Crecy in History

An army of English, Welsh and allied troops from the Holy Roman Empire led by Edward III of England engaged and defeated a much larger army of French, Genoese and Majorcan troops led by Philip VI of France.

Defeats Philip VI in a major English victory

Edward III marches on Calais which surrenders & is used as a base for further attacks. 20,000 English bowmen & infantry defeat Philips army of 60,000.

Emboldened by the lessons of tactical flexibility and utilisation of terrain learned from the earlier Saxons and Vikings and the recent battles with the Scots, the English army won a decisive victory.

The battle crippled the French armys ability to come to the aid of Calais, which fell to the English the following year. Calais would remain under English rule for over two centuries, falling in 1558

The battle saw the rise as the dominant Western European battlefield weapon of the longbow, whose effects were devastating when used en masse. Crecy also saw the use by the English army of some very early cannon.

Commands the right wing at the Battle of Crecy

The English army was deployed in three divisions, or "battles". Edward's son, Edward, the Prince of Wales commanded the vanguard with John de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, Thomas de Beauchamp, the Earl of Warwick and Sir John Chandos

The English army was deployed in three divisions, or "battles". Edward's son, Edward, the Prince of Wales commanded the vanguard with John de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, Thomas de Beauchamp, the Earl of Warwick and Sir John Chandos

Fights at the Battle of Crecy

The English army was deployed in three divisions, or "battles". Edward's son, Edward, the Prince of Wales commanded the vanguard with John de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, Thomas de Beauchamp, the Earl of Warwick and Sir John Chandos

The rear division was led by William de Bohun, Earl of Northampton

Fights at the Battle of Crecy under Edward III.