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 ...
Most arrows designed for war were barbed at the back of the arrowhead, to prevent people from easily pulling them out.
The length and spine of the arrow depended on the weight and draw of the bow, but I guess accuracy was secondary to flight volume like smooth bore muskets versus rifled long arms.
Bump for Samurai Jack reference!
I’ve never seen that kind of rapid fire from a bow. Another great archer is Byron Ferguson, who can hit a tossed aspirin with his longbow. Lots of videos online demonstrating his skills.
Mongols used arrows quite literally by the millions.
If they had all been liberals, then the arrows would have been tipped with suction cups.
—rim shot—
Nothing came close to the Mongol rate of sustained fire and accuracy for 600 centuries.
ACME ARROW COMPANY, same place Wyle B. Coyote got his!
rapid fire ... see 47
I recall reading Greek and Roman slingers used to carve insults on their lead sling bullets.
Freegards
Best estimate I've seen is 8000 archers, and the standard was each carried 24 arrows. So somewhere approaching 200,000 arrows. Estimates of the French force vary wildly, but averaging them out you get something along the lines of 25,000. So 8 British arrows for every Frenchman, and 20 for every dead Frenchman.
Incidentally, if you ever want to read a good book, John Keegan's THE FACE OF BATTLE compares the experience of battle at Agincourt, Waterloo and the Somme.
Maximum
Rounds
Down
Range...
Wins every time.
Heh. Heh. They pulled their already used arrows from the backs of the French.
I guess I should have put joke in parentheses after my comment.
[Nothing came close to the Mongol rate of sustained fire and accuracy for 600 centuries.]
And often from the back of a moving horse.
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