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I have read that the Han dynasty used a mobile fort tactic/formation in their wars against the Xiong Nu. Is it true? And how does the mobile fort formation work?

Do you mean Roman style "legionaries carry fort on their back" or Korean style "fort made of wagons"? Because I think the Han used the second, but I don't have anything aside from goggle to back me.

Samuel wrote:Do you mean Roman style "legionaries carry fort on their back" or Korean style "fort made of wagons"? Because I think the Han used the second, but I don't have anything aside from goggle to back me.

The fort made of wagons, I heard that this is how they maximise the use of their cross bows against a cavalry based enemy. I have search google, I was hoping someone may know more infomation as compared to what can be found on the internet.

ray245 wrote:

Samuel wrote:Do you mean Roman style "legionaries carry fort on their back" or Korean style "fort made of wagons"? Because I think the Han used the second, but I don't have anything aside from goggle to back me.

The fort made of wagons, I heard that this is how they maximise the use of their cross bows against a cavalry based enemy. I have search google, I was hoping someone may know more infomation as compared to what can be found on the internet.

You might look up information on the Hussites, they used a similar-sounding wagon-fort system, and made heavy use of handguns and presumably crossbows.

ray245 wrote:I have read that the Han dynasty used a mobile fort tactic/formation in their wars against the Xiong Nu. Is it true? And how does the mobile fort formation work?

Ever seen a western?

Elfdart wrote:

ray245 wrote:I have read that the Han dynasty used a mobile fort tactic/formation in their wars against the Xiong Nu. Is it true? And how does the mobile fort formation work?

Ever seen a western?

I mean how does it work with crossbowmen and arrows? Is there any major difference between a western film mobile fortress and the Han use of a mobile fort?

The only real difference is that later firearms (esp rifles) had much greater range and accuracy than crossbows, so pioneer wagon trains would have had a bigger advantage in open terrain. Keep in mind that those wagons (unlike mobile forts and gun wagons used elsewhere) weren't designed for fighting, but as long as the axles remained lashed together, attackers had little chance against them. The wagons used by the Goths at Adrianople were just for transport (and were unarmed to boot) and they held their ground against the Romans until Gothic horsemen could make the Romans pay.

Dedicated war wagons would be pretty difficult to overcome unless (a) the attacker had guns to work with, (b) the attacker could catch them before they went "buttoned" or closed formation (a square or circle), or (c) they decide to lay siege -something that offers mixed results since the wagons can move or (d) decided to needle them to death. None of which is all that appetizing.

Sorry for this nerco, but I think that this picture is an interesting infomation to share, in regards to the mobile forts we are talking about.
Spoiler It is from a late Ming dynasty manuel by Qi Ji-Guan. Although I have no idea why Cavalry is deployed within the formation though.

They are probably the horses that move the wagons.

Wasn't the cavalry kept safe within the formation until a critical moment in the battle when they could be deployed for a decisive counter-attack?