Battle of Sluys
1340 CE · English Channel
The Battle of Sluys was fought in 1340 CE in English Channel between Kingdom of England vs the Kingdom of France; decisive English naval victory; England controlled the Channel for the next generation.
Battle of Sluys: quick facts
- Date
- 1340 CE
- Location
- English Channel
- Belligerents
- Kingdom of England vs the Kingdom of France
- Commanders
- Edward III vs Hugues Quiéret and Nicolas Béhuchet
- Result
- decisive English naval victory; England controlled the Channel for the next generation.
- Era
- 🏰 Medieval Europe
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Sluys?
Edward III's English fleet attacked the French navy, which had chained its ships together in the harbor of Sluys off the Flemish coast. English longbowmen decimated the packed French crews before English men-at-arms boarded the French vessels. The French fleet was virtually annihilated, with nearly 200 ships captured or sunk. The victory gave England naval supremacy in the English Channel for a generation and allowed the English to invade France at will during the early Hundred Years' War.
Did you know?
The French losses at Sluys were so catastrophic that it was said nobody dared tell King Philip VI of the disaster. Instead, the court jester reportedly said, 'The English cowards did not jump into the sea like our brave French.'
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Sluys on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.