The cargo vessels occupy a transitional category between familiar longships and the mature cogs of later centuries. Calling them cogs conveys their merchant form and transport function more accurately than illustrating every vessel as a Viking longship. The initial crossing may have carried roughly 7,000 men, followed by reinforcements. Crewmen who became soldiers after landing further complicate attempts to separate embarked troops, sailors, and follow-on forces in the surviving totals.
Notable Point · 21:25-22:37
Early cogs and the invasion's second wave
Calling the transports early cogs clarifies their form, while a 7,000-man first wave followed by reinforcements helps reconcile competing army estimates.