Last Military Use Of Crossbows Or Bows By A European Power?

[DesertFox]

Curious when that last time a nation in Europe used crossbows or bows in a military conflict?

[Adam_S]

Well there was this lunatic from WW2:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill

Edited September 30, 2015 by Adam_S

[Adam_S]

The French also used a decidedly crossbow-like device in the first half of WW1 for lobbing grenades:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauterelle

[Marek Tucan]

Mad Jack used longbow (or bow in any case), the French thingie definitely is a crossbow, though a bit too large for single man use... Call it Ballista?

[rmgill]

SOE/OSS Big Joe 5 crossbow for silent elimination of sentries.

Big Joe 5 crossbow

[BansheeOne]

[JasonJ]

In April, In Ibaraki prefecture, a male office worker got shot in the leg by a crossbow bolt. The bolt was 8mm thick and 40cm long. The 36 year old male shooter was arrested.

 

http://daily-news.jp/2015/04/16/crossbow-incident-resulting-in-injury/

 

Of course, not a military conflict.

[DesertFox]

How about for somewhat large scale, not to eliminate sentries and the like?

[Richard Lindquist]

How about for somewhat large scale, not to eliminate sentries and the like?

Probably during the years 1550-1670.

[DougRichards]

How about for somewhat large scale, not to eliminate sentries and the like?

 

De Lilse carbine was able to do the very much better...

[TonyE]

Seem to recall that scotish mercenaries used longbows during the 30 years war.

[Yama]

Crossbows went out of fashion as weapons of war very quickly once hand-held firearms became viable. Conquistadors used them in early 16th century but already they were a minority weapon. Probably by 17th century they had disappeared almost entirely from military use at least in Europe - in fact regular bows held out longer. As hunting weapons, crossbows retained utility for longer. Blunt bolts would knock out or kill fur animals without damaging the fur.

 

Chinese used repeating crossbows up until early 20th century.

[FlyingCanOpener]

If you look here you can find the answer: http://bfy.tw/26ZW

Edited October 3, 2015 by FlyingCanOpener

[Colin]

yes but asking the same question generally creates far more interesting answers

[Cinaruco]

Otumba?

[DougRichards]

How about this?

 

The Leach Trench Catapult...

 

 

The Leach Trench Catapult (sometimes called a Leach-Gamage Catapult) was a bomb-throwing catapult used by the British Army on the Western Front during World War I. It was designed to throw a 2 lb (0.91 kg) projectile in a high trajectory into enemy trenches. Although called a catapult, it was effectively combination crossbow and slingshot.^[2] It was invented by Claude Pemberton Leach as an answer to the German Wurfmaschine, a spring-powered device for propelling a hand grenade about 200 m (220 yd).^[1]

The design was a Y shaped frame with natural rubber bands pulled taut by a windlass and held in position by a hook release. They were manufactured by the Gamages department store in Central London and cost just £6 17s 6d to make.^[1] In tests, the Leach Catapult could propel a golf ball 200 yd (180 m), and a cricket ball or Mills bomb 120–150 yd (110–140 m).^[1] However, with new rubbers it was reported to be able to propel a Jam Tin Grenade or No. 15 Ball grenade up to 200 yd (180 m).^[3]

The first was produced in March 1915 and by October of that year over 150 had been produced. 20 were allocated to each Division.^[1] From the end of 1915 they were replaced by the French-made Sauterelle grenade launcher, and in 1916 by the 2 inch Medium Trench Mortar and Stokes mortar.^[3]

Copies of the Leach Catapult, made locally by the Royal Engineers, were used in the Gallipoli Campaign.^[4]

 

^Wiki

 

^OR

 

 

The Arbalète sauterelle type A, or simply Sauterelle (French for grasshopper), was a bomb-throwing crossbow used by French and British forces on the Western Front during World War I. It was designed to throw a hand grenade in a high trajectory into enemy trenches. It was initially dismissed by the French Army but General Henri Berthelot thought it had practical value.^[1]

It was lighter and more portable than the Leach Trench Catapult, but less powerful. It weighed 24 kg (53 lb) and could throw an F1 grenade or Mills bomb 110–140 m (120–150 yd).^[2]

The Sauterelle replace the Leach Catapult in British service until they were replaced in 1916 by the 2 inch Medium Trench Mortar and Stokes mortar.^[3]

Edited October 5, 2015 by DougRichards

[Adam_S]

OK it's not Europe, but ISTR Benjamin Franklin being quite keen on the idea of equipping units with longbows in the war of independence.

 

The British also ran into bows from time to time in India.