Saxon Charges and Norman Lure Tactics at Hasting

[Pisces Axxxxx]

In The Battle of Hastings by Bradbury, he stated that contrary to popular perception the Normans did not ingeniously develop the plan of sending cavalry to harass the Saxon and lure them out of their formations and then counterattacking them whent hey were out of their shield wall.

 

The Normans actually used this tactic prior to Hastings. But in Hastings this was not part of the initial battle plan and the Normans eventual use of this tactic in the battle came out of accidental error.

 

He states that the first time the Saxons break out of their shield walls to chase the Normans in their retreat, the Normans were genuinely fleeing out of fear.

 

The Normans fled in such panic that William the Conqueror had to to rally his troops with much effort. That if WIlliam didn't portray charismatic leadership, at that moment the Saxons went out of their shield walls to chase the Normans would have routed the Norman cavalry.

 

It was only after William rallied his troops that they committed a counter attack to strike down the now unprotected Saxons that chased them as William saw an oppurtunity.

 

So it was after this first genuine retreat that William was inspired to try to send cavalry to harrass the Saxons and lure them out of their shield walls and then flee fora distance only to counterattack the unprotected Saxons. He would commit this tactic over and over in the battle.

 

Howver despite now having developed an effective counter to the Saxon Shield Wall, Bradbury states that it was still incredibly close thing and that the Norman Tactic of luring the Saxons out of their shield wall WAS incredibly Risky.

 

Anytime the Normans attempted this tactic, even when it worked it could have almost turned into a panick in which the Norman Knights lost their nerve abandon this plan and just retreat out of fear.

 

Indeed there are accounts that mention just how close several attempts of this strategem was to getting smaller bands of Norman Knights to getting slaughtered by Saxon Infantry when they attempted this strategem. If it weren't for the leadership skills of some knights, some of the smaller bands of Norman Horseman would have been wiped out.

 

What do you think? What exactly made the luring tactic so risky even though you were on horses?Computer games like Stronghold Crusader and Total War makes this tactic seem so easy to do!