Assault Raider, Spear Levy

Description

Most of the northern European tribes were not naval powers, but there were still able seafarers to be found amongst them. Shipbuilding techniques were well understood, so while many vessels were small leather-skinned boats for inland and inshore use, bigger sea-going vessels were also made. Shipwrights used heavy planking for hulls, stitched together and then fastened to a wooden skeleton to create sturdy craft able to cope with Atlantic conditions. Julius Caesar was surprised at the quality of the enemy ships when his fleet clashed with the Veneti from modern-day Brittany. The Veneti vessels had flat bottoms to cope with shallows, but were also of heavy oak construction to cope with rough seas. This made them tough opposition for Roman galleys, and capable of shrugging off a ramming attack. Caesar said that the enemy ships "...were constructed of planks a foot in breadth, fastened by iron spikes the thickness of a man's thumb; the anchors were secured fast by iron chains instead of cables”. When the Romans were forced to board, they faced fearsome warriors used to close-quarters fighting at sea.

Spearmen were the lifeblood of German tribal forces. Brought up on the traditions of feasting and raiding, they craved the opportunity to prove themselves against a worthy enemy. Having scant regard for the dangers that lay ahead, whipped into frenzy by chant and song, and armed with bone-tipped spears and javelins, the ferocity of their initial attack was both feared and renowned. The 'furor teutonicas', as it was labelled by the Romans, did not resemble the disorganised mass favoured by the Celts. Instead, the Germans attacked in ordered columns or in a wedge formation, known as the 'boarhead'.