Plate Armor and The Hundred Years War
One of the first well known conflicts where chainmail, hauberks, and counter-weaponry clashed is The Hundred Years War from 1337-1453, which pitted the French against the English. With limited protection from the chainmail, the advent of plate armor began during this long series of battles, and the weapon of choice became the crossbow, which by the 15th century was made entirely of steel, increasing its power and range significantly. While historical accounts differ greatly, estimates on the range of the crossbow vary from 370 to 500 meters, while providing enough force to pierce through the best plate armor (DeVries). Thus, armor became thicker and covered more of the body to counter the veracity of …show more content…
In Europe, the hauberk was in use through the 14th century when plate armor began to replace it; however, even with the advent of plate armor, chainmail was often incorporated into some areas of the suit not covered by plates, known as transition mail and lasted around another 100 years (James McDonald). This evolution of armor was influenced by the time-consuming nature of creating chainmail, the advancements in metallurgy and blacksmithing, along with changes in the style, shape, and size of weaponry to specifically attack chainmail weaknesses. Based on skeletons found in Sweden, evidence suggests the goal in warfare evolved to specifically target unarmored areas such as the legs rather than a direct effort to puncture the chainmail (Matthew …show more content…
During the Hundred Years War, armor development began to change in response to the advancement of weaponry and infantry tactics, and, as a result, new fighting techniques were adopted to counter better armed and armored infantry (Villalon and Kagay). Large standing shields were employed to protect against arrow onslaughts during battle. Over time, shields shrank in size and use, morphing from the kite style to the heater style, a shorter and more triangular shape with a flat top, most commonly known today. The heater shield was shaped flat like an iron, hence its name. The change to the smaller shield size was as a result of the great helm (helmets) helping protect the head, which was typically done by a larger shield. The increased use of lances in cavalry charges made the use of a smaller shield more palpable, and the shape allowed for greater mobility. Some plate armor suits were even made thinner on the shield side. With the increase in plate and full body armor, however, the use of shields became more of a disadvantage due to them being grabbed by opponents or soldiers getting pinned by the the shield itself during battle, eventually rendering them
One of the first well known conflicts where chainmail, hauberks, and counter-weaponry clashed is The Hundred Years War from 1337-1453, which pitted the French against the English. With limited protection from the chainmail, the advent of plate armor began during this long series of battles, and the weapon of choice became the crossbow, which by the 15th century was made entirely of steel, increasing its power and range significantly. While historical accounts differ greatly, estimates on the range of the crossbow vary from 370 to 500 meters, while providing enough force to pierce through the best plate armor (DeVries). Thus, armor became thicker and covered more of the body to counter the veracity of …show more content…
In Europe, the hauberk was in use through the 14th century when plate armor began to replace it; however, even with the advent of plate armor, chainmail was often incorporated into some areas of the suit not covered by plates, known as transition mail and lasted around another 100 years (James McDonald). This evolution of armor was influenced by the time-consuming nature of creating chainmail, the advancements in metallurgy and blacksmithing, along with changes in the style, shape, and size of weaponry to specifically attack chainmail weaknesses. Based on skeletons found in Sweden, evidence suggests the goal in warfare evolved to specifically target unarmored areas such as the legs rather than a direct effort to puncture the chainmail (Matthew …show more content…
During the Hundred Years War, armor development began to change in response to the advancement of weaponry and infantry tactics, and, as a result, new fighting techniques were adopted to counter better armed and armored infantry (Villalon and Kagay). Large standing shields were employed to protect against arrow onslaughts during battle. Over time, shields shrank in size and use, morphing from the kite style to the heater style, a shorter and more triangular shape with a flat top, most commonly known today. The heater shield was shaped flat like an iron, hence its name. The change to the smaller shield size was as a result of the great helm (helmets) helping protect the head, which was typically done by a larger shield. The increased use of lances in cavalry charges made the use of a smaller shield more palpable, and the shape allowed for greater mobility. Some plate armor suits were even made thinner on the shield side. With the increase in plate and full body armor, however, the use of shields became more of a disadvantage due to them being grabbed by opponents or soldiers getting pinned by the the shield itself during battle, eventually rendering them