The Way We War

[Kuruharan]

While it mentions the use of shields with the Dwarfs of the Iron Hills (and let us not forget Thorin Oakenshield) the book also mentions the use of two handed weapons. How are Dwarfs suppose to fight in an organized fashion with no means of defense.

I wouldn't propose that they do at all. However, the shield appears to have been a fairly standard piece of dwarven equipment. Their standard practice may well have been to swap back and forth.

Unlike the sword, it does not allow for stabbing (well you can, as seen by the movie Gimli) and needs to be swung or chopped in order to hit your foe. If the Dwarfs are to fight in groups they would constantly be in danger of hitting one another.

However, when you are shorter and outnumbered, which they ususally were, fighting individually isn't a prudent course to pursue.

I wonder whether Dwarves had crossbows.

Never any reference to them in the books.

Hobbits were 2-3 feet

Two feet...that seems just a bit too small.

[mark12_30]

As I recall, a range of four feet max down to two feet min, and commonly three to three-six.

From the prologue:

For they are a little people, smaller than Dwarves: less stout and stocky, that is, even when they are not actually much shorter. Their height is variable, ranging between two and four feet of our measure. They seldom now reach three feet; but they have dwindled, they say, and in ancient days they were taller. According to the Red Book, Bandobras Took (Bullroarer), son of Isengrim the Second, was four foot five and able to ride a horse. He was surpassed in all Hobbit records only by two famous characters of old; but that curious matter is dealt with in this book.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Originally posted by Pitchwife
Last not least, I'm not convinced that most of the Dwarves' fighting was being done underground. Unless they were really busy fighting nameless things gnawing at the roots of the world all the time, I'd rather think that any battle that had them facing the enemy within their own subterranean homes was already half lost. Wouldn't they do their damnedest to repel any enemy way before they came close to their gates?

I believe there were numerous dwarf/orc battles fought
underground.

LOTR, Appendix A

Thrain...stood up and said: 'This cannot be borne!'
That was the beginning of the War of the Dwarves and the
Orcs, which was long and deadly, and fought for the most
part in deep places beneath the earth.
...When all was ready they assailed and sacked one by one
all the strongholds of the Orcs that they could find from Gundabad
to the Gladden. Both sides were pitiless, and there was death
and cruel deeds by dark and by light. But the Dwarves had the
victory through their strength and their matchless weapons,
and the fire of their anger, as they hunted for Azog in every
den under mountain.