User:Liam Skoda/Crossbow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the weapon. For other uses, see Liam Skoda/Crossbow (disambiguation).
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles. A mechanism in the stock holds the bow in its fully-drawn position until it is shot by releasing a trigger. Crossbows played a significant role in the warfare of Europe during the Middle Ages, and in Asian warfare. Crossbows are used today primarily for target shooting and sport hunting.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Greek version of the crossbow (gastraphetes) was extensively used by the army of Dionysius during the siege of Motya, a key Carthaginian stronghold in Sicily, in 397 BC.[1] Sun Tzu refers extensively on the use of this weapon and the earliest reliable record of crossbows seeing action is from the Battle of Ma-Ling at 341 BC. By the 200s BC, the crossbow (nǔ, 弩) was well developed and quite widely used in China. They have been found among the soldiers of the Terracotta Army in the tomb of emperor Qin Shi Huang (260-210 BC) [2]. Handheld ballistae were used in the Later Roman Empire and served a similar purposes as crossbows in the Medieval armies. The Romans also had crossbows with a prod, the arcuballista (hence the name "arbalest"). In Western Africa crossbows served as a scout weapon and for hunting, with enslaved Africans bringing the technology to America[3]. In the American south, the crossbow was used as a hunting weapon when firearms or gunpowder were unavailable because of economic hardships or isolation[4]. Light hunting crossbows were traditionally used by the Inuit in Northern America, as well as being found throughout Eurasia and the Indonesian Islands.
Up until the seventeenth century most beekeepers in Europe kept their hives spread across the woods and had to defend them against bears. Therefore their guild was granted the right to bear arms and is commonly depicted carrying heavy crossbows.
The Finnish national epic, Kalevala, depicts Joukahainen ambushing the hero Väinämöinen with a crossbow. The legendary hero of Switzerland, William Tell supposedly shot an apple from the top of his son's head using a crossbow, and went on to start the war of liberation by ambushing the landreeve Gessler.
Crossbows were used in European warfare from roughly 800 to 1500 AD. They almost completely superseded hand bows in many European armies in the twelfth century for a number of reasons. Although an expertly handled longbow had greater range, equal accuracy and faster shooting rate than an average crossbow, the value of the crossbow came in its simplicity: it could be used effectively after a week of training, while a comparable single-shot skill with a longbow could take years of practice. The invention of pushlever and ratchet drawing mechanisms enabled the use of crossbows on horseback.
The Saracens called the crossbow qaws Ferengi, or "Frankish bow", as the Crusaders used the crossbow against the Arab and Turkoman horsemen with remarkable success. In the armies of Europe[5], mounted and unmounted crossbowmen, often mixed with javeliners and archers, occupied a central position in battle formations. Usually they engaged the enemy in offensive skirmishes before an assault of mounted knights. Crossbowmen were also valuable in counterattacks to protect their infantry. The rank of commanding officer of the crossbowmen corps was one of the highest positions in any army of this time. Along with polearm weapons made from farming equipment, the crossbow was also a weapon of choice for insurgent peasants such as the Taborites. Famous were the Genoese crossbowmen who hired as mercenaries for many countries in medieval Europe, while the crossbow also played an important role in anti-personal defence of ships[6].
Crossbowmen among the Flemish citizens[7], in the army of Richard Lionheart, and others, had two servants, two crossbows and a pavise shield to protect the men. One of the servants had the task of reloading the weapons, while the second subordinate would carry and hold the pavise (the archer himself also wore protective armor). Such a three-man team could shoot 8 shots per minute, compared to a single crossbowman's 3 shots per minute. The archer was the leader of the team, the one who owned the equipment, and the one who received payment for their services. The payment for a crossbow mercenary was higher than for a longbow mercenary, but the longbowman did not have to pay a team of assistants and his equipment was cheaper.
Mounted knights armed with lances proved ineffective against formations of pikemen combined with crossbowmen whose weapons could penetrate most knights' armor. This led to the development of new cavalry tactics. Knights and merceneries deployed in triangular formations, with the most heavily armored knights at the front. The knights would carry small, powerful all-metal crossbows of their own. Crossbows were eventually replaced in warfare by gunpowder weapons, although early guns had slower rates of fire and much worse accuracy than contemporary crossbows. Later, similar competing tactics would feature harquebusiers or musketeers in formation with pikemen, pitted against cavalry firing pistols or carbines.
It is an often-repeated belief that both Pope Urban II in 1097 and the Second Lateran Council under Pope Innocent II in 1139 banned the use of crossbows against Christians (There are no surviving acts of the council and very little can be surmised from the records and chronicles.)[8]. Examining the existing differing fragmentary original sources closely does not evidently show that Urban II ever made such a ban and that the Second Lateran Council's prohibition (which has various possible translations) applied to ordinary bows as well as crossbows, and perhaps to all missile weapons in general.[9]
[edit] Types of Crossbow
[edit] Acceleration system
[edit] Lath Crossbow
A simple crossbow resembles a bow attached perpendicularly to a stock and operates in a similar way.
[edit] Recurve Crossbow
- See also: Recurve bow
A recurve crossbow is a bow that, in contrast to the simple crossbow, has tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is held in shooting position. The recurve bow's bent limbs allow for:
- A lower bracing height with the same limb length
- More spring force over the first few inches of draw
- A smoother draw
[edit] Ballista and others using springs
[edit] Compound Crossbow
[edit] Type of weapon
[edit] Small hunting crossbow/gastraphates
[edit] Pistol Crossbows
[edit] Repeating Crossbow
A repeating crossbow is one where the separate actions of stringing the bow, placing the bolt and firing it can be accomplished with a simple one-handed movement, all the while keeping the crossbow stationary. This allows the bow to fire at a faster rate compared to a normal crossbow. A magazine containing a number of bolts is present on top of the bow and the mechanism is worked by moving a rectangular lever forward and backward.
[edit] Arbalest
The arbalest was a late variation of the medieval European crossbow. A larger weapon, the arbalest had a steel prod ("bow"). Since an arbalest was much larger than earlier crossbows, and because of the greater tensile strength of steel, it had a greater force. The strongest windlass-pulled arbalests could have up to 22 kN (5000 lbf) strength and be accurate up to 500 m. A skilled arbalestier could shoot two bolts per minute.
[edit] Siege Crossbows/Oxybeles
[edit] Ballista
The ballista was a powerful ancient crossbow that ejected heavy darts or spherical stone projectiles of various sizes. It developed into a smaller sniper weapon (Scorpion). It is considered to be the most complex weapon made before the Industrial Revolution and the only pre-industrial weapon to be designed scientifically.
[edit] Bowguns
Bowguns are a type of crossbow which rather than firing arrows or bolts fire spherical projectiles such as stones or lead, often down a barrel.
[edit] Crossbow projectiles
[edit] Bolts
The arrow-like projectiles of a crossbow are called "bolts." These are much shorter than arrows but can be several times heavier. There is an optimum weight for bolts to achieve maximum kinetic energy, which varies depending on the strength and characteristics of the crossbow. Modern bolts are stamped with a proof mark to ensure their consistent weight. In order to accommodate the groove that the bolt rests in, bolts typically have only two fletches, rather than the three fletches commonly seen on arrows. Crossbow bolts can be fitted with a variety of heads, some with sickle-shaped heads to cut rope or rigging; but the most common is a four-sided point called a quarrel.
[edit] Shperical Projectiles
Some crossbows were made to shoot stones or lead bullets. Primarily used for hunting wildfowl, these had a double string with a pouch between the strings to hold the projectile.
[edit] Crossbow Accessories
[edit] Cranks and other cocking aids
 Pull lever |
 Push lever |
||
 stationary windlass device |
 repeating crossbow with pull lever and automatic reload magazine |
[edit] Sights
Modern crossbow sights often use similar technology to modern firearm sights.
[edit] other
[edit] Crossbows in Sport
[edit] Crossbow Hunting
Crossbows are still used for hunting in many countries, such as the USA or the countries of West Africa.
[edit] Crossbows in the modern military
Crossbows are sometimes used in modern militaries as low noise alternatives to firearms.
[edit] Other Uses
Modified crossbows are used in whale research to take blubber biopsy samples without harming the whales. [10]
[edit] Legal Issues
The crossbow often has a complicated legal status due to its lethality and its similarities with both firearms and other archery weapons.
[edit] Australia
Pistol crossbows are strictly controlled in all Australian states due to their concealable nature. Crossbows can be bought and owned by adults over 18 years of age in some states such as Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia, while in most of the eastern states crossbows can only be owned with a special licence, for instance for members of an official sporting club. Control on transport of crossbows between states has increased to prevent unauthorised use of imported crossbows.[11]
[edit] Canada
In Canada, crossbows that can be aimed and shot with one hand, or have an overall length of less than 500 mm (19.68 in) are considered prohibited weapons. (Canada firearms center FAQ)
[edit] Finland
In Finland hunting with crossbow is not allowed. But possession of crossbows and other bows requires no licence. (Finnish law)
[edit] Germany
In German law on weapons, crossbows and firearms are equated in their legal status as weapons(WaffG Anlage 1 1.2.2), but in contrast to guns, acquisition, possession, trade or production of crossbows requires no license (WaffG Anlage 2). Because of their definition as weapons, but without further restrictions, any crossbows can be used by minors under custody of competent adults. Fishing and hunting with crossbows is prohibited.
[edit] United States
For crossbow hunting in the U.S. a person may have to have a disability or special licence to use one. In Georgia, at least, a crossbow may be used in hunting feral hogs & any other game except waterfowl.
[edit] See also
- Arbalest
- Ballista
- Repeating crossbow
- Bow (weapon)
- Medieval warfare
- Grand Master of Crossbowmen
- longbow
- Ballistics
- trajectory
[edit] Notes
- ^ Stanley M. Burstein, Walter Donlan, Sarah B. Pomeroy, and Jennifer Tolbert Roberts (1999). Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-1950-9742-4, p. 366
- ^ Weapons of the terracotta army
- ^ Notes On West African Crossbow Technology
- ^ Notes On West African Crossbow Technology
- ^ Verbruggen, J.F., Second revised and enlarged, edition, in English translation (1997). The art of warfare in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Boydell&Brewer. ISBN 0-85115-570-7.
- ^ Notes On West African Crossbow Technology
- ^ Verbruggen, J.F., Second revised and enlarged, edition, in English translation (1997). The art of warfare in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Boydell&Brewer. ISBN 0-85115-570-7.
- ^ The sources are collected in Hefele, Histoire des conciles d'apres les documents originaux, trans. and continued by H. Leclerq 1907-52., 5/1, 721-722; but see also, Bernhardi Jahrbuecher der deutschen Geschichte, I Leipzig 1883, 154-160.
- ^ Turner, Monte (2004). The Not So Diabolical Crossbow: A Re-Examination of Innocent II’s Supposed Ban Of The Crossbow at the SecondLateran Council. Self-published thesis.
- ^ http://whale.wheelock.edu/bwcontaminants/st_lawrence.html
- ^ http://www.ausbow.com.au/crossbow.htm
[edit] References
- The Crossbows of South-West China, by Stephen Selby, 1999
- African crossbow, Donald B. Ball, 1996
- Crossbow of the Hill Tribes
[edit] External links
- Crossbows
- The Crossbows Tournament, Island Rab
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
