The Persians army employed volleys of arrows, slingshots, and javelins against the Greeks in Gaugalema[21] and Thermopylae.[22][23] Ancient Greeks and Romans used arrow volleys.[24][20][19] The goddess Artemis was called “‘of the showering arrows”.[25][26]
In medieval Europe, after the initial volley, archers would fire single shots at individual enemies.[27] Examples include the Battle of Hastings in 1066,[28] Battle of Crécy in 1346[19] and the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.[29]
I’d imagine it’s possible that a volley meant that they started drawing at the same time rather than drawing and waiting.
I understood that English archers trained to hit certain distances. So as the enemy advanced they would get a volley at x, y, and xy, and so on. Not aim at individuals at that distance.
Volley fire wasn’t a thing with bows. You ever try holding a 90lb war bow at full draw waiting for someone to yell “Loose”? Never happened.
Wikipedia seems to disagree:
I’d imagine it’s possible that a volley meant that they started drawing at the same time rather than drawing and waiting.
I understood that English archers trained to hit certain distances. So as the enemy advanced they would get a volley at x, y, and xy, and so on. Not aim at individuals at that distance.