Traction Trebuchet
Traction Trebuchet and Crew During a Siege
Besiegers employ a traction trebuchet against a castle,
while the besieged take cover and drop rocks in defense.
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Unlike the counterweight trebuchet , the traction trebuchet
uses men, the traction crew, pulling on ropes attached to |
the short end of the trebuchet beam, as motive force.
Lacking in range and projectile capacity, as compared
to the larger, wall-breaching counterweight trebuchet , the traction
trebuchet was used primarily as light artillery against enemy personnel
and unfortified structures within the castle walls.
Once fired, the traction crew released tension on the
ropes and the beam returned to cocked or ready position. This allowed an
increased rate of fire over the counterweight trebuchet , which needed
to have the beam and attached counterweight winched back into the cocked
position. The sling crew then reset and reloaded the sling and the trebuchet
was ready to fire.
When using smaller projectiles, one or more crewmembers
could take hold of the sling prior |
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to firing. This imparted increased tension to the sling and
beam and increased range. On command, the sling crew would release their
grip just after the traction crew began their pull.
Adding or removing men from traction crew allowed some
adjustment for range and projectile weight, but large increases required
a disproportionate amount of manpower. As the traction crew increased,
the angle of each added rope increased, reducing that rope's resultant
force. Consequently. each man added contributed less than the man before.
As projectile weights and fortress size increased, the
traction trebuchet evolved into the hybrid trebuchet and eventually the
counterweight trebuchet . Massive fortresses encountered during the Crusades
required enormous trebuchets and set new standards for siege engines .
More Siege Scenes:
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