CHEVAUX DE FRISE
CHEVAUX DE FRISE
In Janurary, 2002, I built a Chevaux de Frise(Like the one pictured above) for the American Civil War Association to be used in Civil war reenactments and demonstrations.
Chevaux-de-frise was a defensive structure situated in front of earthworks. They were logs that measured about 12 feet long and 10 inches thick, drilled through every foot at right angles for sharpened stakes which projected 3 feet. Chevaux-de-frise were most common among the Confederate fortifications.
The main body of the regiment was engaged in manufacturing siege material, particularly chevaux-de-frise to be placed just over the crest of the parapet trench. These chevaux-de-frise were pine logs ten or twelve feet long..., along which at spaces of about a foot, holes were bored through at right angles...The logs were fastened together end to end with chains and then rolled down the slope in front of the parapet to arrest a sudden dash of the enemy, and they made an exceedingly awkward thing to cross, with a line of muskets firing from the crest of the bank."
- Lieutenant Colonel W.W. Blackford, C.S.A
In 1777 a redoubt and fort was erected at Billingsport by troops
from Virginia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and New Jersey in accordance with plans prepared by the Polish patriot Kosciuszko. Part of a defense system established for the lower river, the purpose of this fort was to build and maintain the chevaux-de-frise on the Delaware to prevent the entrance of the British to Philadelphia. The chevaux-de-frise were made of poles from 30-40 feet in length. On the point of each stick was fastened a long, sharp piece of iron for piercing the bottom of the vessel which passed over it.
Colonists also planted underwater obstacles in the river called "Chevaux-de-Frise". These were long log boxes with projecting, iron-tipped wooden spikes meant to pierce the underside of ships and sink them.
Other obstructions in the form of a strong chevaux-de-frise (sunken crates of stone with heavy spears of timber pointed with iron to receive vessels) were observed in the channel above, with forts near to protect them--Fort Mercer on the New Jersey shore, and Fort Mifflin on Mud Island near the mouth of the Schuylkill.
At this point in the river the revolutionaries built another chevaux-de-frise. A British spy reported that "every frame consists of a floor of Logs 40 foot by 45 foot with sides so high as to hold stones enough to sink it...On the side looking south, there are two upright posts close together and one at each end. Their weight is suited to the depth of the water. They support long standing Beams with Iron.
Horses of Friesland. A beam filled with spikes to keep off horses; so called from its use in the siege of Gron'ingen, Friesland, in 1594. A somewhat similar engine had been used before, but was not called by the same name. In German it is "a Spanish horseman" (ein Spanischer Reiter).
CHEVAUX-DE-FRISE: A barricade on land or in the water, constructed of massive timbers (cribbed, stone filled) with projecting iron tipped pikes.
Also under construction were chevaux-d-frise. Lear described them as large logs pierced with 10-foot sharpened stakes and shaped like a huge 'X'.They will be placed around the battery, he said. They were used to fend off an infantry charge.
CHEVAUX-DE-FRISE: Logs, some 12 feet long and ten inches thick, pierced at 12-inch intervals throughout their length, by holes at right angles. Sharpened stakes about seven feet long, were thrust through the holes. They were used to present an obstacle to cavalry in front of defensive works.
Chevaux-de-frise - Sharp poles arranged to obstruct attacking infantry or cavalry. The poles were placed in holes that were drilled, at regular intervals, in a log about ten feet long and a foot thick. The poles, about two or three feet long, protruded from the log at a right angle. The chevaux-de-frize was used to block gaps or breaches in a line, and to obstruct the enemy's approach to forts or breastworks.
While this is more of a fortification than a weapon, these devices took their toll of life on the battlefield. The Chevaux-de-frise pictured here consisted of 10 to 12 foot logs to which were attached sharpened wooden stakes. These were commonly used in defense of a fortified position, 50 or 100 feet to the front. Designed to be used more as a barrier than an actual defense, much as the barbed wire of the world wars and our concertina of today, their purpose was to hold off or slow down an attacking enemy so the defending infantry could deal with him more effectively. Occasionally these devices claimed the lives of the unlucky or unwary.
CHEVAUX-DE-FRISE: Logs, some 12 feet long and ten inches thick,
pierced at 12-inch intervals throughout their length, by holes at right angles. Sharpened stakes about seven feet long, were thrust through the holes. They were used to present an obstacle to cavalry in front of defensive works.
CHEVAUX-DE-FRISE (French for "Friesland horses "; the Dutch Vriesse ruyters, "Frisian horsemen," and German Spanische Reiter, " Spanish horsemen "), a military obstacle, originating apparently in the Dutch War of Independence, and used to close the breach of a fortress, streets. It was formerly' often used in field operations as a defence against cavalry; hence the name, as the Dutch were weak in the mounted arm and had therefore to check the enemy's cavalry by an artificial obstacle. Chevaux-de-frise consist of beams in which are fixed a number of spears, sword-blades, ., with the points projecting outwards on all sides.
The wall itself was shielded by a chevaux-de-frise of sharpened bamboo stakes. (This was in the Philipiens during the moro wars)
To discourage attacks of cavalry large chevaux-de-frise, logs pierced with 10' sharpened stakes and shaped like a giant X will be built and placed around the battery.
Chevaux-De-Frise: Square beams, 6 to 9 feet long, from which pointed stakes project at right angles; used to stop breaches, etc.
cheval-de-frise A special fortification of interlocking sharpened stakes used to stop the momentum of a cavalry charge. (Interesting derivation. It means "Frisians' horse." The Frisians didn't have horses when they fought the Spaniards; they used these contraptions instead.)
cheval de frise (shaval da FREES) - a portable obstacle consisting of a horizontal beam with a series of long metal tipped wooden spikes passing through it and forming the shape of an "X" when viewed from the side; used to stop the cavalry, form road blocks, and close gaps in fortifications
Cheval-(chevaux) de-frise. Obstacles, mostly in field fortifications, consisting of a long wooden shaft from which smaller diameter, metal-shod or sharpened staves project radially; any two of which act as legs.
CHEVAUX-DE-FRISE: Logs, some 12 feet long and ten inches thick, pierced at 12-inch intervals throughout their length, by holes at right angles. Sharpened stakes about seven feet long, were thrust through the holes. They were used to present an obstacle to cavalry in front of defensive works.
CHEVAL DE FRISE The Cheval de Frise (horse of Friesland) was the fore-runner of barbed wire entanglements used in warfare. It was a fortification comprised of timber pierced and traversed with wooden spikes pointed with iron five or six feet long and used for stopping a breach, defending a passage or making entrenchments to stop cavalry. They were first used by the Prince of Orange in the siege of Groningen, Friesland in 1594 from whence the name.
To defend against enemy cavalry, engineers built chevaux de
frise and then chained them together. They were heavily used by defenders during sieges. Many were built. They were desirable to protect roads and other places where they could be moved.
They were built and placed in the path of the likely approach of the enemy.
The Prince of Orange was William I (Called the Silent)the Dutchman and his men revolted against Spain, and won. Netherlands is in the middle of Europe next to Germany and France.
Horses from Friesland — Friesland being a province in the north of Holland. Invented in the 17th c. by the Frisians who had no cavalry. French for "Friesland horses "; the Dutch Vriesse ruyters, "Frisian horsemen," and German Spanische Reiter,Spanish horsemen.
Designed to be used more as a barrier than an actual defense, used to stop the cavalry, form road blocks, and close gaps in fortifications. They were used to present an obstacle to cavalry in front of defensive works.
It was formerly' often used in field operations as a defence against cavalry; hence the name, as the Dutch were weak in the mounted arm and had therefore to check the enemy's cavalry by an artificial obstacle.
Chevaux-de-frise - Sharp poles arranged to obstruct attacking infantry or cavalry. The poles were placed in holes that were drilled, at regular intervals, in a log about ten feet long and a foot thick. The poles, about two or three feet long, protruded from the log at a right angle. The chevaux-de-frize was used to block gaps or breaches in a line, and to obstruct the enemy's approach to forts or breastworks.
cheval-de-frise ("she VAHL duh FREEZE ") A special fortification of interlocking sharpened stakes used to stop the momentum of a cavalry charge. (Interesting derivation. It means "Frisians' horse." The Frisians didn't have horses when they fought the Spaniards; they used these contraptions instead.)
My father, Quarter Master Larry Erickson and I built a few Chevaux de Frise, and so I have written up how we did it.
I did some reserch into the project before we started. After getting information from several other people, we felt ready to take on the task.
We spent three hours finding the right trees, and then dragging them to the workshop. The next day we worked on it, we spent about 6 hours working on it, and we finished it that day.
Here is how we did it:
Materials: The spikes are called Lances. If you wish to build your own Chevaux de Frise, and you don't happen to live in a forest, you can buy about fifteen 7 foot presure-treated poles(lances). The lances should be about 2"-2 1/2" in diameter. Also get an 8 foot beam or log of some sort that is 6"-6 1/2" in diameter.
You will need a big drill with a long 2 9/16" ship's auger or self-feed drill bit. I decided to go with the natural wood look and use the wood around my place.
My thanks to my dad, Larry Erickson, who did alot of the work, and who made it possible. Thanks to Mike Musante, who told me about this project, and helped me with the research. And also to Joshua Fedelem and Stacy Erickson who also helped out.
I hope that our project will have many years of use. And I think that it will look better as it gets older.
If you want to do a natural wood look, Click here Or if you will be going with materials from the store Click here
View from breastworks of fort Sedgwick.
How would you like to get over that?
First I cut down 15 young trees that were about 2 1/2" in diameter. Since I used a 2 9/16" drill bit, I had to make sure that I could slide at least half of the lance through the hole in the beam.
The finished design Specifications are as follows;
Overall length: 8 feet Overall height: 5 foot 4 inches Span between lances:3 1/2" OR 10 inches betweeb lances in a row. Width of Beam: 6 1/2 inches Width of Lances: 2 1/2 inches Angle between top lances: 90 Wood: Natural Eucalyptus
The finished design Specifications are as follows; Overall length: 8 feet Overall height: 5 foot 4 inches Span between points:4 foot 8 inches Span between lances:3 1/2" OR 10 inches betweeb lances in a row. Width of Beam: 6 inches Width of Lances: 2 1/2 inches Angle between top lances: 90 Wood: Presure-treated
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