What examples of nocturnal raids on enemy camps, or other night operations do we have ancient or medieval accounts of?
Night approach marches on occasion, but otherwise fairly few of which I can think. Hannibal's famous breakout when cornered by Fabius Maximus (the one with the cattle driven towards the Roman camp with flaming brands tied to their horns). In similar fashion, Darius supposedly abandoning his camp at night to escape the Scythians, leaving behind expendable wounded and the famous braying asses...
Neither a real fight, in fact the opposite.
Again, of course not a night fight, but Hasdrubal's failure to notice the arrival at night of a second Roman force was arguably decisive at the Metaurus.
Scipio burning the camps of Syphax and Hasdrubal - Polybius XIV.4=5.
The attack on the Sanjo Palace (https://smarthistory.org/night-attack-on-the-sanjo-palace-2/) in 1160.
Demosthenes' nighttime attack on Syracuse 413 BC
The Scots attack on the English camp at Stanhope Park in 1327, in which Edward III was nearly captured.
Other medieval examples include the Battle of Methven 1306 and the Battle of La Roche-Derrien in 1347.
You might also consider the story of the Six hundred Franchimontois (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_hundred_Franchimontois) during the siege of Liege in 1468, a sally intended to kill Charles the Bold.
Beneventum 275 BC. Pyrrhus conducted a night march through difficult terrain against a Roman camp. The Epirotes became hopelessly delayed and appeared before the Roman camp only at dawn. Presumably, they had hoped to arrive in an advantageous position before this but whether they intended to assault the camp at night or wait until morning is unknown (to me at least). It didn't end well for the Epirotes.
Memory says Samnite's launched a night attack on Roman camp in the Third Samnite War. Initially successful but then driven off.
212BCE Livy has Publius Scipio making a night march to catch the Iberian chieftain Indibilis by surprise 'in the early morning' - it does not end well for poor Publius as Masinissa catches up with him. In the preceding days and nights Masinissa has been making hit and run attacks on his camps and any wandering from them.
66 BC. Two different versions
1. Pompey attacks a Pontic column in a defile, seemingly marching into the night as they are trying to get away from the Romans they think are behind them.
2. A 'midnight' attack on an encamped Pontic army.
Both versions show Pompey only attacking at night because the Pontic army is possibly going to escape and in Plutarch's account Pompey has to be persuaded by his oldest officers.
References to various sources here https://www.attalus.org/bc1/year66.html#17
Also Roman-Pontic
After Orchomenus in 86BC, Dio says that the Romans spent the next day encircling the Pontic camp and then assaulting it at night. Similar to a siege assault rather than an unexpected nocturnal activity. Other sources imply the attack was pretty much part of the post-battle pursuit.
https://www.attalus.org/bc1/year86.html#41
163 BC Judas Mac vs Seleucids https://www.attalus.org/bc2/year163.html#22
Iphicrates's camp was stormed by the Thracians at night, but he was forewarned and had evacuated it, ambushing the Thracians in turn. https://www.attalus.org/translate/polyaenus3.html
Homer has Odysseus and one of his mates whose name escapes me but it may come back before I finish typing [or not :-\ ] attacking an enemy camp at night.
On a related note, a number of ancient and medieval rulesets include sections for night attacks. Almost universally, these are ignored by wargamers. Would anyone like to comment upon how good (or bad) such rules might be and what can be done to encourage wider use?
???
Quote from: Nick Harbud on March 02, 2024, 11:44:02 AMOn a related note, a number of ancient and medieval rulesets include sections for night attacks. Almost universally, these are ignored by wargamers. Would anyone like to comment upon how good (or bad) such rules might be and what can be done to encourage wider use?
???
In the original version of DBMM they were over effective as the player making the attack could manoeuvre at will while his opponent could do nothing in response. As this made for an unbalanced game they were amended in a later version to restrict the attacker's ability to move unhindered. This reduced their attractiveness to attackers while retaining the meh factor for defenders, so they are rarely seen nowadays.
Neither version is a good model of a night attack since the defender deploys his army normally, as if the battle is being fought in daytime, and in none of the examples cited in this thread did an army sleep in formation outside its camp
To add more medieval examples, the Gugler War in Switzerland in 1375 featured numerous night attacks. Most(if not all) of these were actions against billeted troops rather than on camps.
Quote from: Mick Hession on March 02, 2024, 11:58:12 AMIn the original version of DBMM they were over effective as the player making the attack could manoeuvre at will while his opponent could do nothing in response.
This seems to be a common experience regarding anything except what might be called
"fair & open" battles. In WRG 7
th Edition, night attacks tended to be the other way around. The attacker found themselves struggling to even locate the enemy in the gloom, whereas the defender could more or less just sit there waiting for them to turn up.
Clearly, there needs to be some original thinking on this subject.
Incidentally, I am currently reading this book (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ambush-Surprise-Attack-Ancient-Warfare-ebook/dp/B00C1KM0IM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Z0K57URJ002D&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sC5syCnAFFLs44CKUXBG4g.gjGZHcpV3ZdtIZRyAT57XrtWKmS23jRCFVofx3TrpTI&dib_tag=se&keywords=ambush+rose+mary&qid=1709384596&s=books&sprefix=ambush+rose+mary%2Cstripbooks%2C73&sr=1-1) on ambush in classical Greek warfare. One piece of data that the author identfies is the surprisingly large number of what might be thought of as asymmetric battles described within the Iliad.
Philopoemen is famous for a night attack on Nabis of Sparta's camp with what is often considered the first dedicated spec ops force.
14. Understanding that in consequence of this disaster his enemies despised him, thinking that he had altogether given up activity on the sea, and that they were insolently besieging Gythium, he promptly sailed against them when they did not expect it and were careless because of their victory. He landed his soldiers by night and led them to the attack, set fire to the enemy's tents, burned down his camp, and slew many of his men.
https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Philopoemen*.html
I wrote an article for Ancient Warfare Magazine on this that I could share if you contact me.
Quote from: PMBardunias on March 17, 2024, 09:31:58 PMwhat is often considered the first dedicated spec ops force.
I'm sure Gideon did it earlier. Another example of a successful night attack to add to the list.
Quote from: Erpingham on March 18, 2024, 10:51:10 AMQuote from: PMBardunias on March 17, 2024, 09:31:58 PMwhat is often considered the first dedicated spec ops force.
I'm sure Gideon did it earlier. Another example of a successful night attack to add to the list.
It is not the night attack that made it special, it is the Spec Ops unit. The normal practice was if you needed something done commando style (ok, not THAT commando style, they were all wearing skirts) then you sent off some sly hill people like Agrianes or Cretan mercs. Philopemen seems to have trained up a local Achaean unit specially in the style of hit and run fighting he learned in Crete.
Quote from: PMBardunias on March 18, 2024, 04:05:29 PMIt is not the night attack that made it special, it is the Spec Ops unit.
I think Gideon still got there first. A specially selected team, specially equipped with musical instruments and hidden torches intended to surprise and defeat the enemy through panic rather than brute force. Was that not special ops?