Amphibious warfare, Medieval style.

[Longmane]

I thought I'd post this because although the plan was never put into operation, due to the King choosing a more economic means of solving the problem, it nevertheless gives a clear indication into just how tactically and strategically astute they could be in the medieval times, as likewise how prepared to be innovative and "think out of ye oldie box"       :o



The plan of Benedict Zaccaria for the war at sea against England

Between August and November 1297, Benedict Zaccaria, the admiral of Castile, was studying the state of the French fleet.  He then made certain proposals to Philip the Fair for the war against England.  A fleet of transport ships and galleys was to be fitted out for the transport of knights and their horses, and foot-soldiers consisting of crossbowmen, lancers and spearmen.  This would mean that they were fitted to fight the enemy in different ways:

1. In sea-battles.

2. By burning or capturing the enemy's ships in harbour, by attacking with the fleet or with soldiers who had been landed.

3. The fleet should land knights and other soldiers. These could undertake plundering raids, in which towns, villages and entire districts could be destroyed and burned.  Only really well-fortified enemy towns could offer resistance to this sort of surprise attack.  After its plundering the army would withdraw, re-embark and make another raid in another area.  The enemy would not know where such an attack would come.  It would be impossible for them to defend all parts of the country efficiently, and after a few such raids they would be worried and scared.  If this army could take a town close to the coast, within easy reach of the fleet, it should then pretend to set about fortifying this town as if intending to occupy it.  The enemy would have to raise an army to recapture the town, which would be both troublesome and expensive.  As soon as the enemy had made a serious attempt to do this, the town should be set on fire, the army re-embark, and the fleet sail off to do the same elsewhere.

4. The enemy would have to spend a great deal of money.  He would also become uneasy and be afraid that Scotland and Wales would help the French invaders.

Zaccaria was reckoning on 20 huissiers or transport ships, 4 galleys and 24 other ships.  At the moment the king had 13: 7 were in harbour at Rouen, 5 at La Rochelle and La Réole, and the last at Calais.  Zaccaria himself had 2.  At La Rochelle, a big transport ship belonging to a merchant could be used on payment of a reasonable charge.  Four of the royal galleys could be made higher, wider and longer aft, to turn them into transport ships.  Each one could transport 20 men and their horses.  400 foot-soldiers or more would also be taken to help the knights. There would be 4,800 seamen in the fleet of 40 ships, so that there would be a total of 5,200 foot-soldiers and 400 knights.


Two of the four galleys of the fleet should always follow the transport to protect it, and give support to the knights while they were landing. The other galleys could regularly bring up supplies for the army and the horses, so that it always had what it needed, and would not have to search for provisions in enemy country, but could keep on attacking.  If the knights and the foot-soldiers were well-supplied there would be enough of them to do a lot of damage to the enemy.

The knights' leader would have to be a man of experience, ready to stand up to great hardships and to play a very active part.  His knights would have to be well-disciplined, skilled in the use of weapons, persevering and tough, because this sort of warfare makes tremendous demands physically.  The best possible seamen must be recruited, 'paying efficient seamen brings good returns, paying inefficient ones is money thrown away'.  Both knights and sailors were to be paid for four months. This would enable them to find good knights and sailors, and in the end the best is the cheapest.  If they were well paid, they could bring their equipment and arms themselves, so that the king would not have to buy it for them.  Also it would not be necessary to return to get the money for pay, for this means great loss of time, because during that time no one can be attacking, and the king would have to support the army for longer.

Then Zaccaria estimates the cost of these expeditions.  The pay for 4,800 sailors cost 40 sous tournois per man.  They can be had for 35 sous, but at 40 sous better men are available.  To economise Zaccaria would only give them bread, water, beans and peas as food, while the men would have to provide their wine, meat and other foodstuffs.  This would save a lot of work, and the king much expense, and the sailors would not be able to grumble about the food.  These expenses would amount to 9,600 pounds tournois a month, i.e. 38,400 pounds for four months.  The bread, beans and peas cost 15 sous tournois per month per man.  Altogether this comes to 3,600 pounds tournois, or 14,400 for four months.  Fitting out the ships would cost 3,000 pounds: Zaccaria estimates the cost of masts, sails, ropes, caulking, and so on, at 5,000 pounds.  Galleys would have to be brought from Gascony and Poitou in Rouen, which would cost another 3,000 pounds.  His figure came to 63,800 pounds tournois.

In order to get this fleet ready immediately, someone would have to be chosen secretly to be in command of the knights.  An advance of 20,000 pounds would be needed for fitting out the ships, and the same sum would be needed again in January to mass the ships at Rouen and recruit the men.  The rest of the money would have to be on hand by the beginning of March: everything would have to be ready by April.  The king would have to forbid anyone from putting to sea from March to the end of June, to make it easy to recruit sailors without having to pay more than the normal rate.

Zaccaria's proposed attacks on England had much to offer.  It was very difficult to intercept the invaders, as they would never stay anywhere long.  Only the English fleet might react violently, but it was doubtful whether it was powerful enough and could get there quickly enough to intercept the enemy.  Of course, this possibility could not be excluded, but it did not alter the fact that this admiral, a man of considerable experience, had thought up a good plan.  If the king of England were to organize the coastal defence of his whole country, it would cost an appalling sum.  The Christian leaders hoped in the same way to inflict enormous damage and great losses on the sultan of Egypt.

Before the French fleet was ready, in 1295, Philip the Fair protected the French coast with troops to prevent a landing by Edward I.  This cost 600,000 pounds tournois. The fitting out of a great fleet in 1295 cost a great deal more: 1,579,250 pounds tournois, and brought no important result.

[Shizzle]

As soon as the enemy had made a serious attempt to do this, the town should be set on fire, the army re-embark, and the fleet sail off to do the same elsewhere.

You mad, bro'?

Great read :)

Maybe that's another thing weird about BM: standing armies (?)