For example, in World War II it was well documented that only about 20% of soldiers actually fired at the enemy when in combat, which generally used small unit tactics focusing on free fire. If medieval archers were similarly averse to killing, then volley fire tactics could increase damage by 400%.
A fire arrow from theAlthough the fire arrow is most commonly associated with its mechanism, it originally consisted of a pouch of attached to an arrow. This type of fire arrow served the function of an incendiary and was launched using a bow or crossbow.According to the the fire arrow was constructed and used in the following manner:Behind the arrow-head wrap up some gunpowder with two or three layers of soft paper, and bind it to the arrow shaft in a lump shaped like a pomegranate.
Medieval 2 Total War Archers Fire Arrows
Cover it with a piece of hemp cloth tightly tied, and sealed fast with molten pine resin. Light the fuse and then shoot it off from a bow.
—Incendiary gunpowder weapons had an advantage over previous incendiaries by using their own built-in oxygen supply to create flames, and was therefore harder to put out, similar to. However unlike Greek Fire, gunpowder's physical properties are solid rather than liquid, which makes it easier to store and load.The rocket propelled fire arrow appeared later. By the mid 1300s rocket arrow launchers had appeared in the and later on mobile rocket arrow launchers were utilized in both China and Korea. The fire arrows propelled by gunpowder may have had a range of up to 1,000 feet. See also: andFire arrows were first reported to have been used by the in 904 during the siege of.In 969 gunpowder propelled rocket arrows were invented by Yue Yifang and Feng Jisheng.In 975, the state of sent to the Song dynasty a unit of soldiers skilled in the handling of fire arrows. In the same year, the Song used fire arrows to destroy the fleet of.In 994, the attacked the Song and laid siege to Zitong with 100,000 troops. They were repelled with the aid of fire arrows.Published in 1044, the, or Complete Compendium of Military Classics, states that in 994 A.D.
^, p. 31., p. 68. — About.com. ^, p. 154. Retrieved 2013-05-31. ^, p. 148., p. 32. （靖康元年二月六日）是夕，宿于咸丰门，以金人进兵门外，治攻具故。先是，蔡楙号令将士，金人近城不得辄施放，有引炮及发床子弩者，皆杖之，将士愤怒。余（李纲）既登城，令施放，有引炮自便，能中（金）贼者，厚赏。夜，发「霹雳炮」以击，（金）贼军皆惊呼。(Rough Translation: On March 1, 1126 (Gregorian calendar) In the evening, I slept at the gate of Xianfeng, as the Jin army arrived at the gate and nourishing their weapons.
Earlier, Cai Mao had ordered the men that they were not allowed to fire on the Jin soldiers whoever came near, any firing from trebuchets and ballistas were to be caned, and the soldiers were irritate by the order. Once arrived at the walls, I had ordered them to fire, for those who could hit the enemy were to be extensively rewarded. At night, they launched the 'thunderbolt pao' at the enemy, and they were all shocked.) Records of Messages from the Jingkang Era ch. 2 (author: Li Gang)., p. 34-35., p. 39. （绍兴辛已年）我舟伏于七宝山后，令曰：「旗举则出江！」。先使一骑偃旗于山之顶，伺其半济，忽山上卓立一旗，舟师自山下河中两旁突出大江，人在舟中，踏车以行船。但见船行如飞，而不见有人，（金）虏以为纸船也。舟中忽发一「霹雳炮」，盖以纸为之，而实之以石灰、硫黄。炮自空而下落水中，硫黄得水而火作，自水跳出，其声如雷，纸裂而石灰散为烟雾，眯其人马之目，人物不相见。(Rough Translation: Year 1161 Once our ships had hid behind the Mount Qibao, an order was given to launch out followed after the signal. Earlier, a mounted scout was sent atop the peak to watch over half cross the river, suddenly a signal was shown from the peak, and the ships came out from the river on both sides at the foot, all men on board tread as to move the ship.
The ships seemed to move swiftly without sails or oars, so the savages Jin conceived that those were paper boats. Then, the paddle wheelers launched the 'thunderbolt pao' at their enemy on a sudden, which were made of paper pots, packed with lime and sulfur. When alight, they exploded upon impact with the water, and bounce out, making a noise like thunder.
The pots were cracked and lime scattered into a smoky fog, blinding and terrifying the enemy men and horses.) Collection from the Sincerity Studio ch. 44 (author: )., New Cavendish books, 1978 P.10., New Cavendish books, 1978 P.2., p. 173., Volume 2, Korean Spirit and Culture Series, AuthorsKorean Spirit & Culture Promotion Project, Diamond Sutra Recitation Group, Publisher Korean Spirit & Culture Promotion Project, 2007, P.51-60., Jain Publishing Company, 2005, P.82., Authors Michael E. Haskew, Christer Joregensen, Eric Niderost, Chris McNab, Publisher Macmillan, 2008, P.102., p. 514. National Institute of Korean History. Retrieved 2015-11-15.References. Andrade, Tonio (2016), The Gunpowder Age: China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History, Princeton University Press,.
Chase, Kenneth (2003), Firearms: A Global History to 1700, Cambridge University Press,. Liang, Jieming (2006), Chinese Siege Warfare: Mechanical Artillery & Siege Weapons of Antiquity, Singapore, Republic of Singapore: Leong Kit Meng,. Lorge, Peter (2005), Warfare in China to 1600, Routledge.
Lu Zhen. 'Alternative Twenty-Five Histories: Records of Nine Kingdoms'. Jinan: Qilu Press, 2000. (1986), Science & Civilisation in China, V:7: The Gunpowder Epic, Cambridge University Press,.External links.
The medieval longbow, or English Longbow, as it is traditionally known in military history was the battlefield weapon of choice for the English army nearly 700 years ago. The characteristics that allowed the longbow to stand out from other bows was the power, precision and the rate of fire that could be achieved by a skilled archer. The medieval longbow was a Welsh invention and incorporated into the English armies by Edward I and brought about a devastating element of artillery fire that had not been seen on the battlefield for some time.Archers made up a vast portion of many armies for hundreds of years, going back into the times of ancient warfare. Egypt, the Greeks, Carthaginians and Persians all fielded some form of this artillery-firing soldier. Egyptian archers were well respected for their close fighting skills as well as their accuracy. Not confined to the long range abilities of his bow and arrow, the archer could switch to a sword or dagger for close-in fighting when the battle went south. Most, if not all archers, were armed with a sword or dagger for close range combat (English Longbowmen were issued 3-foot long longswords).
This assured that the archer could still be part of the battlefield should ranges begin to decrease - though most were often held behind battle lines or fielded with a personal group of bodyguards. For additional self-defense, archers could be set up behind a wall of forward-facing stakes (similar to the pike but not movable in the heat of battle once entrenched) that could protect the soldier from oncoming cavalry charges.Longbows were traditionally made out of yew, which was a wood grown in England at the time of the Medieval Ages. The string of the longbow would be manufactured out of linen or hemp. The grass was then processed into the fiber, creating a string-type material that could later be woven into the bow. English Longbows measured about 6 feet tall when standing and required a tremendous amount of upper body strength to fire the system with any accuracy. Archers were expected to train for up to ten full years in order to develop the strength and accuracy needed in maintaining an acceptable rate of fire often required in the thick of battle.
With this amount of investment, it is no doubt that English archers were the prize of Edward III's armies for some time and, as a result, became the highest paid soldiers in his army.Arrows used by medieval longbow archers varied on the type of enemy they faced. Archers would rely on an armor-piercing arrow tip to help break through knight armor, or chainmail. Other types included a standard tip that could be used against horses - bring down the ride and you in effect bring down the charging rider, creating evermore havoc to the charging horses behind him. This particular arrow tip was called the swallowtail. Other arrows available to the archer could include a flammable tip that acted more as a psychological tool of warfare than a direct attack one. Effective ranges for Longbowmen are reported to be between 50 yards and 250 yards.
Armor of the Longbowman consisted of nothing more than a leather cap reinforced with iron and a sleeping/rain cloak to keep their bowstrings dry. Some were even provided with a fast pony for quick entries and departures from the field of battle.The longbow maintained many advantages on the battlefield for many years until eventually superceded by the crossbow - which offered up less of a range but more force behind its bolt shots. As mentioned above, rate of fire was the true advantage to the expert archer as much as the range of the system. A trained army archer could shoot upwards of ten to twelve arrows in one minute, making him the world's first 'machine gun' in some ways. With the advent of powder rifles in the 16th Century, the day of the archer - and knight for that matter - would see its closing days. ©2017.
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