Nice movie. I recently wrote a book on cavalry training in the 18th century, regular cavalry weapons, military fencing, and combat tactics: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kndEF1IE_gI.html
"You've lost the Colours, sir. The King's own Colours, touched by his own hand. Take my advice, and a pistol, and go behind that tent, and blow out what's left of your brains." Love that
George Custer's brother, Tom, won the Medal of Honor twice for, among other things, capturing the Confederate colors on two separate occasions during the Civil War.
@@sgtskysyndrome So that's why George charged 200 men into the middle of a better armed 2000 strong enemy. Because he thought they had a flag to capture. It all makes sense now.
@@cornpop3159 First off, George had more than 200 men. Second, many historians believe that, while the 7th had some indicators of how large the village was, Custer did not know how large the village was until he was in the midst of the attack. The accounts of Major Reno and others seem to bear this out. Reno charged only perhaps to the riverbed and halted his advance based on what he saw and how frightening it was. Third, Custer followed the standard Army doctrine of the time. Consolidate for the defense, divide for the attack. This was a stratagem that had yielded success numerous times before. Fourth, to say that the enemies were better armed is just foolish. Many of them were using bows and arrows. The firearms they had were varied and supplied to them by traders and perhaps the Army itself. The disparity of firepower is often overstated. Finally, the entire comment is a non-sequitur. What does the Battle of Little Bighorn have anything to do with Tom Custer's Medal of Honor awards from the Civil War?
Well,watched it,the cavalry units should equipped with light and hard armor iron or steel plate for protection of bodies with single shot of multiple barrels flint lock rifles,it can fire with an angle of 45'C of oblique angle of shooting mass other army or opponent cavalry units.In fact 18th French Napoleon elicit cavalry units all equipped with long spear,long blade ,multiple barrels of single shot flintlock pistol,and therefore when retreating from Russia,elicit cavalry units one unit can deal with 50 of army units or 5-10 unit of opponent cavalry units due to each elicit cavalry units all well equipped with light weight body armor with plate or steel at all.Well up to 19th to WW1,cavalry units when charging should equipped 10 rounds of lever moving Winchester rifles,rather than only equipped with long blade,definitely become meat grinder of army with long range rifles as Dryes,Chasspot,Martin Henery.The army units at that time,equipped with single shoot flint lock musket or lee Enfird-Sinder rifles,not suitable for cavalry units,but army better equipped with 4-6 wheels horses wagons,army musket or rifle team can be installed on them and fast moving with full direction with all angles of speed firing and a certain distance,also equipped with primitive catapult,which can fire short,middle and long range primitive pottery black power dynamite and caused huge fire and flare when charging with cavalry units ,it can be offense and defense purpose.very effective at that time,no advance high technology involved.
I love the noticable air of 'the fuck are they doing?' coming off the rifles when the South Essex march past. Everyone bar Simmerson knew this wasn't going to end well.
It is even more riddiculous in the book. The Spanish (not shown here) go across the bridge to show off, and the British follow out of pride. Then they try to attack the French horsemen on foot (which is impossible, since horses are faster), but the French just wait and refuse to attack, laughing at the idiots. Simmerson tries to order Sharpe to skirmish against the Horses (suicide), but Hogan refuses to give Sharpe the order. When the French decide to leave, the Spanish shoot and kill two riders, and the riders destroy the Spanish square in a single attack, and the British soon after. 400 riders rout 1600 footmen in less than 10 minutes.
@@95DarkFire I don't believe that IRL a cavalry squadron can rout an infantry square 4 times their size. Except a column that isn't even halfway thru forming square yet.
@@ClorindeASMRWhen Well, the Spanish were terrible soldiers, they got scared and ran away before the horses got there. Then they ran into the British square and broke it, and the horses followed. Then the British ran as well.
@@95DarkFire how many more riders got taken out then those 2 before the charge and one can i think skirmish cav though you would need to really time it right or so to make it work. idk.
NOTE: They are playing the "Rogue's March" when the British patrol moves forward, a testimony to Simmerson's orders. Normally only played when a disgraced soldier is punished or drummed out of the army.
Well,watched it,the cavalry units should equipped with light and hard armor iron or steel plate for protection of bodies with single shot of multiple barrels flint lock rifles,it can fire with an angle of 45'C of oblique angle of shooting mass other army or opponent cavalry units.In fact 18th French Napoleon elicit cavalry units all equipped with long spear,long blade ,multiple barrels of single shot flintlock pistol,and therefore when retreating from Russia,elicit cavalry units one unit can deal with 50 of army units or 5-10 unit of opponent cavalry units due to each elicit cavalry units all well equipped with light weight body armor with plate or steel at all.Well up to 19th to WW1,cavalry units when charging should equipped 10 rounds of lever moving Winchester rifles,rather than only equipped with long blade,definitely become meat grinder of army with long range rifles as Dryes,Chasspot,Martin Henery.The army units at that time,equipped with single shoot flint lock musket or lee Enfird-Sinder rifles,not suitable for cavalry units,but armythem equipped with 4-6 wheels horses wagons,army can be installed on them and fast moving with full direction with all angles of speed firing and a certain distance,also equipped with primitive catapult,which can fire short,middle and long range primitive pottery black power dynamite and caused huge fire and flare when charging with cavalry units ,it can be offense and defense purpose.very effective at that time,no advance high technology involved.
Ight lad what about the Queens rangers they are a whole lot Meaner than u think the drummer is the person who make the soldiers fallin and fallout or to Follow the beaten Enemy...the british Major or the British 45 to the 67 th dragoon calavry are to scare the enemy not to take there flag
Up until this battle Major Hogan had to remain respectful on account of Simmerson's rank and favoritism back home, but at 7:25 he could dispense with being polite and told him what he really thought of his leadership.
Well,watched it,the cavalry units should equipped with light and hard armor iron or steel plate for protection of bodies with single shot of multiple barrels flint lock rifles,it can fire with an angle of 45'C of oblique angle of shooting mass other army or opponent cavalry units.In fact 18th French Napoleon elicit cavalry units all equipped with long spear,long blade ,multiple barrels of single shot flintlock pistol,and therefore when retreating from Russia,elicit cavalry units one unit can deal with 50 of army units or 5-10 unit of opponent cavalry units due to each elicit cavalry units all well equipped with light weight body armor with plate or steel at all.Well up to 19th single shoot as Lee Enfried-Sinders,Chasspot Dryes to WW1,Lee Enfried 5 rounds,Mauser 1897,cavalry units when charging should well equipped 10 rounds of lever action,Winchester rifles,rather than only equipped with long blade,definitely become meat grinder of opponent's army with long range rifles as Dryes,Chasspot,Martin Henery.The army units at that time,equipped with single shoot flint lock musket or lee Enfird-Sinder rifles,not suitable for cavalry units,but riflemen better equipped with 4-6 wheels horses wagons,army musket or rifle teams can be installed on 4-6 wheels horse wagon and fast moving with full direction with all angles of speed firing and a certain distance,also equipped with primitive catapult,which can fire short,middle and long range primitive pottery black power dynamite and caused huge fire and flare when charging with cavalry units ,it can be offense and defense purpose.very effective at that time,no advance high technology involved.😃😄😁
That bridge... built on the tightest of budgets, all freshly cut wood, and built just stoutly enough to stand up long enough to be blown up for a TV program... and I'm not sure it was built over running water, it appears to straddle the edge of a body of standing water :) Still, I love the Sharpe series!
That always drove me nuts about this scene, seeing the edge of the lake in the background... I kept seeing "Achoo" hopping from one side of the river to the other.
@@Murchad99 They had a pretty tight budget for the series so the special effects and sets weren't hollywood level, but the script and acting makes up for it IMO
Sending your company to chase a small french patrol but instead you get attacked by cavalry and destroy the bridge cutting off a rescue party..... that's called being a Simmerson.
@@jonathanjappe7 The South Essex is stood down in name; if I wipe the name, I may wipe the shame. The Light Company put up a fight, so I shall let it stand under the command of a new Captain.
@@thechosenone1533 I have a cousin at Horse Guards and friends at court. A man who loses the King's colors loses the King's friendship sir Henry. Good morning
True. But it’s a testament to its caliber that it it is still popular today. On a limited budget it captured the spirit of the books and if nothing else provided some damn fine entertainment and drama.
In the book, South Essex lost 242 men and nearly lost their regimental colors as well but they turned it around by beating the French and captured a Field gun.
not to be ThAt gUy but in the book it's a solid stone roman bridge that takes Hogan half a day to pickaxe a blasting hole. BBC budget gotta soldier though
There’s a lot of differences between the books and the films...Theresa Moreno doesn’t feature in the books until Sharpe’s Gold but is a critical figure in the first film, Sharpe’s Rifles!!
@@Jack-uy7ie Wellington would have heard it from Hogan and it could only have come from Denny or Leroy. Given how much Denny seems to worship Sharpe from that moment on, I don't think he discussed it with other officers. I think Leroy was asked by Hogan about Lennox's last words, especially seeing as Hogan and Wellington greated respected Lennox.
And yet Leroy has to blame Sharpe why? Cuz the kid looked up to him? Sharpe never told Denny to follow him, kid made that decision on his own to jump headlong into the fray with The Chosen Men
Just as an idea of how boneheaded Simmerson's decision here was, he didn't even screen his force with light infantry. That column could have been sniped to bits while it was forming up. Some scouts could also have spotted the French ambush.
Hello, that were polish cavalary, volunteers, which served in the imperial french army. Look at the yellow colors. This movie is very close by the right uniforms, respekt !
Back then, that was standard doctrine, and it worked. Firearms of that period were not the long range, multiple rounds in seconds weapons of today, so conducting frontal attacks was not the suicidal mission of later years.
Cavalry used here for skirmishing against an easy target. That's what they're for, swooping in on an exposed objective and decisively securing it. Simmerson sends his colour guard across a narrow bridge against four rifles, clearly bait. He should know that the Frogs won't send four dudes up within viewing distance of his person without some fishy intent. You can't cite this as evidence of why they lost when this encounter was a clear victory.
Line beats column, when the line is comprised of professional British soldiers who can platoon fire with steadfast discipline, The column doesn't stand much chance of breaking through. Saw it time and time again in the peninsular.
I cringe. It Can be really dangerous. Roy Kinnear died during filming of Four Musketeers in 1988 after getting thrown from a horse. The fall didn't directly kill him, but he shattered his pelvis and wound up suffering a heart attack while in the hospital in Spain
After reading the book, this scene seems ridiculous. The original bridge was a 2000-year-old roman bridge which was build so well that the Engineers had trouble breaking it. This wooden bridge could be destroyed with a single barrel of explosives.
This is the first episode of an already troubled production. Paul McGann had already shot most of the scenes of Sharpe when he broke his leg and Sean Bean had to step in. Seriously? It's 1994 ish and a private venture by a small production company. This is what could be afforded and in the 90s it was very popular.
And the author liked Sean's performance so much his later Sharpe novels portrayed him as closer to what Sean Bean looked like (downplaying his original black hair and shifting his origin to Yorkshire to fit Sean's accent).
0:26 I like that you can see that Sharpes uniforms colour is brighter than the others, generally the officers wore uniforms that had brighter colours than the enlisted men, as to mark them out as an officer.
I have always been wondering during this series how you can tell which rank Sharpe is? I know he gets promoted to luitenant-colonel at the end but the uniform always seems the same to me.
@@deanderekant1 That's because, throughout his entire career, Sharpe never once changed his jacket. He believed the jacket was a good luck charm. Anyway, the part that should have displayed his ensignia of rank was torn off. In the books, characters often mistake Sharpe for a common soldier because of it, and amusing hijinks ensue.
@@Former_Halo_Fan Remember Sharpe drilled the tactic of shooting officers and NCO's first into his men. My guess part of this was insurance just in case someone on the other side had the same idea
@@TentaclePentacle You should write the producers of the show and the author of the Sharp series of books, Bernard Cornwell, they would differ with you. In the book, there was a team of engineers setting the charges. In the TV show the officer in civilian dress is an engineer. And yes the British army in fact did have engineers who blew up things and planned battlements.
In the book it’s explained that sharpes small unit is attached to Hogan as he needs protection as he blows up bridges etc. He explains the theory to the men and they become quite proficient.
There was a CD titled The Music of Sharpe. Featured the music from the show, showcased the Light Division Band and Bugles as well as the singing of old folk songs by John Tams who played Rifleman Daniel Hagman in the show. Gutted that my copy was scratched to buggery. Might be on YT music.
Good show, but I kind of wish someone would go back and CGI more troops into the background so that the armies and units actually looked the right size.
@@nickdouglas736 Skirmishes in the Napoleonic Era still had a couple hundred guys on both sides minimum. Hell, there were battles with a couple thousand people, on both sides, that were skirmishes.
I know its probably for the audience's benefit, but shouldn't the picket be, you know, on the top of the hill so as to provide a bit of warning before they're on top of you?
Possibly, but putting him that far away makes it possible for the French to ambush him without anyone noticing. Where he is, he can see anything coming, has a retreat if necessary, and is close enough that if anyone shoots him, they *will* notice.
I loved the series Sharpes Rifle n Sharpes Waterloo. Next worse thing to defeat in Victory - Sir Wellington Battle of Waterloo. Respects from Sam India to all Allied nations who fought against the French aggressors including UK Army.
That's a lot of kegs of gunpowder to blow up a bridge that looks like the wind would knock it down, over a stream that looks like it wouldn't even get the tops of your boots wet if you tried to walk across it.
@@Calum_1940 You are probably somewhat correct. I am also thinking the bridge was built quickly by the props department, on a budget, which is why it looks so flimsy. As for the barrels of gunpowder, it's probably to build up anticipation among the viewers to see the thing blow up.
No wonder that Lennox's company was doomed - they were flying the colours upside down!!!!! (broad diagonal white strip towards the top nearest the staff) Schoolboy error!
That's what I thought originally. But if you look closely it is the flag itself that has the red diagonals incorrect. If you flew that flag the other way around it would look the same.
Hogan is an Irish engineer and liason. Makes a lot of cracks with Harper in the first two movies as well as the books. "Where would Britannia be without the Irish?"
An upside-down flag is a traditional sign of being in distress, and I can't imagine any officer there more distressed about the situation than Major Lennox.
@@Baskerville22 During that Era? In the middle of nowhere? No my friend. Not in those days. First it would take some time to build somewhere where there's enough wood. Then it must be transported to the river by horse and cart hoping not to be attacked along the way and the constructed while under the scrutiny of the enemy who would attempt to destroy it again
Dr. Harmonica Even in those days bridges and pontoons could be built reasonably quickly. During the battle of Berizina Napoleons sappers were able to construct two bridges in almost no time while under pressure from the Russians and in freezing cold temperatures. It is also important to note they were working with next to no equipment.
When will someone point out that the English Right TURN, it is the US who Right FACE. In this case the correct order is "Move to the right in single file, right turn."
That flag itself is wrong - the red diagonals are wrongly placed. If you flew that flag the other way around it would look exactly the same as it does there. (unlike the actual Union flag). Here the red diagonals are all closer to the centre of the flag, meaning the flag looks the same whatever way up it is.
