War elephant

This article is about elephants trained for combat. For the album by Deer Tick, see War Elephant (album).
War elephant
BranchCavalry
EngagementsBattle of the Hydaspes
Battle of Zama
Second Battle of Panipat
Battle of Ambur
War elephants depicted in Hannibal crossing the Rhône (1878), by Henri Motte
Indian elephant sword on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, two feet (61 cm) long
Rajput painting depicting a war elephant in an army

A war elephant is an elephant that is trained and guided by humans for combat purposes. Historically, the war elephant's main use was to charge the enemy, break their ranks, and instill terror and fear. Elephantry is a term for specific military units using elephant-mounted troops.[1] In modern times, war elephants on the battlefield were effectively made redundant by the invention of motor vehicles, particularly tanks.

  1. ^ Whitney, William Dwight; Smith, Benjamin Eli (1911). "elephantry". The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: The Century dictionary. Century Company. p. 2257. Also: elephantry (Wiktionary)