Battle of La Rochelle
Hundred Years' War · Roadstead of La Rochelle, Atlantic coast (France)
Summary
On 22 June 1372 off La Rochelle, Admiral Ambrosio Boccanegra's Castilian fleet destroyed the English naval army commanded by John Hastings, Earl of Pembroke. Of 120 English ships, 63 to 80 were sunk or captured; Pembroke was taken prisoner. The battle ended English naval superiority in the Channel and allowed Charles V to regain the land initiative in the Hundred Years' War.
Historical context
After English land victories at Crécy and Poitiers, England dominated the seas through its fleet and alliances with Channel ports. Charles V allied with Henry II of Trastámara's Castile and financed a great fleet to break English control. La Rochelle, English stronghold, became the scene of decisive naval confrontation.
Tactics
Castilians, superior in broadside artillery and maneuver, encircled the English fleet near the harbor. English ships, crowded with landing troops, could not maneuver effectively. Fighting was at close quarters; Castilian crossbowmen and artillery decimated English crews before boarding.
Consequences
England lost its war fleet and could no longer supply its garrisons in France. Charles V reconquered Poitou and Saintonge (1373–1374). La Rochelle marked the start of the Hundred Years' War reversal in France's favor, through Charles V's strategy combining diplomacy, siege warfare, and Castilian naval alliance.