King's Knights 1350

Edward III fought off Port Winchelsea

This Naval History is a continuation on from: "Battle off Dover 1217"

More than a century after the "Battle off Dover 1217" the general mode of fighting had not noticeably changed. In the great naval fights of Edward III's reign we can see even less sign of "tactics" than at Dover.

The battle of Sluys, fought and decisively won by the King himself in 1350, has achieved more fame than any other medieval English sea-fight.

Though the French were annihilated, it was more or less a land-locked affair, in enclosed waters which have long since become dry-land.

Edward's second big victory, fought off the port of Winchelsea, in open channel in 1350, and usually called: "Les Espagnols sur Mer," was a typical desparate business, and holds some points of great interest.

The setting of the battle was simple enough. The Spaniard, Don Carlos de la Carda, having treacherously attacked English merchant ships, in the midst of a truce.

He was at Sluys, preparing to return home to Spain, but Edward was determined to make him pay for his misdeeds, and lay quietly off of Dover to await his passing.

Battle off Dover 1217

Northern ships tried Mediterranean tacticts

With a north-east wind blowing, the Spaniards could easily have avoided action: but, because of pride and presumption they chose not to pass them by without speaking.

As they came through the narrow Straits the King fell in with them, and both fleets with the wind astern, edged towards each other until, off Winchelsea, then the fight between the two fleets began.

The King's ship was strong and well built, made of English oak, the Spanish ship which was a great ship and heavy, was heading towards the other at full speed. When the Spanish ship came right opposite the King steered his vessel against the ship that was coming towards him. The others in the fleets were doing likewise.

The King tilted his ship against her, when the great ships of the north collided with the great Spanish ships the force they encountered seemed like a tempest was battering them.

In the rebound that followed they made the tower of the King of England's ship strike the castle of the Spanish ship with such might that the force of the blow broke it off where it was hit, and threw it into the sea; and those within were drowned and lost.

The damage was two-fold

The King's ship didn't get off lightly she had been shaken so badly that she had cracked and had started taking in water. When the King's Knights saw the damage; they spoke no word of it to the King, but got busy bailing and emptying the water from the ship.

Then said the King, who could see the Spanish ship which he had tilted lying before him. "Grapple my ship to this one, for I wish to take her." His Knights answered. "Sir, let this one go; you shall have better." They let the ship pass on, and another of their great ships came by.

The Knights grappled the ship to this one with hooks and iron chains. There began a long battle, hard and fierce: the archers began to shoot and the Spaniards to fight and defend themselves unwavering in the struggle to gain control and that not in one place, but ten or twelve.

On one side they found themselves more strong than the English they were grappling with, and did marvellous deeds of arms. The English had no advantage, for the Spaniards in their great ships, were higher and bigger than the English ships.

They gave the greatest advantage over shooting and in throwing and casting great bars of iron, with which they gave the Englishmen much trouble.

The Knights of the King of England, that were in his ship, seeing that she was in danger of being sunken, by reason of leaking, made haste and persevered to win the ship they were grappled to, and did many great feats of arms.

Finally the King and those of his vessel handled themselves so well that the Spanish ship was taken, and all those in her put overboard.

The Black Prince

Meanwhile, much the same adventures were befalling the Price of wales; the youthful Black Prince. But they were even more desperate, for his ship, after the first crash , began not only to leak, but to sink outright.

The Prince's people were in great anguish, they fought bitterly to win the Spanish ship; but they could not, for she was strongly defended by resolute men. Here again, the advantage lay with height. The situation was ugly.

There are other factors in battle, including co-operation. And at the critical moment the English showed just a hint of it. The Duke of Lancaster coasting close by the Prince's ship, came upon the peril within. He could see how they had not got the best of the battle.

The Prince's ship was in obvious distress the crew were casting water out of her on all sides. The Duke went round by the Spanish ship, and cried out loud. "Derby to the rescue!"

The Spaniards were attacked on the other side,they fought their all, but the fight was soon won, and the ship taken, and all her crew were put overboard no mercy was shown.

The Prince of Wales and his people entered into to the ship, and had hardly done so when their own ship went down.

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Desparation of the "Salle du Roi"

The situation of the little English ship "Salle du Roi" was dire. She had been grappled by a towering Spaniard which, was thinking to consume her at its leisure. She made all sail and was ready to leave the field of battle with her prize the helpless Englishman held firmly to her side.

These Spaniards had intentions of leading her away at their ease; but a servant of Lord Robert of Namur, captain of the "Salle du Roi" had other ideas. His servant did a surprisingly great feat of arms, with a sword in his bare hand Hankin, sprang and leapt onto the Spanish ship.

When he came to the mast he cut through the rope that held the main sail, so that the ship slackened its speed, and by a great feat of his body, he cut through four other principle ropes that governed the mast and sails so that they all fell down upon the ship, and she could go no further.

When Lord Robert of Numar and his men saw this advantage, they advanced and leapt onto the Spanish ship. With their weapons in their hands they sought out and attacked whom ever they found in her. With no taking of mercy all were slain and put overboard, and the ship was won.

Whether Hankin survived and, if so, what, if any were his reward, we are not told. Such daring and quick thinking have been matched thousands of times since, though seldom more spectacularly.

If any were needed here is positive proof that the valour and initiative of the Ordinary Englishman is no new phenomenon.

The continuation of this Naval History will be: "The Great Gun"

Kings Knights 1350 The Great Gun

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