Froissart. 05 Oct 1338. Upon king Philip's (age 44) receiving the challenges from king Edward (age 25) and his allies, he collected men at arms and soldiers from all quarters; he sent the lord Gallois de la Bausme, a good knight from Savoy, to the city of Cambray [Map], and made him governor thereof, in conjunction with sir Thibault de Marneil and the lord of Roye: they might be, including Spaniards and French, full two hundred lances. The king seized the county of Ponthieu [Map], which the king of England had before held by right of his mother (age 43); and he also sent and entreated some lords of the empire, such as the count of Hainault his nephew (age 31), the duke of Lorrain (age 18), the Count of Bar (age 23), the bishop of Metz, the bishop of Liege, not to commit any hostile acts against him or his kingdom. The greater part of them answered as he could have wished; but the count of Hainault, in a very civil reply, said that although he should be at all times ready to assist him or his realm against any one, yet as the king of England made war in behalf of the empire, as vicar and lieutenant of it, he could not refuse him aid and assistance in his country, as he held lands under the empire. The king of France appeared satisfied with this answer, not however laying much stress on it, as he felt himself in sufficient strength to oppose his enemies.

As soon as sir Hugh Quiriel, sir Peter Bahucet, and Barbenoire, were informed that hostilities had commenced, they landed one Sunday morning in the harbour at Southampton, Hampshire [Map], whilst the inhabitants were at church: Normans, Picards, and Spaniards entered the town, pillaged it, killed many, deflowered maidens and forced wives; and having loaded their vessels with the booty, they fell down with the tide, and made sail for the coast of Normandy. They landed at Dieppe, and there divided the plunder.

On 05 Oct 1338 a French fleet landed several thousand French, Norman, Italian and Castilian sailors close to the major port of Southampton, Hampshire [Map] and assaulting it from both land and sea. The entire town was razed to the ground, thousands of pounds worth of goods and shipping took back to France, and captives executed or taken as slaves.