The article deals with the tactics employed by the Crimean Tatar cavalry against wagon forts. Some tactical techniques used by the khan's military commanders encountering wagon forts are explained. Most often, attacks on the march and blockade were used for to capture a wagon fort. Direct attacks on the wagon forts, as a rule, were beaten off by its defenders. Cases of total destruction of a wagon fort by Crimean Tatars were extremely rare because of its counter-horsemen efficiency. However, under certain circumstances, even such a strong and effective fortification could be captured in the battle with the cavalry. The author shows the attitude of the Crimean Tatars towards the wagon forts, who paid their respected to wagon forts’ efficiency, but at the same time boasted that their enemies were afraid of a field battle and used wagon forts instead.
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