Rules question: Moving out of column - posted by Neil Williamson, 14 July 2019

A rules question came up in my game against Bruce, The situation was that I had a long column of LH queued up to assault some pike on a hill with a hard flank support.
The inept commander didn't have much inspiration so he let them charge impetuously up the hill, die, rinse and repeat.

With his one PIP I wanted to move troops out of the column (basically off at 90 degrees) and leave the front two to their fate. John and Allen came across to help interpret the rules. It was decided that one element could move off and if I had another PIP the remainder of the column could then follow it using the gap created.

The relevant rule I think is at the top of page 32 where it states an element can pass through friendly troops to exit from inside a column. So does this mean just one element or can it also apply to a group? I would have thought if one element could do it the rest of a column would just follow suit - they are after all just lots of individual elements.

I have frequently seen the following situation. A long column has been attacked by say two elements frontally to create an overlap. Say they stick. The column then takes some rear elements outside the TZ and brings them into front contact with the overlapping unit. Now how is this different from my requested move above? Allen said that it was an expansion of a column, however (pg 29) it says that an expansion from column cannot end in contact with the enemy.

For those that have bothered to read this far, your comments are welcome and requested. I've looked at the forum and couldn't find anything.
Thanks for your help

https://www.facebook.com/groups/824840264342234/permalink/1241166202709636/

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  Vincent Cholewa Hi Neil, my view is troops cannot wheel out of a column because it is not a legal interpenetration. The third paragraph on p.32 allows interpenetration “if passing through only 1 element corner” or in the circumstances listed. An element can’t wheel out of a column because it would pass through two corners. 
  
  You are right, a column cannot expand into contact, p.29. Instead, individual element moves have to be made to get out of the column and into contact with enemy. 
  
  A column can expand on its second element but the elements that moved can still not end in contact.

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  John van den Hoeven That's how I read it too.

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  Neil Williamson Okay, that makes sense.
  A single element can exit from the column. If you have sufficient pips this then creates a gap for the rest of the column to follow (or go somewhere else).
  I thought I was seeing an inconsistency between the two examples (one going into combat and one not) I described.
  Thanks for that

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