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How Did Armies Keep Archers Supplied With Arrows While Fighting?
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| July 27, 2015
| By Stephen Tempest
Posted on 07/30/2015 11:19:03 AM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
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To: vladimir998
A friend of mine, a Civil War buff, speculated that units of archers could have played a role on the 1860’s battlefield. He said trained archers could put out a higher rate—6 to 8 arrows per minute—of fire than infantry armed with Springfield or Enfield rifled muskets—2 to 3 rounds per minute. Of course the riflemen would have a great advantage in range over the bowmen who might well be limited to fighting from defensive positions, firing indirectly in volleys at masses of attackers. Just saying.
41
posted on
07/30/2015 12:08:32 PM PDT
by
Brad from Tennessee
(A politician can't give you anything he hasn't first stolen from you.)
To: mass55th
Most arrows designed for war were barbed at the back of the arrowhead, to prevent people from easily pulling them out.
To: Brad from Tennessee
The length and spine of the arrow depended on the weight and draw of the bow, but I guess accuracy was secondary to flight volume like smooth bore muskets versus rifled long arms.
43
posted on
07/30/2015 12:11:11 PM PDT
by
ZULU
(Democrats are paleosocialists)
To: JoeProBono
Bump for Samurai Jack reference!
44
posted on
07/30/2015 12:12:13 PM PDT
by
ctdonath2
(The world map will be quite different come 20 January 2017.)
To: vladimir998
I’ve never seen that kind of rapid fire from a bow. Another great archer is Byron Ferguson, who can hit a tossed aspirin with his longbow. Lots of videos online demonstrating his skills.
45
posted on
07/30/2015 12:12:18 PM PDT
by
dainbramaged
(Get out of my country now)
To: Brad from Tennessee
Mongols used arrows quite literally by the millions.
46
posted on
07/30/2015 12:16:08 PM PDT
by
zek157
To: Brad from Tennessee
47
posted on
07/30/2015 12:18:06 PM PDT
by
GeronL
To: panzerkamphwageneinz
If they had all been liberals, then the arrows would have been tipped with suction cups.
—rim shot—
48
posted on
07/30/2015 12:18:47 PM PDT
by
Noumenon
(Resistance. Restoration. Retribution.)
To: Brad from Tennessee
Nothing came close to the Mongol rate of sustained fire and accuracy for 600 centuries.
49
posted on
07/30/2015 12:21:19 PM PDT
by
zek157
To: vladimir998
50
posted on
07/30/2015 12:22:33 PM PDT
by
GeronL
To: Brad from Tennessee
ACME ARROW COMPANY, same place Wyle B. Coyote got his!
51
posted on
07/30/2015 12:22:39 PM PDT
by
GOYAKLA
To: dainbramaged
52
posted on
07/30/2015 12:24:10 PM PDT
by
GeronL
To: GOYAKLA
I think I see your point
53
posted on
07/30/2015 12:27:11 PM PDT
by
GeronL
To: AzSteven
I recall reading Greek and Roman slingers used to carve insults on their lead sling bullets.
Freegards
54
posted on
07/30/2015 12:28:00 PM PDT
by
Ransomed
To: Brad from Tennessee
In August 1413, for example, London-based fletcher Stephen Seler was paid for 12,000 arrows.
And of course, there is still a great London Fletcher with us today:
55
posted on
07/30/2015 12:31:13 PM PDT
by
Dr. Sivana
(There is no salvation in politics)
To: rfreedom4u
Any idea how many arrows were used at Agincourt?Best estimate I've seen is 8000 archers, and the standard was each carried 24 arrows. So somewhere approaching 200,000 arrows. Estimates of the French force vary wildly, but averaging them out you get something along the lines of 25,000. So 8 British arrows for every Frenchman, and 20 for every dead Frenchman.
Incidentally, if you ever want to read a good book, John Keegan's THE FACE OF BATTLE compares the experience of battle at Agincourt, Waterloo and the Somme.
56
posted on
07/30/2015 12:34:11 PM PDT
by
Bubba Ho-Tep
("The rat always knows when he's in with weasels."--Tom Waits)
To: zek157
Maximum
Rounds
Down
Range...
Wins every time.
57
posted on
07/30/2015 12:35:56 PM PDT
by
tcrlaf
(They told me it could never happen in America. And then it did....)
To: TexasGator
You are assuming the French fired back ...Heh. Heh. They pulled their already used arrows from the backs of the French.
58
posted on
07/30/2015 12:36:44 PM PDT
by
Starstruck
(I'm usually sarcastic. Deal with it.)
To: Boogieman
I guess I should have put joke in parentheses after my comment.
59
posted on
07/30/2015 12:40:58 PM PDT
by
mass55th
(Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
To: zek157
[Nothing came close to the Mongol rate of sustained fire and accuracy for 600 centuries.]
And often from the back of a moving horse.
60
posted on
07/30/2015 1:11:32 PM PDT
by
Brad from Tennessee
(A politician can't give you anything he hasn't first stolen from you.)
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