- This is an article on the military formation called tabor. For other uses see: Tabor (disambiguation)
Tabor is a set of horse-drawn wagons that supported the armies in Europe between 15th and 20th centuries. The tabors usually followed the armies and carried all the necessary supplies and rear units, such as field kitchens , armourers or shoemakers.
In the 15th century the Hussites developed a tactics of using the tabors as a self-propelled fortresses. When the Hussite army faced a numerically superior opponent, the Bohemians usually formed a circle of the armed wagons, joined them with iron chains and defended it against charges of the enemy. Such a camp was easy to establish and practically impassable to enemy cavalry.
The tactics was later adopted by various armies of Central Europe, including the army of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 16th and 17th centuries this tactics was also mastered by the Cossacks who used their tabors also for protection of marching troops.
See also
Last updated: 05-07-2005 08:30:28