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Cossacks' Naval Warfare
The sea warfare techniques used by the Don and Zaporozhian Cossacks reminded those used
hundreds years before, in times of Prince Oleg of the Ancient Rus. The Cossack ships
(called chayka, that translates as "sea-gull") also very much resembled
the ones of Kievan Rus or Vikings. A chayka could carry up to seventy Cossacks
(Viking ships or ladya of Kievan Rus could carry 50-80 warriors).
There is a good description of Cossack sea warfare tactics, given by the French
engineer de Beauplan who was building fortresses in the Polish Kingdom:
" If Cossacks meet [during their voyage to the Turkish shores] any Turkish galleys
or other ships, they follow them, attack and take them by assault. And here is the tactic
they use: since their boats do not rise more than two and a half feet above the surface of
the water, the Cossacks notice the enemy's ship or galley earlier than they themselves are
noticed. Having noticed the enemy's ship, the Cossacks lower the masts, check the wind
direction and try to stay out of sight until evening. Then, an hour before sunset they
begin to row quickly to the ship or galley until they are one mile away (so that they
don't lose sight of the vessel) and thus watch it almost till midnight. Then on signal
half of the Cossacks ply their oars with all their strength to more quickly reach the
enemy's ships, while the other half keeps ready for battle and only waits to storm the
ship, the crew of which happens to be greatly startled and confused to see themselves
under attack by 80 or 100 boats loaded with a mass of armed men flowing into the ship to
capture it in an instant."
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