In my Osprey books I found a passage which has probably to do with the question of pikes vs. pikes. Only problem: there are large quotations in old English, and I am no native speaker, so I have problems understanding everything. But I will mark what I THINK is relevant:
THE INFANTRY CONFRONTATION
Sir James Turner - who had fought in several - described an infantry
advance thus:
Your advance upon an Enemy, in what posture soever he be, should be
with a constant, firm and steady pace; the Musketeers (whether they
be on the Flanks or interlin'd with either the Horse or the Pikes) firing
all the while; but when you come within Pistol-shot [the term used
here as a measure of distance], you should double your pace, till your
Pikes closely serr'd together, charge these, whether Horse or Foot,
whom you find before them. It is true, the business very oft comes not
to push of Pike, but it hath and may come oft to it, and then Pikemen
are very serviceable.
Although Turner favoured a steady advance with musketeers firing as they
came (which would have required them to employ the practice of firing by
successive ranks), other commanders preferred the Swedish tactic of reserving
their fire until very close range, firing one or two massive volleys, and then
'falling on' opposing infantry while they were still reeling from the shock.
This reserving of fire could be employed both offensively and defensively.
A good contemporary description of Scottish infantry fighting in the
Swedish army at Breitenfeld was given by LtCol Muschamp to Dr William
Watts:
'First (saith he), giving fire unto three little Field-pieces that I had before
me, I suffered not my muskettiers to give their volleyes till I came within Pistollshot
of the enemy, at which time I gave order to the first [three] rancks to
discharge at once, and after them the other three: which done we fell pell mell
into their ranckes, knocking them downe with the stocke of the Musket and our
swords.' Sir James Turner - who was not present at this battle - wrote of the
use of the 'Salvee' (volley) that he thought that it was used 'when either the
business seems to be desparate, or that the Bodies are so near, that the Pikemen
are almost come to push of Pike, and then no other use can be made of the
Musquet but of the Butt-end of it'. Muschamp also described an occasion when
opposing pikemen were less enthusiastic to advance, and a 'brave commander
of theirs all in scarlet and gold lace there was right before us; whom we might
discerne to lay upon his own mens pates [heads] and shoulders; to cut and slash
divers* of them, with his sword, because they would not come upon us. This
gentleman maintained the fight a full houre, and more against us; but he being
slaine, wee might perceive their pikes and colours [flags] to topple downe, to
tumble and fall crosse one over another; whereupon all his men beginning to
flee, wee had the pursuit of them until the night parted us.'
Where the battalions in the first line of an army - or part of them - are
forced back, 'then the Reserve behind should be order'd immediately to
advance, and encounter the Victorious Enemy, who will hardly be able to
withstand that fresh charge, for it may be almost received as a Maxim, That
a Troop, Regiment or Brigade, how strong so-ever it be, which hath fought
with and beaten that Body of equal number that stood against it, may be easily
routed by a Troop, Regiment or Brigade that has not fought, though far
inferior in number. If any part of an Army get the Victory of those who stand
against it, he who commands that part ought to send some Troops in pursuit
of the routed Enemy, and with the rest fall on the flank of the Battallion which
stands next him, and yet keeps ground. The neglect of this duty lost the famous
General, Count Tili, the Battel of Leipsick [Breitenfeld-Leipzig].'
The first half of the first marked section seems to confirm the thoughts of the guy from your video, Dezilagel, but the second part/last sentence seems to say that it still happened like in my vid.
*Does he mean with "divers" those guys like in the video I posted above, who drop their pike, and quickly crawl underneath the enemy pikes to stab the enemy pikemen with their daggers or swords?
