this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2024
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That's part of the reason they are bunched up like that.
Although, they started in formations like that not so people wouldn't shoot each-other, but so that all the spears were pointed in the right direction.
But, you take the basic spear formation, switch to guns, and you don't have to make too many modifications (especially since the early guns were a lot like spears, they were very long, very solid, and had a bayonet on the end). The line infantry tactics did have people shoulder-to-shoulder, but the lines were only between 2-4 soldiers deep. You were always shooting perpendicular to the line, so even though everybody's all bunched up, nobody except the enemy is on the other side of the barrel.
If everybody's all spread out, the odds of a friendly fire incident are higher. If everybody is all bunched up in straight lines, all you have to worry about is the one or two guys in front of you. And, the end of your barrel goes past their positions anyhow.