The Battle of La Roche-Derrien was one of the battles of the

Breton War of Succession The War of the Breton Succession (, ) was a conflict between the Counts of Blois and the Montforts of Brittany for control of the Sovereign Duchy of Brittany, then a fief of the Kingdom of France. It was fought between 1341 and 12 April 1 ...

; it was fought on 20 June 1347 during the night between Anglo-Breton and Franco-Breton forces. Approximately 4,000–5,000 French, Breton and Genoese mercenaries (the largest field army ever assembled by

Charles of Blois Charles of Blois-Châtillon (131929 September 1364), nicknamed "the Saint", was the legalist Duke of Brittany from 1341 until his death, via his marriage to Joan, Duchess of Brittany and Countess of Penthièvre, holding the title against the c ...

) laid siege to the town of La Roche-Derrien in the hope of luring Sir

Thomas Dagworth Sir Thomas Dagworth (1276 – 20 July 1350) was an English knight and soldier, who led the joint English-Breton armies in Brittany during the Hundred Years' War. Hundred Years War Breton War of Succession In 1346 he led a small English force in ...

, the commander of the only standing English field army in Brittany at the time, into an open pitched battle.

Prelude

Charles of Blois, in an effort to defeat the English longbowmen, gave orders to set up four encampments around the town's four gates. Weak palisades were established to give cover for his men;his thinking being that the archers could not kill what they could not see. Charles gave his men strict orders to stay in their encampments so as not to be easy targets for the archers.

The battle

When Dagworth's relief army, less than one-fourth the size of the Franco-Breton force, arrived at La Roche-Derrien. They attacked the eastern (main) encampment and fell into the trap laid by Charles. Dagworth's main force was assailed with crossbow bolts from front and rear and after a short time Dagworth himself was forced to surrender. Charles, thinking he had won the battle and that Brittany was effectively his, lowered his guard. However a sortie from the town, composed mainly of townsfolk armed with axes and farming implements, came from behind Charles's lines. The archers and men-at-arms who remained from the initial assault now rallied with the town's garrison to cut down Charles' forces. Charles was forced to surrender and was taken for ransom. His strict orders to his commanders to stay in their encampments was his eventual downfall as the Anglo-Breton forces managed to clear each encampment one by one.

The Battle of La Roche-Derrien in historical fiction

The battle features in

Bernard Cornwell Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English-American author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also written ''The Saxon ...

's historical novel ''

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''—part of his

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series of books, set against the background of the Hundred Years' War. The battle also features in

Richard Donner Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American filmmaker whose notable works included some of the most financially-successful films during the New Hollywood era. According to film historian ...

’s 2003 film "

Timeline_(2003_film) ''Timeline'' is a 2003 science fiction adventure film directed by Richard Donner and starring Paul Walker, Frances O'Connor, Gerard Butler, Billy Connolly, David Thewlis, and Anna Friel. Based on Michael Crichton's 1999 novel of the same name, ...

", itself an adaptation of Michael Chrichton’s 1999 novel of the same name. The film follows a team of archaeologists-turned-time-travelers, lost during the battle.

References

The Postgrad Chronicles''
Death, Treachery, & A Victory Against the Odds: Sir Thomas Dagworth & The Battle of La Roche Derrien
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Roche-Derrien La Roche-Derrien 1347 in England 1347 in France Conflicts in 1347 Military history of Brittany War of the Breton Succession History of Côtes-d'Armor