The article talks about what boarding sabers are, why they are needed, what are their differences from sabers of a different kind and by whom they were used.
Ancient times
Nowadays, the inhabitants of more or less developed countries have long been accustomed to the fact that with acute 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 of communication between the continents or with the coastal zone.
People started using them back in time immemorial. Over time, their design has changed for the better, which has a beneficial effect on speed, reliability and carrying capacity. When shipbuilding developed to the desired level, battles often began to break out on the open sea, and for a long time pirates were a storm of the seas and oceans. This continued until special detachment detachments and sea flotillas were created, which were engaged in the protection of peace ships or special trapping of pirates. And probably, the most favorite weapon of criminals were boarding sabers. So what is it, how are they good and how were they applied? This we will understand.
Definition
First, let's deal with terminology. Saber is a melee weapon with a long and curved blade. And he has one cutting edge, which 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 boarding sabers.
Boarding is the rapprochement of two ships with their subsequent fixation relative to each other by ropes or other means and the clash of manpower of the crew of both ships. From here comes the famous expression "Boarding", that is, to capture another ship and kill the crew. Boarding is rarely long, usually a fleeting collision, where almost any weapon is used.
Over time, it was boarding sabers that were recognized as the most effective weapons. The reason for this was several factors. First of all, their size: in the hustle and bustle of battle, wielding a long blade is not always convenient, as it is too heavy, designed for open space. Secondly, the curved shape made it possible to deliver deep and strong chopping blows. And the massive weight of the saber also helped this. Thirdly, the guard's hand was covered by a guard and a special ledge, which not only protected the limb of a pirate or soldier, but also allowed to deliver powerful blows in hand-to-hand combat in the manner of brass knuckles.
It is for these reasons that such weapons quickly earned universal acclaim. Both pirates and coast guard units or army sailors used it. So now we know what a boarding saber is.
Other weapon
Of course, the weapons of pirates and sailors in ancient times did not end with sabers only. But if we consider the pirate one, which is convenient during the battle when hijacking a merchant or other vessel, then in addition to boarding sabers, 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 popular. Well, in the Middle Ages, when firearms with flintlocks were invented, pirates were very fond of pistols. True, only as a weapon of last chance. Sometimes one or two shots fired from them, after which everyone switched to cold steel.
Common daggers were also common, their narrow long blades making it possible to pierce the enemy’s defense and inflict deep wounds.
And by the way, the Russian short boarding saber is often referred to as a cleaver. This is partially true, since it has a constructive similarity with the latter. Nevertheless, piracy in our area was not as widespread as in other parts of the world.
Boarding Disappearance
Gradually, the role of such an attack diminished, and eventually came to naught. The reason for this was the development of firearms - guns, multi-shot rifles and machine guns. And later, special anti-ship weapons came into use. And now it’s 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 merchant ships that do not have protective equipment for these purposes. And this, albeit with a stretch, but can be called a boarding.
