From the Enemy's Eyes-Rohirrim Charge on Helm's Deep/Pellenor

[WarBringer]

Originally Posted by Bywaters

I've been thinking a lot about this one this afternoon. I've read a few books in the Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. Sharpe being a rifleman during the Napoleonic wars (played by Sean Bean in the TV adaptation). Whenever Sharpe and his riflemen and Red jackets came across enemy cavalry they would form what is called a hollow square. Which would be three men deep, with the first rank presenting bayonnets allowing the two ranks behind them to fire off volleys at the call of the commanding officer. According to the books, the hollow square was nigh on impossible for a cavalry to break.

That sounds very interesting and effective, you'll have to give me the information for that series...

On another note, I was referring to the use of a weapon such as a catapult to disrupt the charge. Imagine a huge rock landing right in the center of a horse charge down a narrow slope. It would completely halt the center charge. Just a thought...