m3378

A mid- to late 14th century manuscript illustration of a naval battle. During the Hundred Years War naval clashes were resolved by boarding and hand-to-hand combat, though this was preceded by an exchange of archery. Efforts were also madę to disable the enemy's rigging. (Chroniques de St Denis, British library, Ms. Roy. 20, C.VII, London)

as the cavalry, but fought on foot. The English attempted an over-ambitious turning movement, which was broken up by a series of controlled cavalry charges backed up by mounted archers.

The battle of Castillon in 1453 was even morę conclusive and was also typical of the period. Here the French built a fortified artillery park during their siege of Castillon. The English garrison came out in an attempt to destroy this field fortification, but were driven back with heavy losses, whereupon the French rearguard hit them in the flank and the English defeat became a route. In many ways this French victory was like Crecy in reverse, with the English choosing to attack a strong position defended, on this occasion, by guns rather than longbows.

Now the French were on the offensive they carried out several cheyauchees themselves. It was, however, the seemingly endless series of French sieges of English-held cities, towns and castles which brought them finał victory. Transport and supply had always been vital in siege warfare, but during the latter part of the Hundred Years War they were the focus of several particularly bitter clashes. For example, during the English siege of Meaux a French relief column secretly tried to carry supplies over the wali, hut one man madę a noise by dropping a box of salted herrings and alerted the English, who drove off the relief force.

Oddly, salted fish played an even morę dramatic part in the so-called Battle of the Herrings in 1429, during operations to raise the English siege of Orleans. Here the English had erected several outlying bastides to block-ade the city. The French attacked these positions in a sort of countersiege while also running supplies into Orleans. Each side tried to intercept the olher’s convoys, but on this occasion the English were forewarned, and turned their waggons fuli of salted herrings into a field fortification. The French attacked with insufficient numbers; the English counter-attacked and overwhelmed the French and their Scottish allies, who had dismounted and were thus unable to escape.

Raising the siege of Orleans is regarded as Jeanne d’Arc’s greatest victory, and it certainly had a huge impact on French morale. In fact, the Maid’s military career focussed on such sieges, many of which resulted in towns reopening their gates to King Charles now that French self-confidence had revived.

NAVALFORCES

During the 14th century the sea was an arena where the normal rules of war hardly applied. Most naval activity was in the English Channel, although there were also significant clashes in the storm-tossed Bay of Biscay. During the early 14th century fleets were not designed to oppose an enemy at sea. They were offensive rather than defensive, attacking enemy shores and commerce rather than attempting to defend their own shores. In facl most activity on the open seas was privateering, if not piracy, against individual or smali groups of enemy yessels.

38