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. The hollow spikes puncture self-sealing rubber tires. The hole in the center allows air to escape if the other end of the tube is sealed by soft ground. ]] A caltrop ('''calthrop''', '''jack rock''', '''star nail''' or '''crow's foot''') is a Weapon made up of two (or more) sharp nails or spines arranged in such a manner that one of them always points upward from a stable base (for example, a Tetrahedron ). Caltrops serve to slow down the advance of Horse s, War Elephant s, and human troops. It was said to be particularly effective against the soft feet of Camel s.1 In more modern times, caltrops are used against wheeled vehicles with pneumatic Tire s. In Japan such devices were known as '' Makibishi ''. The device shares its name with the caltrop, '' Tribulus Terrestris '' ( Zygophyllaceae ), whose spiked seed case can also injure feet and puncture tires. It can alo be compared to the Star Thistle , '' Centaurea Calcitrapa '', whose Latin name ''calcitrapa'' means "foot trap". HISTORY Iron caltrops were used as early as 331 BC at Gaugamela according to Quintus Curtius (IV.3.36). They were known to the Romans as ''tribulus'' or sometimes as ''Murex ferreus'', the latter meaning 'jagged iron'. The late Roman writer Vegetius , referring in his work '' De Re Militari '' to Scythed Chariot s, wrote: This device was used with great success by the Scots against the English at the Battle Of Bannockburn in 1314, to disable horsemen. The Drummond clan deployed welded nail caltrops, halting English cavalry in its tracks and saving vital Scots infantry in a battle that meant over 4,000 English troops lost their lives and Edward II had to retreat without shield and sword. Their use undoubtedly contributed to the resounding Scottish victory. The caltrop continued in use into the 17th century; a single example was found in Jamestown, Virginia in the USA . Punji Stick s and caltrops were used in the Vietnam War, sometimes with poison or manure on the points. CALTROP-LIKE DEVICES Punji Stick s perform a similar role to caltrops. These are sharpened sticks placed vertically in the ground. Their use in modern times targets the body and limbs of a falling victim rather than well shod feet, by means of a pit or tripwire. In Britain , during the Second World War , large caltrop shaped objects made from Reinforced Concrete were used as Anti-tank devices, although it seems that these were rare.3 Very much more common were concrete devices called Dragon's Teeth that were designed to wedge into Tank treads. However, dragon's teeth are Immobile , so the analogy with the caltrop is inexact. Another caltrop-like WWII defence is the massive, steel, freestanding Czech Hedgehog s that were designed as anti-tank obstacles and were also used to damage Ships and Landing Craft . The caltrop is the symbol of the US Army's III Corps , which is based at Fort Hood , Texas . III Corps traces its lineage to the days of horse Cavalry , which used the caltrop as an Area Denial Weapon . Fort Hood is the only installation in the US Army that has declared the caltrop to be a weapon prohibited in the Barracks . MODERN USES Labor activists Caltrops have been used at times during Labor Strike s and other disputes. Such devices were used by some to destroy the tires of management and replacement workers. Because of the prevalence of caltrops during the Caterpillar strike of the mid-1990s, the state of Illinois passed a law making the possession of such devices a misdemeanor.4 Environmental activists In the 1970s, activists in the United States deployed caltrops against the tires of logging trucks. Earth First! quickly condemned the practice, seeing it as a hazard to humans and animals. SEE ALSO REFERENCES
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