Thecheval de frise (/ʃəˈvɑːldəˈfriːz/, pluralchevaux de frise/ʃəˈvoʊdəˈfriːz/;French pronunciation:[ʃə.valdəfʁiz], plural[ʃə.vodəfʁiz], "Frisianhorses") was a defensive obstacle, existing in a number of forms, principally as a static anti-cavalry obstacle but also quickly movable to close breaches. The term was also applied to underwater constructions used to prevent the passage of ships or other vessels on rivers. In the anti-cavalry role the cheval de frise typically comprised a portable frame (sometimes just a simple log) with many projecting spikes.[1]Wire obstacles ultimately made this type of device obsolete.
The invention of the cheval de frise is attributed to ancient China. The concept of using a defensive obstacle made of wooden or metal stakes predates its use in Europe. Historical records suggest that similar types of defensive barriers, known asteng pai ormó pai, were used in China as early as the 4th century BC. These early versions of the cheval de frise were employed to protect cities, forts, and other strategic locations from enemy attacks. InMing dynasty military treatises, it was known as thejùmǎ (拒馬, lit. "horse repeller") orlùjiǎo (鹿角, "deer horn").
The use of chevaux de frise spread to Europe during the Middle Ages and became a common feature of medieval fortifications. They were used extensively in castle defenses and military campaigns, particularly during the Renaissance and early modern periods.
During theAmerican Civil War theConfederates used them more than theUnion forces.[2] DuringWorld War I, armies used chevaux de frise to temporarily plug gaps in barbed wire.[3][4] Barbed wire chevaux de frise were used in jungle fighting on the South Pacific islands duringWorld War II.
The term is also applied to defensive works on buildings. This includes a series of closely set upright stones found outside the ramparts ofIron Agehillforts in northern Europe,[5] or iron spikes outside homes inCharleston, South Carolina.[6]
In French,cheval de frise means "Frisian horse".[7][8] TheFrisians fought predominantly using infantry against feudal armies with mounted knights. Therefore, they relied heavily on anti-cavalry obstacles.[1] More generally, the Dutch also adopted the use of these defensive devices when at war with Spain. The termcheval de frise came to be used for any obstacle with spikes designed to injure someone or something passing over it, such as broken glass embedded inmortar at the top of a wall.
The cheval de frise was adopted in New York and Pennsylvania during theAmerican Revolutionary War as a defensive measure installed on rivers to prevent upriver movement by enemy ships. During thePeninsular War, at theSiege of Badajoz (1812), a cheval de frise was used to fill a breach in the town wall, allowing the French to inflict heavy casualties on the Britishstorm troops.[9]
During theAmerican Revolutionary War bothThaddeus Kosciuszko[10] andRobert Erskine designed an anti-ship version of the cheval-de-frise to prevent British warships from proceeding up theDelaware River[11] andHudson River, respectively. A cheval de frise byErskine's design was placed betweenFort Washington at northern Manhattan andFort Lee in New Jersey in 1776. The following year construction began on one to the north ofWest Point atPollepel Island, but it was overshadowed by the completion of theGreat Chain across the Hudson in 1778, which was used through 1782.
 |  Illustration A: Side view; Illustration B: Top view |
Similar devices planned byBen Franklin and designed byRobert Smith[12] were used in theDelaware River nearPhiladelphia, betweenFort Mifflin andFort Mercer.[13] Two other lines of chevaux-de-frise were also placed across the Delaware River atMarcus Hook, Pennsylvania andFort Billingsport, New Jersey as a first line of defense for Philadelphia against the British naval forces.[14]
A cheval de frise was retrieved from the Delaware River in Philadelphia on November 13, 2007, in excellent condition, after more than two centuries in the river.[15] In November 2012, a 29-foot (9 m) spike from a cheval-de-frise was recovered from Delaware off Bristol Township; it was also believed to be from the Revolutionary era installation at Philadelphia and freed up byHurricane Sandy earlier that fall.[16]
A smallpromontory on the north-eastEssex coast in the United Kingdom (UK), betweenHolland Haven andFrinton-on-Sea, was named Chevaux de Frise Point.[17]
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