The first battle in the book is Kadesh, which Grant dates as 1288 BC, although today 1274 BC is the generally accepted date.
Kadesh is often described as the first battle in history about which we know enough to undertake a reconstruction.
That is debateable, but nevertheless we know much more about Kadesh than we do about many subsequent battles.
In the spring of 1274 BC (or whatever year it was - 939 BC, according to one chronology), Pharoah Ramesses II headed north to try to take the border city of Kadesh from the Hittites.
He led an army consisting of four self-contained corps or divisions, which are sometimes described as armies in themselves, called Amun, Re, Ptah and Sutekh (named after popular Egyptian gods).
Each is believed to have numbered some 5,000 men, divided mainly into chariot crews, close-order infantry and foot archers, although the proportion of each branch is unknown.
In addition, Ramesses had with him his extended bodyguard, comprised of Sherden, one of the Sea Peoples.
I write "extended" because Pharoah travelled mainly by chariot, so presumably had an inner bodyguard of chariot warriors as well as the Sherden, who were infantry.
There was also another body, the Ne'arin, who were marching along the coast, but whose identity and composition are unknown.
It has been variously suggested that they were recruits (Ne'arin seems to come from a Canaanite expression meaning young ones), Canaanite mercenaries or an all-chariot special-task force.
Due to a succcessful misinformation campaign by the Hittite king, Muwatalli II, the Egyptians thought their enemy's main force was several days' march away.
Accordingly Ramesses and the lead corps, Amun, pushed on to set up camp on high ground overlooking Kadesh from the west, apparently hoping to take the city by assault, or preferably by intimidation, as soon as the rest of the Egyptian army arrived.
However, Muwatalli had been nearby all the time, and now led his army around the east side of Kadesh, to where possibly as many as 2,500 chariots were to launch a sudden flanking assault on the second Egyptian corps, Re.
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| Grant's map of the preliminary manoeuvres |
Grant's Re consists of three 40-man units of close-order infantry, armed with spear and shield, three 20-man units of open-order archers, a 20-strong unit of open-order javelinmen, and the Royal Chariot Squadron, consisting of eight chariots, each with a two-man crew.
That makes 216 figures (plus eight chariots), and is almost identical to the Egyptian army fielded at the Battle of the Apocryphal Well, although the names of some of the units have changed.
The wargames version of Muwatalli is given five squadrons of chariots, each squadron having eight chariots, to represent the 2,500 chariots of the initial attack.
But in the original battle there was a reserve, or second wave, apparently of 1,000 chariots, which under normal circumstances would be represented by two more squadrons of eight chariots.
However, Grant gives this second wave three such squadrons - the third being added "just for good measure, one might say, so that the follow-up force amounted to 1,500, not 1,000 - just a little bit of juggling, of course."
What seems to have escaped Grant's notice is the implication of giving Re eight units totalling 216 figures (plus eight chariots).
This implies that the whole Egyptian force consisted, in wargames terms, of 864 figures (plus 32 chariots).
Actually, the full total would be even more as those totals do not include the Sherden or the Ne'arin.
Never mind - what I am intending is to refight the engagement from Ancient Battles For Wargamers, rather than trying to refight the real Battle of Kadesh.
In effect this will be a scenario based on the battle, but should be none the worse for that.
