Pica (fr. Pique) is a cold thrusting weapon, one of the varieties of a long spear. Among the polearms of the pike is a real long-liver: it was used right up to the first half of the 20th century. A shock weapon for cavalry and infantry, it has outlived many of its peers from the Middle Ages. The reason for this lies in the incredible effectiveness of such weapons on the battlefield and their versatility. But first things first.
The pike first appeared in service at the beginning of the 15th century. Roughly speaking, the long spear was known in ancient times, and some historians even point to finds made even before the appearance of Homo Sapiens. But among the relatives of the pike, several important features are distinguished:
First, the pike was significantly longer and heavier than conventional combat lances. It provided only a two-handed grip, during which its shaft was clamped under the arm - this was the only way to hold the tip at the desired angle. Of course, it was very difficult to make frequent jabs, and even more so to throw most of the varieties of pikes at the enemy, because of their mass and shape, except for the purpose of the element of surprise.
Secondly, the lance tip is designed for the breakdown of armor, and therefore has a narrow faceted shape. Unlike other spears, especially oriental ones, they could only be stabbed. However, it would be more honest to say that in order to "strike" blows with something as long as a Moorish pike, you need to have impressive physical strength. Usually they simply put it in the direction of the enemy and tried to guess the moment in such a way that the rider or his horse swooped down on the edge on their own.
Macedonian phalanx of pikemen
Why did the spears, and the pike in particular, have such popularity and effectiveness? Popular culture loves spears much less than swords and axes, but in real open combat, the spear was almost irreplaceable.
To begin with, a spear is at least a couple (and sometimes six) meters of the shaft between you and the enemy, with a sharp tip on its side. Such an advantage in battle cannot be provided by any other weapon: a dense formation, bared with spears, becomes a very serious obstacle on the path of both foot and horse troops. Making a spear is very simple - you just need to find and cut a suitable pole, adding a tip and a counterweight. Even a sharp stick, burnt on fire, could become a dangerous weapon in the hands of a skilled fighter, what can we say about a full-fledged weapon with a sharp steel tip, equipped with a cross. It is not so easy to cut the shaft of a spear - as a rule, the blow will have to be tangentially, which will reduce its strength, in addition, many spears were additionally bound with iron in order to increase strength.
There are three main types of peaks:
Subulate, or "Mauritanian" peak was the record holder in size, its length ranged from 4.5 to 7 meters. Crowned with a long (up to 50 cm) four-sided tip, it was a formidable weapon, capable, under favorable circumstances, of stringing a knight on the edge like a barbecue.
European The peak is an average version of the peak that survived until the First World War. A versatile weapon for infantry and cavalry, popular for its size and efficiency ratio. Despite the fact that its length was usually in the region of 3.3 meters, the tip of such a peak usually did not exceed 12 cm. The pikemen lined up in several ranks, trying to increase their efficiency, which made the formation look like a porcupine studded with long needles from the side.
Boarding pike, as you might guess, was used by sailors during boarding, when ships are interlocked. It was shorter than the land analogue (1−1, 8 m), which is not surprising - on a shaky deck, in the crush of the battle, an unnecessarily long shaft was only a hindrance. She was stabbed, thrown at opponents, and grappling hooks pushed into the water. Thanks to the distance that the pike guaranteed, it was often much more effective than conventional knives and sabers.
The shortening of the peak began to occur with the arrival of mobile artillery, and its decline came at the same time when the cavalry ceased to participate in battles - until 1920-30, when it almost everywhere disappeared from use. Instead of a peak, bayonets were used, which were attached to muskets - if necessary, they could be rather effectively repulsed in close combat.
