<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tss:
I think it was Grimmelshausen who said: "Whoever kills a pikeman kills an innocent man." (BTW, if you haven't read his "Simplicissimus", do it).<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Nice quote! I've heard the same thing applied to musketry in regards to its accuracy.
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One reason why Karl XIIs army was so efficient in 1700-08 was that he emphasized attack with "cold weapons", that is, swords and bayonets. His tactics was that the whole army would advance near the enemy, fire a single volley, and charge with bayonets. As long as the enemy didn't have enough artillery to decimate the Swedish army enroute, the defenders would most often turn and run when they saw that the Swedish line didn't turn back. However, at Poltava 1709 the Russians did have enough artillery and their lines didn't turn back and run (though, it was a close affair). The result was the worst Swedish military defeat through the history.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Also on the subject of formations and why people stood in lines is that you were more likely to stay and receive a charge if, Well, in theory at least, there was no where to run if you had a second rank behind you bristling with bayonets. Either be stabbed by your comrades or by your enemies. Choose!
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Admissions to the Invalides in Paris in 1762.
68.8% to small arms
13.4% to artillery
14.7% to swords
2.4% to bayonets.
However, artillery hits were lethal more often than musket wounds and that skews the table somewhat. I have no idea how much. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I think at that time any type of wound at all was a serious risk to become lethal given the lack of professional medicine for soldiers. That is, of the soldiers who made it to hospital. If you were wounded on the field of battle there was a great chance you might be left there for days and be preyed upon by looters, wolves or die from exposure.