Battle of Auberoche

Part of Gascony Campaign, Hundred Years War

Date	21 October 1345
Location	Auberoche, northern Aquitaine
Result	English victory

Belligerents

Kingdom of England

Kingdom of France

Commanders and leaders

Henry, Earl of Derby

Louis of Poitiers

Strength

1,500

7,000

Casualties and losses

Light

Heavy

The Battle of Auberoche was a significant action between English and French forces during the early stages of the Hundred Years War. It was fought at the village of Auberoche near Périgueux in northern Aquitaine. At the time, Gascony was territory of the English crown and the English army was largely made up of native Gascons. The battle occurred on the Auvézère river which formed part of the unofficial and heavily disputed boundary between the English and French territories.

The village and castle at Auberoche had been seized from the French occupants by a raiding force under the Earl of Derby, who had landed in June with a small army from England and augmented it with Gascon troops and conducted a large scale raid across the frontier, aiming at and capturing the important town of Bergerac during August. Amongst the other places he took before retreating back to Bordeaux for fresh troops and supplies was Auberoche, and in mid-October it became the first position counterattacked by a 7,000 strong French army under Louis of Poitiers. Poitiers' feudal lord, the Duke of Normandy (later King John II of France), had ordered him to counterattack the English here so that Normandy was free to advance from La Réole to the north.

The French force blockaded the castle, cutting off supplies and aid from the English lands to the west. During this time a tale, most likely apocryphal, emerged that a soldier attempting to reach English lines with a letter requesting help was captured and returned to the castle via a large ballista which caused the unfortunate man grievous injuries. Although this story is repeated by the chronicler Jean Froissart, modern historians have considered the tale unlikely. A messenger did get through French lines and reached Derby, who was already returning to the area with a scratch force of 1,500 English and Gascon soldiers. The French encampment was divided in two, with the majority of the soldiers camped close to the river between the castle and village whilst a smaller force was designed to prevent any escape attempts from the north.

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Wikipedia