Attacking methods (castles) Flashcards
What is the scaling ladder method?
Used by attackers to scale the castle walls
However ladders had the disadvantage that the defenders could shoot arrows at the men climbing or pour boiling water/ oil or push the ladder away from the wall.
What is the Trebuchet method?
A very powerful type of slingshot.
Could be used to fire rocks at castle walls.
Sometimes rotting carcasses were fired into the castle to spread disease.
Designed to fire long distances to protect attackers from archers.
What is the siege tower method?
Designed to be taller than castle walls allowing archers on top to shoot down at enemy.
Ramps would be lowered onto the castle walls to allow troops onto the parapet to attack defenders.
It was protected against arrows with animal skins.
Animal skins drenched in water to protect against fire.
What is the mangonel method?
This is a type of catapult
Used to fire rocks at the castle
Was a lighter version of trebuchet but had shorter range.
What is the battering ram method?
Thick stone walls of a stone keep were difficult to knock down
A battering ram was useful since the weight of several men would be put behind it in an effort to destroy doors and walls
It often had a penthouse to protect men using it from attack.
What is a ballista method?
A ballista is a large crossbow device which fired large bolts at enemy.
These could be used for both defending and attacking a castle
What was the undermining a castle wall/ tunnelling method?
This method involved digging under the castle walls as a way Of entering the castle.
Sometimes tunnel would be filled with straw, wood or even dead pigs and be set on fire.
This would weaken the castle walls making them collapse.
The advantage of this method is that attack can not be seen by those living in the castle
However to defend mining the castles had moats built around them
