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Cossacks Pictures
If you have any screen shots of big battles or of interest. Even if you have photos of real people like a Pikeman, a Highlander or a member of your family who was in a war of the 17th or 18th century, please send it to olej24@hotmail.com
Sich Cossack (Ukraine)
"Cossacks
were the core of the Ukrainian army. They were formed at the time
when Ukraine was under Polish rule. In the 17th and 18th
centuries, the Ukrainian Cossacks comprised several divisions.
First of all there was the hetman's army. Then there was the army
of Zaporizhzhya (the Sich Cossacks), a number of regional Cossack
regiments (in the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, Ochtyr, Izyum and
Ostrog), and regiments of the right-bank Ukraine (which was a
part of Poland). "
Winged Hussar (Poland)
"A mounted gentleman with a sword
is worth a warlord," Polish noblemen boasted. Winged hussars
in steel armour constituted the core of the Polish army.
Infantry, being a significant part of other European armies, was
merely an ancillary force in Poland. By June 1702 the king's army
comprised 12 regiments of cavalerja narodowa (people's cavalry).
There were 9 gonfalons (squadrons) in each regiment; each
gonfalon comprised 150 to 600 soldiers. Colonels were the actual
masters of the regiments - they maintained and equipped their
soldiers. Each Polish tycoon took pride in his own heavy cavalry.
A cavalryman was armed with a sabre, a pair of pistols, a short
musket and a lance. He wore a steel helmet and armour plating.
Special feathered wings protected his back from sabre blows.
Winged hussars would often wear furs over their armour.
King's Musketeers (France)
"Special elite detachments were created for
the personal protection of the King of France. One of these
detachments comprised 2 companies of King's Musketeers. These
were noblemen only, professional fighters trained in soldiering
from childhood. These musketeers excelled at fencing, accurate
shooting and riding. Their arms and tactics were much like those
of dragoons, but King's Musketeers were better equipped - with
expensive wheel lock muskets and the best cuirasses available.
They were also armed with several pairs of pistols and a sword.
The life of these detachments is described in great detail in
novels by Dumas."
Pikeman, 17th Century (Austria, England, France, Netherlands, Piemonte, Portugal, Prussia, Saxony, Spain, Sweden and Venice)
Pikeman , 17th Century (Poland)
Pikeman , 18th Century (Austria, England, France, Netherlands, Piemonte, Poland, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Spain and Venice)
Pikeman , 18th Century (Sweden)
"Firing
fuse muskets was a very slow process, while the fire was far from
being accurate or effective. Therefore pikemen squads were added
to musketeer detachments in order to defend them from cavalry
charges in open space. On average, pikemen constituted about 30%
of the infantry during the Thirty Years War. Pikemen were
virtually the last infantry force of European regular armies
which was equipped with cuirasses. A pikeman's armour comprised
an iron helm, a cuirass with knee-long leg-guards, narrow
elbow-long shoulder-guards, and gauntlets with large cuffs. The
total armour weight was about 20 kg (45 lb). It could protect
from arrows, pistol bullets fired from more than 3-4 m (10-14
ft), and even musket bullets fired from large distances. Pikemen
were armed with pikes with a wooden shaft of 5.2-5.8 m (17-19 ft)
and swords. Pikemen were very effective in close fight; early in
the 17th century, they were used both in attacks and for defence
purposes. In 1674, pikes played a significant role in the battle
of Enzheim, when German cavalry did not dare to assault Turenne's
pikemen square. However, as firearms were developed, the role of
pikemen became less significant. Body armour was abolished here
and there. Soldiers became more mobile and less expensive. By the
end of the 17th century, pikemen were mainly used as defensive
units. All European armies gradually refused pikemen, and their
number fell considerably. Pikemen became armed with pistols and
sometimes muskets. In the 18th century, they use no armour and
wear a customary uniform - a broadcloth caftan, a camisole
(sometimes of elk or goat leather), trousers, and stockings. When
it was cold, they also wore a cloak. Pikemen fought in tight
arrays of six files each. Usually they were marshalled in a
manner allowing musketeers to retreat behind them, while pikemen
could easily form a square formation to protect musketeers from
cavalry charges. Later, pikes gave place to bayonets in close
fight. Bayonets were surely important in hand-to-hand fight, but
by far not as good as pikes. Pikemen were the most battle-worthy
infantry for close fighting."
Cannon
"The
introduction of artillery was truly revolutionary for
fortifications and military science as a whole. Cannon were
loaded with cannonballs for long range fire up to 1,500 m (5,000
ft) or with grapeshot for short range fire (150-500 m, or
500-1,600 ft). The navy also used incendiary cannonballs and two
cannonballs or halves of a cannonball bound together with a chain
to crash enemy rigs.
The terrain were artillery was positioned was of great importance. For instance, if an enemy was positioned on muddy soil or a swamp, cannonballs wouldn't recoil from the surface. Thus, the range of fire became shorter and the enemy's casualties grew less. The most favourable position for artillery was on hills, where the range of fire was much wider.
Cannon were lethal long-range weapons, but of little use when employed at short ranges or in hand-to-hand combat. Cannon were transported by horses harnessed to special carts known as limbers. A limber was also loaded with ammunition. The main load of the ammunition, however, was transported in a munitions wagon. A cannon's rate of fire was about one shot every two minutes. Initially, gunners had no specific uniform and were considered artisans rather than soldiers. However, as the regular army developed, they received a standard uniform similar to that of musketeers in the 18th century."
Howitzer
"The
main advantage of a howitzer over a cannon is its lower weight
for greater calibres. A howitzer's range of fire is shorter than
that of a cannon, but the projectile trajectory is much higher
and the bomb weight is much greater than that of a cannonball.
Moreover, due to plunging fire, howitzers can shell enemy forces
behind obstacles or irregularities in the landscape. In the past,
a howitzer's fire accuracy was inferior to that of a cannon, but
explosive projectiles (bombs) and its large calibre compensated
for this drawback. Howitzers took over mainly in the 18th century
and played a great role in battles of those times."
Mortar
"A
short-barrelled cannon with plunging fire. Mortars were used
mainly in fortress sieges. They were loaded with bombs or
incendiary missiles and used to shell an enemy from special
trenches. Before firing, the bomb fuse was ignited so that the
bomb exploded the moment it reached the target. A mortar's range
of fire was about 1,800-2,500 m (6,000-8,500 ft) on average. It
took about 5-7 minutes to load and aim. Shooting accuracy was not
very good, but the powerful explosion could cause great damage.
Moreover, a mortar's plunging fire allowed it to reach targets
behind walls or other obstacles."
Multi-barreled cannon
"To
increase the rate of artillery fire, inventors attempted to
multiply the number of barrels in an artillery system. Naturally
this was not suitable for large-calibre cannon due to their
excessive weight, but smaller cannon loaded with grapeshot
profited from this development. This is how the predecessor of
the modern machine-gun was developed. The new weapon was of
limited use. It was effective against tight enemy infantry or
cavalry formations. However, multi-barrelled cannon had only a
short range of fire, were very heavy and extremely difficult to
manufacture, therefore they were soon out of use."
Boats
"Boats were the smallest vessels used both
for fishing and transporting small cargoes. Boats could also be
used in military operations or for boarding enemy ships. Boats
featured low displacement and seaworthiness. Oars or a sail were
used to manoeuvre."
Ferries
"In the unsteady times of the 17th and 18th
centuries, buccaneers and privateers were the masters of the sea.
Never-ending warfare and continual pirate menaces forced trade
ships to add to their weaponry. On the other hand, any merchant
could smuggle or buy a privateer's licence and start raiding
others. Certainly, a merchant ship's armament was no match for a
battleship and the speed of transport ships was lower because
they had smaller crews, but in certain situations merchants could
put up serious resistance. Merchant ships also transferred
troops, food and ammunition, and were of great importance during
colonial wars."
Yachts
"These were single-masted ships without a
topmast. These ships were improved versions of small merchant
vessels with low sea gauges. During the war between Holland and
Spain, these ships were armed with cannon and proved their worth
many times over. One of the first yachts, the
"Neptune", was constructed for Prince Moritz towards
the end of the 16th century. Its design greatly influenced
further yacht constructions."
Galleys
"These were oared vessels with auxiliary
fore and aft sails allowing the ship to travel at great angles
(up to 30°) to the wind. Galleys were most common in the
Mediterranean and the Black Sea and on rivers. Galleys were not
very seaworthy and relatively slow (about 7 knots). But they were
very manoeuvrable and did not depend on the wind. A galley was
usually armed with several powerful guns at the bow and
small-bore cannon. Galleys were of different sizes. The most
prevalent characteristics were as follows: length - 41.7-43.0 m
(136-140 ft); width - 5.5-7.3 m (18-24 ft); hull depth - 1.8-2.7
m (6-9 ft); 20-24 thwarts (benches for oarsmen). A galley's
weaponry comprised 3-6 twelve-pound cannon and 18-21 falconets.
Hired workers, convicts or sometimes soldiers were used as
oarsmen. In addition to oarsmen, galleys took on 24-40 sailors,
9-14 officers and about 150 soldiers."
Xebecs
"A xebec is the most famous type of
Mediterranean ship. It was a 25-35 m (80-115 ft) long vessel with
an advanced ram stem and a deck reaching far beyond the poop. The
underbody was exceptionally sharp. North African pirates regarded
xebecs as the fastest sailing vessels.
Xebecs were armed with 16-24 cannon and took on a crew of
300-450. They had 3 masts and sails for different wind forces.
For instance, in favourable but weak wind, rectangular sails were
hoisted on the foremast and mainmast. In cross winds, when these
sails were ineffective, long Latin yards with fore and aft
(trapeze-shaped) sails were set. In case of gale force winds,
long yards were replaced by short ones with Latin (triangular)
sails on all masts."
Frigates
"Frigates were ships of medium speed. Their
armament was weaker than that of battleships but powerful enough
to conduct warfare. Therefore, these ships served mainly as
cruisers. The first English frigate was built by Robert Deadly at
the end of the 16th century. Early in 18th century, frigates were
armed with about forty-four 9-12 and several 18 pound cannons.
Their displacement was about 710 tons. Later on, their calibre
and displacement were increased. By the 1780s, frigates were
built with a displacement of 946 tons with thirty-eight 18 pound
cannons."
Battleship
"Battleships intended for conquering and
domination at sea were the heart of the navy from the mid-17th
century onwards. They featured the most powerful weapons and the
highest degree of manoeuvrability.
European ships with rectangular rigging were unusually fast for
sailing ships. Thanks to their high sides, these ships could
withstand heavy weather. However, they were strongly dependent on
wind. In time, their rigging was improved and their displacement
increased. The improved vessels were armed with artillery placed
at the sides. Before a battle, ships would form a line which
crumbled in combat, turning the battle into a chaotic scramble.
Artillery was used inefficiently and vessels often prevented each
other from firing. Small ships packed full with explosives and
inflammables drifted down wind to their targets. Amazingly, some
battles were actually won thanks to them.
By the mid-17th century, vessels were grouped in strict columns, which made them much more efficient. However, for a fleet to be really strong, the column had to consist of many similar vessels. Otherwise the enemy would always find a weak spot and breach the formation. This was how battleships appeared. Gunsmiths established standard calibre cannon in repeatable work and made it possible to rank vessels according to the number of cannon they carried. In 1653, the British Admiralty divided ships into six ranks: 1st - more than 90 cannon, 2nd - more than 80 cannon, 3rd - more than 50, 4th - more than 38, 5th - more than 18, and 6th - more than 6 cannon. This classification determined the number of decks and the size of a ship. The first three classes comprised battleships. A fine example of their features is given by the following specifications of the English battleship "Royal Sovereign", built in 1637 by Finneas Pett: Battery deck length - 53 m (174 ft); keel length - 47.2 m (155 ft); displacement - 2,000 tons; width - 15.3 m (50 ft); hold depth - 6,1 m (20 ft); 30 cannon on the lower and the middle deck, 26 cannon on the upper deck, 14 under the forecastle and 12 under the poop, adding up to a total of 82 cannon.
The ship was ornate. Its sculptures were reproductions of sketches by famous painter Van Dyck. The front sculpture depicted English King Edward mounted on a horse and trampling the seven lords - the enemies of the Albion. The vessel was a flagship of the British fleet and took part in many sea battles. Unfortunately, an absurd accident led to the ship's destruction. In 1696, the "Royal Sovereign" burned down in a fire caused by a fallen candle. The English used to say that the "Royal Sovereign" cost King Charles his head: In order to achieve his dream of a sea campaign, Charles raised taxes in his country and thus caused the downfall of his government and, ultimately, his own decapitation.
It was Cardinal Richelieu - a great political figure and military reformer - who created the French navy. In 1626, the battleship "Saint Louis" was built.
In Russia, Tsar Peter I created the battleship navy. Thanks to his great vessels, Russia managed to strengthen its hold on the sea and sea trade."