Throughout history, warfare has often been shaped by the ongoing contest between defensive strength and offensive innovation. In modern combat, fixed fortifications offer far less protection than they once did, as advanced weapons can quickly neutralize them. Small arms can penetrate armor, guided missiles can destroy armored vehicles, and precision-guided munitions can devastate even heavily reinforced positions in a matter of moments.
In earlier eras, however, defenders held a significant advantage. During conflicts fought with handheld weapons, primitive siege engines, and limited explosives, massive stone fortresses and fortified camps were extremely difficult to breach. Overcoming these defenses required creativity and bold tactics, giving rise to some of the most inventive and surprising strategies in military history. The examples that follow showcase the ingenuity and daring behind these remarkable assaults.
1. Rocket cats
In the 16th century, an artilleryman named Franz Helm, who resided in what is now Germany, wrote a book on munitions, weaponry, and artillery tactics. Within this book, he described a method for wreaking havoc on a defensive system or town using a cat. Helm explained:
Create a small sack like a fire-arrow. If you would like to get at a town or castle, seek to obtain a cat from that place. And bind the sack to the back of the cat, ignite it, let it glow well and thereafter let the cat go, so it runs to the nearest castle or town, and out of fear it thinks to hide itself where it ends up in barn hay or straw it will be ignited.
It remains unclear whether this rather ambitious plan was ever implemented, but if it was, it would have likely caused more harm to one’s own property than to the enemy’s.
2. Up the toilet
Instead of depending on traditional siege methods like ladders or battering rams, this daring assault took advantage of a hidden vulnerability within the castle itself. Château Gaillard, built in 1198 by Richard the Lionheart, was considered nearly impregnable. Yet less than a decade later, Philip II of France proved that even the strongest defenses could be overcome. While his army had already broken through the outer walls, the central keep still stood secure.
The turning point came not from force, but from careful observation. A soldier noticed a narrow drainage chute used to carry waste from the latrine. Taking advantage of this overlooked entry point, he crawled through the passage, emerged inside the keep, and quietly opened a window. French troops then rushed in, overwhelming the defenders and bringing the siege to a swift and decisive end.
3. Flinging corpses
During a siege, armies often established a nearby camp to serve as their base of operations. These camps were typically filled with unwell, unclean soldiers, creating conditions where disease spread rapidly.
In 1346, the Mongols besieged the Crimean city of Caffa, leading to a prolonged standoff. Over time, the Mongol forces themselves fell victim to the Black Death, which ravaged their camp. Instead of withdrawing, as many armies might in such a situation, the Mongols seized the moment, using catapults to hurl disease-ridden corpses over the city walls in an effort to spread the disease among the defenders.
While it is uncertain, some fleeing residents of Caffa may have carried the Black Death into Europe.
4. Hot Sand
Those under siege often used this method to fend off attackers. Castles implemented a range of tactics to keep enemies at a distance, such as dropping hot or burning materials from the walls.
In 332 BC, during Alexander the Great’s siege of the city of Tyre, the defenders inside heated fine sand until it glowed red, then poured it onto the attackers below. This approach was highly effective because the tiny sand particles slipped through the gaps in soldiers’ armor. The only escape was to remove the armor, which exposed them to archers.
Other similar tactics included the use of burning hay, hot water, and boiling oil.
5. Bees and beer
When attacking a walled area, the Vikings, who knew the defenders would be firing down onto them, used wooden structures called hurdles for protection while they made their way through the walls.
When they attacked the English town of Chester, the defenders gathered up as much beer as possible and heated it up, then poured it down onto the attackers, literally burning off their skin. Their wooden covers could resist projectiles, but the hot beer was able to seep through the gaps.
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In response, the Vikings sealed their shielding with animal hides, deflecting the hot beer. Again in response, the defenders began throwing beehives at the Vikings, who were then savagely swarmed by angry bees.