Logistics

Question 1

what were logistics of recruitment?

Answer 1

• soldiers drawn from family or merely paid men (loyal bc already under king’s or nobles control)
• vassals required to serve for short periods (scutage by 12th c.)
• paid troops through indentures or contracts were hard to pay & feed
• mercenaries became more common (greater support for troops through taxes)
• Great Companies emerged in late M.A. (14th-15th c.)
• permanent paid standing armies emerged in the 15th c.

Great Companies = large autonomous semi-permanant groups of mercenaries

Question 2

what were the logistics of wages?

Answer 2

• armies in the field had to be paid in advance to supply themselves w/ food & supplies
• leaders of companies given the appropriate amount of money to distribute
• muster rolls = records kept on the field to see who was present for pay
• commanders had to use their own resources if pay didn’t arrive in time
• soldiers would leave or use late pay as leverage
• bullion for exchange

bullion = gold or silver in bulk before coining

Question 3

what were the logistics of food?

Answer 3

• ~5000 calories per soldier
• forage ineffective in siege or if army is too large
• soldiers carried what they needed w/ them (not great for long campaigns)
• meat often brought live in the form of pack animals (sheep, goats, oxen, etc.)
• ale usually made on site using grain (malt) & local water
• water was heavy to carry, could go stagnant, & could carry disease

Question 4

what were the logistics of horses?

Answer 4

• needed fodder & water
• hay could be substituted by grass 3:1
• require 8-12 gallons of fresh, cool water per day
• could not ride more than 20 miles the same day as combat
• required a day’s rest after battle

Question 5

what were the logistics for transporting supplies?

Answer 5

• pack animals (sheep, goats, oxen, etc.)
• wagons could carry more than carts but required more pack animals
• carts & sleds more manoeuvrable (depends on state of the roads)
• war was seasonal (rain & snow affected transportation)
• armies usually avoided fighting in the winter

Question 6

what was care for the wounded like?

Answer 6

• doctors & surgeons
• field hospitals
• opiates, trepanning, & splints
• can’t do invasive surgeries bc no antibiotics
• wounds often rinses w/ wine or vinegar
• wounds left open to avoid infection

Question 7

what was disease & death like?

Answer 7

• infection, malaria, parasites, ergotism, scurvy, trachoma, & dysentery
• flies were a major source of contamination
• bodies usually buried due to risk of disease (armour removed before burial)

Question 8

what was communication & espionage like?

Answer 8

• commanders used men on horseback to send messages
• difficult to conceal movements from enemy spies & scouts
• guards equipped w/ horns & bells