Quote:
Originally Posted by mlangsdorf
Do Levy troops, operating within 2 days travel of their home base and during their two months of free service yearly, require a logistics force?
|
All armies require something in the way of a logistics force. However what you are describing could be done with foot porters-slaves, hirelings, or the main army taking turns-to carry the extra impedimenta.
According to Keegan or maybe it's Dunnigan, a given load seems to have a stable average at fifty pounds per man and it is hard for any force to lighten it. If the personal load reaches a certain point someone will have to carry the rest. Even two days from home requires a tail. In fact it may have a bigger tail then normal for if they expect to give battle quickly they may not be willing to shed a lot of comforts.
Furthermore it is impossible for a militia to live by forage two days from it's home turf. It will not be callous enough to it's neighbors and the polis will lose it's citizen's respect if it tries. Which means four days minimum rations(the return has to be accounted for too), plus weapons and armor, plus camp impedimenta, and something has to give. But as I said, if in fact they expect to give battle within two days there is no reason not to have a larger number of porters and/or beasts. They can always cut them loose if they miscalculate.