Posted on 07/30/2015 11:19:03 AM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
During the Hundred Years' War, England had a centralized, state-controlled organization for manufacturing arrows in bulk. These were then issued as required to the soldiers on campaign.
In June 1413, for example, Henry V appointed Nicholas Mynot to be “keeper of the king's arrows,” based in the Tower of London. Mynot was responsible for making arrows, but the royal fletchers alone could not supply the total need, so additional orders were placed with outside suppliers. In August 1413, for example, London-based fletcher Stephen Seler was paid for 12,000 arrows.
We have some total figures available. In 1418, Henry V's government purchased 150,000 arrows; in 1421, it acquired nearly 500,000. Several years' supply would be stockpiled for a major campaign. Half a century earlier in 1360, Edward III's accounts reveal that 566,400 arrows (and 11,000 bows) were stored in the Tower of London alone.
It's possible some archers brought their own arrows. People who were foresters or hunters (or bandits) in civilian life would be accustomed to supplying their own needs and might prefer arrows whose length and weight was better suited to the draw weight of their bow than the standard government-issue arrows. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
Wouldn’t the Roman Empire had need of these, and many other things, on a scale that would dwarf anything in Europe at that time?
And where did they get the rubber tomahawks?
Bass Pro Shop?
Tweetsie Railroad
However, digs at several long-term legionary forts in Germany and the UK have found the remnants of facilities for mass producing pila and ballista darts, and it would not be terribly surprising if they could also crank out large numbers of arrows for the auxilliaries.
the enemy would find that offensive
"We simply don’t understand how good ancient archers were. We are now relearning their secrets. This Dane is making it happen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zGnxeSbb3g He’s the best “real combat” archer in the world."
That was awesome. Thanks for posting.
History channel did a show on the weapons used at Agincourt. How longbows were made, what wood they were cut from, was an English archer able to have five arrows in the air at once, etc.
The arrows were designed to be armor-piercing with a heavier than normal warhead (?) that imparted greater momentum. Launched by longbow with a high trajectory, these English arrows pierced French breastplates with great effectiveness.
The French had Venetian crossbowmen whose bolts were also effective against plate armor but they took much longer to recock using a two-handed winch. Advantage: England.
lol
Those would be bodkin points.
With all of those arrows in the air, the French fought in the shade.
“That would have been a lot of arrows... “
You are assuming the French fired back ...
Pull ‘em out of the dead guy next to you
I might try to find the article. I’ve subscribed since 1964 and have all of those issues stored.
And the Iranian, who claimed he could darken the sky with arrows?
The logistics would be complicated and difficult to sustain.
Ha!
It would have been sometime between 1975 and 1985, I believe. Sorry I can’t narrow it down more, but they published an index every six months (as you probably know).
The Romans weren’t big on cavalry either. I believe many of their horsemen were auxiliaries also. Heavy infantry was their forte.
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