Art:
Thank you for your explanations. I am a confused by something you said. Girard's division was in regimental columns in the approach, then you say "once it was within range...marched in attack columns...with each regiment being an attack column....but the battalions were not in colonne d’attaque..."

Did they change formation 'once in range' and then 'marched in attack columns' or were were they still in colunne par regiment? If so, what made them now 'attack columns' once they were 'in range'?

This difference between approach columns and attack columns which *seems* to have nothing to do with the actual column formation or battalion formations isn't clear to me.

And what tells you Gerard's battalions weren't in colonne d’attaque?

Best Regards,

Bill Haggart