organized resistance at the beginning but however once the shock wore off, they quickly reassessed the situation and adjusted accordingly. The campaign did not last more than several months.

bolo121

Well let me just put in what little i know...
I believe that she got lucky with the 9th legion she caught them strung out on the march unprepared and overconfident. However she was leading a large bunch of tribesmen not an organised military force. There would have been several chieftains and leaders with groups of warriors loyal to them. Therefore all she could do would be things like mass charges. The organisation and discipline for more elaborate maneuvering did not exist. Also after she defeated the 9th, lots of others who had been fence sitting joined her further straining command and control.
Gaius Suetonius Paulinus i believe chose a bit of ground best suited to roman tactics and let her come on at him. Imagine you are a bunch of fierce celtic tribesmen all painted with woad. Yo have already annihilated an entire roman legion. After a pursuit you catch sight of your craven foes at last. What do you do? Why charge them of course bellowing war cries.
And that was that.

Triple C

The lack of military organization might have been Boudicca's ruin. I just do not know this proves her to be an ineffectual leader. Her haste in orchestrating a powreful military insurgency with independent chieftans and went as far as she did with an army inferior in weapons and drill suggests a commander of some substance, if anything.

bolo121

I was casting no aspersions on her leadership abilities, just pointing out the factors that would have crippled them.
As to orchestrating an insurgency it seems that the whole place was just waiting for an excuse and she gave them one.