# Ladder safety during castle storming **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 4, 2010, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583 "2010-09-04T09:47:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583/41 "2010-09-06T19:30:44Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > You guys are making it sound like it wouldn’t be fun to storm the castle. No more so than being in the first waves to hit Omaha Beach. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583/42 "2010-09-07T02:18:47Z")
I highly recommend this book: [http://www.amazon.com/Knight-Medieval-Warriors-Unofficial-Manuals/dp/0500251606/ref=pd\_sim\_b\_4](http://www.amazon.com/Knight-Medieval-Warriors-Unofficial-Manuals/dp/0500251606/ref=pd_sim_b_4). Quite a bit in it on siege warfare. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583/43 "2010-09-07T03:48:03Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Of course, that kind of scrotum-centric strategy cost a \*lot \*of victories too. It is said that at San Juan Hill, Teddy Roosevelt did not order, “Charge!” but said, “Follow me!” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583/44 "2010-09-07T03:54:03Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > > [@Wile\_E](#): > > > > You guys are making it sound like it wouldn’t be fun to storm the castle. > > No more so than being in the first waves to hit Omaha Beach. I believe that is the required reference to the film _The Princess Bride._ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583/45 "2010-09-07T08:55:06Z")
[Forlorn Hope](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forlorn_hope), for an example of how assualts were seen. I think Louis XIV personally led one such assualt at Maastrict. ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583/46 "2010-09-07T09:29:42Z")
The only achievement I want is a long life. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583/47 "2010-09-07T10:10:20Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > [Forlorn Hope](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forlorn_hope), for an example of how assualts were seen. > > I think Louis XIV personally led one such assualt at Maastrict. The key point being, I think, that the first men over the wall are almost always volunteers. Very few smart commanders \*force \*their men into near-certain death. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583/48 "2010-09-07T11:07:33Z")
More accuratly no successful commanders. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583/49 "2010-09-07T11:36:12Z")
Human psychology is funny. Order a man to sacrifice his life, and he’ll tell you to go pound sand. Stand up in front of a group of men and ask for a volunteer to sacrifice his life, and the same guy might very well step forward with a smile on his face. Say “I’m going to sacrifice my life - who’s with me?” and they’ll all come. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583/50 "2010-09-07T13:51:05Z")
Incidentally, at Omaha beach you had one experienced division the 1st and one green one, the 29th, the later made a nice meal of the whole thing. So not really an example **Alessen** , 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladder-safety-during-castle-storming/552583.md?page=2)