Conflict: Hundred Years' War
Combatants: English v. French
Location: France
Outcome: English victory
A naval victory in the English Channel allowed King Edward III to land 10,000 soldiers in northern France in July of 1346. French King Phillip fielded an army of 12,000 soldiers, including 4,000 Genoese crossbowmen, and met the English force at Crecy. Edward positioned his infantry defensively, taking care to defend his longbowmen. On August 26th, Phillip ordered a reconnaissance in force of the English positions, but his troops inadvertently engaged in battle. The mercenary crossbowmen were perforated by the adept English longbowmen and fled to the rear. Phillip attempted a cavalry charge in response, but his horsemen, too, were cut down by arrows. By nightfall, one third of the French army was destroyed while Edward had lost less than 100 men.
Points of Interest:
The English longbowman at Crecy were able to load and release six times faster than the mercenary crossbowmen.
The breaking of the French army at Crecy allowed Edward to turn his army to Calais unopposed.
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Sources:
Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).
Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.
Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
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