Page 36 - All About History - Issue 11-14

Greatest Battles

Camping for the night 10 French camp ransacked
English 01 On 24 October, about 48 kilometres (30 miles) from Calais in With the battle over and any local
the town of Frévent, English scouts reported an immense French army resistance crushed, the English troops
TROOPS 6,000-9,000 blocking the road ahead. Seeing that they could not pass without meeting ransacked the largely abandoned French
camp, having secured a victory that would
them in battle, Henry ordered his forces to camp there for the night.
LONGBOWMEN 5,000 live on in legend.
KNIGHTS 1,000 02 Taking their positions
The English positioned themselves across the road to Calais in
three groups of knights and men-at-arms: the right side led by
Lord Camoys, the left by Sir Thomas Erpingham and the Duke
of York in the centre. The French had the Constable of France
leading the first line, the Dukes of Bar and d’Alencon the second
and the Counts of Merle and Falconberg in charge of the third.

Forward banners
03 Bored of waiting for the French
to begin the attack, Henry ordered his
troops to advance. Once within range of 10
the French archers, the English troops
halted, the divisions closed and the
archers set a series of pointed stakes in
KING HENRY V the ground, forming a fence. Within the 08
woods surrounding the two armies, Henry
LEADER directed groups of archers and men-at-
King Henry was a skilled battle arms to move through the trees to get 07
commander, leading his troops into closer to the French.
battle and fighting alongside them.
Strengths Brave and experienced
military leader.
Weaknesses His forces were
numerically inferior to those of Arrows
the French. 04 away
Shortly after, Henry 05
gave the order for
his archers to
shoot the French,
who were massed 09
together in a big,
unwieldy group. Taken
by surprise, the French
forces incurred very
heavy casualties.
04
LONGBOWMAN
KEY UNIT 05 French
The effectiveness of the English
longbowmen played a massive part attempt to
in the success of the battle.
Strengths Long range and difficult
to attack. move forward
Weaknesses Relatively poorly
armoured and vulnerable if attacked. After the shock of this assault, the
French forces tried to advance in order to
take the battle to the English. However,
having already suffered massive Archers join the
LONGBOW casualties, they were impeded by the 06 fray and fl anks
KEY WEAPON With the battle continuing along the
The longbow’s six arrows per minute dead and dying horses and men already fence of stakes, the English archers
could wound at 360m (1,200ft), kill shot down in front of them. Reduced to abandoned their positions and joined
at 180m (600ft) and even penetrate the knights in fighting against the
armour at 90m (300ft). walking pace, they were easily picked off French cavalry forces – most of which
Strengths Accurate and destructive
in large numbers. by the English archers concealed in the had been forced to dismount – which
Weaknesses Finite number of were reinforced by soldiers attacking
arrows available to them. woodlands on the flanks. on the flanks.
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