[Archers] RE [MR] Battle of Crécy

[loreleielkins at aol.com]

That forward was from Baron Colum, who replied to me but I think he meant it to go to the entire list.  Good stuff.


Lorelei



-----Original Message-----
From: John Atkins <cogworks at triad.rr.com>
To: loreleielkins <loreleielkins at aol.com>; archers <archers at atlantia.sca.org>
Sent: Tue, Aug 26, 2014 5:15 pm
Subject: RE: [Archers] RE [MR]  Battle of Crécy



Excellent points Mistress (whose?  Oh, different question!)  I’ve also read, and seems most logical considering the draw weight of the war bows, that archers were NOT the puny, underfed members of the army.  Instead, most were rather “stout” individuals.  As such, when they ran out of arrows they picked up their ax, club, archer’s short sword and joined the fray.  Also I would consider that arrows were at a premium so it was “Boys, make every shot count”.  Lofting volleys into arrogant French knights would not make the best use of a premium resource. 
 
Somewhere I also read an account of a War of the Roses battle in which a French mercenary crossbowman came out in front of the troops and raised the “one finger salute” to the English who had just loosed a volley to try to get them to charge.  At battle’s conclusion they found that crossbowman with 3 arrows in his saluting arm.  English archers could hit what they aimed for.  i.e. Don’t be messing with the archers!!!
 
Just saying.  Mungo?  You are our resident historian, what say you?
 
CJg
 
From: Archers [mailto:archers-bounces at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org] On Behalf Of loreleielkins at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 4:45 PM
To: archers at atlantia.sca.org
Subject: [Archers] RE [MR] Battle of Crécy
 

 


 An interesting fact about Crecy.  In Mike Loades new book on the longbow he puts forth the theory that english longbowman didn't do a lot of long range volleying (some but not a lot) . On of his supporting facts is that at Crecy the French had trouble fighting over the mounds of their dead.  That isn't something that happens at two hundred yards but rather right in front of the English lines.  If you think about it. Which scenario would you have a better chance to survive.  a) a thousand arrows raining down from two hundred yards away or b) a thousand arrows loosed in a straight line at fifty yards from the enemy lines.  We know the English didn't start winning with the longbow in a big way until they started providing protection to their archers and an archer doesn't need a lot of protection if he is shooting at an army two hundred yards away.  But archers who are putting sustained fire into an enemy from say eighty to ten yards will require protection or they will tend to not stand and loose.

 

 

On 08/26/14, via Atlantia<atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org> wrote: 

 

Thanks for posting, Mungo. I love your history updates.


Lorelei



-----Original Message-----
From: Garth Groff <sarahsan at embarqmail.com>
To: Merry Rose <atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org>; archers <archers at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org>
Sent: Tue, Aug 26, 2014 4:51 am
Subject: [Archers] Battle of Crécy


Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Archers

Today marks the 668th anniversary of the Battle of Crécy: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Crécy . The lopsided victory by 
Edward III's English army over the much larger French force proved the 
superiority English longbow over armored knights. Unfortunately for the 
French, they took a long time learning to stay out of the longbow's 
range, and suffered many more defeats in the 100 Years War, including 
Poitiers and Agincourt.

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, The Archer of Mallard Lodge
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