Repeating Crossbow
Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: East Asia
Forum Discription: The Far East: China, Korea, Japan and other nearby civilizations
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=31274
Printed Date: 27-Apr-2024 at 17:37
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.56a - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Repeating Crossbow
Posted By: Nick1986
Subject: Repeating Crossbow
Date Posted: 01-Mar-2012 at 19:22
 The repeating crossbow was invented in China during the Bronze Age and used a detachable box magazine to rain a hail of poisoned arrows on enemies. They were still being issued during the 1895 Sino-Japanese against opponents with bolt-action rifles ------------- Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains! |
Replies:
Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 03-Mar-2012 at 19:15
|
http://www.arco-iris.com/George/chu-ko-nu.htm - Manchurian Repeating Crossbow
------------- Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains! |
Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 05-Mar-2012 at 19:21
|
http://www.atarn.org/chinese/rept_xbow.htm - Another interesting article
------------- Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains! |
Posted By: lirelou
Date Posted: 08-Mar-2012 at 19:42
|
DO you have any idea as to how many of these were 'issued' to troops. The Chinese forces depicted in many woodcuts and pictures of the Sino-Japanese War show the Chinese armed with old muskets, among other arms. ------------- Phong trần mài một lưỡi gươm, Những loài giá áo túi cơm sá gì |
Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 09-Mar-2012 at 19:37
|
It's hard to find a good reference, but i came across this on google books: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MOTpnfz7ZuYC&lpg=PA109&dq=sino%20japanese%20war%20crossbow&pg=PA109#v=onepage&q&f=false - The Forgotten Revolution ------------- Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains! |
Posted By: lirelou
Date Posted: 10-Mar-2012 at 08:48
|
Nick, thanks for the link. Marsden's name and 'automatic crossbow' pulled up some interesting discussions on just how effective (or ineffective) this weapons was. Given the state of the Chinese Army in 1894-95, and the rampant corruption in the Qing military system, I think it a safe bet that at least some were issued. I rather doubt that either Yuan Shi-kai's expeditionary force in Korea or any of the Bannermen forces were armed with them, so they were likely carried by militia and territorial defence forces. Below is a link to a good site on the war, obviously written by a non-native English speaker, but still very worth-while even if you have to occasionally wrestle with the syntax. Some of the woodcuts included do contain examples of traditional swords and one halberd, but by and large the Chinese are depicted as armed with muskets. The site itself has some photos of more modern arms of the period, often associated with the Chinese Navy. http://sinojapanesewar.com/ - http://sinojapanesewar.com/ ------------- Phong trần mài một lưỡi gươm, Những loài giá áo túi cơm sá gì |
Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 10-Mar-2012 at 20:16
|
No crossbows here, but some interesting paintings by the victorious Japanese: http://www.cityofart.net/bship/sino-jap.html - http://www.cityofart.net/bship/sino-jap.html ------------- Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains! |