Besieged
An enemy commander who wanted to capture a castle and
the land around it had to plan his tactics carefully. Before
beginning a siege, he took a good look at the countryside.
Could the castle be easily surrounded? Where were its weak
spots? Where would the siege weapons be most affective?
BESIEGED
Before settling down to a long siege, the commander might try to bribe the garrison to let him in, or poison the
castles water supply. The commander's troops would then surround the castle, burn down the homes of the local
people and cut off the castles supply lines. Wagons pulled by oxen would bring up the parts of the siege engines
so that they could be assembled nearer the castle walls. A herald from the castle might come to discuss the
terms of fighting.If the castle could not be taken quickly, the attackers aimed to starve the castles garrison
until they had to give in. In fact, few castles held out to the bitter end. The constable might only have to defend
the castle for 40 days. If his lord or his king had not sent help by then, the constable could surrender with
honour.
(1)-Taking shelter
Crossbowmen and archers
protected from the castles
defenders fire by large
wooden shields called
pavises.
1
(2)Filling the ditch
The ditch left after the
moat had been drained
was filled and boarded
over so that the siege
machines could be
wheeled right up against
the castle walls.
(3)Battering
ram
The soldiers
pushing the
battering
ram against
the gates
were
protected by
a wooden
frame
covered in
wet animal
hides.
2
3
4
5
6
7
(4)Belfry
The belfry tower
allowed the attackers
to make a direct
assault on the
battlements.
(5)Trebuchet
This giant catapult was
powered by a heavy
counterweight. A sling at the
other end hurled rocks against
the walls.
(6)Mangonel
The mangonel was
another kind of
catapult powered by
twisted ropes.
(7)Cannons
Cannon barrels
were raised or
lowered on a heavy
wooden beam.
Under attack
The battle is now on. The enemy has assembled their siege weapons- the trebuchet and the mongonel- and has
been hurling boulders and flaming missiles at the defenses. The moat has been drained and filled with
brushwood and earth. Soldiers clamber up a long scaling ladder that has been thrown against the wall, and the
belfry has reached the battlements. The defenders shelter behind the wooden hourds or take cover in the
embrasures behind the arrow loops, and return fire.
When a castle or town was captured, it
was usually looted and every soldier
expected a share of the spoils.
Ransoms could be huge. In 1193, the
Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI,
demanded 150,000 marks (about £15
million in today's money) for the
release of the king of England, Richard
the Lionheart.
End of a siege
The weeks passed slowly. The attackers are tiring and the troops begin muttering that they are wasting their
time. If they haven't been able to batter down the walls, perhaps they can bribe their way in with gold? The
castle defenders have their own problems. Food supplies are running low and water is strictly rationed. But then
the defenders luck changes a lookout spies glinting armour on the horizon. Help is less than a day away. A band
of defending knights and footsoldiers gather behind a small door called a pastern, suddenly, the door bursts
open and the soldiers pour out. Their aim is to wreck the siege machines and to kill the soldiers who work them.
The enemy soldiers, taken by surprise, are now trapped, for the relieving army is advancing behind them.
And so ends life in a castle. If you wish to know more on any subject on my pages, please sign
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