Tortuga

[Anonymous]

Ave,<br>
<br>
How quickly could a unit in a "tortoise" move? It seems that they would be slow, but according to Rosemary Sutcliff they could charge.<br>
<br>
-Spatha <p></p><i></i>

[Carlton Bach]

I doubt it. Admittedly, I've never done a full 'tortoise' formation, but given how hard it is to charge while keeping up a decent shield wall I would indeed tip my hat to any unit that manages an attack at more than a slow amble that way. Wasn't the testudo intended to defend against missiles while closing with fortifications or static enemy units?<br>
<br>
Could be as simple as a misunderstanding. Could she have confused a closed shield front with the tortoise? <p></p><i></i>

[L C Cinna]

using a testudo to charge is just weird imho.<br>
<br>
The thing's good to move towards a wall under arrow fire but of which use would it be in the field? An ordinary charge is more powerful for sure and you can make it through the area effectively covered by ancient arrows within a few seconds, you don't need cover from above unless your enemy is considerably higher than you (ergo on a wall). Just my opinion. <p></p><i></i>

[derek forrest]

I have formed testudo many times and I cannot see it working on the run. There would be too much disruption of the shields even if all kept their feet over rough ground casualties pila etc.<br>
I see it as a siege tactic mainly. Josephus refers to it in the seige of Jotpapa.<br>
The Guard always form it while stationary but the Spanish (catelonian)guys in V11 Gemina formed it whilst marching forward quite happily after a bit of practice. <p></p><i></i>

[Crispvs]

I remember Rosemary Sutcliff portraying a testudo as being strong and cohesive enough to burst through an enemy line, something which I very much doubt would ever work in reality. It was clearly a strong enough defence against missiles of various sorts but I doubt it would survive the effect of enemy troops pulling on the shields or poking weapons through the gaps above the front row of shields.<br>
<br>
To demonstrate the defence against missiles and to make it more real for the audience our archers normally shoot redheads at us. These rarely penetrate the formation and if they do it is only below the lower rims of the shields and through the gaps above the front row of shields. Of the few arrows that do pentrate the teastudo, we find that it is rare that any of the twenty men forming it actually recieve a hit to the foot, shin or arm, with most of them either stopping on the ground between people's feet or passing through from the front and out of the back. Obviously redheads have different properties to bodkins but the exercise is still quite instructive.<br>
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We form the testudo on the march and find that although this is easy to do we have to take small steps to avoid treading on each other's feet. This makes it impossible to charge, and as Derek says, I think it would be very difficult to hold it together at anything above a slow but steady step.<br>
We have experimented a few times with breaking the testudo up and charging as a double line close to the audience (who are effectively in the same position as an enemy would be) and as we have got better at this I have become increasingly convinced that even if we cannot guarantee that we are doing it correctly, it could have been used to cover a unit's advance accoss a field towards an enemy which was hanging back but able to project missiles, before charging into the enemy from close range. I still feel though that the primary function of a testudo was to allow men and equipment to be brought safely up to walls and gates in siege situations. I hope to be able to experiment this year with carrying tools and planks within a testudo.<br>
<br>
Crispvs<br>
<p></p><i></i>