Medieval Sieges
What happens when an invading army enroll a territory and lay siege to its rook ? Let ’s appear at siege methods and how the castle ’s protector could anticipate it .
Surround and starve
The invading ground forces surrounded the castle and thin out off its supplies offoodandwaterwith the Leslie Townes Hope of starve the defenders . In an movement to spread disease among the guardian , the invaders could use theircatapultsto send idle or diseased animal and human bodies over the castle wall . They could also loft ardent projectiles to bring havoc inside the castle . This beleaguering method was actually favour because the occupy USA might negociate the rook ’s surrender with minimum casualties . But it accept month to years to ferment , and the invading army had to be very well supplied with food and water system for the continuance of the siege .
If they had metre to prepare , the defenders could survive the siege . They normally brought supply and people from the surrounding countryside into the rook . Most castles had their own piss supplies for this situation . Also , the withstander would usually burn up the surrounding countryside so the invading army could not forage it for supply . Often , the outcome of the siege calculate upon whether the invade army or the defending army get reinforcements first .
Scale the walls
The invaders would dress hugescaling laddersagainst the castle ’s outer curtain wall . Invading soldier would go up the run to gain admittance to the castle . However , the crampon were vulnerable to arrow fire and objects thrown at them from the battlement on the castle wall . Defenders could also push the ravel off the rampart .
or else , the invader ramp up enceinte wooden siege towers and filled them with soldiers . Other soldiers would bicycle the towers to the stand of the drape paries . Soldiers in the top of the column would lower a board , storm across it onto the crenelation and hope to outnumber the defenders . besieging tower offer cover version for the invading soldier , but they were gravid and heavy . The encroacher were vulnerable as they stormed across the plank single - file . Also , the defenders could place the wooden towers ablaze with flaming arrows .
Ram the doors
If an invading army could go against down the castle logic gate , they could enter the castle relatively easy . So they ’d usebattering rams(large wooden log ) to pound against the gate ( or sometimes the castle wall ) and eventually interrupt it . Some battering rams were covered to shield the invading soldiers from the defenders ' arrow fire and thrown objects . Sometimes , the wooden castle gate were set onfireto undermine them .
To represent against dinge rams , defender would open fire arrows ( sometimes flame ) . They would often lower soft , cushiony drapery or wooden wall to minify the encroachment of the battering read/write memory . at long last , they could steady the castle door or gate to withstand the forces of the blows .
And as we advert , castle gates had murder holes and pointer loops to help pick off invaders who breached the gate .
Bring down the walls
If an invade United States Army could create a breach in a rampart , they could enter the castle in a less defended place . Invaders smashed the bulwark with battering rams and launch heavy rock missile and flaming rocket at and over the wall . They used mangonel , trebuchets ( heavy scarf bandage weapon ) and ballistae ( large mountedcrossbows ) .
Another way of life to bring down castle walls was to mine under them . The intrude on army would dig tunnels under the castle walls and brace them with forest supports . Once they dug the tunnel far enough to the other side , they would set the burrow on fire . The timber supports would be destroyed , and the wall above the tunnel would give . But defenders could foresee by digging under the invading army ’s tunnel before it reach the paries .
Sieges usually combine all of these tactics . They were expensive , exhausting and time - down , but were often necessary to take controller of a castle and its territory .
