weapon chronology

8/7/2019 weapon chronology

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Technology Date

simple bows and javelins

Swords and axes of Bronze 2000 BC

Chariots 1700-30 BC

Forged iron 1400BC

The Phalanx 359-36 BC

Hoplite spear

heavy armour, helmet, greaves

Circular shield

Sarrissa

Ballista 400 BC

Pilum

Gladius

Maniple Legion 300 BC

Cohort legion 107 BC

Gaius Marius


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Stirrup 200

Greek fire 673 AD

De Re Militari 392

Stratigicon 575

Tactica 900

Feudalism 800-1400

Crossbow 900-1460

Pike 1300-1550

landsknect

1550-1700

Longbow 1340

First Canon 1300

Bombards 1390

1420

1449

1495

1600-1700


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1500-1600

Machievelli 1520

matchlock 1475-1720Arquebus 1503

Musket 1590

Wheelock 1520-1560

flintlock 1690-1840


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Vauban 1678

Socket bayonet 1680

1756

1750-1760

Gribeauval 1760

Guibert

Rifle 1775

French revolution 1789

Semaphore 1793

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1650-

1790

SEVEN

YEARS

WAR

1756 -

1763


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percussion cap musket 1815

Electric Telegraph 1837

Morse code

Railways 1840

Machine gun 1840

Rifled Artillery 1840

Percussion rifle 1840

Minnie ball 1851

Breech loading 1860

Maxim Machine gun 1889

Field Telephone 1890

Smokeless Powder 1890Magazine feed

recoiling and quick fire artillery


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Improved artillery fuses

cartridge case

Radio 1900

Internal combustion engine

Indirect fire 1900-1905

High explosive rounds 1909


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Comments

Egyptians/Assyrians

Cavalry more flexible and less expensive

Unsuited to rough terrain

Used by Persians and Assyrians and Egyptians

Eventually defeated by well drilled Infantry (Roman)

Provided first true mobility and shock action

Phalanx requires cohesion discipline and drill

Vulnerable to flank attack. Somewhat inarticulate

Most effective on flat level terrain

Siege Craft

Roman Legion had the ability to defeat the phalanx

Articulated Infantry

These weapon systems

did not seriously

challenge the supremacy

of the armoured knight

The Byzantium Empire progressed

militarily despite the general decline in

the west. It was marked by anelaborate defensive system and a

combined arms approach with


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shock action by cavalry

Byzantine books on military tactics

Knights and the demise of the Infantry

Decline of science

Inventions were few

The art of fortification flourished

Development of the castle

small version of the ballista

lethal in unskilled hands

advantages over the bow

2-3 round per minute

Swiss pikemen

Needed a mass disciplined formation to be effective

Needed drill and training

Relatively inarticulate and vulnerable to flank attack

Vulnerable to Artillery and other

Worked better in a combined force scenario

Pike was used in combination with the musket until socket bayonet

Outranged the Crossbow

4-5 times the rate of fire

12-15 rounds per minute

Siege Warfare replaced siege engines

Siege of Constantinople

More effective gunpowder developed

Charles Vii of France reconquered Normandy

The gun was the master of fortification

The guns were heavu and immobile.

Guns given mobility and drawn by horses

Increase in rate of fire

Increased use of battlefield artillery as guns became more mobile

These weapon systems

did not seriously

challenge the supremacy

of the armoured knight

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1337-

1453

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sophisticated structure and tactics. The

army was arranged in flexible

formations not unlike Napoleon. War

was regarded as an intellectual

challenge. War was based on scientific

analysis and was highly professional.

Their opponents the Arabs made use

of less disciplined skirmish actions to

wear down their opponents.


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New tactics of pike protecting musketeer

Artillery opened the way

Musketeers cleared the way fore the pike and cavalry

Lack of standardisation of artillery pieces

The art of war

Greater penetration than a bow but limited rangeLow rate of fire, sensitive to wet weather

Harder to make, heavier than a bow

Less accurate and less reliable

Needed a supply of powder and shot and rounds not recyclable

Cheaper to make than the crossbow

Needed good discipline and drill to be effective

Heavier than an Arquebus but better range and penetration

Transformed cavalry warfare and dispensed with the ignited fuse

Could be operated with one hand

Mechanism expensive

Devastating against pike formations

Increased speed and reliability (doubled the rate)

less dependent on the weather

pre packaged paper cartridges

Allowed infantryman to stand closer with reduced danger and increased firepower

weighed less than matchlock and fired 2 rounds pm

Combination with bayonet altered battlefield tactics lessening the role of cavalry

Casualty rates extremely high

By 1600 the Spanish were

using a 50:50 ratio of

Musket to Pike.

By 1540 the Spanish were

theleaders with their

formations of Pike and

Musket

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16

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The art of fortification and siege craft

Marked the end of the Pike. Led to linear formations to maximise inaccurate firepowerPhase out of body armour. Encouraged offensive tactics

Led to an all purpose infantry

This type of infantryman with smoothbore rifle and bayonet lasted until 1830

Communication between artillery, cavalry and infantry was simple and easy

Fredrick the Great made use of massed artillery in the seven years war

Accurate out to 150m instead of musket 50m

Reintroduction of light infantry and skirmishing tactics

Slow rate of fire, required expert to fire it. Quick to foul, more expensive

stations vulnerable to attack, dependent on weather. 150 miles in 5 minutes

8

Standardisation of artillery under Gribeauval This encouraged use

of artillery beyond opening bombardment Mobility and accuracy

increased. Rate of fire increased Advent of massed artillery .

Artillery was standardised, became lighter and organised in regular

batteries, comprehensive training

Guibert provided the tactical philosophy for the French, and the

ordre mixte.....column and line.


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crucial invention that enabled muzzle-loading firearms

to fire reliably in any weather, speeded up the process of fire

Enhanced mobilisation and strategic ability

Major strategic and operational impact. Mobilisation, deployment, concentrationlogistics. Little difference at the tactical level.

Mechanically unreliable. Tactics for its use not fully evolved.

Moved artillery back out of range of the Infantry

Increased accuracy. Increased range up to 500m

Resulted in less dense skirmish lines, defensive works and trenches.

design was made to allow rapid muzzle loading of rifles, increased velocity

an innovation that brought about the widespread

use of the rifle as a mass battlefield weapon

Rate of fire increased to 6/7 rounds pm. Could be fired prone

These three inventions led to the empty battlefield

Reliable and transportable, water cooled, fully automatic

Allowed voice command

Increase in range and muzzle velocity. Absence of smoke

Increased rate of fire

All these increased the volume, range and effectiveness of firepower.

These changes strengthened defensive firepower making it difficult to overwhelm


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The key to unlocking defensive firepower was combined arms warfare

Tactics on battlefield changed

Fire and movement

Continuous creeping barrages

Use of cover

Infantry coordinated with artillery

Major impact on command and control

The impact of radio not fully grasped in WWI

In WWII the radio speeded up tactical moves and coordination of combined warfare.

Greatly increase the explosive force of rounds


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Assyrians organised a state wholly

designed for war. They used forged iron.

They had discipline and training. They

used armour. First organised cavalry and

first horse archers. They also perfected

siege craft. They developed the first

corps of military engineers

Persians emerged as a great empire in

559BC. They had a huge army consisting

of heavy and light infantry, cavalry,

chariots, war elephants, camels. Elite

corps of 10 000 called the Immortals

introduced by Darius. Their tactics

remaine crude and they introduced few

new weapons

The Greeks eventually introduced a

highly professional force with no equal.

Phillip introduced highly trained light

infantry, Cavalry., artillery and bridging

equipment. Orders were transmitted

by smoke, trumpet and beacon signals.

There was a rudimentary staff. Great

stress was put on combined action and

cooperation between horse and foot.

This was a truly balanced force.

Roman legions looked like the phalanx

to start with. The maniple legion was

born and flexible articulate Heavy

Infantry was born. The maniple was

proceeded by the Velites, and made up

of hastati,principes,and triarii. Paid

professional army, chain of command,

artillery weapons, siege craft, a

sophisticated all armed force of mixed

capability. First class engineers andartillery. Experts at siege warfare.

Reforms under Giaus Marius were the

following. Cange to a cohort based

legion consisting of three maniples.

Similar to napoleons corps. Legions

equipped by the state. 16 years service

instead of indefinite. Pay and

Retirement benefits. Soldiers were .

Soldiers were recruited from the

masses, previous property owning

qualification fell away. Drill and trainingwas all year round in a proffessional

army. Baggage train was reduced as


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Mongols (Nomadic Horsemen 1000AD)

Expert with the horse and the bow.

Subsist on the most meagre of rations

and live off the land. The basis of their

warfare was unadulterated terror. They

also had a very effective 5th columnand spy network. Every man was

mounted and there was no infantry

arm. The chief weapon was a reflex

bow. They were the precursor to

Napoleons corps in that they moved

divided and fought concentrated. Their

mobility and speed were unmatched

due to their self reliance and ability to

concentrate. The Mongol system was

marked by a ferocious discipline. They

believed in an aggressive attackphilosophy and would use whatever

means at their disposal to succeed.

he demise of the Roman Empire after

00 saw the deterioration of military

kills for 300 years. War reverted back

o tribal and raiding.

his period saw the rise of the

ounted soldier + feudalism + castles

issile weapons fell into disfavour

he eventual overthrow of the

ounted knight by the foot soldier

rmed with pike and missiles, and

ventually firearms. Shock action was

e Pike + Longbow + siege artillery

w the demise of the feudal system

d the knight and the reintroduction

the heavy infantryman as the

rnerstone of the battlefield.

The Introduction of the Bombard

reduced siege warfare from 4-10

months to a matter of weeks. Charles

the VII of France made good use of

them by taking 40 fortresses in one

year. Canon Dominated siegecraft from

1453 to 1550 and dominated

fortifications.

By 1525 siege engineering once again

wrested the initiative from the canon

and fortresses began to dominate

warfare again. Sieges were costly and

time consuming taking many months

and even years.

The use of cannon on the battlefield

was limited by their poor mobility.

In 1494 Charles the VIII invaded Italy at

the head of an army that was more

professional, more national, and betterequipped. It suceeded over the

condottieri. This marked to transition

each man had to carry his own food

and equipment. Full citizenship offered

for good service.


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The Art of war up to the late 18th

century was the ability and skill to

force battle using surprise or other

means choosing the time and place

for the battle which suited the

aggressor. . It was easy for one

antagonist to refuse battle. This period

from Caesar to Fredrick the great was

known as classical warfare

Charles the VIII was predominant in

Italy because of the first examples of

true filed artillery 1494

rom eu a to o ern ar.

Gustav Adolphus was the first truly modern army He was the father of modern war.

1611-1632

Improved tactical doctrine

Improved firepower

Linear tactical system

Pike reduced to 8 feet

Used the wheel lockUsed paper cartridges

He cross trained his army

Transformed the Artillery into Siege, Field and regimental pieces. He had the most

mobile artillery in Europe. He introduced three calibres 24, 12 , 3

The 3 pounders were innivative as they were small enough to accompany the formations

in support anywhere. Thus was born close fire support.

The Cavalry where encouraged to use shock tactics rather than the Caracole.

He also introduced the Brigade made up of platoons. As a result the Infantry became

more flexible and linear tactics were born opposing massed formations.

Guns were a considerable liability on

campaign . They were entrusted tocivilians, they were bulky with short

range and inaccurate. They restricted

an armies advance to 10 miles per day.

From 1716 onward the situation

improved with the foundation of

regular regiments of artillery. Most

problems remained until 1770


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He introduced.... standardised uniforms, regular pay, chaplains, banned women, severe

but just discipline, preferred native troops to mercenaries, concentrated on supply and

reinforcement., national militia based on conscription.

Limited warfare involved dynatic struggles between monarchs rather than wars of a

national nature involving the whole population. The era between the religious and

national wars became limited in nature. Objectives were restricted to territorial,

commercial or colonial ambitions. There was a tendency fo more moderate attititudes.

Poor atate of the roads, limited fodder, and heavy cannon made movement

operationally very difficult. Campaign season only lasted 6 months. The officers came

from the nobility and the men from the lowest classes. Desertion and looting were rife.

Conscription lay in the future and the armies were crewed by volunteers. Field armies

were small at 40-70k. Armies relied on pre stocked magazines. Troops could not be

trusted to forage for themselves. Sieges dominated Europeon warfare. the work of

Vauban favoured the defence. The strategic focus became the disruption of

communication and supply lines rather than the destruction of the enemy forces.

Revolution led to an era of total war. Economy and society were geared to maintain

the armed forces. "Nation in arms" Armies increased in size. conscription,. Troopsfought in Skirmishing order or columns, the bayonet attack was favoured. Casualties

were less important than in the past. Mixed brigades were formed containing all arms

of service. Subsistance off the land. Reduction in wagon train and dependence on

magazines. This led to superior French mobility. promotion was based on professional

competance. A rudimentry general staff was added.

Napoleon inherited these considerable advancements from the revolution. He affected

the adoption of the corps d armee as the standard major formation. This was the next

level up from the mixed divisions of the republic. These subdivisions allowed for a

dispersed movement and a concentration in the attack. The Corps was also able to pin

an enemy force many times its size. Each corps was a miniature army and this speededup the process of battle. This was the french secret weapon. The Cavalry and Artillery

were massed into the Reserve to be used at the critical moment. The artillery was


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Once Napoleons adversaries had

learned his way of war and matched

French detachments with similardetachments, the 19th centaury saw

the rapid extension of fronts. This

eventuall resulted in the continuous

militirised under napoleon and the guns to men ratio was steadily increased. Battle was

central to napoleon and the siege almost disappeared. He fused marching, fighting and

pursuit.


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fronts of the WWI. The defence

became dominant. Whole Nations

were mobilised for an Industrial war.

The will of the whole nation was now

important and not just the army as it

had been in Napoleonic times.


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BATTLE

Arbela 331BC

Zela 47BC

Marathon 490

Issus 333BC

Gaugamela 331BC

Hydaspes 326BC

Cannae 216BC

Zama 202BC

Alesia 52BC

Adrianople 378AD


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STRATA OF WAR

Grand Strategy

Hastings 1066 Lays down the aims of the war an

Strategy

Merv 1221 Determines the methods of how t

Bhamo 1277 How What where when How muc

Grand Tactics / Operational ArtPlanning of major operations usin

Maintenance of a reserve

Tactics

Methods of fighting and manoeuv

Logistics

Provision, movement and supply o

Seven classical manoeuvres of wa

Penetration of the centre

Sedan 1940, Blenheim 1704, Aust

Crecy 1346

Potiers 1356 Hundred years war Envelopment of a single flank

Agincourt 1415 Various Western desert battles W

Gaugamela 331BC, Hydaspes326B

Crecy 1346

Envelopment of both flanks

Cannae 216BC, Tannenberg 1914,

Zama 202BC

Attack in oblique order

Constantinople 1453 Leuctra 371BC, Leuthen 1757, Cas

Feigned withdrawal

Associated with the double envelo

Cannae, Hastings 1066, Salamanca

Attack from a defensive positionAgincourt,Alesia 52BC, Stalingrad


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Indirect approach

Ulm 1806, Sedan 1940, 2nd Bull ru

Pavia 1525

Breitenfeld 1631

Lutzen 1632

Arquebus played a major role at

Pavia in what was to become

the last major land

engagements for several

generations


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Blenheim 1704

Malplaquet 1709

Leuthen 1757

Ulm 1805

In this age of limited warfare the following shone.

Duke of Malborough (16501722), Fredrik the Great (17401786), Prin

Marshall Villars. These Generals were able to restore a measure of mib

in the conduct of war. Discipline and Firepower were the factors that dvictory on the battlefield.

Marlborough devolved fire control down to platoon level, following th

example of 1630. Fire and movement was born. The linear formation a

born and the Pike was discarded. Strict discipline was required to have

firepower and changes of formation. Marlborough success was being a

combat on an unwilling foe, by means of rapid marches under cover of

retained his cavalry as a shock weapon to deliver the coup de grace. H

light guns to every infantry battalion for close support.

Fredrik the Great was the ruler of an autocratic state. He demonstratinterior lines to good effect. His philosophy was discipline,subsistance,

and practicability. He made good use of drill and howitzers to attack th

LOS.


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American civil warFranco Prussian

Prussian Austrian

Franco Prussian

Port Arthur

Crimean war 1853-6

American Civil War 1862

Franco Prussian

Boer War


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Boer WarPort Arthur


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the broad form it is to take

he aim is to be achieved

speed and concentration of force

re from battalion commander to rifleman

f armed forces.

r

rlitz 1805

II

C

Russian Front WWII, Falaise gap

iglione 1796, Bautzen 1813, Hydaspes, 326BC

pment

1812. Merv 1221

942


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n 1862


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ce Eugene,

ility, and decsion

etermines

e Sweeish

nd square was

effective

ble to force

darkness. He

attached two

d theuse ofoffensive action,

e enemy out of

Documents

weapon chronology