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Hi Guys

Anybody enjoy the mini series Gunpowder Treason and Plot by Jimmy McGovern, I thought Robert Carlisle played one of his best roles ever as James the 1st

If you like a good period drama this is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Also just saw a great series called Britains worst Century, which covered the battle of Agincourt, 25 thousand French knights and men at arms against Henry the 5th's 6 thousand original band of brothers. The French commander wanted to flank the British, but Henry advanced his troops and had thick dense woodland at either flank, only allowing the French to make a frontal assault, which was cut down by the English archers. When the bodies piled up at the Front and the shear mass of the attack allowed the French troops at the Rear to Crush the Troops at the Front the Knights became bogged down and sitting ducks, the english resorted to a limb chopping throat cutting exercise. Outnumbered nearly 5-1 the English with the flanks protected and accurate deadly bowmen won the field, not to mention the execution of 2000 prisoners, marked the end of Chivalry and the beginnig of a new age or warefare

From the web site:

Agincourt has become a classic symbol of national heroism in the face of impossible odds, but this film, based on first-hand accounts, tells the story from the point of view of the men in the thick of the battle. From contemporary records, a dramatic and moving story emerges of the last and bloodiest pitched battle of the Middle Ages, in which combat based on chivalric codes of honour would be cast aside for a new and ruthless approach to warfare. Agincourt set the seal on the world's worst century and paved the way for a new order

Yours SW

[HWK]axlethehawk · Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 9:13 pm Post subject:

I've just spent absolutely ages writing a few facts from the book I have here and remembering facts which aren't shown here, which I saw on tv few months ago, which covered this battle exclusively and was extremely interesting to watch. ( damned invalid session nonsense Evil or Very Mad

)

Very basically, Henry V adopted the extremely strong defensive position between the two wooded areas of Agincourt and Tramecourt, giving the French no other option, but for a full frontal asault.

Henry couldnt wait for the French to come to him and he couldn't even consider retreating and being harrassed by a far greater army through hostile country, with his men on the brink of starvation they stood little chance of survival.

So he executed a tactic, whch is potentially one of the most effective gambits in a battle: attack from a strong defensive position.( previously used by William the Conqueror at hastings in 1066 against King Harold ).

He decided to march his army approx. 640metres/700yards closer to the masses of French troops,( still within the confines of the wooded flanks ) therefore bringing his archers to within bowshot of them. His idea, was to lure the French into attacking him and finishing this battle asap.

The French nobility decided they would lead the attk, because they sincerely believed the English men at arms and archers could not withstand their charge.

Fortunately for the English , due to the heavy rains during the night whcih had left the fields thick with heavy mud, the French assault was slowed down and they poured untold misery upon the French as they advanced.

They took down many horses and men at long range and when the enemy came too close they where quickly despatched by deadly and concentrated volleys.

By the turn of the hour, the casualty list was looking grim for the French, with losses mounting to 11,000 and the English reportedly losing approx. 100 men only.

The French apparently lost either hundreds or even thousands ( forgot the figures from the tv show ) of their gentry / nobility, because they had insisted on being the ones to charge first and destroy the small English force. It must be thousands, becasue of 11,000 deaths, I believe the French formed 3 seperate lines for attackinng and these first 2 lines where made up of those men from noble/ gentle backgrounds and the rest of the men relegated to the 3rd line. And this 3rd line s'posedly melted away after watchinng helplessly as the English fought fiercely against the remaining 2nd line, showing no mercy with those knights who lay stuck in the heavy mud in their heavy armoured suits.

This was a miraculous victory for the English, though the only way to seal a victory here was to show little or no mercy to the enemy soldiers, as they could not afford to do so, due to the massively uneven odds.

Cool

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[hwk] axlethehawk ( DIPLOMATIC LIAISSON )

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