Battle of La Roche Derien, 27 June 1347 (Brittany)
Battle that saw one of the first French attempts to deal with the new English tactics that had defeated them at Crecy in the previous year. Charles of Blois, the French backed claimant to the duchy of Brittany, was besieging the garrison of La Roche Derien. His troops had dug in, and cleared all the cover from the surrounding area, meaning that the the English archers were at a serious disadvantage against the French crossbowmen in their fortifications. To make things worse, the English relief force, led by Sir Thomas Dagworth, were outnumbered by the French. Dagworth's response was to launch his troops in a night attack, formed as a column. The surprise attack pierced the French lines, and aided by an attack from the garrison, destroyed the French army and captured Charles of Blois. This was a battle won by the English on the attack and without the use of archers, a very rare combination during the Hundred Years War.
How to cite this article: Rickard, J. (21 October 2000), Battle of La Roche Derien, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_laroche.html