London - The English troops who routed the French at Agincourt were famously described by Shakespeare as “we happy few”.
And there may have been even fewer troops at the battle than anyone previously thought.
Researchers at Southampton University now believe Henry V’s fleet was made up of only 650 ships – less than half the old estimate of 1 500.
But the English and Welsh forces still managed to pull off the famous victory in 1415, despite being outnumbered by the French by up to six to one.
Researcher Dr Craig Lambert said he uncovered the true size of the naval force by studying exchequer rolls held at the National Archives in Kew, West London.
The records show Henry hired ships from Holland and commandeered others in England. Dr Lambert calculated the size of the fleet by looking at the payments made for ship hire. He also found that the bulk of the fleet was comprised of English ships, contrary to previous claims that foreign vessels predominated.
Around 12 000 men were initially estimated to have been on board the ships. As well as transporting Henry’s troops, the naval force was used to protect the British coast and transport the wounded home.
Dr Lambert said: “The story of Agincourt has largely been dominated by analyses of the battle. I wanted to give a clearer picture of the scale of the operation.”
Daily Mail