DBA Armies

This list covers the period from Henry II’s assize of arms until the introduction of dismounted tactics, recruitment by indenture and the perfection of the English longbowmen. This includes squabbles in France and England 1173-1216 involving Henry, his heirs Henry, Richard, Geoffrey, John (not a nice man, but a brilliant strategist who won his battles in advance by moving fast) and Arthur, and the French, the civil war battles in England of Lincoln 1217, Lewes 1264 and Evesham 1265, the battles in Wales of Orewin Bridge 1282 and Maes Moydog 1295 and in Scotland of Stirling 1297, Falkirk 1298 and Bannockburn 1314. All English knights now wore complete mail armour, supplemented by 1300 by a coat-of-plates for the torso and plate armour for the limbs, and usually closed-face helmets. Heraldic designs decorated a (usually short) textile jupon worn over the torso and the short “heater-shaped” shields. English knights still charged vigorously on horseback, even into Scots schiltrons. Hobilars were Anglo-Irish scouting cavalry imported for the Scots wars; and muntatores were similar English cavalry from the Welsh Marches employed against the Welsh. English levy infantry were generally unwilling and prone to desert, or more often fail to attend the muster, the exception being those from counties accustomed to service against the Welsh. English armies of this period usually won if they softened up the enemy with arrows before charging and lost if the knights charged prematurely or were pinned against an obstacle. By the end of the period, South Welsh archers often provided most of the foot. References: Armies of Feudal Europe 1. Heath, Annies of the Middle Ages Vol 1. 1. Heath, Devil’s Brood A. Duggan, Normans and Plantagenets - An Alternative History of Britain T. Venning, The Taming of the Dragon WB. Bartlett, Bannockburn 1314 - A New History C. Brown, Leopards and Lilies A. Duggan (novel).