395AD to 1500AD

By Andywalker1
  • Sep 14, 1066

    The Battle of Hastings

    King Harold of England was waiting for the invasion of William of Normandy. His army was lined up along a ridge line forming a 'shield wall' battle tactic as he was waiting for more of his troops to arrive from an earlier battle against Vikings further north.
    Williams army had the disadvantage of attacking up-hill. His archers tried shooting at the shield wall, but their arrows were stopped by the troops shields or flew over-head due to shooting up-hill.
    William changed tactics and ordered his a
  • Sep 7, 1100

    William II, King of England, is killed

    William II, King of England, is killed by an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrel while hunting in the new forest. Sir Walter flees the country. Also in the hunting party is William's brother who succeeds him as Henry I and immediately takes possession of the treasury. There is suspicion that this may not have been an accidental shooting to gain the throne of England.
  • Sep 14, 1100

    Crusades

    English knights and crossbowmen attack the Mohammadean army that mainly consisted of archers on horses armed with composite bows.
  • Period: Jan 31, 1189 to Dec 31, 1192

    King Richard killed

    King Richard killed with a crossbow bolt shot by a defender using one of the attacking army's crossbow bolts. The bolt didn't kill Richard outright, but the wound became infected after the arrow head was cut out.
  • Sep 14, 1242

    Battle of Taillebourg

    English army lost to French - 700 crossbowmen used.
  • Sep 14, 1252

    Assize of Arms

    those men owning land worth between 40-100 shillings were required to equip themselves with a sword, dagger, bow and arrows. Those owning less than 40 shillings worth of land had to equip themselves with bow and arrows. All men between the age of 15 to 60 years old were ordered to equip themselves.
  • Sep 14, 1298

    Battle of Falkirk

    English army defeats Scots. The English knights charged the Scottish archers, scattering them, then the English archers attacked the remaining army.
  • Sep 14, 1346

    Battle of Crecy

    Battle of Crecy - Edward III of England leads his army against the French. Some accounts of the battle say that the English archers had kept their flax bowstrings dry by putting them under their helmets as it had been raining the day before.
    The French force of crossbowmen attacked from the front, but maybe due to the rain, many misfired or the bowstrings snapped. The English archers showered them with arrows before they could reload. Most of the crossbowmen fled. The French cavalry then charged
  • Sep 14, 1356

    Battle of Poitiers

    'Battle of Poitiers' - Edward III of England defeats King John II of France. The English troops took up positions on marshy ground near a river and when the French knights charged, they became bogged and easy targets for the English archers. King John is taken prisoner and held in the Tower of London. A ransom of 3,000,000 gold crowns is demanded for his release.
  • Sep 14, 1415

    Battle of Agincourt

    Battle of Agincourt - Henry V of England was leading his army back to Calais in France after a successful campaign to the south. At the village of Agincourt, Henry and his army were confronted by a French army camped to the North.
    Henry's army consisted of 1,500 men at arms and 5,500 archers. The French army consisted mainly of noble knights on foot and cavalry, some 23,000 in total. Henry's army was out-numbered 3 to 1.
    Henry arranged his army at the narrow end of the battlefield with archers.
  • Sep 14, 1513

    Battle of Flodden

    'Battle of Flodden', fought near Branxton, Northumberland. James IV, King of Scotland, crossed the border on 22nd. August with an army of about 30,000 men supported by artillery. Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, gathered an army of about 20,000 to oppose him. Fearing that the Scots would retreat to the border, Surrey issued a challenge to James, who agreed to wait until September 9th. to fight. The battle began in the late afternoon. The Scots fought stubbornly, but the English 2.5 metre long bill
  • Sep 14, 1520

    the musket is invented

    he musket is invented and will soon replace the bow as a weapon of war.

  • 10,000 soldiers

    10,000 soldiers on the English fleet, armed with muskets, defeated the Spanish Armada. ( The decline of bow and arrow in warfare is now assured. )

  • division of rome