Hawks still a viable weapon of war

Standing Orders, Rogers' Rangers​

(Major Robert Rogers, 1759)​

1. Don't forget nothing.

2. Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball, and be ready to march at a minute's warning.

3. When you're on the march, act the way you would if you was sneaking up on a deer. See the enemy first.

4. Tell the truth about what you see and do. There is an army depending on us for correct information. You can lie all you please when you tell other folks about the Rangers, but don't never lie to a Ranger or officer.

5. Don't never take a chance you don't have to.

6. When we're on the march we march single file, far enough apart so one shot can't go through two men.

7. If we strike swamps, or soft ground, we spread out abreast, so it's hard to track us.

8. When we march, we keep moving til dark, so as to give the enemy the least possible chance at us.

9. When we camp, half the party stays awake while the other half sleeps.

10. If we take prisoners, we keep 'em separate til we have had time to examine them, so they can't cook up a story between 'em.

11. Don't ever march home the same way. Take a different route so you won't be ambushed.

12. No matter whether we travel in big parties or little ones, each party has to keep a scout 20 yards ahead, twenty yards on each flank and twenty yards in the rear, so the main body can't be surprised and wiped out.

13. Every night you'll be told where to meet if surrounded by a superior force.

14. Don't sit down to eat without posting sentries.

15. Don't sleep beyond dawn. Dawn's when the French and Indians attack.

16. Don't cross a river by a regular ford.

17. If somebody's trailing you, make a circle, come back onto your own tracks, and ambush the folks that aim to ambush you.

18. Don't stand up when the enemy's coming against you. Kneel down. Hide behind a tree.

19. Let the enemy come till he's almost close enough to touch. Then let him have it and jump out and finish him up with your hatchet.

 
I did the same thing when I was growing up. Met my first girlfriend at Roger’s’ rock when our families were camping. We would escape the concrete jungle of Troy, NY and explore every nook and cranny we could find along lake George shoreline. Beautiful place to camp with crystal clear ICE COLD water, even in July.IMG_6555.jpeg
 
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Humans , since even before the time we became fully human , have preferred to do our killing at a nice , safe distance .

Except for the insane and very stupid , nobody , ever wanted to get up close and personal . Hunting dangerous game or fighting humans .

Ranged weapons were always the major tools , used primarily for serious dangerous encounter . Always !

Humans are, just naturally , very good at throwing weapons . Rocks , spears , etc .

Good at inventing spear casters , bows , slings etc etc , to help exceed effectiveness of throwing by hand .

A hawk is a very fine close weapon and can even be thrown ...once .

But not really a practical ranged weapon .

More important for other support tasks , and spiritual / morale purposes than fighting . IMO
 
The True North said:

Standing Orders, Rogers' Rangers​

(Major Robert Rogers, 1759)​

1. Don't forget nothing.

2. Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball, and be ready to march at a minute's warning.

3. When you're on the march, act the way you would if you was sneaking up on a deer. See the enemy first.

4. Tell the truth about what you see and do. There is an army depending on us for correct information. You can lie all you please when you tell other folks about the Rangers, but don't never lie to a Ranger or officer.

5. Don't never take a chance you don't have to.

6. When we're on the march we march single file, far enough apart so one shot can't go through two men.

7. If we strike swamps, or soft ground, we spread out abreast, so it's hard to track us.

8. When we march, we keep moving til dark, so as to give the enemy the least possible chance at us.

9. When we camp, half the party stays awake while the other half sleeps.

10. If we take prisoners, we keep 'em separate til we have had time to examine them, so they can't cook up a story between 'em.

11. Don't ever march home the same way. Take a different route so you won't be ambushed.

12. No matter whether we travel in big parties or little ones, each party has to keep a scout 20 yards ahead, twenty yards on each flank and twenty yards in the rear, so the main body can't be surprised and wiped out.

13. Every night you'll be told where to meet if surrounded by a superior force.

14. Don't sit down to eat without posting sentries.

15. Don't sleep beyond dawn. Dawn's when the French and Indians attack.

16. Don't cross a river by a regular ford.

17. If somebody's trailing you, make a circle, come back onto your own tracks, and ambush the folks that aim to ambush you.

18. Don't stand up when the enemy's coming against you. Kneel down. Hide behind a tree.

19. Let the enemy come till he's almost close enough to touch. Then let him have it and jump out and finish him up with your hatchet.

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Words to live by.
 
Brent Halverson said:
Children are enthralled with war, adults with peace. But of course it is not going to make as profitable a video game for the kiddies if it is about splitting firewood instead of the alleged "enemies" that are out there.
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Tell that to the Ukrainian who's city has been destroyed by Russians. From that perspective, you sound pretentious. War is a reality of the human experience, and whether it's brought upon you or you're bringing it upon others, it is inevitable. Maybe you get lucky and it never happens to you but discussing and preparing for it is just a responsible thing to do, even if maybe the idea of using a hatchet as a weapon on the modern battlefield is a little far fetched.
 
For modern warfighters, I'm thinking that a robust hawk would serve as a great lightweight and easily portable "break & rake" tool.

Fighting? Well, maybe...but not so much.


Just my $0.02. Your mileage may vary.
 
Hand to hand rarely happens in modern war. That's why when it does, it's big news. If I'd have just said it almost never happens someone would bring up the video of the Russian and Ukranian soldiers in a knife fight. But that's the exception that proves the rule. For the US most every hand to hand engagement was as a means of less lethal force like entering a building and the person isn't armed but still being aggressive (or defensive if it was the wrong room, or wasn't the person being searched for). The British did do a bayonet charge, but they just seem to like doing that. Like the last one they did in the Falklands just because... or to maintain quiet and surprise.

If it ever did get that bad, then a tomahawk, or combat hatchet (like the Winkler or RMJ) would be great for it.
 
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