Šermiari britského impéria

1. Šermiari britského impéria

3. Príručky šermu • Mj. gen. John Gaspard Le Marchant- 1796 The Rules and Regulations of the Sword exercise of the Cavalry • Henry Angelo- 1798 Hungarian and Highland Swordmanship • Henry CH. Angelo - 1813 Naval Cutlass Exercise • - 1817 Infantry Sword Exercise • - 1819 Cavlry Sword Exercise • Richard Francis Burton, John Musgrave Waite, col. G. Malcom Fox, Archibald Maclaren, cap. Alfred Hutton

4. Dragoons • Hussars • Lancers • Cuirassiers

5. Poligar War 1801 • Lt. Parminter was attacked on entering small jungle; and his party , being overpowered , retreated with some loss, leaving him to fight his own battle, which he certainly did mostly nobly. He had only a common regimental sword in his hand , with which miserable weapon he successfully fought until he stumbled and fell, receiving five pike wounds in his body. At lenght a Poligar came up with a musket and bayonet , making push kindly intended as coup de grace. The lieutenant, although pinned by the left shoulder to the ground, made such an effort that he not only cut the assailant across the legs, but at the same instant wrenched the pike out of the ground and rose with a part of it fastened through his arm, when he killed his opponent; and the rest fled in astonishment. • Sudan war 1884 • Hussar was doing his best with his regulation sword against the tremendous two-handed sidelongs sweeps dealt out by(Sudanese) swordsman ; but it suddenly occured to him to deliver Cut No. 7 , which, much to the suprise propably of both of both combantants, cut the Arab`s head down the skull. • Mahratta war 1804 • Colonel Davis, of the 25th Dragoons , awoke in the night when a gang of robbers was just making off with his writing box. Unarmed as he was , he rushed out of his tent and was instantly assailed by six armed men. The colonel , however, being a powerfull man and good swordsman, snatching a sabre from one of assailants and cutting away to the right and left , was soon master of the field, with one of the enemy dead at his feet a two more desperately wounded; the rest unfortunately escaped.

6. Mutiny 1857 A sepoy rebel shot one of my men`s horses dead, the man(Pvt Samuel Morley of the Military Train Cavalry) being thrown violently forward, falling at the feet of his adversary. The sepoy dropped his musket, drew his sword, and cut him down with all his force over the head; but fortunately we wore good thick turbans, and the sword did not penetrate his head. In an instant, my soldier jumped up and hit the sepoy fair in the wind. Before the sepoy recovered his breath, my man grappled with him, wrenched the sword out of his hand, and killed him with it. Morley got V.C. Mahratta War 1817 ( J. B. Hearsey) I charged at him, sword in hand; he stood boldly to receive me. He was armed with along double-edged sword pointed at the handle, and so formed that both hands could be used in wielding it. The blade was at least fou feet long. This weapon is called bz the natives syfe, and is is most formidable weapon. I made a sad mistake in attempting to ride by him and cut him down, whereas a horseman attacking bold and resolute man on foot should always attempt to ride over him. The consequence was that he escaped the blow; and I had made such a swoop, leaning over to my right side, that the point of my sword was partly burried in the ground, and ere I had time to regain my saddle, he had given me a fearful wound over my head and neck. My orderly trooper, a young Rajpoot, before he(enemy) had time to recover the blow or defend himself, struck him over his head with his sabre and felled him to the earth; but, like all the Mahratta chiefs, his head was doubly shielded from harm by thick turban. The orderly found that the blow had not been effectual; and I heard him say`` You have killed my master, my commander, my officer, my father; and I will put to death.'' Saying this, he drew a pistol from his holster and shot the man through the body, setting fire to his cotton jacket, which communicating with his powder horn, blew his body to atoms.

7. Storming of Bhutpore(Lt. John Thompson, Bengal Engineers) 1826 • I had long tussle with one of the fellows; he thought to cut me down! I determined to return the fun- we were hard at it some time, until my sword arm ached from exercise. I could make nothing of him, for every blow rebounded from his quilted cotton jacket; so I quite lost my temper, and gave point at his throat, and cut his carotid in no time. He was not up to that! During the first war in Afghanistan, a troop of the 4th Regiment I.C.( irregular cavalry), whilst escorting stores through one of the passes in Beloochistan, was attacked by a large body of the enemy. As the latter were on foot and crowned the heights, from which they poured down a heavy fire, there being no infantry with the convoy, the native officer in command immediately dismounted half of his troop, and putting himself at their head, sword in hand, ascended the hill, himself singling out the Beloochi leader, who engaged with him in single combat. Both were good swordsmen; but the Beloochi chief, a powerfull man, had the advantage of being on the upper ground. The native officer, after some time, found himself overmatched, when he suddenly called out ` Kill the rascal!` The ruse succeeded. The Beloochi,naturally thinking that one of the troopers had got in his rear, turned his head for a moment to ascertain the position of his new enemy. That movement was fatal. By a sweep from the native officer`s sabre, his head was separated from his body; and the Beloochis, seeing their leader fall, retired. 1840 Fraser got a desparate cut over the right wrist which will render the hand useless for life, and fearfull gash down the back. He was not aware of the wound in the wrist until he tried to draw a pistol, and found his hand useless.

8. Mahratta campaign 1844 • '''Do you see yonder havildar?` said the sergeant major. ' He is the finest man the corps, and made great havoc among the Mahrattas. He had a son killed by them, early this morning, and vowing vengeance, fearfully did he keep his vow; for no sooner was the word given to pursue, than he sprang his charger two lenghts in advance of his troop, and wheeling to the left, dashed after a number that were flying down a narrow track, hewing, hacking, and cutting right and left every one he met with the powerful strokes of his avenging sabre; and it was not until both horse and rider were nearly exhausted that the work of slaughter was stayed. He then rode slowly back to his troop, avenged. The number slain by his single arm was almost incredible.''' Aliwal 1846 (Lt. William Morris) We attacked the Sikhs and gave them awful licking. We attacked the only body of their cavalry that showed fight, and sent them flying; but we found we were surrounded by thousands of their infantry, who formed a square to prevent our getting back; and it would havedone your eyes good to see how we dashed through them. I attacked one of the officers, and sent my sword clean through him; but before I could disengage my sword, he hit me over the left eye and gave me a slight wound, which I do nit think will leave scar. Nepal war 1814- 1816 A British officer, armed with a long regulation 'spit', ran his sword through a Goorkha. Notwithstanting his agony, the wounded man literally forced his way up to the weapon's hilt, until he could close with his adversary, cutting him down with his kookri and falling dead beside him.

9. Mutiny 1857 Captain Best ran a sowar through, who writhed up the blade and slashed Best's neck nearly through. Sudan 1884 At the battle of Tamanieb, Lt. W.B. Almack (Naval brigade) rushed on one of the Soudanees and run his sword through him. Before he had time to recover, his right am was nearly cut off. There then ran on him three of Soudanees when he was helpless, his revolver being empty, and ran their spears through his body. Llerena in Estremadura 11.4. 1812 There were about 1900 swords drawn on each side. The enemy had about 12 men killed, and lost 128 prisoners, nearly all of whom were wounded by cuts. We had 9 men killed and 47 wounded. It appeared that all the former were killed by the point, and most of the latter wounded by the edge. The wounds from the point, in this affair, were mostly mortal; but the edge rendered more hors de combat. Sikh wars Thrust his bayonet right through his foe; but, though mortally wounded, the Sikh instantaneously, with his razor-edged tulwar, cleft his opponent head in two. Surgeon reports: Arm cut of from the shoulder, Head severed, Both hands cut off above the wrists, Leg cut off above the knee... In one case a British officer, was hewn in two by a back-handed stroke which cut right through an ammunition pouch, cleaving the pistol bullets right through the pouch and belt, severing the officer's backbone and cutting his heart in two from behind.

10. Persian War 1857 battle of Khooshab (Lt& Adjt. A.T. Moore, Lt. J.G. Malcolmson of 3rd Bombay Cavalry) • In proper square formation, they(1st Persian R.I.) awaited onset of the charge, the front rank kneeling with fixed bayonets, and those behind firing in volleys. Lt. Moore led his troop when order was given to charge. As he neared the front rank of gleaming steel, Moore pulled his charger's head straight, drove in his spurs and leapt sheer onto the raised bayonets. The splendid animal fell dead within the square, pinning its rider beneath its body, but the Lt. was up and on his feet in an instant; while through the gap he had made, the sowars charged after him. In his fall, Moore had the misfortune to break his sword; and h was now called on to defend himself with but a few inches of steel and revolver. Seeing his predicament, Persians closed round him. Luckily for him, his brother officer, Lt. Malcolmson, saw his danger. Spurring his horse, he dashed through throng of Persians to his comrade's aid, laying a man low with each sweep of his long sword. Then, bidding Moore grip a stirrup, he clove a way free for both of them o of the press. What is certainly remarkable fact is that neither of the two received so much a scratch, and to Moore belongs the almost unique distinction of having broken a square. Mutiny 1857 (Cpt. W.S.R. Hodson) 'No; the bullet does not always give a sufficient shock to the system to stop a man'. and mentioned one case in which, though he had shot an assailant through the throat, yet he had after that a stiff sword fght with him before he could kill him. An officer, who especialy prided himself on his pistol shooting, was attacked by a stalwart mutineer armed with a heavy sword. The officer, unfortunately for himself, Colt's Navy pistol, which was of small calibre and fired sharp-pointed picket bullet of sixty to pound (60 gauge) and heavy charge of powder, its range being at least 600 yards. This he proceeded to empty into the sepoy as he advanced; but, having done so, he waited just one second too long to see the effect of his shooting, and was cloven to the teeth by his antagonist, who then dropped down and died beside him. My informant, who witnessed the affair, told me that 5 out of 6 bullets had struck the sepoy close together in the chest, and had all passed through him and out at his back.

11. Mutiny 1857 • I put 5 of the pellets into a sowar, in the region of heart and stomach, and then the beggar(?) came at me with his tulwar; and had his horse not made a stumble and so given me a chance, I am not at all sure the sowar would not have proved the better swordsman. • Suddenly a faaker rushed out from a building and came straight at me. Armed with a lathie or iron bound stick, he bounded at me with yell of fury, taking me completely by suprise. I had barely time to take out my revolver. I promptly fired at him, hitting him full in his left breast; but, the wretched little popgun failed to do more than just stagger him, when he again made a bound forward, shouting:' Ham bhi marega, suar!' (I can also strike, pig!), and had just time to draw my sword and ward of a terrific blow, which almost broke down my guard, but which I returned with such effect that he turned back and fled, cursing me loudly as he went.(Lt. Hugh Gough of Hodson horse) • When they had fired their muskets, they hurled them among us like javelins, bayonets first, and then drawing their tulwars, rushed madly on to their destruction, slashing in blind fury with their swords. As they rushed on us, they actually threw themselves under the bayonets and slashed at our legs. It was owning to this fact that more than half of our wounded were injured by sword cuts. • There was very narrow staircase on each side of the arched gateway leading to an upper story, well packed with the enemy. Without a moment's hesitation, the Sikhs(4th Punjab Rifles) mounted these winding corkscrew-like stairs, and in a few minutes were amidst the enemy, cutting them up with their tulwars and hurling others out of the open windows. Few British soldiers would have done this, and yet their loss was small. It was splendid illustration of the pluck and daring of Punjab soldiers. • The sepoy was a good swordsman, and wounded the sailor in the sword arm. 'He had you there,Jack' said one of his comrades. Quick as thought, the sailor shifted his cutlass to the left hand; this was something sepoy was not prepared for; and before he could guard, the sailor cut him down, remarking as he did so, in answer to his comrade:' Yes, by God; he had me, but I have him now.

12. Mutiny 1857 • Lt. Gumbheer Singh, of the Shere(Tiger) Regimet, rushed on 7 men defending a gun, cut down 5 and wounded the others, who made of. He himself received 8 sword cuts. • Goorkas • Brave as lions, active as monkeys, and fierce as tigers, the lithe, wiry little men came leaping over the ground to the attack, moving so quickly, and keeping so far apart from each other, that musketry was no use against them. When they came near soldiers, they suddenly crouched to the ground, dived under bayonets, struck upwards at the men with their kookeries, ripping them open with a single blow, and then, after having done all the mischief in their power, darting off as rapidly as they come. They would also dash under the bellies of the officers' horses, rip them open with one blow of the kookery, and aim another at the leg of the officer as he and horse fell together. Perhaps no better proof can be given of the power of the weapon, and the dexterity of the user, than the fact that Goorka will not hesitate to meet a tiger, himself being armed with nothing but his kookery. He stands in front of the animal; and as it springs, he leaps to the left, delivering as he does so a blow at the neck or throat of the tiger, which generally proves fatal. • Mr. Morrison(an American misionary) told me of some feats of the hardy little Goorkhas, who did us such good service in the Mutiny. They are small men, but very plucky; carry short swords, hardly more than knives; but this is a very formidable weapon, and it made them quite a terror to the enemy. They use it with such precision that they strike a man's head off the stroke. If anyone showed himself over the breastwork, his head was gone in a second, as if by a magic! No wonder they were a terror. And they did this bloody work as if it were all a good joke, following the beheading with a laugh.

13. Balaclava(25.10.1854) • When the Light Brigade was preparing for action, the butcher of the 17th Lancers, who had just been performing his office, slaughtering sheep and oxen, made his appearance in the field, without coat or waistcoat, his shirt sleeves rolled up, and his arms and face smeared with blood- a grotesque and terrible figure. He mounted a powerful charger and rode up to his troop. He had no business there, but the prospect of a bloody fry was too strong to be resisted. He seized two sabres, deliberately examined the temper and edges of the blades, selected the sharpest, and threw the other aside. He then, with equal coolness, took out a short black pipe, charged it, lighted it, a placed it in his mouth, and settling himself in the saddle, rode up with the 'six hundred' into the Valley of the Shadow of Death. This man was seen amongst the Russian batteries, sabreing the gunners right and left, slaying with his own hand at least six of the enemy, cutting his way in the retreat through the swarms of Russian cavalry which vainly sought to intercept the remnant of the gallant band; and wonderful to relate, he rode back, still smoking his pipe as cooly as if nothing had happened, without having received a single scratch.

14. Watterloo (18.6. 1815) • A tall powerful Highlander, Lt. John Suart(95th Rifles), made himself conspicious by ahand-to-hand encounter, which, had he been less active and resolute, must have proved his last. During one of those lulls which occur in all general actions, Stuart and hid men laid in skirmishing order, behind a hedge. About 60 or 100 yards in front of them, lining in like manner a ditch or hollow, a body of French tirallieurs had taken a post; and each party continued for a while to watch without molesting the other. At last French officer rose ut of his own ditch, and either because he really desiredto encourage his men, or for the mere purpose of bravado, advanced some space in their front, waving his sword. It would have been easy enough to pick him of, for Rifles needed no instruction as marksmen in those days; but Stuart would not permit that; on the contrary, his orders were 'Men, keep quiet!' ; while he himself sprang through the edge ad ran to meet the French officer. The latter did not shun the duel. He, too, was a tall and active-looking man; in his rapier he had a decided advantage over Stuart, who was armed with the very crooked sabre which it was the fashion in those days for the officers of the Rifle Corps to carry. The combantants met; and so badly tempered was Stuart's weapon that at the first pass it broke off, not far from the hilt. The Frenchman so his advantage, and prepared to use it. He flourished his sword, as if in defiance, and made a lunge at his adversary's body, which, however, the Highlander received in his left arm; and a second thrust could be administered, the two men closed. It was the struggle of a moment, and no more- Stuart bore his enemy to the earth, and with broken piece of his sabre, slew him.