Concentrated longbow fire let outnumbered English forces defeat armored knights
Evidence
The genius of Lanchester’s models was his realization that the capacity to concentrate fire—to have multiple soldiers confronting a rival simultaneously—utterly changed the formula for victory. Based on his models, military strategists quickly recognized that investing substantially in the training and arming of individuals was not cost-effective, because the fighting effectiveness of each man was less likely to determine the outcome of battle than the numbers of men brought to the fight. Obviously, some training and equipment were needed, since soldiers armed more poorly than their opponents would be less effective. But given the choice of allocating resources to weapons and training, on the one hand, or to adding more soldiers on the other, the winning strategy was clear. Add more soldiers. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 236 (
#corroborates, via linked claim)
But it was certain that they could not gain the coast without a battle. No other resolve was open than to fight at enormous odds. The King and the Prince of Wales, afterwards famous as the Black Prince, received all the offices of religion, and Edward prayed that the impending battle should at least leave him unstripped of honour. — Winston Churchill, A History of the English-Speaking…, 536 (
#exemplifies, via linked claim)
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Concentrated fire makes quantity of soldiers beat individual weapon quality — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 236; Concentrating simultaneous fire disfavors large weapons while duels favor them; The effectiveness of the long-bow altered the dynamics of battle. — Winston Churchill, A History of the English-Speaking…, 536 (+3 more)
Related
- The effectiveness of the long-bow altered the dynamics of battle. (similarity 0.87)
- Concentrated fire makes quantity of soldiers beat individual weapon quality (similarity 0.86)
- The shift to long-range weapons fundamentally changed the rules of military engagement (similarity 0.82)
- Infantry archery transformed warfare dynamics in England. (similarity 0.82)
- Firearms made troop numbers count quadratically rather than linearly in battle (similarity 0.79)
Broader Connections
- Concentrated fire makes quantity of soldiers beat individual weapon quality
#corroborates(0.90) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 236 - Concentrating simultaneous fire disfavors large weapons while duels favor them
#expands(0.75) - The effectiveness of the long-bow altered the dynamics of battle.
#exemplifies(0.70) — Winston Churchill, A History of the English-Speaking…, 536 - Infantry archery transformed warfare dynamics in England.
#exemplifies(0.70) — Winston Churchill, A History of the English-Speaking…, 464 - Raw English infantry matched Spain’s veteran pike squares.
#qualifies(0.40) — Garrett Mattingly, The Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 106