Analysis of the Battle of Yinkul.

14151kloc-0/On the night of October 24th, Henry V fell into the most embarrassing quagmire. Injury and fatigue have exhausted his few troops, and he is surrounded by at least three times as energetic and confident French troops. He has been avoiding fighting for days, and this time it seems inevitable. Looking around, there are French tents everywhere outside the small village in front, flashing bright bonfires. He reopened the map and saw that the name of the village was Ginkgo biloba. Watch the commander. Henry is regarded as one of the greatest kings in English history. Of course, it refers to the purely military aspect.

The generals around Henry are also old masters who have followed him for many years. No matter what their abilities are, loyalty is no problem. Among them, Edward, Earl of March, appeared in Southampton only a few days before the Great Expedition. Many historians listed him as a dangerous factor around the king, and he himself admitted it. Because when Henry IV died, he ascended the throne with a louder voice, but Henry V pardoned him and continued to let him serve under his command. In addition, big noble also includes Humphrey, Thomas, Duke of Gloucester (the king's brother), Duke of York (the king's uncle), Suffolk in Ors, Cambridge and Oxford, and Sir Thomas Uppingham, Sir john holland, Sir John Cornwall and so on. Henry's greatness lies in that he can win the respect of every subordinate, regardless of age, experience, experience and even enemies.

Generally speaking, Henry V was a typical soldier in the Middle Ages and a model king. Of course, this does not mean that he is perfect. There is no doubt that this expedition is driven by a strong sense of responsibility. For Henry, the territory of Normandy was his legal fief, and his sense of responsibility for his great-grandfather Edward III made him feel that French Wang Guanzhong also had his share. He is a very devout man, and he pays attention to ensuring the property of the church everywhere. Almost strict discipline is also required for subordinates, which won them the victory in the battle of Akkut. No one has become a deserter in such a desperate situation. At the same time, he paid enough attention to the right to control the sea, but in fact, Britain began to establish a strong maritime power after the Battle of Akkut. He has almost infinite patience for war, and a series of battles from 14 17- 1422 are called siege warfare. Rouen, for example, has been surrounded by June 2009 1465438+ from June 2008; Mocheng also takes about the same time, mostly in the cold winter. After the siege, Henry also died, only two months before charles vi. Some people say that he died of overwork, more commonly known as dysentery, a disease prevalent among soldiers at that time.

Of course, in French records, Henry V is harsh, arrogant and straightforward, which makes him ruthless and leads to cruelty on the battlefield. There are many records that Henry ordered the hanging of prisoners after the victory of the besieged city, and there was a mass slaughter after the fall of 14 17 Caen. During the siege of Rouen, he refused to provide bread for women and children who fled the city and let them starve to death under the city wall; Of course, the battle of Akkut ordered the killing of a large number of prisoners. Perhaps this is because the war experienced since childhood has created such a heart of stone, but it is a necessary condition to become a powerful monarch.

In contrast to the above situation, the British army is led by an excellent commander, while the French camp is in chaos. Charles vi, the nominal king, has been suffering from intermittent insanity for more than twenty years, and there is no sign of improvement. Although his mind is temporarily normal at the moment, and his usual bravery is beyond doubt, he is not suitable to be a commander in chief after all. His son, Crown Prince Louis, was a typical weak scholar in19th century. His health is sometimes worse than his father's and he has no military knowledge. So the fragility of the upper dynasty caused the chaos of the lower dynasty, and the Burgundy school and the Armaniak school had to argue about big and small things. Naturally, this important battle is no exception, and unified command is impossible.

The Burgundy faction was headed by duke of burgundy John, and the Armaniak faction elected the Duke of Orleans. These two people are in potential from the mire. The former assassinated the latter's father in 1407, and the latter died in 14 19. What's more, Burgundy people have been indecisive, whether to stand on the side of France or collude with the British to support themselves. So Duke John agreed that his men would join the king's call, but he didn't, and his son was forbidden to join the French camp.

Three dukes on the other side served as commanders of the battle. First of all, Charles, Duke of Orleans, is 24 years old and has almost no military experience. John, the 33-year-old Duke of Bourbon, repelled an Anglo-Gaskone joint plunder in Soubise in14/3. Then John, Duke of Aragon (four dukes, three named John), was defeated in Bourges thirty or thirty years ago, and that was his only experience. The king admonished the three dukes, Qi Xin, to work together, and at the same time sent three ministers, namely, the general manager, the grand marshal and the crossbow commander, to form the headquarters.

Charles de Albert has been the head of the royal family since 1402. He is an experienced soldier and has always been known for his caution in using troops. John le Maingre, also known as Boucicault, was a marshal of the French army at that time. He is famous at home and abroad. He is an experienced knight. He led the Burgundy Crusaders to defeat in Nicopolis, Greece in his early years. The French redeemed him from Sudan, but he soon took part in the battle to defend Constantinople in 1399, and went down in the official history as a legend. His words and deeds are regarded as knights.

If these two veterans can fully command the French army, perhaps Henry's expedition will be more difficult. Because the two men almost avoided all possible fighting opportunities, the French army targeted the British troops around them, evacuated all the villages before and after them, cut down all the crops, and thoroughly scorched the earth, with the intention of making the British army yield in hunger. In terms of specific tactical details, they also have a set of detailed and perfect plans, and we will soon see what kind of fate the British will have if these plans are carried out step by step. However, history does not agree with the saying "if". On the eve of the war, the young and energetic dukes rejected the plan.

This article will explain the process of normal fighting clearly, so readers will find that until the eve of the war, the French entered the position step by step, which can be described as seamless. But at the beginning of the war, if we want to find out who is the commander of the French army, the answer is-no one, which is also the most fundamental reason for their fiasco. The first bright spot is of course the knight. /kloc-the European army in the 0/5th century was basically organized around knights. The knights mentioned in this paper, broadly called warriors, can be regarded as formal combatants. Such knights are divided according to the purpose of fighting and do not represent social status. He needs to have received some professional military training, be able to fight on horseback or on foot, and more importantly, he must have a complete set of armor. Knights in a narrow sense are those who have a certain social status and become a member of the aristocratic class through formal ceremonies. But more people don't have such conditions, and many cavalry are just attendants. The squire esquire in this paper does not refer to the squire who serves the knight, but to those who may become knights because of insufficient conditions (please allow me to distinguish the squire from the squire). Of course, the knight's first task is to fight immediately, but sometimes he will dismount and fight on foot. The team he leads is called Lance, which is composed of his entourage. Everyone has to ride a horse, so he must have enough financial resources to maintain such a team. In addition to the heavy cavalry composed of knights, there are light cavalry or quasi-cavalry. They have been called Huo bilal since Edward III. They didn't take part in this activity, so they didn't introduce it. One-third to one-half of British archers also ride horses. Although they are only regarded as infantry, riding horses is to gain better mobility in looting tactics.

Then, a knight in a broad sense is a combatant who has the money to buy a suit of armor. Until the middle of13rd century, the main body of armor was a chain mail made of tiny iron rings. Then someone gradually improved it, adding extra steel sheets to resist the impact of blunt objects. Around 14 15, the big white armor wrapped around the whole body developed to the highest stage, and every sergeant wore a cap-à-pied, that is, a polished steel armor wrapped from head to toe. Under this protection, it is a thick sleeveless coat. Until the beginning of the15th century, there were still many knights wearing complete chain mail in the outer armor, which brought problems of weight and heat dissipation. The weight of full-body armor is about 60-80 kg, which is 28-35 kg, but today's individual equipment also exceeds this weight. The weight of the armor is borne by the whole body equally, and the knight does not have to climb on the horse's back by himself. Anyone who has seen the movie "Henry V" knows that French cavalry are hoisted to their horses one by one with a device similar to a crane. Unless they are seriously injured or exhausted, it doesn't take much effort to move their limbs within the range allowed by their joints.

The heaviest and most uncomfortable thing is the helmet, which is usually taken off by knights except when they charge. The trunk is covered with two pieces of armor. Generally speaking, the hinge is always nailed on the left side, while the belt buckle is set on the right side and shoulder. The arms and legs are also wrapped in similar structures, and the elbows and knees are nested with steel rings to allow the joints to move freely. The skirt hangs from the waist to the middle of the thigh, and the hands and feet are also protected by all-steel gloves and anklets. In addition, there are circular steel plates on the inside of the shoulder socket and elbow joint, which can provide protection when lifting the arm. Another innovation is to connect the scarf with the helmet instead of chain mail, which was originally placed on the shoulder, so that the weight of the helmet is also borne by the shoulder, reducing the pressure on the head. This is the so-called basinet, a masked cavalry helmet, which was particularly popular in the French army at that time, so that when counting the number of people, not how many people, but how many helmets. The face of the mask points forward, also known as the "dog mouth helmet". This mask can be pulled up to provide a better view and ventilation environment. In contrast, the large cylindrical helmet may provide better protection, but it is extremely uncomfortable, so it appears more in gun competitions. But there are also nobles who wear two kinds of helmets at the same time, such as Henry V. We will soon see that this measure saved his life in this battle.

Exquisite armor is also decorated with brass or gold-plated piping, and wealthy aristocrats will wear robes outside the armor. This robe is called cote d'armes, and they can wear their family badges on it, which is both beautiful and easy to identify on the battlefield. Just before the war, Henry V vowed to wear his smock all the time to show his determination to fight to the death. Of course, only nobles of equal status have blouses. To show your identity on the battlefield is equivalent to saying, "I have status." It's a pity to kill me directly. It is better to change the ransom. " It can also be considered as a means of saving lives (in that weird age). In this battle, the nobles of both sides obviously wore this identity card. Finally, I want to mention the Spurs, which are naturally necessary equipment for cavalry. Knights in position use gold-plated spurs, but they should be taken off in battle. That's what Henry did

Knights' most commonly used weapons are naturally spears and swords. The former is about 4 meters long, mostly in Cen Mu. Put the pike under your arm and straighten it at the same time. Stirrups and saddles will connect people and mounts into a whole, and the impact of this whole will pierce each other's armor. The length of the foot fight should be shortened, and the more common one is the halberd, which can be split and stabbed. Sword is not only a sharp weapon, but also a symbol of chivalry and aristocratic status. It is three feet long, with a simple cross armguard and a spherical handle. At that time, the best swords in France came from Bordeaux province, and a few special swords were long and narrow, and the tips were inlaid with diamonds, so as to cut armor more effectively. Most swords have wide blades, and many knights use two-handed swords. Of course, the two-handed sword is only longer than the ordinary long sword, and it is not as outrageous as the16th century long sword. Finally, every sergeant wears a dagger on the right side of his body. This kind of light weapon can be inserted into the gap of mask or armor, but it is not a formal combat weapon and can only be used when absolutely necessary.

Not every knight can be equipped with this set of equipment except armor, but most people are armed according to this set. Whether as cavalry on the battlefield or as heavy infantry in siege, they are the main force in the battle.

In addition to melee troops, long-range attack force can be roughly divided into three categories: archers, crossbowmen and gunmen. The great success of the British longbowmen has made two-thirds of the British longbowmen, and in this campaign, it is close to 80%. There are also archers in the French army, but there are not many occasions. They use crossbowmen more. Compared with longbows, they use heavier arrows, but the loading speed is slow, so that they need a team of shield hands to protect them in battle. The advantages of crossbowmen are also obvious, and they play a greater role in siege. Both sides have gunmen, but they often appear in siege situations. Although both sides are equipped with all kinds of guns ranging from hand-held guns to large siege guns, mobile guns that can really be used on the battlefield have not yet appeared. For archers, the most important thing is not heavy armor, but mobility, so most of them wear vests decorated with steel plates and helmets without masks (more are pot-shaped helmets with wide sides). A few people have hand guards and shin guards, but all archers have only minimal protection in this battle. Their bows are six feet long and can be made of elm, Cen Mu and preferably Chinese fir. Usually, the bowstring will be removed and carefully stored in a bag to keep it dry. It only takes a few seconds for a skilled archer to tighten and lower the bowstring. When it rains, many people hide bowstring in their hats. The bow used in Britain during this period was called longbow, not because it was particularly long, but because the tension of the bowstring was particularly large. Longbows are available in different sizes from 80 lbs to 150 lbs. The greater the tension index, the higher the requirements for users. Edward III was worried that the French would also use this weapon, but this worry was unnecessary. French rulers are more afraid of civilians being armed. The longbow has a range of about 400 yards (365 meters), but 50 yards to 600 yards is an effective killing range. This can be said to be the biggest advantage of longbow, which was not surpassed by muskets until the19th century. The most skilled archers can shoot 10 to 12 arrows per minute, so they always carry four dozen arrows and put them in the quiver or special belt. At close range, the arrow from the longbow can penetrate any kind of armor at that time. The longbow is terrible not only for its killing effect, but also for its overwhelming density. Crossbowmen, or crossbowmen, wears more armor than archers. Because they are often used to attack cities, this kind of protection is necessary. 14 15, the victorious British longbowman left many portraits, but the defeated bowman left no standard portraits. We can only infer from the data of other periods, but most of these data come from the later stylized paintings. Even more exaggerated, it is often seen that crossbowmen are dressed as strong as cavalry. In fact, armor may include vests, shoulder pads and shin guards, open helmets and closed helmets dedicated to them. The mask opens on the right side of the face and opens like a window when shooting.

The crossbow was a popular weapon at that time and everyone could use it. According to different sizes, it is divided into several specifications. There are small hunting bows that can be used on horseback and large crossbows that need to be held with both hands. The length and width of the crossbow are about 1 m. Crossbows are made of composite materials, which are laminated wood, bone fragments and animal tendons. /kloc-crossbows made of all steel also appeared in the early 0/5th century. The arrows used for crossbows are relatively short, ranging from 30 to 45 cm, and heavy, so there are only a dozen crossbows hanging in the quiver on the crossbowman's back. The heaviest crossbow has the same range as the longbow, but the trajectory is lower and flatter, and a few skilled archers use parabola to shoot the top. At close range, the armor-piercing ability is still above the longbow, but the disadvantage is also obvious, that is, the firing rate, which can only shoot 2-3 arrows per minute. There is a stirrup at the front end of each crossbow, which can help to pull the strings open. More people use special instruments, such as putting a hook around their waist and pulling the bow away by the strength of their waist and legs. More complex crossbows are equipped with winches and ratchet teeth to prevent inversion, and the strings are tightened by the handle behind the grip. Of course, there is no need to use force when aiming, which is much more convenient than ordinary bows and arrows. Just pull the trigger when shooting. There are also infantry: the status of infantry is far less than that of cavalry, and almost all French infantry are temporary mercenaries.

Let's look at the organizations of both sides: Henry V recruited troops by signing contracts, that is, he had a list of all knights and subordinates. This is very different from the traditional recruitment method of lords in feudal countries, which stipulates that the service period is only 40 days. If you go to war overseas, obviously 40 days is not enough. So Henry signed a contract with his noble knights, big and small, to maintain his army by paying money. For example, the king's brother, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, has 200 nobles (and their attendants), 6 knights, 193 junior knights and 600 archers. When he arrived at Akkut village, there were still 65,438+062 cavalry and 406 archers. Compared with knights below the intermediate level, such as Thomas Chaucer's cavalry 14, archer 62, and archer 60 on foot. In Akkut village, there are 9 cavalry and 37 archers. Lower-ranking knights, such as Lewis Robertsade, brought only three archers on foot.

The whole army is divided into three parts: avant-garde, middle army and defender. When fighting, everyone's followers naturally gather around the lords, always under the banner of the lords, so that the tactical orders of the middle and lower levels can be better conveyed and executed, but the command and management of the upper level are chaotic, and each Lord depends on the banner of the leader. At that time, there was no clear and unified command format (although archers were told when to shoot) If the troops want to attack in a certain direction, they will verbally shout or wave the flag in that direction, so everyone will push in which direction, so every time the formation changes, they need to be highly cautious. Fortunately, Henry has done a good job in this respect.

Then, let's talk about the French. The French also have a similar contract system (Lettres de Retention), but they have always been in a defensive position in interior warfare, always fighting in their own territory, so there is no need to use this method. They still recruit according to the traditional conscription method (arriereban), and the recruited lords can give or pay (similar to war tax). For example, in the war of 14 15, Paris always provided 6,000 crossbowmen and large shield soldiers, but none of them came in handy in the end. Because the road near Rouen was crowded with lords and their troops from all over the world, from the numerical point of view, these troops alone accounted for an absolute advantage. In fact, a large number of troops are not easy to command. The experienced marshal himself said that he would rather streamline the army and build a small-scale army with good equipment and strict discipline. However, troops from all over the country are still pouring in, and even Ruiz sauville, north of Akkut, has provided thousands of infantry. Of course, they didn't come in handy. France's command system is similar to that of Britain, but this system was completely paralyzed after the war.

On the morning of 25th, the French got up, refreshed themselves with wine as usual, and laughed at the British "barley soup" (beer). The nobles greeted each other, joked and forgave the quarrel last night. With the help of attendants, they dressed up and got on the horse. The British Library kept a copy of the battle plan of France in those days. According to this precious manuscript:

The first phalanx of the striker was led by Lord Darbray, the royal leader, and Lord John Le Mangray, the grand marshal. The second phalanx on their left was led by the Duke of Aragon and the Earl of the European Union. If the other side concentrates all its forces in the center, the two phalanxes will work together to move forward. (...) Two crossbowmen's phalanx are arranged in a slightly protruding position on both sides of the striker, and the right side is led by Count Richmond, with Sir Campbell, Sir Bertrand de Montaubin and their men; On the left are Lord Vendom, Lord Giarlini and their subordinates; (...) All the troops on horseback and armed attendants constitute the strike force of both sides. There are 1000 knights in the left rear of the whole army, under the command of General Crossbow. Their task is to break through the archer position on the right side of the other side from the beginning; Behind them are half of the armed followers, who break through behind the knights, provide support and widen the gap; When the left-wing cavalry began to assault, the forward's infantry began to move forward, hitting the opponent's main force; (...) The right rear of the whole army is equipped with 200 knights and the remaining half of armed attendants, led by Sir Bosredon. They will detour the other defender from the right after the left-wing cavalry set off; (……)

This plan was drawn up about 20 days ago by the royal general manager and grand marshal. At that time, they just joined hands, and their strength was about 6000-8000. It can be said that this is a good plan. One is to attack the other archers with a left hook composed of heavy cavalry and entangle the most difficult enemy; The heavy cavalry on the right side killed from the rear, further disrupting the formation of the British army; At the moment when the crack appeared, the main force of the frontal heavy infantry swarmed in and overwhelmed each other with numbers.

Unfortunately, this plan failed to be implemented. The French army snowballed and more and more Sir Alex Ferguson came with his men. By the 24th, the number had soared to 20,000-30,000, and more troops were still coming. If all the troops on the road from Paris to Rouen are counted, the number of people mobilized may be above 654.38+0.5 million. Historians have different opinions about the number of French soldiers who participated in the war. Although there were many contradictory records in that era, the description of numbers in the Middle Ages was exaggerated, and the more objective number should be around 25,000. Ndeland de Monterey was in the French army (Enguerrand de Monstrelet, later hired as a historian by duke of burgundy). According to his account, the actual formation arrangement is as follows:

The first "8000 with helmets", that is, 8000 knights, all dismounted and became heavy infantry, supported by 4000 archers and 1500 crossbowmen. Commanded by the Royal Butler (K), Grand Marshal (P), Duke of Orleans (P) and Duke of Bourbon (K), Earl of the European Union (K), Earl of Richmond (P) and Sir Dampier respectively. Sir David de Ramblas, the general commander of the crossbow, was also in the first round, although he had intended to command the left-wing cavalry. Now his position is handed over to Sir Vindomebo (P), who has 1600 heavy cavalry; There are also 800 right-wing cavalry under the command of Sir Clignetde Brebant. The cavalry's disposal was a little sudden, and many lesbian nobles gathered on both sides of the cavalry, hoping to make a name for themselves in the first charge.

Later, the second infantry, with a number of 3,000-6,000, was mainly composed of armed attendants and subordinate retinue. The commanders were Duke Baal (k), Duke Aragon (k) and Count neves (k) (the specific names of many middle-level nobles are omitted here again). Some data put French archers and crossbowmen in the second array, and their actual position is between two heavy infantry. According to the original plan, these remote attack force will be in the forefront of the whole army and British army, but they may be afraid of repeating the mistakes of the Battle of Cresset (when a large number of Genoa crossbowmen were knocked down by heavy cavalry behind them). Of course, this may also be caused by the strong sense of honor of French knights, who are scrambling to stand in the forefront, thinking that simply discharging the battle can scare the British. In any case, the French crossbowman is now caught in the crowd and can't play any role. Many people didn't put an arrow in this battle. (Note that the suffix K above means killed and the suffix P means captured. )

The third array is full of knights on horseback, with a number of 8000- 10000. Their task is to clean up the battlefield and pull out the British troops who escaped from the country trenches one by one. So the discharged formation is also very loose, and there is no clear commander. Behind them are thousands of non-combatants, including priests waiting to reward God, doctors waiting to be cured, attendants waiting to take off their armor, and villagers waiting to watch the excitement.

In contrast, Henry has little capital to use. According to the traditional view, Henry's formation is still based on the tradition of the Battle of Crixus. The longbowman and the dismounted knight are mixed and cover each other. In English, the name of this stratum is herce, and most historians think the word comes from harrow Plough. Ploughs in Europe are different from those in China. It is shaped like a lattice door welded by iron bars. There is a spike at the criss-cross of bars, and its cross section is similar to our rake. So at present, the longbowmen are nails, and the Cavaliers who cover them are iron bars. This formation can be called plough formation. However, there is another explanation in Jim bradbury's "Archers in the Middle Ages", which holds that Hertzer is the arrangement of finger-tip stakes. If the archers are divided into teams, the pointed stakes they prepare can only be scattered in various sections, and the French cavalry can use the gap to break through. It's best to gather the long archers together so that their stakes can be paved into a dense fence. Staggered back and forth into a chessboard, even if the cavalry rushed up and jumped over the first row, they would hit the second and third rows of stakes. At the same time, long archers can use the cover of wooden stakes to divide them into chessboard-shaped pieces and shoot arrows on each other's heads. Most historians today agree with this statement, because both ends of the battlefield are close to the Woods, and archers can be divided on both sides as long as they are covered by the Woods. In the middle of the battlefield, Henry and his 900 dismounted cavalry were next to the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of York, earl of march, the Earl of Huntington, the Earl of Oxford and the Earl of Kent.

On that day, the king rode a little gray horse with no spurs under his boots, indicating that he would stand on the ground and fight with his men. He rode to the front and began to make a speech, declaring his natural sovereignty over Normandy and the French throne, stating that this is the sacred property left by William I to the British, and praying for the spiritual blessing and guidance of Edward III and black prince, so that they can return home again with honor. Henry told the longbowman that the French were bragging about cutting off two fingers of everyone's right hand, so that they could never bow and shoot arrows again. Let's work hard.

"There will be St. Quest's Day. From today until the end of the world, history will always remember this day! Those of us who act in this festival will not be forgotten. We are the minority, the happiest minority! We are a team of brothers. The people who bled with me today are all my brothers! No matter how humble his birth is, today's baptism will make him a real aristocrat! Let's take faith as armor and entrust life and death to heaven. The virgin and St. George will be with us! Deo gratias Anglia Red Pro Victoria! God will guide England! " (Note that I read Brother LQY's novel The Battle of Ashang Arc in Maxwell Edition of National Taiwan University a long time ago. Here I mixed Shakespeare's words with his parts, but the original words of that year have not been verified. )