Siege Equipment
The early Bulgarian army was not supplied with strong siege equipment . The Bulgarians used siege machines on a large scale for the first time during the reign of Khan Krum (803-814), when they employed Arab renegades to gain experience. By 814 they possessed a large number of enormous siege machines - battering rams, ballistas, mangonels, catapults, siege towers, machines against battlements. They were transported by 5,000 iron-covered carts, hauled by 10,000 oxen. In addition, after the siege of Mesembria, the Bulgarians captured 36 copper siphons which the Byzantines used to throw the famous Greek fire.
A wide range of siege equipment was also used during the Second Empire. During the siege of Adrianople in 1207, Emperor Kaloyan had 33 catapults and an engineer corps which was tasked with destroying the city walls. In the beginning of the 13th century, during the siege of Varna, the Bulgarians constructed an enormous siege tower which was wider than the moat of the fortress.
Read more about this topic: Medieval Bulgarian Army
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