@paulg In "The Ottoman Centuries" Kinross tells a possibly apocryphal tale of how Byzantines used large drums to detect mine construction.
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@manhattanmetric The Hospitallers used this technique on Rhodes, so not unlikely.
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@paulg The walls were very strong and undermining is hard. It wasn't actually a common technique. Storm, blockade or treachery more common -
@BenedictEvans From what I've read the Turks expended much effort undermining the Hospitallers' fortifications on Rhodes, no? -
@paulg before cannon, the only guaranteed way of taking a major fortification was a complete blockade, and that wasn't always possible. -
@paulg A key issue is time. Most armies had to go home at the end of summer or the food ran out. So you only had 4-6 weeks to play with
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@paulg two key reasons: topography of assault grade & ordnance delivery sys. the mehmet assault is a classic mil.sci studyThanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@paulg Maybe they mistakenly asked for directions to Istanbul, not Constantinople?Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@holland_tom RT@paulg Can anyone tell me why no besieger was able to undermine the walls of Constantinople? -
@KSpeicher@paulg Theodosius II deployed all the resources of what was still, when he built the walls, the greatest empire on earth.
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@paulg A limestone and crushed brick mortar core which bonded with the stone facades. Assume the stone was well cut for good fit.Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@paulg That's no one's business but the Turks.Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@paulg Mines were successfully dug, but countermines surprised and killed the sappers. http://books.google.com/books?id=ftOp1cR7VK8C&pg=PT161&lpg=PT161&dq=undermine+walls+constantinople&source=bl&ots=PpyF2Zerpa&sig=u46hm9GGWr6_z8BpDVIkUYe7jRI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Ra1kUongJKqKiQeh4oHgCw&ved=0CFsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=undermine%20walls%20constantinople&f=false …Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@paulg You're asking this on Twitter? You might have better luck asking the Kardasshians.Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@paulg The city was breached by the redirected 4th crusade in 1204 by cutting the harbor's chain and making a hole in the wall from seapowerThanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@paulg Deep foundations reinforced w/ stone columns to disrupt sappers- also risk of tunnel flooding that near sea level. Turks tried 1453Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@paulg Not for lacking of trying. Counter-mining, foundations and a complex tiered wall made it exceptionally tricky for anyone to succeed.Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@paulg Greek fire played a strong defensive role against assaults from the sea.Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@paulg strategic positioning on the Bosphorus straitThanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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