Cheval de frise at the Confederate defenses at the Siege of Petersburg

The cheval de frise (plural: chevaux de frise) was a Mediaeval defensive obstacle consisting of a portable frame (sometimes just a simple log) covered with many long iron or wooden spikes or even actual spears. They were principally intended as an anti-cavalry obstacle but could also be moved quickly to help block a breach in another barrier. They remained in occasional use until they were replaced by wire obstacles just after the American Civil War, during which it was most often used by the Confederates.[1] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1008x1024, 228 KB) Summary From: http://memory. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1008x1024, 228 KB) Summary From: http://memory. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ulysses S. Grant Robert E. Lee Strength average of 86,000 average of 52,000 Casualties 7,850 in the trenches (see main battle articles for further casualties) unknown The Siege of Petersburg (June 15, 1864 – April 2, 1865) was... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Medieval fortification is the military aspect of Medieval technology that covers the development of fortification construction and use in Europe roughly from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood derives from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ... Hunting spear and knife, from Mesa Verde National Park. ... Cavalry is also a common misspelling of the Biblical hill Calvary. ... In the military science of fortification, wire obstacles are defensive obstacles made from barbed wire, barbed tape or concertina wire. ... Combatants Union (remaining U.S. states) Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln† Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Strength 2,213,363 1,064,200 Casualties KIA: 110,100 Total dead: 359,500 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 94,000 Total dead: 258,000 Wounded: 137,000+  The...

Cheval de frise according to the later use of the term, broken glass studding the top of a wall in a nineteenth century fort

The term also came to be used for any spikey obstacle, such as broken glass embedded in mortar on the top of a wall. Image File history File links GlassCheval_de_Frise. ... Image File history File links GlassCheval_de_Frise. ... This article refers to the material. ... Mortar holding bricks. ... A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. ...

A variation of the chevaux de frise are Czech hedgehog anti-tank obstacles, typically composed of three rails, crossed in such a way that they form a six-spiked figure, possibly sealed in concrete or partly buried in sand or earth (very much like a metal abatis). They can also be mined. The Atlantic Wall used millions of such obstacles to slow down landing of armoured and mechanised troops, as to make them easy targets for machine guns and coastal artillery. Hedgehogs deployed at beach The Czech hedgehog (rozsocháč or ježek in Czech language) was a static defense made of angle iron (i. ... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. ... German coast artillery in the Pas-de-Calais area, with laborers at work on casemate. ...

Etymology: Cheval de frise is French for "Frisian horse". The Frisians, having little cavalry of their own, relied heavily on such anti-cavalry obstacles. Etymology is the study of the origins of words. ... Satellite view of the German Bight (the Frisian Coast). ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 nugget For other uses, see Horse (disambiguation). ...

See also

The "knife rest" or "Spanish rider" is a modern wire obstacle functionally similar to the cheval-de-frise, and sometimes called that.

• abatis
• caltrop

• Hudson River Chain
• Sudis
• trou de loup

Image File history File links Knife_rest. ... Image File history File links Knife_rest. ... In the military science of fortification, wire obstacles are defensive obstacles made from barbed wire, barbed tape or concertina wire. ... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. ... Caltrop used by the Office of Strategic Services. ... The Hudson River Chain was a blockade across the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, intended to prevent British naval vessels from entering the river during the American Revolutionary War. ... Sudes used as a simple picket fence. ... Trous de loup In mediaeval fortification, a trou de loup (plural trous de loup) was a type of booby trap or defensive obstacle. ...

External links

• Pictures of chevaux de frise.