2. *
*In June of 1340, the English
decided to attack the French
fleet at Sluys.
*Many merchant ships had been
enhanced with forecastles and
sterncastles which was ideal for
fighting at sea.
3. *
*After a nine hour battle, that
featured both archer attacks
and hand-to-hand combat, the
English fleet of 200 ships
destroyed the French forces;
close to 16,000 men died
mostly French.
4. *
*The first and biggest battle in which
longbow men fought against knights
and won against overwhelming
numbers and repeated charges into
the darkness.
*The battle of Crécy was a
resounding victory for the English
longbow men during the 100-year
war and was fought on 26 August
1346 by the Army of King Edward III
and King Philip VI of France.
5. *
*Forgetful of the lessons of
Crécy (1346), the French
launched a series of
assaults in which their
knights had became easy
targets for the Black
Prince’s archers.
*John II himself led the last
French charge and was
taken as a prisoner, along
with thousands of his
knights.
6. *
*Henry V (5th) was king at 1413 and
had invaded France and thought he
would be king of France as Charles
VI (6th) was mentally ill and weak
for a King.
*So the French and English met in
Agincourt at 1415.
*Then Henry thought this was his
chance to be King and ordered his
6,000 trained longbow men to shoot
300m from the French but the
French had 20,000 crossbow men.
*The English Won even though they
had 6,000 not 20,000 bowmen
