Jane mentioned the excellent 'flaming pigs' of Dyonisius and Scullard, and I'm intrigued as to (if true) how the Romans actually managed to get the excitable porkers to direct themselves at the Epirines etc. I wonder what other examples might suggest themselves?
Most amusingly, they might not succeed for long, as animals often got their own back against their callous human generals. At Valverde in 1862, a small Union force infiltrated the rebel lines, accompanied with several unsuspecting mules. Which had 24-pounder shells strapped to their backs. The blue boys lit the fuses and drove the poor animals towards the Confederates, and edged their way bak. Trouble was, a life of servitude meant that they mules happily trotted after their Union soldier masters, who scarpered for cover in panic.
And then of course, there are the Russian anti-tanks dogs, which are perhaps more famous. Poor Fido was indoctrinated in a system wherein he was given his dog biccies under Russian tanks. Thinking was that if he missed a few meal times, he'd go and run under the nearest German tank (with an explosive device and antenna trigger strapped onto his back) for din-dins. Unfortunately, mechanized warfare being as it was on the Eastern Front, Fido'd run under his own tanks, which were far more familiar and had a similar scent (on account of differences in the fuel used between Russian and German vehicles).
I'm moving more and more towards the idea of a 'High Llama spitting caracole', wherein shaggy Praxian cavalry ride up to an enemy formation, let fly with globules of saliva in an effort to disorder the foe, and then wheel back, ready to form for a charge against a rather gooey and less than happy foe.
Sure, I lack experience on the matter, but being covered in llama mucus would probably deter me as much as being scraped by a musket ball...
Stu.
Powered by hypermail