Neil's extreme example is a logical extension of the original question of turning a 2x3 group of fast baggage elements into a column. So does the original question still stand unanswered? Surely a group more than one elements wide can turn 90 into a column - I suppose the question is how is this executed in such a way that all elements are still a contiguous group given a variety of base sizes and move distances......
Yes a group wider than 1 element can turn into a column - but go back to the procedure for doing so....
The front element moves forward or pivots to the direction faced, and then moves it's full move.
Now other elements move - the closest ones fill in "behind the column"....in this case clearly they fill into the "new" column.
Ther are 2 restrictions:
1/ elements of a group that contracts frontage must end up all facing the same way as the ORIGINAL GROUP until all of them are in the column, and
2/ elements not yet in the column CAN ONLY MOVE SIDEWAYS.
#2 seesm to be being forgotten by everyone - you cannot move forwards to get into the column - you can only move sideways. This is a massive restriction!
This means that in the case above th eelements in the right hand side of hte new group cannot move sorwards to ente4r hte column and face the flank.\
It also means that very deep formations are limited to forming a column that goes straight ahead if they are trying to put all their elements into the 1 column - wheeling to the flank seriously limits the number of elements that can meet condition #1 (esp for slow moving troop types) - that all elements have to end up facing the same way as the original group until all the elements are in the column.