Transcript Morgan–Medieval Siege Tactics 2

Medieval Siege Tactics
By: Morgan Miller
Offensive Tactics
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Tactics is the art of commanding an army and are the most
essential part of a battle:
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Blockade : surround the castle and cut off supplies.
Escalade: direct attack employing Siege Engines and Artillery
Bombardment
Breaching the Walls: breaking down the castle walls
Mining: also used to breach castle walls
Trickery: deception to gain entry
Retreat: used when the attackers were losing
Blockades
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The first option of attack on a castle was a Blockade.
This technique was the most widely used and made it so the
castle would starve.
It was done by surrounding the castle and not letting any
reinforcements or food supplies reach the castle.
The castle would also fall if disease spread In the castle.
To create disease the attackers would throw dead animals
or prisoners over the walls.
Escalade
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An escalade was a direct attack on the castle.
The attackers would use ladders to go over the walls but
the defenders would try to push them off.
They would also use Siege Engines to try to knock down
the walls.
This was very dangerous because the defenders would
shoot arrows or throw boiling water on the attackers.
The attackers would also use giant catapults to try to kill
the defenders.
They used battering rams to try to knock down the castle
wall.
The attackers threw flaming things into the castle to try to
set fire to it.
Siege Engines
Siege engines were large pieces of machinery used to
destroy a castle.
 These were very lethal weapons.
 They were very large and not easy to move.
 They were usually built on site before a battle.
 A siege engine would throw large pieces of stone at the
castle.
 One engine would
take at least three
men to fire.
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Artillery Bombardment
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Artillery was used to break the castle walls.
They were very big pieces of machinery.
The most common was a trebuchet or catapult.
These flung large rocks at the castle.
They also threw flaming pieces of wood to try to start fires.
Sometimes they even threw dead bodies over the walls to
try to spread disease.
Breaching the Walls
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To breach a wall the attackers would use an iron tipped
battering ram to knock away the masonry.
This was very dangerous.
The defenders would throw rocks, arrows and other things
at the attackers.
They built thick wooden roofs to protect themselves.
The defenders would also throw flaming objects on them.
The attackers stretched wet cow hides to protect from fires.
 The attackers would also pick away at the mortar to loosen
the stone so it would be
easier to break away.
Mining
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Mining was used to collapse a wall.
The tunnel was dug from the besiegers lines to the enemies
walls and then dug latterly.
This took a long time but it was an easy way to break a wall.
After it was dug the tunnel was filled with combustible
materials .
Since it was supported by wood, the tunnel would collapse,
taking the wall with it.
This created the desired breach.
Trickery
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This technique was often used to try and gain access to the
castle without using brute force.
The attackers would often disguise themselves as
messengers or peasants.
Another way to gain the defender’s trust was to say you
had information on the attackers plans.
But this usually didn’t work because the castle would get
too suspicious and probably end up killing them.
If it did work, when the castle opened the doors, the
attackers would rush in.
Retreat
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This option was rarely used .
This meant that the attacking force would back away from
the defending castle.
Retreat usually happened only when a reinforcement group
came to help the defending castle.
The retreats usually happened quickly .
The attackers left most of their heavy artillery behind so
they could move quicker.
They would also retreat if
disease spread through
their camps
Defensive Tactics
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A castle was usually defended by throwing
rocks, shooting arrows and pouring boiling
water or tar on the attackers.
They would also stockpile large amounts of
food so they would not starve during a
blockade.
There were also large moats and walls
surrounding the castle.
The castle was usually built very well
because it cost so much to build.
Most of they time the castle did not fall to
the attackers.
Bibliography
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World History, medieval and early modern time/
McDougal little
Siege Warfare, The art of Offense and Defense, By
Stephen Francis Wylye
The History of Castles: Fortifications Around the
World, By Christopher Gravatt
Castle ~ Christopher Gravatt
World History, Medieval and Early Modern Time, By:
McDougal Littell
Prepare for the
Quiz
Quiz
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A blockade make it so a castle would starve or become disease
infected.
It safe to try a direct assault on a castle.
A battering ram had an iron tipped point.
Siege engines easy to move.
Was another name for a catapult a trebuchet?
It took a short time to mine under a castle wall.
Trickery worked every time it was tried.
The option of retreat was used often.
Most castles were built very poorly.
The walls and moats around a castle were very big.
Quiz answers
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True
False
True
False
True
False
False
False
False
True