BATTLE OF ARNEMUIDEN - 100 YEARS WAR STARTED BETWEEN FRANCE AND ENGLAND- 1338 SEPTEMBER 23

BATTLE OF ARNEMUIDEN -

100 YEARS WAR STARTED

BETWEEN FRANCE AND ENGLAND- 

1338 SEPTEMBER 23

A Brief History

On September 23, 1338, the English ship, Christofer (variously spelled Christopher, or Christophe) went into battle at Arnemuiden armed with 3 cannon and 1 hand gun.  This battle would be the first known time in history when a ship saw combat using artillery.  This battle was also significant as the first naval battle of the Hundred Years War.


Digging Deeper

Battle of Arnemuiden
Part of Hundred Years' War
Date 23 September 1338 Location Arnemuiden (Walcheren island) Result French victory
Belligerents
England	France
Commanders and leaders
John Kingston †	Nicolas Béhuchet  Hugues Quiéret
Strength
5 great carracks with artillery	48 galleys
Casualties and losses
1000 dead ; 5 great cogs and their cargo captured	900 dead and wounded

The English had only 5 ships  (“great carracks”) for the battle, but having cannon was a decided advantage.  The French brought a large fleet of 48 galleys, and the overwhelming numbers proved decisive.  Despite a furious battle, the French prevailed and cannon were on the losing side of the historic battle.

The English had lost their great ships, along with their cargo and suffered 1000 men dead, while the French had 900 killed and wounded.  The English dead were not all killed in battle, as the French had massacred all those taken prisoner.

The Hundred Years War was a series of wars over the control of the throne of France, contested between the House of Plantagenet (England) and the House of Valois (France).  Fought between 1337 and 1453, the war spanned the Age of Chivalry with armored knights to the supremacy of gunpowder and the firearms it made possible.  The war resulted in a victory for France.

Naval artillery has come a long way from bows and arrows, slings and rocks, and muzzle loading black powder cannons to modern automatic, rapid firing guns launching a wide variety of projectiles.