Sometimes conventional weaponry wasn't enough for the militaries of the past. Take a look at...
Suffice to say this was an inexact science. The phrase "hoist by your own petard" refers to an engineer being too close to the bomb when it detonated. Being caught in the blast would hoist (lift) them off the ground!
During the siege of Ludlow Castle in 1139 England, Prince Henry of Scotland nearly fell foul of one of these devices. He was supposedly snagged by a hook and only avoided capture thanks to the swift reactions of King Stephen of England, who cut the line with his blade.
Much further back in history, the engineer Archimedes was said to have defended Syracuse from Roman siege with massive claws. The devices were used to protect the harbor by grasping Roman ships by the prow and lifting. This dropped the stern of the ship below the water line, causing it to take on water and sink.
Much more advanced were the pair of hellburners devised by Federigo Giambelli in 1585. Giambelli modified a pair of old ships with a "fire chamber" stocked with gunpowder and surrounded with old metal and debris. In one ship he placed a long fuse, and the other was rigged with a clockwork timer mechanism that would trigger a flintlock to fire in the gunpowder-stuffed room. These ships were launched at a Spanish naval blockade during the siege of Antwerp, screened behind a group of "standard" fireships.
Whilst one of the ships grounded itself, the timed explosion of the second ship caught the Spanish completely off guard. They had assumed the hellburner to be another simple fireship and were standing ready to put out the flames. The explosion ripped through around a quarter of the blockade, killing an estimated thousand troops in one horrifying instant.
4. Burning SandWhilst the idea of dropping heated oil or lead onto attackers is pretty common, the occupants of Tyre resorted to a different measure when attempting to repel the forces of Alexander the Great .
Oil and lead were limited and valuable resources, but the Tyrians had sand in abundance. They dropped red-hot sand onto the besiegers and their ships as they attempted to breach the walls and harbour. This proved horrifyingly effective - the sand slipped through armour and into clothing, or dribbled through the planks of ship decks. The red hot silica burnt soldiers and set fire to the galleys before it could be removed.
The Byzantine device used "Greek fire" as fuel, projected out of a nozzle using a double action pump. Greek fire was notorious for burning even whilst submerged, making it an effective and terrifying weapon. A researcher who reverse-engineered the device speculated that a slow burning match fixed to the nozzle was used to ignite the liquid. Accounts of this weapon suggest that it was in action over a thousand years ago.
The later Arabic and Chinese designs also used a double action pump to deadly effect. Stories from 10-century China even mock some officials, claiming they were more adept with a flamethrower than a writing brush!
The theory was that a captured enemy cat or bird would flee back home when released, even in the middle of a siege. Therefore if you could get your hands on the animals of the defender and fit them with a burning incendiary, they would unwittingly carry fires into the barns and rafters of their homes!
Whilst both the Celts and the Goths are known to have used wagons on the battlefield as impromptu barricades, it was the Hussites who perfected the tactic. They would form armored wagons up in a rectangular formation called a Wagenburg. This would funnel attackers into narrow gaps between the wagons, where prepared halberdiers and flailmen could pick them off. To add insult to injury, archers and troops with polearms could stand on the top of wagons and attack with impunity!
- The Petard
- The Iron Crow
- Hellburners
- Burning Sand
- Primitive Flamethrowers
- Animal Incendiaries
- War Wagons
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| It's going to take more than a sword and a can-do attitude... (shilmar) |
1. The Petard
A simple weapon developed by the French, the Petard was a small and primitive bomb for blowing holes in walls or undermining fortifications. The engineer would set the explosive in place, light the fuse and attempt to escape before the detonation.Suffice to say this was an inexact science. The phrase "hoist by your own petard" refers to an engineer being too close to the bomb when it detonated. Being caught in the blast would hoist (lift) them off the ground!
2. The Iron Crow
Though it sounds like something out of a cartoon, giant hooks have been used to capture enemy soldiers, interfere with rams and even upset ships.During the siege of Ludlow Castle in 1139 England, Prince Henry of Scotland nearly fell foul of one of these devices. He was supposedly snagged by a hook and only avoided capture thanks to the swift reactions of King Stephen of England, who cut the line with his blade.
Much further back in history, the engineer Archimedes was said to have defended Syracuse from Roman siege with massive claws. The devices were used to protect the harbor by grasping Roman ships by the prow and lifting. This dropped the stern of the ship below the water line, causing it to take on water and sink.
3. Fire Ships & Hellburners
In the age of wooden ships and buildings, there were few things as feared as an uncontrolled fire. The first known fireships emerged in the conflicts between the Greek city states and Sparta around 400BC. Poor quality (and otherwise unwanted) ships were filled with flammable materials and ignited. They would then be cut loose and allowed to drift with the wind, hopefully right into enemy ships.Much more advanced were the pair of hellburners devised by Federigo Giambelli in 1585. Giambelli modified a pair of old ships with a "fire chamber" stocked with gunpowder and surrounded with old metal and debris. In one ship he placed a long fuse, and the other was rigged with a clockwork timer mechanism that would trigger a flintlock to fire in the gunpowder-stuffed room. These ships were launched at a Spanish naval blockade during the siege of Antwerp, screened behind a group of "standard" fireships.
Whilst one of the ships grounded itself, the timed explosion of the second ship caught the Spanish completely off guard. They had assumed the hellburner to be another simple fireship and were standing ready to put out the flames. The explosion ripped through around a quarter of the blockade, killing an estimated thousand troops in one horrifying instant.
 |
| Can you imagine being doused in red-hot sand? (jim gade) |
4. Burning SandWhilst the idea of dropping heated oil or lead onto attackers is pretty common, the occupants of Tyre resorted to a different measure when attempting to repel the forces of Alexander the Great .
Oil and lead were limited and valuable resources, but the Tyrians had sand in abundance. They dropped red-hot sand onto the besiegers and their ships as they attempted to breach the walls and harbour. This proved horrifyingly effective - the sand slipped through armour and into clothing, or dribbled through the planks of ship decks. The red hot silica burnt soldiers and set fire to the galleys before it could be removed.
5. Primitive Flamethrowers
It may seem incongruous amidst hoplites and men-at-arms, but the Byzantines, Chinese and Arabs all seem to have had functioning hand-held flamethrowers.The Byzantine device used "Greek fire" as fuel, projected out of a nozzle using a double action pump. Greek fire was notorious for burning even whilst submerged, making it an effective and terrifying weapon. A researcher who reverse-engineered the device speculated that a slow burning match fixed to the nozzle was used to ignite the liquid. Accounts of this weapon suggest that it was in action over a thousand years ago.
The later Arabic and Chinese designs also used a double action pump to deadly effect. Stories from 10-century China even mock some officials, claiming they were more adept with a flamethrower than a writing brush!
6. Animal Incendiaries
One tactic proposed for siege warfare was sabotage via animals. Referenced in siege manuals such as that of master artillerist Franz Helm of Cologne in 1530, the idea was to weaponize an opponents own livestock and pets against them.The theory was that a captured enemy cat or bird would flee back home when released, even in the middle of a siege. Therefore if you could get your hands on the animals of the defender and fit them with a burning incendiary, they would unwittingly carry fires into the barns and rafters of their homes!
7. War Wagons
You may have heard of "circling the wagons" in cowboy movies, but carts and carriages have had a role in earlier conflicts. In fact, groups of heavily reinforced wagons saw use as mobile forts!Whilst both the Celts and the Goths are known to have used wagons on the battlefield as impromptu barricades, it was the Hussites who perfected the tactic. They would form armored wagons up in a rectangular formation called a Wagenburg. This would funnel attackers into narrow gaps between the wagons, where prepared halberdiers and flailmen could pick them off. To add insult to injury, archers and troops with polearms could stand on the top of wagons and attack with impunity!
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