English longbow

E417478

The English longbow was a powerful medieval ranged weapon famed for its long range, high rate of fire, and decisive role in English military victories such as those of the Hundred Years’ War.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
English longbow canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf bow
medieval ranged weapon
war bow
arrowType bodkin point arrow
broadhead arrow
associatedWith Yeomanry
surface form: English yeomanry

Welsh archery tradition
constructionType self bow
countryOfOrigin England
designedFor anti-armor use
mass volley fire
drawWeight often over 100 pounds force
up to about 180 pounds force
effectiveRange over 200 meters
era Late medieval period
Middle Ages
gripPosition center of the stave
influenced later European war bows
legalRequirement English medieval archery practice laws
material ash wood
elm wood
witch hazel wood
yew wood
maximumRange over 300 meters
notableFor armor penetration
decisive role in English victories
high rate of fire
long range
preservedExamplesFoundAt The Mary Rose (shipwreck)
surface form: Mary Rose shipwreck
primaryUsers yeoman archers
rateOfFire up to 10–12 arrows per minute
stringMaterial flax
hemp
silk
tacticalRole disrupt enemy formations
support infantry and men-at-arms
trainingRequired long-term physical conditioning
typicalLength about 1.8 meters
about 2.0 meters
usedAgainst armored infantry
mounted knights
usedBy English army
Welsh archers
usedInConflict Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Crécy
Battle of Poitiers
Hundred Years' War
Wars of the Roses
weaponClass projectile weapon

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Battle of Agincourt primaryWeapon English longbow