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SLUYS, BATTLE OF

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Originally appearing in Volume V25, Page 246 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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SLUYS, See also:BATTLE OF , fought on Saturday the 24th of See also:June 1330, one of the two See also:sea-fights in which See also:King See also:Edward III. of See also:England commanded in See also:person, the other being that called Espagnols-sur-Mer (q.v.). The See also:place of the encounter was in front of the See also:town of Sluis, Sluys, or in See also:French Ecluse, on the inlet between See also:West See also:Flanders and See also:Zeeland. In the See also:middle of the 14th See also:century this was an open roadstead capable of holding large fleets. It has now been silted up by the See also:river Eede. A French See also:fleet, which the king, in a See also:letter to his son Edward the See also:Black See also:Prince, puts at 190 See also:sail, had been collected in preparation for an invasion of England. It was under the command of See also:Hue Quiet-et, See also:admiral for the king of See also:France, and of See also:Nicholas Behuchet, who had been one of the king's treasurers, and was probably a lawyer. See also:Part of the fleet consisted of Genoese galleys serving as mercenaries under the command of Barbavera. Although See also:English historians speak of King Edward's fleet as inferior in number to the French, it is certain that he sailed from Orwell on the 22nd of June with 200 sail, and that he was joined on the See also:coast of Flanders by his admiral for the See also:North Sea, See also:Sir See also:Robert See also:Morley, with 50 others. Some of this swarm of vessels were nodoubt See also:mere transports, for the king brought with him the See also:house-hold of his See also:queen, Philippa of Hainault, who was then at See also:Bruges. As, however, one of the queen's ladies was killed in the battle, it would appear that all the English vessels were employed. Edward anchored at See also:Blankenberghe on the afternoon of the 23rd and sent three squires to reconnoitre the position of the French. The Genoese Barbavera advised his colleagues to go to sea, but Behuchet, who as See also:constable exercised the See also:general command, refused to leave the anchorage.

He probably wished to occupy it in See also:

order to See also:bar the king's road to Bruges. The disposition of the French was made in accordance with the usual See also:medieval See also:tactics of a fleet fighting on the defensive. Quieret and Behuchet formed their force into three or four lines, with the See also:ships tied to one another, and with a few of the largest stationed in front as outposts. King Edward entered the road, See also:stead on the See also:morning of the 24th, and after manoeuvring to place his ships to windward, and to bring the See also:sun behind him, attacked. In his letter to his son he says that the enemy made a See also:noble See also:defence " all that See also:day and the See also:night after." His ships were arranged in two lines, and it may be presumed that the first attacked in front, while the second would be able to turn the flanks of the opponent. The battle was a See also:long See also:succession of See also:hand-to-hand conflicts to See also:board or to repel boarders. King Edward makes no mention of any actual help given him by his Flemish See also:allies, though he says they were willing, but the French say that they joined after dark. They also assert that the king was wounded by Behuchet, but this is not certain, and there is no testimony See also:save a legendary one for a See also:personal encounter between him and the French See also:commander, though it would not be improbable. The battle ended with the almost See also:total destruction of the French. Quiet-et was slain, and Behuchet is said to have been hanged by King Edward's orders. Barbavera escaped to sea with his See also:squadron on the morning of the 25th, carrying off two English prizes. English chroniclers claim that the victory was won with small cost of See also:life, and that the loss of the French was 30,000 men.

But no reliance can be placed on medieval estimates of See also:

numbers. After the battle King Edward remained at See also:anchor several days, and it is probable that his fleet had suffered heavily. AurHoRITIEs.—The See also:story of the battle of Sluys is told from the English See also:side by Sir See also:Harris See also:Nicolas, in his See also:History of the Royal See also:Navy, vol. ii. (See also:London, 1847); and from the French side by M. C. de la Ronciere, Histoire de la marine francaise, vol. i. (See also:Paris, 1899). Both make copious references to See also:original See also:sources. (D.

End of Article: SLUYS, BATTLE OF

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