Longbows contest the Castilians' vertical advantage

Flemish crossbowmen inflicted casualties from the Castilian fighting platforms, while crews also dropped stones and iron bars onto the lower English ships. The longbow answered that height advantage with a dense arcing trajectory rather than only direct fire. Arrows descending from above threatened arms and shoulders that became exposed when crossbowmen loaded or aimed, even when helmets protected their heads. That suppression helped English boarding parties continue closing and climbing. Meanwhile, damaged cogs were treated as expendable if their crews could capture sounder Castilian hulls. The exchange illustrates how missile weapons, deck height, and prize-taking tactics interacted in the same close-range action.