In this amount of time, it would have been possible for the English to launch a whopping seventy-five thousand arrows at the French army.įinally, over the last fifty yards of the French assault, the archers would have been close enough to pierce plate armor with their arrows, causing more death and disarray.
ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH FULL
The cavalry, presumably the fastest unit, would have taken a full minute and a half to cross the battlefield (Corrigan, 247). In addition, the conditions of the battlefield were beginning to deteriorate rapidly, greatly slowing the French assault. However, arrows rained down upon the cavalry that was flanking this assault, causing the forces to curl backwards around the crossbowmen, resulting in more chaos. The only apparent solution that the French could see was to engage in a full frontal assault. Corrigan expands on this by stating that in the first thirty seconds, it is approximated that twenty five thousand arrows fell upon the French army (246). The first volley alone contained six-thousand arrows (218).
Neillands tells us that the result was absolute chaos. After his men were battle ready, Henry gave the order for his archers to loose their arrows. Henry moved his men into position, placing his archers within the now surrounding forests of Agincourt and Tramecourt. Henry also ordered that his archers place large stakes on either side of the battlefield to funnel the French army toward the English foot soldiers and away from the marksmen. These groups were flanked on the outside by archers. It rained on the English all night.Īt around mid morning on October 25, 1415, Henry ordered his men to form into three groups across the freshly plowed field. Henry and his army spent the night there, aware of the fact that there would be a huge battle the next day. The English pursued the French for two miles before stopping at Maisonelle, but patrols reported that the French had taken up a chokepoint on the Callais road near Agincourt. The armies stood staring at each other for an hour before the French withdrew (Corrigan, 239-240). When Henry noticed the French army forming what seemed like battle positions, he ordered his troops to prepare for battle. In truth, there is no way of knowing the real number of soldiers on either side of the battle but it is safe to say that the English were greatly outnumbered. The French were divided into three substantial ranks. When Henry and his army arrived at Blangy on October 23, they were greeted by an overwhelmingly large French force. The French then used various small blockades at rivers and bridges to slow Henry’s progress while simultaneously leading him to Blangy where they planned to decimate his forces. They would then march to intercept Henry’s army as soon as possible (233). Their plan of action was for the French commanders to gather their troops at Rouen. Corrigan tells us that as news of Henry’s conquest spread throughout France, the Council in Paris agreed that something needed to be done. But Henry was adamant about regaining the lands he felt were rightfully his. Here is what historical scholarship reveals about the context of this battle:Ĭorrigan and Neillands both agree that Henry’s goal after Harfleur was to march on the city of Calais, and they also both agree that he did so against the advisement of his Council.
It is also a highly important, and often studied historical battle.
The battle of Agincourt serves as the climactic moment in Henry V.
0 kommentar(er)
