Battle of Varaville

In August 1057, Henry I and Geoffrey Martel launched a second expedition to Normandy and reached the Dives estuary. Taking advantage of the low tide, the Franco-Angevine army begins the crossing, but the vanguard passes before the rearguard can cross the mudflats. William the Bastard, informed by his scouts, attacks the late detachment: the Norman cavalry crushes the still scattered troops, captures the baggage and throws many knights into the swollen river.

After Mortemer, Henry I wanted to reestablish his prestige and coordinated with Geoffrey Martel a campaign aimed at joining the rebel allies of Cotentin. The army must cross the Dives at Varaville, a delicate passage subject to the tides. Guillaume, who closely monitors enemy movements, lets the vanguard pass to isolate the second column made up of convoys and Angevin contingents.

Guillaume combines extensive reconnaissance and use of the terrain: he waits for the tide to rise to trap the enemy rearguard in the mudflats. His knights charge in compact formation at a bogged down opponent, while mounted archers harass attempts to line up. The Normans then seized the ford and prevented any return of the vanguard, transforming the action into a massacre.

The debacle led to the disorderly flight of the royal army towards Hiémois. Henry I definitively abandoned any invasion plan, while Geoffrey Martel lost most of his knights in the estuary. Normandy emerged strengthened politically and militarily, paving the way for William's external affirmation a few years later.