Animals in warfare

**Druss-slayer** · March 24, 2010, 10:01 PM

Anyone know if any animals were used in this period of warfare. I haven't heard of any. Just loved the dogs in Rome and thought bringing back some sort of unit of this type would be very cool. Small group of hounds with their trainers hiding in trees for flanking attack?

**Druss-slayer** · March 24, 2010, 10:07 PM

And before anyone says it - besides horses and elephants

**♔DeusVult!♔** · March 24, 2010, 10:18 PM

I know for a fact that boars were routinely starved for weeks, then released upon the battlefield to wreak their unfathomable havoc on the unsuspecting rear of french generals. This was a specialty of the ruskies, used to great effect at Borodino and the streets of Moscow. In fact, the terror they wreaked was so great, Napoleon fled Russia ahead of his army to escape his miserable fate. It was not exactly General Winter that ravaged the Grand Armee, but packs of starving boar nipping at the heals of the French as they slowly trudged back to civilization. So terrible was that fate, that many frenchmen went crazy on the march home. The rest were so instilled with horror that they could not mention these beasts to anyone, lest they succumb to the madness. And so was the myth of the ever fleeing, ever surrendering Frenchmen born. It is sad that they were reduced to such a state, because no man of any nationality could withstand the horror of such mosters!

To this day the Russians try to keep this a secret, a trap lying in wait for the next fools to invade the Rodina. But they cannot fool me, and my lifetime of research into the Slayer Piglets! MWAHAHA!!

**Tertius** · March 25, 2010, 12:46 AM

Ah yes, the deliciously lethal Russian (starved) boar.

The best kept secret of early modern terror.

**Biggun69** · March 25, 2010, 02:12 AM

Originally Posted by Druss-slayer

And before anyone says it - besides horses and elephants

Ha, ha, ha !

Exactly what I was thinking !

Don't forget Camels !

**Biggun69** · March 25, 2010, 02:16 AM

Originally Posted by ♔DeusVult!♔

I know for a fact that boars were routinely starved for weeks, then released upon the battlefield to wreak their unfathomable havoc on the unsuspecting rear of french generals. This was a specialty of the ruskies, used to great effect at Borodino and the streets of Moscow. In fact, the terror they wreaked was so great, Napoleon fled Russia ahead of his army to escape his miserable fate. It was not exactly General Winter that ravaged the Grand Armee, but packs of starving boar nipping at the heals of the French as they slowly trudged back to civilization. So terrible was that fate, that many frenchmen went crazy on the march home. The rest were so instilled with horror that they could not mention these beasts to anyone, lest they succumb to the madness. And so was the myth of the ever fleeing, ever surrendering Frenchmen born. It is sad that they were reduced to such a state, because no man of any nationality could withstand the horror of such mosters!

To this day the Russians try to keep this a secret, a trap lying in wait for the next fools to invade the Rodina. But they cannot fool me, and my lifetime of research into the Slayer Piglets! MWAHAHA!!

WOW!

That's quite an amazing story.

I still don't know if your telling the truth or just making a fool of us all!

If that is true than I have learnt a very interesting, yet somewhat disturbing, historical fact.

Nice one

**Biggun69** · March 25, 2010, 02:17 AM

Originally Posted by Tertius

Ah yes, the deliciously lethal Russian (starved) boar.

The best kept secret of early modern terror.

They also make one of the best dinners.

Yum Yum

**Biggun69** · March 25, 2010, 02:20 AM

Im not sure on this one, but didn't they use messenger pigeons to send messages to cities / towns?
That is an animal which was used.

**♔DeusVult!♔** · March 25, 2010, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by Biggun69

WOW!

That's quite an amazing story.

I still don't know if your telling the truth or just making a fool of us all!

If that is true than I have learnt a very interesting, yet somewhat disturbing, historical fact.

Nice one

Of course it is true. Lucky for us, there is one surviving portrait of these inhuman devils:

**Biggun69** · March 25, 2010, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by ♔DeusVult!♔

Of course it is true. Lucky for us, there is one surviving portrait of these inhuman devils:

HA HA HA !

**Druss-slayer** · March 25, 2010, 09:05 PM

As I suspected, always thought pigs would be the ultimate war machine. Though providing your enemy with a good food source when they are retreating and starving probably isn't the wisest plan