Campaign of Brittany and Normandy in 1448-1449
Campaign of Brittany and Normandy in 1448-1449
The March 23rd 1449, whereas a truce had been signed between the France and the England, an adventurer with the pay of the English, François de Surienne says the Aragonese, seizes the Breton city of Fougères. Even if Arthur de Richemont, future duke of Brittany Arthur III, brother of the duke of Brittany, has been constable of France for several years, this action makes rock officially the Brittany in the camp French.
One assembles Breton troops in Rennes. After the rendering of the Mans, the March 16th 1448, André de Lohéac comes to join the constable Arthur III of Brittany to Saint-Aubin-of-Cormier the.
Lohéac takes Bouvron, with Jacques of Saint-Paul, and Monseigneur d' Orval, the June 28th. Jean Dunois order the French Army, army which gets busy with Rouen. At the beginning of September, the Breton ones leave Dol of Brittany and advance towards the Mount-Saint-Michel. The attack of Tombelaine, tried then by Lohéac, failed fault of scales that Mr. d' Estouteville was to provide
Mortain was taken after a keen resistance of the English garrison where there were nothing any more but five men who were not wounded. Jacques of Saint-Paul and Lohéac, who had taken the city left there each one a lieutenant with fifteen lances. For them, they returned to Saint-Jame of Beuvron, then in Saint-Aubin.
The Normandy campaign engages. Objectives are laid down. The constable having decided the duke François Ier of Brittany to enter in Normandy, one attacked Coutances. Lohéac was with the avant-garde; his/her brother, Guy XIV of Laval, count de Laval, was those which arrived the following day. The city went the second day, then the avant-garde left for Saint-Lo, which made its composition in two days. The following days go almost without resistance Carentan, the bridge of Endowed, the bastille of Beusiville, $the Hague - of-Well, Bricquebec, Hommet, Lausué. Andre of Laval was of all these businesses, and the seat of Valognes which did not resist more.
In October, the constable puts the seat at Gavray, one of the places best defended of Cotentin. At Easter 1449, Lohéac and the count of Laval are those which accompany the constable with Granville, Coutances, Saint-Lo.
The Duke of Brittany François I {{er}} sign with the King de France Charles VII an alliance which launches a campaign in Normandy succeed to a victory to Rouen the October 29th 1449 over Henri VI of England and obliging the English to beat a retreat on the Cotentin. The October 12th, only the places of Avranches, Bayeux, Bricquebec, Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Saver-the-Viscount are still held by the English. But with the winter the Bretons relax their army, promising a return in Normandy as of next January.
Benefitting from this lull, the duke of Suffolk manages to finance the sending of 3 500 men approximately under the orders of Sir Thomas Kyriell, force which unloads with Cherbourg the March 15th. They must join the 2 000 men of the garrison of Caen. On their way Valognes is held by the French party. The March 20th, its seat starts with reinforcements of the other English garrisons carried out by Matthieu Goth. The king is alerted and organizes an army of 3 000 men carried out by Jean de Bourbon, Count de Clermont, armed which Richemont was to join. This army arrives at Carentan the April 12th to learn rendering from Valognes two days before. The count de Richemont who raised the Breton army is informed only towards the March 25th.
It is an army of 4 000 men that the duke of Brittany and his brother raised. However, the April 8th, arrived to Fraud-of-Brittany, the duke decides to remain in Brittany by retaining half of the Breton army. It is thus only on April 10th that with a Breton army of only 2 000 men, Richemont engages in Normandy.
The April 13rd, Richemont is able at Coutances where it receives a message of the count de Clermont, to inform it of the situation but, interpreting the movement of Kyriell badly, it supposes a way towards Saint-Lo. In fact Kyriell takes the risk to find a ford in the marshes of the Baie of Large Vey and, in the afternoon, he arrives at the village of Formigny which he strengthens to establish a stage. The April 14th, Clermont learns the passage from the English but does not react and sends only in the evening a messenger to Richemont which will be informed only in the morning of the 15.
See also: Battle of Formigny
The April 15th 1450, the Breton ones of the constable intervene in a decisive way at the sides of the French troops and save the Bataille of Formigny. Transfers, Avranches, Bayeux go then. From now on the reconquest of Normandy could not stop. Patient, the duke of Brittany, François Ier, must give up in Richemont only the countryside in Lower Normandy. Joined by the king, the Breton ones besiege Caen. In July 1450, the constable sees himself giving the keys of the city. With Cherbourg, the task appears more difficult and of valorous Breton captains find death there, inter alia Tugdual de Kermoysan. At the conclusion of the countryside, Charles VII entrusts to Richemont the government of the province.
Partial source
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