| projectmayhem | 26 Jan 2011 5:28 a.m. PST |
What would piemen do during a siege, or more specifically would they be used to attack breaches, storm across bridges etc? Was the pike useless in this enclosed disordered fighting, so were left behind? Similary would the defenders attempt to use them? |
| SECURITY MINISTER CRITTER | 26 Jan 2011 5:50 a.m. PST |
I would assume they left them behind when on the scaling ladders,
and be of use on the walls. But that is just my thought. |
| MajorB | 26 Jan 2011 5:50 a.m. PST |
What would piemen do during a siege Sell pies, perhaps? Oh, sorry, you meant pikemen!  or more specifically would they be used to attack breaches, storm across bridges etc? Yes, probably. Was the pike useless in this enclosed disordered fighting, so were left behind? Similarly would the defenders attempt to use them? I believe pikemen would often cut down their pike staffs to a more manageable length in these circumstances. |
| koyli1968 | 26 Jan 2011 5:53 a.m. PST |
As they were armoured they may well have been used as sappers. The infantry tended to do all the donkey work in seiges which is why the cavalry were often used as the storming party – maybe a few pikemen went with them because of the armour but I doubt they carried the pike -maybe a halberd or a normal axe or just a sword… |
| Benedict Arnold | 26 Jan 2011 5:56 a.m. PST |
Pikes are only effective if used in formation. If a pikeman was on sentry duty, for instance, then he would usually not have a pike with him. Fortunately, one of the items that pikemen were equipped with would be quite useful under such circumstances. The item was called a 'sword'. Sometimes armies would not be able to issue swords to all the shot, but they made an effort to issue swords to the pikemen. |
| Balin Shortstuff | 26 Jan 2011 7:26 a.m. PST |
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| Pictors Studio | 26 Jan 2011 7:31 a.m. PST |
They were sometimes equipped with halberds as well to storm breaches. |
| Jovian1 | 26 Jan 2011 8:23 a.m. PST |
I thought they used them as Poles for Pole-Vaulting into the breach, then they drew their sword and heroically fought their way into the bastion. |
| Oldenbarnevelt | 26 Jan 2011 11:21 a.m. PST |
The idea the pike was not used as an individual weapon is a myth. |
Puster  | 26 Jan 2011 12:06 p.m. PST |
Pikes were certainly usefull in the defense (and probably storm upon) a breech. Not having pikes certainly did not help the Ottomans at their first storm on Vienna 1529. If I remember correct when Valetta decided to join the fight personally during the defense of Malta (in probably the darkest hour of this one) he grabbed himself a pike, so while most fighting was done buy arquebus and sword, pikes where used. In many contemporary depictions of sieges (1500-1560) pikeblocks are seen standing ready while artillery bombards the walls. When Rome was attacked and stormed in 1527 the Landsknechts certainly did not left their pikes at home, though obviously they were not carried while scaling the walls. There are reports that they were used to in streetfighting, though. I assume that the role of the pike in attack was like a ram – to break into enemy formations and rupture them. |
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