THE BATTLE OF SLUYS
The Sea Battle that Shifted Supremacy
THE BATTLE OF Sluys
BACKGROUND
Throughout the 1330s, Philip VI consistently fortified the French navy. By 1337, the French had established themselves as the primary naval power. Drawing inspiration from the naval customs of Mediterranean nations, the French began using galleys. Notably, they integrated a fleet of Genoese galleys at the war's onset. With their shallow hulls and oar propulsion, these galleys excelled in raiding and ship-to-ship combat.
In contrast, the English lacked a specialized navy, with only three warships to their name: the Christopher, the Cog Edward, and the Cog Thomas. As the war broke out, King Edward III attempted to bolster his naval forces by requesting 40 galleys from Venice, but was met with ambiguous responses. Having little choice, Edward resorted to requisitioning vessels from English merchants. Known as cogs, these ships featured rounded deep hulls, a single large sail, and a high freeboard. Edward adapted them for warfare by adding wooden castles to their fore and stern. The cogs had the advantage of being able to carry more men, and these modifications provided an elevated vantage point, making them ideal for close combat as archers could shoot down onto enemy vessels.
While Edward was bolstering the English navy, Philip exploited his naval edge to target English commercial shipping routes, especially the Gascon wine and Flanders wool routes. By 1338, the French had progressed to launching raids on major English coastal towns, wreaking havoc from Portsmouth and Hastings to Southampton, Plymouth, and Dover.
The build up of the English Navy suffered a major setback in September 1338 when a French naval force of 48 ships, commanded by Nicholas Béhuchet and Hugh Quiéret, confronted five English wool-bearing ships in Arnemuiden harbor, near Walcheren Island. The English ships included both the Christopher and the Cog Edward. Despite a valiant defence both ships were captured by the French and their crews were executed.
With his growing naval superiority, on 23 March 1339, Philip VI issued an ordnance for the conquest of England. However, the remainder of 1339 saw misfortune befall for the French navy. Amid unresolved payment disputes, the Genoese mercenaries mutinied, seized their galleys, and sailed back to Genoa. This act severely weakened the French fleet, leaving them with only 22 galleys. Their situation worsened in January 1340 when four French merchants were captured by the English and exposed the location of 18 French galleys anchored in Boulogne harbour. Taking advantage of this, the English dispatched a fleet and, under the cover of dense fog, destroyed all the docked vessels.
The destruction of their galleys critically weakened the French navy granting Edward time to further strengthen the English naval forces. Throughout the winter and spring of 1340, the English seized upon their newfound supremacy, striking the French ports of Dieppe, Le Treport, and Mers-les-Bains. Buoyed by these successes, Edward began strategizing his invasion of the French mainland.
Faced with the growing English naval threat, Philip utilised the English approach of conscripting merchant vessels. He decreed the requisition of 200 of the largest ships that could be found to form a "Great Army of the Sea". With both navies approaching their peak strength, the stage was set for them to clash at the Battle of Sluys.
English anchorage on 23/24 June prior to the Battle of Sluys
PRELUDE TO THE BATTLE
In anticipation of the mounting English threat and potential invasion, Philip assembled the 'Great Army of the Sea' and entrusted its command to Hugues Quiéret, the Admiral of France, and Nicolas Béhuchet, the Grand Constable of France. This armada then sailed to Sluys to blockade the mouth of the river Zwin, aiming to thwart any English landings.
The French fleet comprised 202 ships, which included 6 galleys, 7 royal warships (two of which were seized from the English), 22 oared barges, and 167 merchant vessels. Over 19,000 sailors manned these vessels. However, the fleet was short on experienced soldiers, with fewer than 500 crossbowmen and approximately 150 men-at-arms.
News of the formidable French force reached England on 10 June 1340. Edward's fleet was only a fraction of the size of the French force. However, undeterred by being outnumbered, Edward declared, "I shall cross the sea, and those who are afraid may stay at home." Although he originally planned a land invasion, Edward quickly adapted his strategy for naval warfare, offloading horses to make room for additional soldiers. By 20 June, Edward had prepared his ships and set sail for Sluys. Establishing his headquarters on the Cog Thomas, Edward personally led the fleet of between 120 and 160 ships towards the waiting French army.
Upon reaching Sluys, the French had arranged their ships in three chained lines across the estuary, ensuring the English couldn't easily bypass them. The ships were connected by boarding lines enabling troop movement between ships although also restricting mobility.
On 23 June, the English fleet anchored west of the Zwin estuary. Observing this force, Quiéret and Béhuchet received counsel to engage the English fleet in the open sea, fearing that the estuary might not offer sufficient room for maneuvering. However, with concerns that the English might elude them and make landfall, the French commanders chose to remain in their positions.
It was up to the English to make the first move. Edward was not to be rushed and resolved to wait until the following day to attack with both wind and tide behind them. Thus, on 24 June, the Battle of Sluys commenced.
Altnerative Reads
The Battle of Sluys from Jean Froissart's Chronicles
THE BATTLE
On 24 June, the English navy commenced their assault, deliberately waiting until 3 pm to ensure the sun would be at their back, preventing it from dazzling their troops. The delay had not been good for the French fleet whose numbers had grown to 213 ships. As time passed, many of the French vessels had drifted out of formation. Recognising the error, the French admirals ordered the ships to break from their chains, but they struggled to regain their original positions as the English forces closed in.
The English assault began from the left with their mightiest ships. These vessels plowed into the first French line, using hooks and grappling irons to pull the ships together for boarding. As English soldiers swarmed onto the French vessels, English longbowmen showered arrows on the packed French troops below, complemented by seamen hurling stone and iron bolts from the mast-tops.
Once onboard, the English men-at-arms, equipped with swords, axes, and half-pikes, capitalised on the relative inexperience of the French crews, engaging them in fierce hand-to-hand combat. The French crossbowmen attempted to retaliate, but were encumbered by their slower reload speeds and the difficulty of aiming into the sun.
The boarding lines that the French had set up restricted their mobility, and allowed the English soldiers to work their way down the French line leaving devastation in their wake. Many of the French sailors and soldiers were either slain or chose to jump overboard, with the wounded often thrown in after them. The sea turned crimson, and bodies piled high on the decks.
The second French line tried to join the battle but were trapped behind their own vessels. By 7pm the English had decimated the first line of French ships and broke through to the second. Here, the English longbowmen's ferocity intensified, firing downward onto the smaller vessels of the second line. Amidst the turmoil, Hugues Quiéret was gravely injured and, upon attempting to surrender, was promptly beheaded. Nicolas Béhuchet was captured, seemingly to be ransomed, yet Edward showed no clemency, ordering him to be hanged from the mast of the royal flagship.
As darkness descended, the third French line sought escape, leading to isolated skirmishes between individual ships. The majority of combat ceased by 10 pm, though sporadic clashes persisted throughout the night. In the aftermath, a mere 24 French ships managed to evade the slaughter.
The Battle of Sluys
THE AFTERMATH
Out of the 213 French ships at Sluys, the English seized 190, reclaiming both the Christopher and the Cog Edward, which had been taken in 1338. With no retreat avenue, French casualties were staggering, estimated between 16,000 and 18,000. In the subsequent days, the tide washed ashore countless bodies of French soldiers.
Contrastingly, the English reportedly suffered minimal losses, with casualties ranging between 400 and 600, marking this as a decisive English triumph. At home, the English celebrated, hoping this victory signalled the cessation of the coastal raids of the preceding years. However, in reality, Philip VI managed to rapidly rebuild his navy, and the Channel remained contested throughout the war.
The victory at Sluys enabled Edward to land his forces in mainland France, where he was joined by Jacob van Artevelde, the leader of Flanders. Once on French soil, Edward divided his troops, with a faction leading a chevauchée into northern France and the remainder laying siege to the city of Tournai, a Flemish stronghold loyal to Philip VI.
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