Battle of Blanchetaque

Battle context

The Battle of Blanchetaque was fought on 24 August 1346 as a critical passage engagement during the Crécy campaign of the Hundred Years' War. Following their landing in the Cotentin Peninsula on 12 July, the English under Edward III had driven through some of France's richest territories, reaching within 20 miles of Paris before turning north to link with an allied Flemish army invading from Flanders. Philip VI countered by garrisoning every bridge and ford over the River Somme and pursuing the English with his field army while the surrounding area had been stripped of food stocks, effectively trapping the English force. The crossing at Blanchetaque, held by Godemar du Fay's 3,500-strong force, was therefore a strategic necessity rather than an opportunistic engagement. With French casualties recorded at 2,000 against an English force of 5,000, the English forced the crossing and broke the encirclement, freeing Edward III to continue north. The battle was a direct prerequisite for the subsequent engagement at Crécy, where the broader campaign would reach its decisive conclusion.