Let’s not leave out the flag bearers, creating a tempting target for any artillery or siege weapons.
tbf, artillery was pretty inaccurate - by the time it was accurate enough to hit single individuals, sharpshooters were the bigger problem.
But yeah, there’s a reason why flag-bearers have such ridiculous casualty rates. “HERE, SEE MY BRIGHT COLORS WAVING ABOVE MY HEAD? I’M WORTH BONUS POINTS”
In case anyone was ignorant amidst the jokes, the purpose of both flag bearers and drummers was basically communication, and was utterly crucial for command and control of an army. It wasn’t just an honor thing, though adding honor on top made sure that soldiers wouldn’t abandon it.
Reminds me of a Scottish bagpiper, Bill Millin, during WW2 who played during the D-Day landing. The German snipers deliberately avoided shooting at him because they thought it was so ballsy and awesome. The guy survived the war.
I can imagine…
— Hans, look at that lunatic with the bagpipes!
— I’ll be dogged, Fritz! It’s true! - points machine gun at him
— Nein, nein, nein! It’s a mood. Kill him last. Besides, he’s not fighting.
