Edward III’s English army defeated a larger French force under Philip VI at the Battle of Crécy on 26 August 1346. It was the first major land battle of the Hundred Years’ War and allowed Edward to continue north and besiege Calais.

Edward had landed in Normandy in July and led his army across northern France, capturing Caen and raiding towns and countryside as it moved. Philip gathered a larger force and pursued him. After crossing the Somme, Edward stopped near Crécy and prepared to fight.

The English occupied a defensive position on rising ground. Edward divided his force into separate formations, with large numbers of English and Welsh longbowmen supporting men-at-arms fighting on foot. His 16-year-old son Edward, later known as the Black Prince, commanded one part of the army.

The French arrived on 26 August. Their army included Genoese crossbowmen, who advanced towards the English position but were met by volleys from the longbowmen and forced back. Their retreat added to the disorder as French mounted men-at-arms moved forward.

The French made repeated attacks against Edward’s position. The longbowmen could shoot rapidly into the advancing troops and horses, while the English men-at-arms held their ground. The French failed to break the line despite continuing their assaults into the evening.

Philip survived the battle, but his army suffered heavy losses. Many French nobles were among the dead. Estimates of the size of both armies and the number killed vary considerably, so precise totals are uncertain.

Edward did not pursue the retreating French army far. Instead, he moved north and began the siege of Calais. The port surrendered in August 1347 and remained in English hands for more than two centuries.