Shooting in the rain
Hi all..
I was wondering about the question of battle ground archery during rainfall and its influence upon the preformance of the bow and arrows.
In assumption that fighting armies can`t always choose the conditions of battle, how whould the wet conditions and rainfall influence the drawing of the bow string, the preformence of the fletching, and the arrow`s course, if any?
Thank you..
Noam
I was wondering about the question of battle ground archery during rainfall and its influence upon the preformance of the bow and arrows.
In assumption that fighting armies can`t always choose the conditions of battle, how whould the wet conditions and rainfall influence the drawing of the bow string, the preformence of the fletching, and the arrow`s course, if any?
Thank you..
Noam
The answer is a great big "It depends." If you're talking gut bowstrings rawhide, or silk or something else. Gut and rawhide get really stretchy when wet, and thus reduce the effective draw weight (and so range and impact energy). Silk and vegetable fiber (or combination) strings aren't going to be as stretchy.
The effect on fletching is not so much. Many Steppe peoples used very low fletching - 'way less than 1/2" tall. That's not going to soak up much water very quickly or hold much moisture if exposed to long term moisture. Arrows are relatively easy to protect from water. Damp feathers aren't particularly liable to influence arrow flight, IMHO.
The bows themselves were normally protected from weather by coverings of lacquered silk, bark, etc. and not affected by normal short-term exposure to moisture.
It also depends on what you mean by "wet conditions and rainfall". Falling into a lake? Slogging through a marsh of a week? Days/weeks of monsoon rains? A spring shower? And afternoon thunderstorm racing through the area?
We know that sinew doesn't work very well in tropical (permanently warm wet) environments. Also some of the plant/animal based glues are not as strong in tropical areas or permanently cold/dry areas.
The effect on fletching is not so much. Many Steppe peoples used very low fletching - 'way less than 1/2" tall. That's not going to soak up much water very quickly or hold much moisture if exposed to long term moisture. Arrows are relatively easy to protect from water. Damp feathers aren't particularly liable to influence arrow flight, IMHO.
The bows themselves were normally protected from weather by coverings of lacquered silk, bark, etc. and not affected by normal short-term exposure to moisture.
It also depends on what you mean by "wet conditions and rainfall". Falling into a lake? Slogging through a marsh of a week? Days/weeks of monsoon rains? A spring shower? And afternoon thunderstorm racing through the area?
We know that sinew doesn't work very well in tropical (permanently warm wet) environments. Also some of the plant/animal based glues are not as strong in tropical areas or permanently cold/dry areas.
I think that in the past, Bede quoted some historical examples of archers being rained off in battle.
In general, transient rainfall should not have been a problem. I think fletching would be the first victim. Then as mentioned above, gut or rawhide strings.
Lacquered bows were consistently used for sea battles by the Chinese and Japanese in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644); so the effects of prolonged moisture could be effectively handled. But in the long term, in the South of China, horn/sinew bows are attacked by mildew and ultimately by insects, which find them delicious. That probably accounts for the limited penetration of hornbows south of the Yangtze River.
In general, transient rainfall should not have been a problem. I think fletching would be the first victim. Then as mentioned above, gut or rawhide strings.
Lacquered bows were consistently used for sea battles by the Chinese and Japanese in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644); so the effects of prolonged moisture could be effectively handled. But in the long term, in the South of China, horn/sinew bows are attacked by mildew and ultimately by insects, which find them delicious. That probably accounts for the limited penetration of hornbows south of the Yangtze River.
Rainfall has a large effect on visibility and arrow flight at long range. Fighting during rain was avoided by almost everyone because of insecure footing and the difficulty of holding weapons like swords and spears firmly. It was not just archers that did not like rain.
Cavalry, both the archers and lancers, was affected by these considerations. Mud was the enemy of manoeuvre. Sudden changes of direction were difficult, rainfall on helmets made it hard to hear commands and cold and wet conditions sapped morale.
However, if you were in a difficult situation and you wanted to reduce your enemy's flexibility, then you might choose to fight in wet conditions. Heavy arrows from heavy bows were least affected by these conditions. Vegetable fibres like linen are actually stronger when wet (though heavier and prone to rot over time).
In Mongol historical literature, one of the weapons of a shaman was the rain stone that could bring on a storm. This magical stone could negate the advantages of an enemy by bringing on rain and strong winds. Different environments were affected differently by wet weather. On the steppe storms could be devastating because there was nothing to stop them building up terrible force. However, in a forested environment, the effect might only to reduce the efficiency of the weapons slightly.
Cavalry, both the archers and lancers, was affected by these considerations. Mud was the enemy of manoeuvre. Sudden changes of direction were difficult, rainfall on helmets made it hard to hear commands and cold and wet conditions sapped morale.
However, if you were in a difficult situation and you wanted to reduce your enemy's flexibility, then you might choose to fight in wet conditions. Heavy arrows from heavy bows were least affected by these conditions. Vegetable fibres like linen are actually stronger when wet (though heavier and prone to rot over time).
In Mongol historical literature, one of the weapons of a shaman was the rain stone that could bring on a storm. This magical stone could negate the advantages of an enemy by bringing on rain and strong winds. Different environments were affected differently by wet weather. On the steppe storms could be devastating because there was nothing to stop them building up terrible force. However, in a forested environment, the effect might only to reduce the efficiency of the weapons slightly.
thank you all for your replies :)