Battle of Caen

This article covers a battle of the Hundred Years War. For the similarly sounding battle of the Second World War, see Battle of Caen .

Battle of Caen

Part of: Hundred Years War

Illumination in the Chroniques of the historian Jean Froissart on the conquest of Caen

date	July 26, 1346
location	Caen , Normandy
exit	English victory

Parties to the conflict
Kingdom of England	Kingdom of France
Commander
Edward III. (England)	Raoul II de Brienne
Troop strength
12-15,000 men	1,500 men
losses
unknown	~ 5,000 soldiers and civilians

The Battle of Caen was fought in July 1346 during the English invasion of Normandy under King Edward III. in the streets of the Norman city. It was the first major conflict of the campaign that would ultimately lead to a crushing defeat of the French at the Battle of Crecy and the subsequent siege of Calais and had a decisive influence on the course of the Hundred Years War .

Landing in France

The campaign began on July 11, 1346, when Edward's fleet crossed the English Channel from southern England and landed the next day in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue , about 25 km from Cherbourg . Edward's army consisted mainly of English and Welsh soldiers, some German and Breton mercenaries, as well as Norman nobles and their armed men, who with the rule of the French King Philip VI. were dissatisfied. A total of around 12,000-15,000 armed men is assumed today. The English army marched south from the landing point, with Edward's goal being to lead a Chevauchée across enemy territory to Caen , the cultural, political, religious and economic center of northwestern Normandy. His soldiers plundered and pillaged the cities of Carentan , Saint-Lô and Torteval on their way , which was intended to destroy French morale and combat strength. With the conquest of Caen, Edward hoped to finally be able to offset his enormous expenses for the campaign and at the same time to break the will to fight of the French crown by the capture and destruction of this important city.

Caen itself was an ancient city on the north bank of the Orne, split in two . While the old town was fortified by city walls and a well-built castle on the river bank, the new town was on an island between the main bed of the river and a side arm. At this time, it was mainly the wealthy traders and landowners who lived in the Neustadt. In contrast to the old town, the island did not have its own city walls, but access via the river was only secured by three fortified bridges. In the summer it was possible to wade through the river, even if it was not without danger. Caen also had two fortified abbeys , one on each side of the city, which could be used as bastions against attackers.

The battle

The English army arrived in front of the city walls on July 26, 1346 and immediately occupied the as yet undefended abbeys. They then formed up for an attack on the Old City, with Edward wasting no time preparing for a siege - his army did not carry any heavy siege weapons with them anyway. The French defenders were led by Raoul II de Brienne , Count of Eu. This had originally planned to concentrate the defense on the fortified old town. At the request and pressure of the wealthier residents, however, he changed his plan at the last minute and had the majority of the troops moved to the island of the new town. This spontaneous change of plan turned out to be fatal for the French, as important precautions that would have been vital for the city's defense were overlooked in the rush.

Now that their original plan had become obsolete, the English changed the direction of their attack and prepared for a storm on the bridges. Only a small force was deployed to keep the 300 or so defenders in check under the command of William IV Bertrand , Bishop of Bayeux . When Edward got his troops into position, it seems that some soldiers, driven by the prospect of booty, set off ahead of the storm before all the necessary preparations had been made. When Edward noticed the premature attack, he ordered it to be stopped immediately, but was ignored by his men.

Hundreds of English soldiers stormed over the bridges and terrible hand-to-hand combat broke out in which the entire French garrison was soon involved. The English and Welsh longbow archers , meanwhile, waded across the river or crossed in boats that had been left behind after the hasty retreat of the French. The French troops were too weak to defend the entire length of the river. In some places the defense was finally penetrated and the English succeeded in penetrating the island at several points. Soon they fell in the rear of the French at the bridges, which quickly led to the complete collapse of the defense. Most of the French officers mounted their horses and rode through the English ranks or across the river to the safety of the castle. Others holed up in the bridge towers. Most of the French soldiers were slain when they turned to flee; There were few prisoners.

consequences

The victorious English began a horrific sack of the city, most of it burned to the ground, and acquired hundreds of pounds of valuables and gold. Around half of the population was killed in the process. Those residents who escaped fled to the surrounding country. At least 2,500 French bodies were later buried in mass graves outside the city, and the total death toll is believed to have exceeded 5,000. The victors reported the English losses as one armed man killed - an obvious propagandistic understatement. The English losses, especially due to the hastily started offensive on the bridges, are likely to have been high. The sack of the city lasted for five days, during which Edward tried unsuccessfully to take the castle. During this time he also visited the grave of his ancestor William the Conqueror , who was buried in the city, to show his devotion.

Some French aristocrats who had not escaped were also captured during the looting. Among them was the Count of Eu, who lived as a hostage in England until 1350 and was executed by the French king after his return. The English also discovered in Caen an appeal by the French crown, in which Norman sailors were asked to raid and plunder the south coast of England. This letter served British troop recruits for several years to generate anti-French sentiments in England and to recruit new recruits.

On August 1, 1346, the English army marched southwards, leaving behind an undamaged castle, but a thoroughly destroyed city. Edward's next goal was to cross the Seine and make a direct foray into Paris . Even if Edward did not achieve this goal, the ensuing battles at Blanchetaque , Crecy and the Siege of Calais brought English dominance in the region that would last for almost 200 years.

literature

• Jonathan Sumption : The Hundred Years War. Volume 1: Trial by Battle. Faber and Faber, London et al. 1990, ISBN 0-571-13895-0 .
• Alfred H. Burne : The Crecy War. A military History of the Hundred Years War from 1337 to the peace of Bretigny, 1360. Eyre & Spottiswoode, London 1955 (Reproduced. Greenhill Books et al., London et al. 1991, ISBN 1-85367-081-2 ).