Battle of Verneuil

On 17 August 1424 at Verneuil-sur-Avre in Normandy, the Franco-Scottish army of Duke John V of Brittany and Constable Buchan was crushed by the Anglo-Burgundian forces of John, Duke of Bedford. The Scots, considered invincible since Baugé (1421), suffered a bloody defeat: about 6,000 dead out of 6,500 engaged. The battle consolidated English dominance in France and opened the way to the conquest of Maine.

After the Scottish victory at Baugé (1421), Charles VII hoped the Franco-Scottish alliance would reverse English superiority. In 1424, an army of some 14,000 men, including 6,500 experienced Scots, marched on Verneuil to regain the initiative in Normandy. Bedford, English regent in France, gathered about 10,000 Anglo-Normans and Burgundians to counter this threat to the heart of his deployment.

The Scots charged on foot, as at Baugé, but met English archers protected by stakes and Burgundian cavalry on the flanks. Successive charges by Scottish companies were broken by longbow volleys; English cavalry exploited French disorganization. Constable Buchan and the Viscount of Narbonne were killed; rout was nearly total.

Verneuil is sometimes called the 'second Agincourt' for the scale of the Scottish slaughter. France lost much of its foreign military experience and Bedford could conquer Maine (1424–1428) before turning forces toward Orléans. French morale sank until Joan of Arc's arrival in 1429; for the English, victory confirmed Agincourt tactics remained effective against continental chivalry.