Armoured Trains were railway trains with the engine and carriages protected from musket fire by armour in the form of high parapets of iron or steel plate. Loopholes in the armour allowed carried soldiers to fire without undue exposure, and machine-guns were also carried on pivot mountings.
Armoured Trains were used in France and Belgium during the early part of the Great War, especially at the siege of Antwerp, but were found to be vulnerable to artillery fire and this together with their inability to manoeuvre led to their discontinuation. Research Armoured Train
The arquebus was a hand-gun similar to, but longer than, a musket and of larger calibre. It fired a two ounce ball, and was fired from a forked rest which fitted to a hook of iron fastened to the barrel. A larger variant which took a heavier ball was used in fortresses. When Henry VIII established the yeoman of the guard in 1485 he armed half of them with arquebuses, the other half with bows and arrows. Research Arquebus
In warfare, an attack is the opening act of hostility by a force seeking to dislodge an enemy from its position. It is considered more advantageous to offer than to await attack, even in a defensive war (hence the term 'offence is the best form of defence'). The historic forms of attack are: 1. The parallel; 2. The form in which both the wings attack and the centre is kept back; 3. The form in which the centre is pushed forward and the wings kept back; 4. The famous oblique mode, dating at least from Epaminondas, and employed by Frederick the Great, where one wing advances to engage, whilst the other is kept back, and occupies the attention of the enemy by pretending an attack. Napoleon preferred to mass heavy columns against an enemy's centre. The forms of attack have changed with the weapons used. In the days of the pike heavy masses were the rule, but the use of the musket led to an extended battle-front to give effect to the fire. The advance in long and slender lines which grew out of this has been not less famous in the annals of British attack than the square formation in those of defence. Adherence to traditional techniques of attack, with a long massed line advancing slowly upon the enemy, during the Great War led to the wholesale slaughter of the attackers from defensive machine-gun fire and following the Great War a major rethink of attack methodologies. During the 1930's the German army invented the Blitzkrieg method, whereby a concentrated, fast moving armoured attack is made at a single point, the defences breached, and through the hole massed troops poured which then spread left and right along the enemy line attacking from the rear of the defensive positions. Research Attack
A bandoleer is a large leatherbelt with provision for carrying ammunition. Originally they were worn by mediaeval musketeers, one end passing over the right shoulder, while the other end hung loose under the left arm. The original
bandoleers sustained the musket and carried twelve charges of powder and shot held in small wooden boxes. Research Bandoleer
The Battle of Trafalgar took place on October 21st 1805, and was a victory for the British fleet under Horatio Nelson over the French and Spanish fleets under Villeneuve. The battle took place off Cape Trafalgar in south-west Spain. The British fleet consisted of 27 sail-of-the-line ships and the enemy fleet 33.
The enemy was sighted in the early morning, steering due north in a confused line ahead formation, and Horatio Nelson in accordance with arrangements previously made with his officers, divided his force into two columns which he proposed to drive at different points through the enemy's line. This manoeuvre was foreseen by Villeneuve, but conducted successfully none-the-less. Collingwood, leading the lee (or starboard) line of 15 ships in the Royal Sovereign, broke through ahead of the 15th ship from the enemy's rear, while Horatio Nelson, leading the weather-line in the Victory, made a second breech immediately astern of the Bucentaure, the Franco-Spanish flagship, after feinting as if to engage the Van.
The victory had made the signal to prepare for battle at 0622 but it was noon before the first shot was fired. The Bucentaure opened on the Victory at a range of 2 km, but no answer was returned until the latter was passing under and within ten meters of the French ship's stern, when every gun on the broadside double or treble shotted was discharged as it came to bear. In this single broadside 400 of the enemy were killed or wounded. By 1330 the action was at its height, scattered groups of ships being freely engaged down the whole length of the line and it was during this period that Horatio Nelson was shot and mortally wounded from a musket fired from atop of the Redoutable, though he lived long enough to know the day was won. By 1500 the issue was decided and the French and Spanish ships that were in a condition to do so were endeavouring to escape. Two hours later the fighting ceased altogether.
Fifteen of the enemy ships were taken or destroyed, and of the 18 that escaped two were wrecked on the 24th and four captured on November the 3rd by Strachan. No British ship was lost, but 449 British personnel were killed and 1242 wounded. The battle's victory destroyed the French and Spanish fleets and secured Britain from invasion. Research Battle of Trafalgar
A caliver was an early form of hand-gun, musket or arquebus. It was lighter than the musket, and thus had the advantage of being fired without the need for a rest and much more rapidly. By 1600 the caliver seems to have been superseded by the musket. Research Caliver
Carry arms is a command of the Manual of Arms directing the soldier to hold his piece in the right hand, the barrel resting against the hollow of the shoulder in a nearly perpendicular position. In this position the soldier is said to stand, and the rifle (or formerly musket) to be held, at carry. Research Carry Arms
A dragon was a short musket carried by Dragoons, so named on account of spitting fire in a manner resembling that of the fabulous beast. The muskets were frequently decorated with the head of a dragon inscribed on the muzzle. Research Dragon
A Dragoon was a mounted soldier who carried an infantry weapon such as a 'dragon', or short musket, as used by the French army in the 16th century. The name was retained by some later regiments after the original meaning became obsolete. Research Dragoon
A firelock is a musket or other gun, with a lock furnished with a flint and steel, by means of which fire is produced in order to discharge it. Firelocks are distinguished from the older matchlock, which was fired with a match. Research Firelock
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Armoured Train
