A Question About Pickett's Charge

[CWO Marc]

I'd be interested in some opinions about the following question from the folks on the board who are very knowledgeable about the U.S. Civil War (which I'm not).  I was reading about Banzai charges in WWII, and I came across the following paragraph in the Wikipedia article on human wave attacks:

"According to U.S. Army analyst Edward C. O'Dowd, the technical definition of a human wave attack tactic is a frontal assault by densely concentrated infantry formations against an enemy line, without any attempts to shield or to mask the attacker's movement. The goal of a human wave attack is to maneuver as many men as possible into close range, hoping that the shock from a large mass of attackers engaged in melee combat would force the enemy to disintegrate or fall back."

The question I asked myself after reading this is: by that definition, could the Confederate infantry assault on the Cemetary Ridge Union position at Gettysburg -- a.k.a. Pickett's Charge -- be considered a human wave attack?  It was a walking advance across almost a mile of open terrain, aimed straight at a strong enemy position, by men arrayed in line formations (rather than dispersed in the open order used by modern infantry units).   I don't recall ever seeing the phrase "human wave attack" used to describe Pickett's Charge, though I admit that I'm only familiar with a tiny percentage of the enormous body of literature that deals with the Civil War.

[Gargantua]

The -Human Wave Charge- is usually directly proportional to the number of attackers versus defenders.

It'll work in 10 to 1 situations.  Pickett's charge however... doesn't have that -overwhelming numbers- aspect.  So I would argue it was not a human wave charge tactic.

[barney]

as gargantua said a large advantage in manpower is the deciding factor for it to be considered a human wave attack

some examples would be the iranians attacking the iraqis in the 80's   and the chinese attacking the marines in korea
although all suffered huge losses and defeat(at least tactically) the confederates didn't have a huge manpower advantage

just speculation on my part,but I wonder if this tactic is still being used today in parts of africa on a smaller acale
the sudan comes to mind

[Gargantua]

"Tactics" or "strategy" is usually dependant on the use of equipment/resources/terrain at your disposal.

If you're the russians, and you're losing WWI, throw men at the German Machine guns until they overheat, in order to secure -tactical- victory.  You have the luxury of throwing bodies on the fire to make the battle work in your favour.


The human wave tactic, implies that the men are the resource.  "Let's use our man advantage"

In the case of Pickett's charge... it was just that, a charge, a tactic all on it's own.

[ABWorsham]

If you're the russians, and you're losing WWI, throw men at the German Machine guns until they overheat, in order to secure -tactical- victory.  You have the luxury of throwing bodies on the fire to make the battle work in your favour.

The Russians were the first country to use modern tactics in a sucessful offensive in WWI.

General Brusilov had the belief that a short but brutial bombardment, followed by shock troops to advance deep into the enemy rear area could break a fortified line of defense.

The Brusilov Offensive started in June. The attack, aimed against the part of the front held by Austro-Hungarians, was initially a spectacular success. The Russian army advanced to a depth of 50–70 kilometres (31–43 mi), capturing several hundred thousand prisoners and several hundred guns.

[Gargantua]

That may be so ABW...

but...

The Battle of Tannenburg 23–30 August 1914  (Spread over a week)

Russia:
78,000 killed or wounded
 92,000 POW
 500 guns captured
170,000 total casualties
 
Germany:
5,000 killed
 7,000 wounded
12,000 total casualties

I would say that was a rather effective test of the validity, of the -human wave- doctorine, and that perhaps the Russians were also the first to use unmodern tactics aswell.

[ABWorsham]

That may be so ABW...

but...

The Battle of Tannenburg 23–30 August 1914 � (Spread over a week)

Russia:
78,000 killed or wounded
 92,000 POW
 500 guns captured
170,000 total casualties
 
Germany:
5,000 killed
 7,000 wounded
12,000 total casualties

I would say that was a rather effective test of the validity, of the -human wave- doctorine, and that perhaps the Russians were also the first to use unmodern tactics aswell.

The Battle of Tannenberg's results have as much to do with Hindenburg skill and knowledge of his own backyard than poor Russian leadership.

The opening months of the war saw many naive attempts to advance large number of men in spirited charges. Many young men were afraid the war would end before they could obtain glory.

Russians at Tannenburg.

The French at the Battle of the Frontiers lost most of the regular prewar army attacking the German fortifications.

Young German recruits ended their lives in mad charges fueled by zeal of nationalism during the Race To the Sea ending in the Battle of Ypres. The Germans refer to this event as the Massacre of the Innocents.

The British were laughed at for digging deep rifle pits before the Battle of Mons' before even meeting the Germans in battle. The British, however, were the only European country to learn first hand how deadly modern bolt-action rifles in the hands of trained personal were from the Boers in Africa fifteen years earlier.

[wittmann]

Lee certainly did not conceive it as such. He had 3 good and fresh brigades left on Day3 and 2 hardly engaged the day before. He wanted and sensed(wrongly) that victory was in his grasp. He had attacked both flanks with some success, but not the centre. He expected it weakened and saw it as the most logical next move. It was an attack  on a narrow front, probably more because of the paucity of attackers and got narrower as casualties mounted.  There was near parity in numbers, but the defenders were entrenched and backed by artillery. The mile they had to walk was not out of choice and made the task harder, although proving a great spectacle and probably did awe the defenders.  Lee may have hoped his army's vaunted aggression would break those people; it was desperation and this was not Virginia.
I Have to agree this was not the tactic described.

[Gargantua]

The infantry assault was preceded by a massive artillery bombardment that was meant to soften up the Union defense and silence its artillery,

Interesting Worsham... Sounds like the confederates were using those modern tactics!  They just failed...

[ABWorsham]

The infantry assault was preceded by a massive artillery bombardment that was meant to soften up the Union defense and silence its artillery,

Interesting Worsham... Sounds like the confederates were using those modern tactics!  They just failed...

Just needed to get away from the advancing in rows where they were easy mass targets.

[Cromwell_Dude]

Good question. Before I answer, I would like to know the answer to one question. Do you mean the attack as planned or as implemented? It may or may not have any bearing on my answer, I just like to know what people mean when they say 'Pickett's Charge.' Some times it matters, some times it does not. Lee's original plan was an echelon attack on the left and center lines at the same time followed by supporting troops with artillery. Longstreet failed to provide the follow-up troops with artillery support and the usage of Third Corps troops on Lee's left flank. He also failed to use all the available cannon pieces at his disposal. Longstreet bears most of the blame for the 3rd day. Lee had every reason to trust him, especially for his performance on July 2nd, 1863. Lee had planned an early morning 8am en echelon attack. Longstreet was delaying and had not organized the attack at all! He was purposely disobeying orders. He had received orders around 11pm on July 2nd to proceed with an early morning en echelon attack. Lee should have either removed Longstreet from command on the 3rd of July or assumed direct command of the army. He never again made the mistake he did at Gettysburg. Before Gettysburg, his direct subordinates proved almost flawless. However, they failed him at Gettysburg. From July 4th, 1863 onwards, Lee assumed more direct command of his army. Also, according to Lee's staff, Pickett, Pettigrew, and Trimble were to proceed with the cannonade, not 40 minutes after its beginning. In this context, I think it was not a human wave attack. It was 'not a Charge of the Light Brigade' as one member of Lee's staff argued after the War. I would agree with him.

[wittmann]

Hi Cromwell. Hoped you would post. Thanks for that. Wanted to say Lee planned an echelon attack, but was unsure if I remembered right. Also thought I remembered something about the artillery barrage being short. Was Longstreet conserving some ammo for what he thought would be a Union counterattack? And you would have relieved him too, wow?

[CWO Marc]

Good question. Before I answer, I would like to know the answer to one question. Do you mean the attack as planned or as implemented?

I wasn't aware of the discrepancy between the plan and the implementation, so my question didn't take that factor into account.  I guess this amounts to saying that it referred to the attack as implemented, since that's all I knew about.  I was vaguely aware, however, that Longstreet's role on the third day has been seen as controversial, the argument on one side being that he doomed the attack to failure by his delays and the argument on the other side being that he considered Lee's decision to attack the centre to be a colossal blunder against which he argued forcefully but which Lee still ordered him to carry out.  But anyway, the aspect I was wondering about was the validity (or not) of drawing a parallel between that attack and the concept of human wave attacks in general and Japanese banzai charges in particular. 

Since human wave attacks weren't, as far as I know, a named and consciously-defined doctrine at the time of the US Civil War, it's in a way anachronistic to refer to Pickett's Charge as such.  The method and the results in both cases nevertheless do bear a certain resemblance.  One difference I can see, however, is the far greater imbalance of forces (and hence the more extreme nature of the tactic) that characterized banzai charges.  At Saipan, for instance, the Japanese who charged the US Marine lines were out of ammunition and had little more than fixed bayonets at their disposal, while the Marines were armed with machine guns and flame throwers. The firepower discrepancy during the third day's attack at Gettysburg was much less lopsided.  And I guess another fundamental difference was in the motivational aspect.  The Japanese at Saipan had exhausted their resources and their only options were to surrender, to die in their positions without resisting, or to die on the offensive in a banzai charge (as hopeless as that offensive might be).  Lee had more options than that (including the option of disengaging and retreating), and furthermore he and his men didn't have the added burden of operating under the "death before dishonour" philosophy of the Bushido code.

[Cromwell_Dude]

Sorry for delay. Have been a little unwell. You write very well and I read your last post. I greatly enjoyed reading it. It's one of the reasons I like this website.

The intention of the Pettigrew-Pickett-Trimble Charge on July 3rd was not a human wave attack. It was supposed to be supported by artillery during the assault with ADVANCING horse artillery AND troop reinforcements all along the advancing line.

With that said, what about the Pettigrew-Pickett-Trimble Charge as carried out, regardless as intended by Lee? I am very tempted to say it was a human wave attack as acted, but not intended. The soldiers had been promised advancing artillery and troop reinforcments.

Here is what Col. Long, General Lee's military secretary, said of the Charge: "The attack of Pickett's division on the 3rd has been more criticized and less understood, than any other part of the Gettysburg drama." He continued, "the attack was not made as designed." I encourage others to read what Long said of July 3rd. I just gave you two small snippets.

[CWO Marc]

Here is what Col. Long, General Lee's military secretary, said of the Charge: "The attack of Pickett's division on the 3rd has been more criticized and less understood, than any other part of the Gettysburg drama." He continued, "the attack was not made as designed." I encourage others to read what Long said of July 3rd. I just gave you two small snippets.

Thanks for the info about Armistead Lindsay Long.  Is this the document to which you refer? :

http://www.gdg.org/Research/SHSP/shlong.html
Letter from General A. L. Long, Military Secretary to General R. E. Lee.
Charlottesville, Va., April, 1877.

The index page -- http://www.gdg.org/Research/SHSP/shsp.html -- has quite a few other articles on the subject of Gettysburg by various people.