In the course of the march to Calais, Henry’s army weekend by the decease and hunger which numbered about 6,000 men, were forced to follow the course of the River Somme later, Henry was intercepted by the French force blocking the ford at Blanche-Tache. Managing to cross the Somme later, Henry was intercepted by the French army d’Albert on the 24th October 1415. The French army of about 30,000 men consisted chiefly of armoured cavalry and infantry contingents. Henry, fearful of annihilation, sought a truce with the French had worked out tactics to deal with the English Longbowmen.
On the 25th October 1415 the two armies confronted each other. Realising that the larger French army was not going to attack, Henry took the initiative and advanced his line to with in two hundred yards of the French army. As well as being in the longbow range, Henry had also positioned his army on the narrowest part of the battlefield, his flanks being protected by the dense woods, whilst his longbow men were protected by a line of sharpened stakes. Two groups of French knights attacked the wings of the French men at arms advanced down the centre. The superior numbers of the French forced them to bunch up and were easily cut down by the English Longbow men. Although the English line was forced back a spears length they managed to regain there lost ground. After routing the enemy cavalry and severely, the English troops, wielding hatchets, billhooks and swords launched successive assaults on the French infantry. Demoralised by the fate of their cavalry and severely hampered by the mud, the French foot solders were completely overwhelmed.
After nearly three hours of fighting Henry orded the killing of the 1500 French prisoners, after a small French force had attacked the English baggage train in the mear end. The end of the battle saw a decisive victory of the English army. D’albret, several dukes and counts, and about 500 other members of the French nobility had been killed other French casualties totalled about 10,000. The English had lost no fewer than 300 men.
Although Henry retured to England after Agincourt, he was later to complete his conquest of northern France. He concluded his campaigns in 1420 after signing a peace Treaty of Troys
