As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter......
I wonder of words in past meanings which were common and now have vanished. A caltrop now is just a spined plant, but in centuries past the caltrop was considered a remarkable weapon of defense, before mines were in vogue and are certainly something which any survivalist might consider employing in any meltdown of society.
A caltrop is a device with four needle like points which of course a laid on the ground in order to injure an approaching enemy like stepping onto a nail.
The one I was reading of was for the defence of Fort Muncy in Pennsylvania. This particular American version was poisoned on the points to both hamper the approach of Indians, and for the obvious effect of poisoning them to kill them as their attacks were so heinous.
Yes chemical and biological warfare was being undertaken in America centuries ago. There was nothing chivalrous about it as the caltrop was something in use in England during the English Civil Wars, so one comprehends they have been in use for a thousand years, and yet no one even mentions them now.
Being the sort of strategist which notes opportunity, it is interesting if a method could be devised which would make an effective device for areas where pets, livestock or wild animals would not be injured........yes people to as one would not be putting these out in civilized areas where the wandering idiot would be impaling themselves.
I would assume they could be easily made from sharpened nails, but requiring an additional feature that they should be barbed to hold in place. This could be extremely bothersome in piercing shoes and then foot flesh.
I take this one stage further in I would gain some aircraft cable or snare wire, and then stake the caltrop to a cross stake, so that it could not be pulled out, with perhaps 18 inches of cable, as one would desire the enemy to impale themselves, jump back making a stifled scream and then give a really good scream as they hit the end of the cable and the barb digs in.
In the meantime, the defenders of course would be alerted and in the good military doctrine you would have the enemy trying to rescue their staked comrade and probably in the excitement impaling themselves also for more targets.
I see great potential in this, including pressure treated two by fours or posts as drags attached to these caltrops.
The police states utilizes different impaling devices to blow tires, and one could see great uses for the above with some barbwire making life particularly difficult for an enemy trying to gain access to your position to murder you and yours.
People always think of vertical use of wires, but do not contemplate the use horizontal wires in a varried spiders web to make things difficult. Two layer staggered would cause all sorts of delays, providing a tank is not driving up to your door.
Fascinating things these passive defenses.
agtG
