The article describes what cutlasses are, what they are for, how they differ from other types of sabers and who used them.
Ancient times
In our time, residents of more or less developed countries have long been accustomed to the fact that, in case of urgent need, distances are easily overcome. Any of them can be quickly and even comfortably crossed by plane, train or ship. But our ancestors did not have such technologies, and for a long time only ships remained the only way to communicate between the continents or with the coastal zone.
People have been using them since time immemorial. Over time, their design changed for the better, which had a beneficial effect on speed, reliability and carrying capacity. When shipbuilding developed to the required level, battles often broke out on the sea, and for a long time pirates were the storm of the seas and oceans. This continued until special counteraction units and naval fleets were created, which were engaged in the protection of civilian ships or in the special catching of pirates. And probably the most favorite weapon of criminals were boarding sabers. So what is it, why are they good and howapplied? We'll figure it out.
Definition
First, let's get some terminology out of the way. The saber is a melee weapon with a long and curved blade. And he has one cutting edge, this is what distinguishes him from the sword. For example, the Japanese katana is a saber, not a sword, as is commonly believed. The same applies to weapons such as cutlasses.
Boarding is the approach of two ships with their subsequent fixation relative to each other with ropes or other means and the collision of the manpower of the crew of both ships. This is where the famous expression “Board” comes from, that is, to capture someone else’s ship and kill the crew. Boarding is rarely a long one, usually a short-lived encounter, where almost any weapon is used.
The boarding sabers were recognized as the most effective weapons over time. The reason for this was several factors. Firstly, their size: in the hustle and bustle of battle, it is not always convenient to wield a long blade, as well as too heavy, designed for open space. Secondly, the curved shape made it possible to deliver deep and powerful chopping blows. And the massive weight of the saber also helped this. Thirdly, the hand of the fighter was covered by a guard and a special ledge, which not only protected the limb of a pirate or soldier, but also allowed powerful blows in hand-to-hand combat in the manner of brass knuckles.
It is for these reasons that such weapons quickly earned universal recognition. It was used by both pirates and coast guard units or army sailors. So now we know what a cutlass is.
Other weapons
Of course, the weapons of pirates and sailors in ancient times did not end with sabers alone. But if we consider exactly the pirate, which is convenient during the battle when capturing a merchant or other ship, then in addition to boarding sabers, swords with rapiers were also popular. True, they were preferred only by those who knew how to handle them well, since such weapons are not intended for chopping blows, but only for stabbing, which is not always convenient in battle.
Ordinary daggers and daggers were also popular. Well, in the Middle Ages, when firearms with a flintlock were invented, pirates also fell in love with pistols. True, only as a weapon of last chance. Sometimes one or two shots disappeared from them, after which everyone switched to melee weapons.
Ordinary daggers were also common, the narrow long blades of which made it possible to break through the enemy's defense and inflict deep wounds.
And by the way, the Russian short cutting saber is often referred to as a cleaver. This is partly true, since it has a constructive similarity with the latter. But still, piracy in our area was not as widespread as in other parts of the world.
Disappearance of boarding
Gradually, the role of such an attack decreased, and eventually came to naught. The reason for this was the development of firearms - cannons, repeating rifles and machine guns. And later entereduse of special anti-ship weapons. And now it is simply impossible to board a ship that carries several machine guns or rocket launchers. True, in some remote parts of the world piracy exists to this day, for example, in Somalia. But Somali pirates never attack well-armed ships and choose for this purpose merchant ships that do not have means of protection. And this, albeit with a stretch, can be called boarding.
Conclusion
Cutting sabers are used only for direct boarding, when speed, force of impact and a short blade for maneuver are important. In normal times on land, it is more profitable to use long swords, rapiers, swords or sabers.
