Space warfare tactics5/31/2023 Battering RamsĪ more active approach than permanent encirclement was to try and destroy a particular part of the defensive walls. Another strategy was to threaten to hang someone near and dear to the owner of the castle outside its walls - as happened when King Stephen threatened to hang Roger le Poer, whose mother held the castle of Devizes in 1139 CE. The lobbing of a few severed heads of messengers (even the messenger himself sometimes) or other captives over the defender's walls via catapult was a common tactic and reminded of the consequences of continuing the battle. If the terms of surrender were rejected, then that might be the opportunity to employ a few terror tactics. In the age of chivalry during the High Middle Ages (1000-1250 CE), non-combatant residents might be permitted to flee the scene, but this was not the case when fighting the Crusades, for example. If the defenders remained resolute, then the first step was to communicate a warning via messengers. Walls and towers were given a protective covering of stone at their bases (a talus) to impede the enemy climbing them, make undermining more difficult and give objects thrown down an unpredictable bounce into the enemy ranks. Eventually, it was discovered that round towers were better than square ones because they eliminated the firing blind spot of the corners and made them more stable and more difficult to dismantle from the base by enemy sappers or miners (who preferred easy corners to swing their picks at). Further tweaks in design included having the towers project from the wall so that the defenders could fire back towards it if it were being climbed by the enemy. Walls were given towers at regular intervals to provide more scathing fire from archers, and the construction of wooden hoardings which overhung the top of the wall was for the same purpose. In the Low Countries, where this was often not possible, the moat was made extremely wide. The outer walls of a castle (and sometimes even smaller cities) were protected by a moat (dry or wet) and wherever possible built on a rise in the land. To give another ring of protection, a second inner wall was added to castle designs from the late 12th century CE, especially in Britain, France, & Spain. As these castles were gradually converted into stone, which made them much more resistant to fire, or entirely new castles were built and the idea of their usefulnees spread, so, too, their defensive designs improved. ![]() This involved placing a wooden tower on a natural or artificial mound (motte) with an accompanying walled courtyard (bailey) at the base with the whole structure surrounded by a ditch or moat (which could be dry or contain water). ![]() Castle & City DefencesĮarly castles in France and Britain during the 11th century CE adopted the motte and bailey castle design. From the 12th to 15th century CE medieval warfare became very much a case of win the siege, win the war, especially when targets were administrative centres or occupied a position of particular strategic importance. Castles and fortified cities offered protection to both the local population and armed forces and presented an array of defensive features which, in turn, led to innovations in weapons, siege engine technology, and strategies. Siege tactics were a crucial part of medieval warfare, especially from the 11th century CE when castles became more widespread in Europe and sieges outnumbered pitched battles.
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