Warrior's cutlass drill used guards against attacks from different directions and compact cuts suited to cramped decks. Broad swings were poorly suited to confined spaces aboard a ship. Nearby rope could also endanger a sailor during a fight. This training helped prepare sailors for close combat in late nineteenth-century sieges, where fighting moved into cities. Experience aboard ship gave them practice in confined conditions that differed from the open ground used for much army training.
Notable Point · 1:17:34-1:19:20
Cutlass drill and close-quarter fighting
Warrior's cutlass demonstration shows how confined shipboard spaces shaped naval fighting technique and sailors' value in late nineteenth-century sieges.