ELIZABETHAN WARS
Tercio – meaning ‘a third’ – units originally comprised three equal parts of swordsmen, pikemen and arquebusiers
Arquebusiers needed to be disciplined and highly skilled
SPANISH ARQUEBUSIER
THE FORERUNNER OF THE MUSKETEER, THE ARQUEBUSIER BEGAN THE PROCESS OF PUS PUSHING THE PIKEMAN INTO THE HISTORY HISSTORY BOOKS Although the Spanish S army would begin to look antiquated antiquate ed by the middle of the 17th century, durin during ng the Elizabethan era it was formidable an and at the cutting edge of milit military tary technology. Arquebuses s (primitive forerunners rs of the musket), allowed Spanish Sp tercio formations to pack a an offensive punch. Of critical crit itical importance was the abi bility to reload and ability fire un under nder pressure, and arque uebusiers needed to keep arquebusiers an eye e on enemy soldiers (especially cav avalry) and fall back into the ranks of cavalry) pikemen for protection when necessary. p
SPANISH PIKEMAN
THE ELIZABETHAN ERA WAS THE GOLDEN AGE FOR THE MIGHTY SPANISH PIKE FORMATIONS
The introduction of small arms to the battlefield, in the form of the arquebus (and later the musket), required a rethink on military tactics. The mighty Spanish tercios of the 16th and 17th centuries combined pike and arquebus in huge formations that dominated European battlefields until the mid 1600s. Spanish pikemen wielded 5.5-metre (18-foot) pikes, giving the tercios both offensive and defensive capabilities, until advances in field artillery rendered them obsolete.
ENGLISH ARTILLERYMAN
THE SCIENCE OF ARTILLERY MADE LARGE STRIDES DURING THE EIZABETHAN ERA Gunnery was fairly rudimentary at the start of Elizabeth I’s reign, but steady improvements were made. By the end of the 1570s, the addition of front sights on cannon barrels (simply pieces of straw attached with wax) and the use of quadrants to judge muzzle elevation had greatly improved accuracy. Practice was essential to the effective handling of a gun, but even when using a brand new piece, an experienced crew could have a good grasp of their gun’s accuracy after as little as two shots. Gunners also became expert at estimating the quality of gunpowder from its appearance (dry was obviously best), taste, texture and colour. By the end of Elizabeth’s reign, cannons were divided into categories for different tasks, with the largest (double cannon and demi-cannon) being used as siege guns, quarter cannons and culverins for defence of fortifications, and sakers, falcons and falconettes (as well as some culverins) for field use. Culverins and demi-cul demi-culverins were the most common gun sizes for use at s sea, along with many smaller anti-personnel weapon weapons, such as robinets, bases and fowlers. Elizabeth’s reign saw the use of artillery advance dramatically
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“THE INTRODUCTION OF SMALL ARMS TO THE BATTLEFIELD, IN THE FORM OF THE ARQUEBUS (AND LATER THE MUSKET), REQUIRED A RETHINK ON MILITARY TACTICS”
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