In message <20050607165109.37687.qmail_at_...> Jane Williams writes:
>
>--- "Silburn, Luke" <luke.silburn_at_...>
>wrote:
>
>> >>The difference is the level at which this occurs, in the current
>> >>structure [1] the lowest commissioned rank is leiutenant in charge
>> >>of roughly 30 soldiers.
>
>> >>To regard centurions who commanded 80 to 120 soldiers as
>> >>equivelent to sergeants is misleading.
>
>Let me add another bit of confusion to the mix. The
>setup I imagine in the Lunar army is that the
>"nominal" numbers in each official size of group are
>just that - nominal. They can be, and frequently are,
>somewhat undermanned. So your centurion-equivalent *in
>theory* commands 100 men - in practice it may be more
>like 20. It'll depend on how in-favour his unit is,
>how many casualties they've taken recently, how soon
>they can get replacements, and whether anyone is
>sending messages home saying "no worries, we still
>have 100 men, please send wages for all of them".
This is absolutely normal for any unit on campaign, e.g. during
the Napoleonic wars British battalions were sent out at about
60-70%. Campaign casualties often reduced that to less than 50%.
Cavalry were even more below establishment.
There's also a converse effect - casualties also occur among the
officers so the group which should be commanded by a centurion
may in fact be commanded by the next rank down.
--
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/