Sunset for the Knight
1346 AD
1346 1346
01.55E50.10N
MISC

NORTHERN FRANCE
	A few miles north of the village of Cr‚cy-\en-\Ponthieu, France, in the year 1346, the sun began to set on the proud and seemingly invincible armored knight, who had ruled European battlefields in the Middle Ages.  The English longbow ended his reign.
	To prepare for the French attack, Edward III of England placed his infantry in the middle of his line, and his longbowmen on either side, angled forward to form a funnel leading toward his infantry.
	The French army of about 60,000, three times the size of Edward's army, suddenly stumbled upon the English.  But as each unit of knights approached it charged impetuously down the funnel toward the infantry.  From either side came clouds of English arrows.  Fifteen or 16 waves of the finest French knights were slaughtered.  Between 10,000 and 20,000 French were killed.  The English lost about 200.