The ongoing struggle between building defenses and breaking through them has spanned human history. Today, siege warfare has largely faded, with offensive weaponry claiming the upper hand. Numerous firearms can pierce body armor, anti-tank weapons can dismantle tanks, and missiles can obliterate bunkers.
However, this outcome was not always so obvious, as defenses often dominated for much of the past. When a club was the height of weaponry, what could be done against a stone wall? This limitation drove humans to develop creative methods for breaching defenses. Here are some of the more unusual approaches, presented in no particular order.
1. Rocket cats
A 16th-century artilleryman named Franz Helm, who lived in what is now Germany, authored a book on munitions, weapons, and artillery. In this book, he detailed a technique of causing havoc in a defensive system or town, with the use of a cat. Helm wrote:
Create a small sack like a fire-arrow. If you would like to get at a town or castle, seek to obtain a cat from that place. And bind the sack to the back of the cat, ignite it, let it glow well and thereafter let the cat go, so it runs to the nearest castle or town, and out of fear it thinks to hide itself where it ends up in barn hay or straw it will be ignited.
It is unknown if this rather optimistic plan was ever used, but if it was, it would have likely resulted in more destruction to your own property than to the enemy’s.
2. Up the toilet
This form of entry was through a part of a castle itself, rather than bringing your own equipment. Château Gaillard, a medieval castle, was completed in 1198 in France by Richard the Lionheart and was considered impenetrable at the time. Within 10 years of its competition, the castle had fallen into the hands of French King Philip II. His forces managed to enter and capture the castle’s outer areas, but couldn’t break through the central keep.
One of his men noticed a channel in the wall leading to one of the castle’s toilets. A man climbed up this filthy channel, through the toilet, and into the castle, where he opened a window to allow his fellow troops to enter too.
3. Flinging corpses
During a siege, forces would typically establish a nearby camp to serve as their base of operations. These camps were populated by unhealthy, unclean troops, and disease was rampant.
In 1346, the Mongols laid siege to the Crimean city of Caffa, initiating a prolonged standoff. As time passed, the Mongol army itself was struck by the Black Death, which tore through their encampment. Rather than retreating as most armies would in such circumstances, the Mongols saw an opportunity and began catapulting disease-ridden corpses over the city walls in an attempt to infect those within.
Some of Caffa’s fleeing residents may have spread the Black Death to Europe, though this remains uncertain.
4. Hot Sand
This method was used by those under siege to repel attackers. Castles employed various techniques to keep attackers at bay, including dropping hot or burning things from the walls.
In 332 BC, Alexander the Great besieged and attacked the city of Tyre. The defenders inside resorted to heating up fine sand until it was glowing red, before pouring it out onto the attackers below. This was particularly effective, as the sand’s tiny particles would flow between the gaps in troops’ armor. The only relief was to remove the armor, which would then leave them vulnerable to archers.
Other similar methods included using burning hay, hot water, and hot oil.
5. Bees and beer
When attacking a walled area, the Vikings, who knew the defenders would be firing down onto them, used wooden structures called hurdles for protection while they made their way through the walls.
When they attacked the English town of Chester, the defenders gathered up as much beer as possible and heated it up, then poured it down onto the attackers, literally burning off their skin. Their wooden covers could resist projectiles, but the hot beer was able to seep through the gaps.
New! Want to become a trivia master? Sign up for our War History Fact of the Day newsletter!
More from us: The Mulberry Harbor Paved The Way For Victory On D-Day
In response, the Vikings sealed their shielding with animal hides, deflecting the hot beer. Again in response, the defenders began throwing beehives at the Vikings, who were then savagely swarmed by angry bees.