English Forces

The English army was a diverse force composed primarily of longbowmen, lightly armored men-at-arms, and a smaller number of heavily armored knights. The longbowmen were the backbone of Henry’s army—skilled archers who wielded powerful longbows capable of firing rapidly and piercing armor at range.

Henry’s tactical use of the longbow and his deployment of troops on narrow terrain would define the battle.

French Forces

The French army consisted of a large number of heavily armored knights and men-at-arms, supported by crossbowmen and infantry. Overconfident and eager to crush the English invaders, the French anticipated an easy victory. Their heavily armored knights expected to overwhelm the English with brute force.

The Battle Unfolds

On the morning of October 25, 1415, the English positioned themselves defensively in a narrow clearing bordered by woods. Henry arranged stakes planted in front of the longbowmen to disrupt cavalry charges.

The French launched repeated cavalry and infantry assaults, trying to break through the English line. However, the muddy, narrow battlefield hampered the heavily armored French knights, causing them to become bogged down and disorganized.

Meanwhile, English longbowmen unleashed volleys of arrows that devastated the advancing French. The French horses and soldiers were impaled on the stakes or overwhelmed by the arrow storm  shutdown123