User blog:SPARTAN 119/Da Vinci's "Tank" vs Mughal War Elephant

The tank-like vehicle designed by Leonardo Da Vinci in the 1500s, 400 years before the first tanks saw the battlefield

VS

The Mughal War Elephant, the 15th century "living tank" of the Indian Mughal empire.

Only one can be DEADLIEST!

=Combatants=

Da Vinci's "Tank"
Among the many designs found in 15th-century artist and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci's notebooks was a combat vehicle similar to a modern tank. The vehicle was armed with a battery of cannon mounted along the side of the vehicles circular body, and had a top "sighting turret for aiming the guns and steering the "tank". The vehicle moved on four wheels powered by a human-powered crank system. Interestingly, the design in Da Vinci's notebook is mechanically flawed- the crank system is such that the gears would rotate against each other, making movement impossible. It is widely believed that Da Vinci intentionally sabotaged his design, as he was a pacifist at heart. It is believed that the vehicle was to be armored with steel plates.

Mughal War Elephant
Elephants have been used in combat in India since around 1000 BC, yet during the time of the Mughals (1526-1858 AD), the War elephant reached the peak of their evolution, bearing both knight-like armor and, in some cases, a Gajnal, or small, swiveling cannon on their backs. In addition to the Gajnal, Mughal war elephants carried a small "tower" or howdah, multiple soldiers, including archers armed with composite bows and musketeers armed with matchlock muskets. The elephants also often had swords and/or flails attached to their tusks and trunk.

=Weapons=

Cannon (Tank)
Cannon of Da Vinci's era would have been mostly muzzle loading weapons, meaning in ships, or in the case of Da Vinci's tank, they would have to be retracted back into the vehicle to reload. Da Vinci's tank carried a battery of guns that ran all around the vehicle, so it could fire in any direction. For the purposes of this match, the weapon will have a range of about 500 meters

Gajnal/Jinghal (Elephant)
The Gajnal or Jinghal is was a light cannon similar to the shaturnal gun of the Zamburak Camel Artillery. The weapon was described as a large swivel gun or a small falconet, a small cannon which fires a 1 pound ball up to about 5000 feet.

Matchlock Musket
The matchlock musket is an early firearm fired using a slow-burning cord or "match" the was placed against a touchhole using a spring loaded mechanism activated by a simple trigger. The matchlock was most effective when fired in volleys at relatively close ranges, where it proved effective at piercing even plate armor. The weapon had a maximum range of about 50 yard against a single human target, and about 75 yards against a group of targets. At least for the purpose of this match, it will be possible to fire a matchlock out of the observation ports on the "tank".

Arbalest
An arbalest is a crossbow with a steel bow, capable of firing an arrow with much more force than a wooden crossbow. Because of the forces involved, an arbalest, a windlass was often required to string the bow.

Matchlock
The Mughals used a type of matchlock musket called the toradar, a weapon similar to matchlocks in other parts of the world. The matchlock musket is an early firearm fired using a slow-burning cord or "match" the was placed against a touchhole using a spring loaded mechanism activated by a simple trigger. The matchlock was most effective when fired in volleys at relatively close ranges, where it proved effective at piercing even plate armor. The weapon had a maximum range of about 50 yard against a single human target, and about 75 yards against a group of targets.

Composite Bow
The Mughals used a type of composite bow similar to that used by the Turks and Persians, which they were known to be skilled at using. These bows were made from a combination of wood, horn, sinew, and other materials, giving the bow greater flexibility, allowing arrows to be fired with greater forces.

Trunk and Tusk Weapons
Mughal War Elephants often had melee weapons attached to the trunk and tusks. The tusks typically had long swords attached, which were sometimes coated with poison for greater lethality. Their trunks of the elephants may have also had swords or heavy flails. For the purposes of this match, the elephant will have tusk swords and a trunk flail.

119's Edge
I give a slight edge to the Mughal War Elephant's Secondary Armamnents, as the projectile are similar enough to be called even, and the sheer strength of the elephant, along with the trunk maces might be able to smash through the tank's armor.... if it can get close enough. =X-Factors=

Explanations
The wood plate body of the tank, along with the metal plates would give it more armor than the elephant- metal on top of flesh and blood, not to mention fewer weak points as the tank does not need joints. The tank is a lot slower and less maneuverable than a war elephant, however, it is more controlable- an elephant might go berserk if wounded.