Posts: 100 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Wed 10 Oct, 2012 9:50 pm
Hey Daniel,
I completely agree that art can vary in terms of quality of the depiction, and can pale in importance to written sources. However, even sources like
Der Trewer Rath is not as accurate as a muster call, it was an envisionment of how military thinkers thought formations should be assembled. That said, it does give some numbers and names of formations and their captains. One of the rare examples I believe you mentioned previously was Wintzenberger, with his Fähnlein of 300 men, 14 of whom were doppelsöldner with harness and schlachtschwerter. A small number to be sure, but its there all the same. We can also use the imperial regulation of 1570, which figured out of 400 men, 50 armed with battle swords and polearms were to guard the standard. To me that sounds like a lot of guys for guard duty, especially since only 150 men would be armed with pikes....The rest had guns if I remember right.
Well all these sources show how these men were deployed, but it would be up to the captains and the situation, to determine how they were used. Formations were a mixed arms unit afterall, and to win a battle it often required them to be dynamic. Unless there were many seperate squads, 50 men to guard a few standard bearers would seem like a waste of man power to me.
As to which weapon is better for flanking, it's hard to say but a schlachtschwert could be plenty useful. A halberd has an advantage in reach and armour penatration ability, but its small axe head makes it less threatening to a row of unarmoured soldiers. A big sword can cut across more people per swing before being obstructed, where as the halberd is more suited to dispatching single foes. I soppose its just a design thing. The narrow, overly specialized attribution the twohander gets comes mostly from masters during the later 16th-early 17th c., at a time when the weapon and many other types are being pushed from war and become quite limited in use.
Quote: |
With regards to Jovius what battle is he describing? Do you have the origianl quote available?
It sounds to me like a description of the Swiss at the battle of Novara 1513 where such an action to place but the eyewitnesses such as Fleuranges (Robert III de la Marck) expressly say that it was done by halberdiers. |
I think Luka is refering to the battle of Fornovo (1495). I dont have the quote on hand but I remember it explicitly saying that schlactschwerter were used for the manuver.
Regards.