The matchcord and its pros and cons

[fernando]

Having become the proud owner of half meter matchcord from the end XV-beg.XVI centuries, i decided to keep it from imponderables in an acrylic box, tagged with a silver plaque.
While searching the Portuguese Net for the better name of matchcord in military lexicon, i spotted this episode that took place during the Restoration War which, in the context, i thought it would be interesting for members perusal:


" The problem of matchlock firearms was the necessity of transporting the lit match, in the form to provoke the ignition of the gunpowder and do the shot. When the enemy intended to be ambushed in the night or in obscure zones, the lit match could denounce the soldiers who were preparing such surprise. As a matter of fact, a stratagem known, destined to deceive the adversary in the night, was to leave lit match in a place – for example, behind fences or bush – with the purpose to attract the enemy fire, making it easier to punish them with a round of gunfire from another position, without giving them time to re-load their weapons or other reaction. An example of this is told by Aires Varela in 1644 "

(…) enviou desta cidade o coronel Til [Jan Willem van Til, holandês] com o seu regimento, e a Luís Mendes de Vasconcelos, para que em Campo Maior, com o capitão João de Saldanha da Gama, passassem a Vilar del Rey, fizessem emboscada e dano que pudessem; ordenou que na madrugada de 9 de Fevereiro, em que se havia de fazer, tocassem arma viva em Valverde, para o inimigo mandar pedir socorro a Badajoz, e obrar emboscada em Vilar del Rey sem risco. De Olivença passaram áquele lugar alguns soldados, e junto dele, por entre o arvoredo maquieiro e outro mato baixo, puseram quantidade de mechas acesas; e tocando arma, se meteu o Castelhano em confusão, e a nossa gente em lugar seguro. O inimigo correu às trincheiras, descobriu as mechas, e parecendo-lhe gente de guerra deu contra elas muitas cargas; os nossos, seguros, as festejavam, e em amanhecendo se retiraram, e os Castelhanos descobriram a travessura e se acharam corridos.

A poor translation from the old Portuguese would be:

(…) Sent from this city colonel Til [Jan Willem van Tilde, Dutch] with his regiment, and Luís Mendes de Vasconcelos, so that in Campo Maior, with captain João de Saldanha da Gama, they would pass Vilar del Rey, to set up ambush and the most damage they could; he ordered that in the dawn of the 9th of February, as it should be done, active shooting was put up in Valverde, so that the enemy would send for help in Badajoz, the ambush in Vilar del Rey taking no risk. From Olivença some soldiers passed to that place, and close to it, between the dense trees and other low bush, they placed a number of lit matchcord; and calling to arms, the enemy got involved in confusion, with our people at safe place. The enemy ran to the trenches, saw the lit matchcord and, this seeming to be people of war, threw over many fire discharges; while ours, knowing tey were safe, were celebrating them, and by dawn they withdrew, while the adversaries, finding out the mischief, realized they were deceived.

I bet this strategy was often used by both parts as also in other wars where else.

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