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Cathiginian War Elephants
#1
yes, it's another question from me. I've seen a National Geographic special called Hannibal vs. Rome a couple times and from what they say is all the Carthiginian War Elephants did was run through enemy lines trampling unlucky soldiers, and after they ran through enemy lines that'd be all they'd do. is that how their war elephants were used? I thought that the war elephants actually scewered people with their tusks, trampled with their feet and maybe even threw a few people with their trunks. so I guess what I'm asking is how did the Carthiginians use their war elephants? does anyone even know for sure?
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#2
I know when Alexander fought Porus and his elephants, they trampled soldiers with their feet and tossed them about with their trunks. I can't remember how deadly they were to the Romans. Alot of them died during the crossing of the Alps. At the battle of Zama, the Romans just opened their ranks and shot them in the buttocks..!
I'll go back and read Livy...
Johnny
Johnny Shumate
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#3
hmm, that somewhat answers my question, and yes I know they died after crossing the Alps, and I'm familiar with the Romans opening ranks and such. but does anyone know exactly how the Carthiginians used them? I think they used them in a similar way to the way Porus used his
Mike - life is extremely busy nowadays Sad <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt="Sad" title="Sad" />Sad all sleep, eat, and school Sad <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt="Sad" title="Sad" />Sad
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#4
Some say they used turrets on their backs, some say no way. I think the Seluecids were the only ones who used turrets on their elephants. I may be corrected on this....
Johnny
Johnny Shumate
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#5
I've also heard that too, I don't no about that, how would it stay still?
Mike - life is extremely busy nowadays Sad <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt="Sad" title="Sad" />Sad all sleep, eat, and school Sad <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt="Sad" title="Sad" />Sad
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#6
They used the african elephant but if i am correct it was not with a turret.

In the first punic war when the romans were defeated after there landing in africa it was by the excellent handling of the elephants by the mercenary general of Carthage.

Source : The first Punic War, Lazenby.
Tot ziens.
Geert S. (Sol Invicto Comiti)
Imperator Caesar divi Marci Antonini Pii Germanici Sarmatici ½filius divi Commodi frater divi Antonini Pii nepos divi Hadriani pronepos divi Traiani Parthici abnepos divi Nervae adnepos Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax Augustus Arabicus ½Adiabenicus Parthicus maximus pontifex maximus
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#7
Quote:They used the african elephant but if i am correct it was not with a turret.

actually the elephant of hannibal was a smaller breed of elephants which lived in North Africa but which are now extinct (i wonder why... :roll: )
gr,
Jeroen Pelgrom
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#8
Quote:They used the african elephant
Wasn't it a smaller, now extinct, species of elephant, more akin to the Indian elephant? I think it is known as the North-African, or Forest, elephant.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#9
Quote:actually the elephant of hannibal was a smaller breed of elephants which lived in North Africa but which are now extinct (i wonder why... )

You are right.
Tot ziens.
Geert S. (Sol Invicto Comiti)
Imperator Caesar divi Marci Antonini Pii Germanici Sarmatici ½filius divi Commodi frater divi Antonini Pii nepos divi Hadriani pronepos divi Traiani Parthici abnepos divi Nervae adnepos Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax Augustus Arabicus ½Adiabenicus Parthicus maximus pontifex maximus
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#10
Avete omnes,

not directly Your theme, but in this new topic from the Newsfeed section is a description how the war elephants of Phyrrus were opposed by the Romans at Asculum:

link from old RAT

Greets - Uwe
Greets - Uwe
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#11
Elephants in battles have 3 main uses
1) They were anticavalry weapons, as elephants very much scared horses, similar to what camels do.
2) They were missile platfroms, probably the small african elephant used by the Carthaginians didn´t carry that turret, so it was of limited use as that.
3) They were "terror" weapons against inexperienced soldiers
AKA Inaki
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#12
Agree with Inaki.
Also it was a good idea to suppot your elefants with lght troops to protect them and to exploit the panic of the enemy.
Kind regards
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#13
Quote:1) They were anti-cavalry weapons, as elephants very much scared horses, similar to what camels do

I agree but why did the Carthaginians deploy them in front of their infantry on a number of occasions? Can we say that they didn't know how to use the properly? Why wouldn't they use them as flank guards?
Tot ziens.
Geert S. (Sol Invicto Comiti)
Imperator Caesar divi Marci Antonini Pii Germanici Sarmatici ½filius divi Commodi frater divi Antonini Pii nepos divi Hadriani pronepos divi Traiani Parthici abnepos divi Nervae adnepos Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax Augustus Arabicus ½Adiabenicus Parthicus maximus pontifex maximus
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#14
Quote:Elephants in battles have 3 main uses
1) They were anticavalry weapons, as elephants very much scared horses, similar to what camels do.
Dromedaries, actually. :wink: The camel lives in Bactria and Xinjiang, the dromedary lives in Syria. (This is my hobby horse.)

And to add an other useless piece of information, don't you just love this elephant?
[Image: war_elephant_apm.JPG]
Jona Lendering
Relevance is the enemy of history
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#15
Quote:Elephants in battles have 3 main uses

According to Rane, the Persians used their elephants as:
1) carriers - these beasts were great in a logistical use
2) command platforms - not frontline use, but great as rallying points
3) moving assoult towers - elephants are very usable in siege warfare, they could lift troops to the top of the wall with ease.
They were also very good in mountainous terrain.
Robert Vermaat
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FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
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