The longbow was large, almost two meters from tip to tip, and it was made from springy yew sapling, requiring strength to draw. Its string was made of hemp or silk. Its arrows were accurate and lethal up to the standard practice range of 200 meters. The longbow had a shorter maximum range than the short, stiff composite Turkish or Mongol saddle bows of equivalent draw force, but it could drive a heavy arrow through armor with equal efficiency at medium ranges of 200 meters and maximum ranges of 350 meters.
French archers and other European soldiers used the crossbow. Although the crossbow’s arrows did not travel as far as the longbow’s arrows and it had a slower rate of fire, it was easier to fire than a long bow because it required less physical strength to position and aim the arrows. The crossbow’s origins are obscure, but its earliest appearance in Europe was in the technologically advanced Italian cities of the 10th and 11th centuries. The destructive power that made it so feared was derived from the development of the crossbow’s metal components.
Read more at Suite101: The Longbow and The Battle of Agincourt http://www.suite101.com/content/the-longbow-and-the-battle-of-agincourt-a245519#ixzz14uIWccum
Read more at Suite101: The Longbow and The Battle of Agincourt http://www.suite101.com/content/the-longbow-and-the-battle-of-agincourt-a245519#ixzz14uIWccum
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