The battle at the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie; an Italian Wars scenario for Pike and Shotte

This week Steve put on an Italian Wars scenario, set in the small Italian duchy of Lambrusco.  This often overlooked enclave nestles between the much larger duchies of Milan, Mantua and Venice.  At the time of the battle, the reigning duke was Lorenzo Marani.  His duchy depended on trade and so he attempted to remain neutral in the conflict, hoping to offer a 'safe haven' for merchants.  However, each of the adjacent duchies were concerned that Lambrusco would be overrun by one of the others.  As Lambrusco had no military forces to speak of, there was little that Marani could do to stop incursions other than appeal to the Pope.  He, of course had greater worries and was too busy to receive the deputations sent from Lambrusco.

Therefore 1503 saw an Imperial army advancing through Lambrusco towards the Duchy of Milan and a Franco-Swiss army moving to stop them.  Warned of the French advance, the Imperial army constructed defences blocking the road to Salamino (the Lambruscan capital) and occupied the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie
.

The convent with the Imperial camp behind it

The Imperial forces were led by the Duke of Tempranillo who lodged his contingent of 2 units of pikes and two of arquebusiers within the defences.  At and around the convent were the landsknechts of Graf von Spatburgunder together with two more units of arquebusiers.  Covering the right flank was the Duke of Trebbiano with a mixed force of gendarmes, men at arms and skirmishing light cavalry.  On the left was the Count of Barbera with a similar cavalry force.

The Imperialist defences

The Marquis de Merlot's command

His opponent, the Le Compte de Carignan deployed his troops in a similar fashion.  In the centre were the infantry; the compte's own contingent of French pikes and crossbowmen and also Lord Landroter's Swiss pikemen and halberdiers accompanied by two units of arquebusiers.  On his right flank Carignan had deployed the Duc de Gamay's mounted contingent of gendarmes, men at arms and stradiots.  The Marquis de Merlot was on the Franco-Swiss left with his contingent of gendarmes, men at arms and stradiots.  Carignan's plan was for a swift advance by his cavalry to pin and ultimately drive off the Imperialist cavalry whilst he would screen the convent with his crossbowmen and push all the pikemen, French and Swiss forward against the Imperialist defences.

A view of the battlefield from Trebbiano's position

 As can be seen in the photograph above the terrain, particularly the woods and river Soldano tended to channel movement, a factor the canny Tempranillo would use to his advantage.

Carignan ordered forward his crossbowmen to contain the Imperialists garrisoning the convent.  Spatburgunder had deployed two units of arquebusiers as the garrison, but only one was in position at the walls as the French advanced.  This managed to maintain its position against the fire of both units and a light gun whilst the reserve unit manoeuvred.  Gamay's advance was slowed by the caution of the stradiots.  The appearance of Barbera's mounted arqubusiers caused them to halt and behind them the French gendarme's fumed as they were denied the opportunity of driving off the skirmishers.  On the opposite flank the stradiots galloped off down the road whilst the heavier cavalry were reluctant to advance, only Merlot's direct order persuaded them to move forward.

Merlot's command advance

At the convent Spatburgunder ordered his smaller unit of lansknechts to move to the right and then forward, blocking the gap between the convent and a wood.  The larger unit of lansknechts was ordered left to perform a similar job.  Although the smaller unit moved forward smartly, their comrades were less keen and this gave a window of opportunity for the French cavalry to move past the convent and attack the Imperialist cavalry, if the stradiots would get out of the way !

Gamay's cavalry advance, covering the flank of Carignan's crossbowmen

The stradiots charged the opposing mounted arquebusiers and drove them off, only to be charged by Barbera's men at arms.  The stradiots evaded and fell back through Gamay's gendarmes, disordering the leading unit.  Sensing an opportunity, Barbera ordered his men at arms to charge, but the gendarmes stood their ground and inflicted a heavy defeat on the Imperialists, driving them back.

Barbera's men at arms are driven back

Spatburgunder's men in the convent were coming under increasing pressure from the French crossbowmen and their attached light artillery.  The small unit of landsknechts had moved up and it was charged by a unit of French pikemen who were supporting the crossbowmen.  After a brief melee the Frenchmen were driven back in disorder, but the landsknechts didn't follow up as they could see the mass of Swiss pikemen close by.  Under fire from the arquebusiers supporting the Swiss they fell back to the flank of the convent.

Spatburgunder's arqubusiers in the convent

Merlot's stradiots had advanced far enough to see Spatburgunder's small unit of landsknechts which had fallen back to the convent and decided to unsettle them with javelins.  This manoeuvre was thwarted by Trebbiano's men at arms, who had crossed the river Soldano ahead of Trebbiano's gendarmes.  The men at arms charged the stradiots who evaded and interfered with the fire of the Landroter's arquebusiers who were attempting to drive off the landsknechts.

Trebbiano's men at arms drive off the stradiots

Back at the convent, Spatburgunder's arquebusiers were in trouble.  One unit had fallen back due to the losses it had sustained and the other was fighting to maintain its hold on the wall against a determined attack by a unit of French crossbowmen.  The crossbowmen didn't have orders to attack, merely screen, but Carignan was occupied attempting to get Landroter to advance his pikemen.  The Swiss weren't for moving until they saw their overdue wages.  Eventually a money chest was brought forward and ostentatiously lodged in the Swiss encampment.  Orders were given and the Swiss began their advance.

Spatburgunder attempts to rally his men

Carignan returned to his position to find his crossbowmen had actually taken control of most of the convent.  The second unit of Imperial arquebusiers had been driven back from the walls and into a small group of buildings.  After some less than effective fire from the crossbowmen, one of the units charged, but was repulsed.  However, Imperial hopes were dashed when both units of crossbowmen concentrated their fire and drove the battered remnants of the Imperial garrison back towards the main defences.

At the same time Barbera was coming under increasing pressure.  Gamay had managed to get his gendarmes back in order and the French right wing cavalry advanced en masse.  In the lead was the Chevalier Bayard, whose men routed the gendarmes opposed to them.  Moving ahead of their supports they charged the remaining Imperial gendarmes, the last line between them and the high ground overlooking the Imperial camp. 

Bayard's men rout their opponents

In a tense tussle both sides sought victory, with fortune swaying back and forth.  In the end it was the return of the battered and understrength Imperial men at arms which decided the issue.  The French, exhausted and without their supports had to give ground.  In no time they broke and routed back to their lines, their opponents too weary and disorganised to pursue them.

Bayard's men are driven back

That any of Bayard's men managed to escape was down to the bravery of their fellow gendarmes who had charged the landsknechts which were attempting to close the gap between the convent and the woods.  At great cost to themselves they managed to hold a gap open long enough for their comrades to move to the rear, before they themselves were broken by their losses.

On the opposite flank, Merlot's and Trebbiano's gendarmes were attempting to gain the upper hand. In the narrow gap between the woods close to the Soldano river the two forces charged and counter-charged, with no one gaining a decisive edge.  Trebbiano's mounted arquebusiers had manged to get behind Merlot's men, but their harassing fire was totally ineffective.

Attempting to hold off the Swiss juggernaut, Spatburgunder had deployed a light gun to support his landsknechts.  Hoping that a few casualties may lessen their desire to attack.  However, his artillery let him down as on the first discharge the gun misfired and the shock to the axle proved too much, with the gun collapsing into a pile of useless wood and metal.  With their flank now threatened with the loss of the convent and the Swiss bearing down on them, the landsknechts decided to fall back towards the main defences.

The landsknechts return to the main defences

The demise of the Imperial light gun 

At this time a mutual standoff seems to have been accepted by the men of both armies.  The convent had fallen, but any attack on the Imperial camp would have to be on a very narrow front.  Spatburgunder's large unit of landsknechts blocked any advance by the French on their right of the convent.  Barbera's remaining cavalry once reformed could move to the centre to threaten any advance through the centre and Merlot and Trebbiano had fought each other to a standstill.  It would now be a waiting game, who's supplies would run out first?

The final position in the centre

A short holiday near Hexham

We have just returned from a few days on holiday in the North east of England.  Our hotel was near Hexham and it was an interesting town to visit.  Disappointingly I was unable to find any books or pamphlets on the Wars of the Roses battle which took place nearby, but there were some items of interest in the Priory.

This is the tombstone of a first century Roman cavalry standard bearer which was found  when work was being carried out on the priory in 1881.

There are memorials to Sir Gilbert de Umfreville (1245-1307)

and Thomas of Tynedale (14th century)

The major historical feature of the area is of course Hadrian's Wall and we were close to Chesters Fort.  Their museum has a few exhibits illustrating legionary dress and life.

A military diploma issued after 25 years service

On a trip to Newcastle I was able to spot a surviving stretch of the town walls.

It is well worth visiting this area, it has  stunning scenery and masses of historical sites.

Russia versus Sweden: a GNW scenario

Looking back it is about two years since the Prince August figures last ventured onto the wargames table; so, giving them a quick dust down it was time for them to feature again.  I based the scenario on Holowcyzn (as shown in the "Last Argument of Kings" supplement to the Black Powder rules).

View from behind the Swedish lines

View from the Russian right flank

The Swedish forces attacking the Russian position consist of two brigades of infantry (each of 4 battalions and a light gun) and a brigade of cavalry.  Due to arrive sometime after move 3 is a flanking force of of another cavalry brigade (4 units) and an infantry brigade of 3 elite battalions.  The Russian commander has prepared some defences. These are open on his right flank, so he has positioned a cavalry brigade there.  Facing the initial Swedish attack are two Russian brigades (each of 6 battalions), bolstered by a light gun and a medium gun.  The Russians can expect reinforcements of a small cavalry brigade at some time after move 6.  Objectives are simple, the Russians need to hold their position, the Swedes to capture it.

The Russians stand ready to repel the Swedish attack

The Swedish line moved forward, with the cavalry advancing quickly, hoping to bottle up the Russian cavalry within the defences.  However, the Russian cavalry commander did manage to get two of the regiments redeployed to face the threat and as the Swedish charge closed it was hammered by a devastating volley from carbines and pistols.  Undeterred, the Swedes crashed into the Russians and caused heavy casualties.  After a close fight both units had to withdraw to rally, but the Russians fell back through their supports and disordered them.  The Swedes tried to exploit this advantage but their leading unit was stopped by a volley from the Russian infantry which had been redeployed to assist the cavalry.  By the time another unit could charge, order had been restored and this too was repulsed. 

On the Swedish right the first line of battalions was approaching the Russian defences.  Once they entered close range for the Russian artillery they struggled to make further progress.  Large swathes were cut in the Swedish ranks by the canister fire and it proved too much for one unit which broke and ran for the trees,  Although the Swedes were taking a pounding from the Russian guns, their artillery was less effective against the Russian defenders and it was only when the range was close enough for musketry volleys that the defence began to waver.

The Russian artillery does its job

In the centre the Swedes had advanced steadily and they had had some some success in unsettling the defenders, but what was needed was the arrival of the Swedish flank attack.

On the Swedish left the cavalry had at last gained some success.  A further attack routed the leading Russian unit but was stopped by their supports when they tried to exploit the success.  In the resulting melee, the Swedes were forced to retreat.  It was proving a bad day at the office for the vaunted Swedish cavalry. 

The Russians drive back the Swedes

Retribution: the Swedes rout the Russians

The left hand brigade of Swedish infantry had now reached the defences and were exchanging volleys with the defenders.  Some Russian units were forced to fall back to reform but once again the Russian artillery saved the day by their accurate close range fire, driving back the blue-clad ranks.

A further attack on the Russian left

Some success for the Swedes, the Russian defenders are forced to fall back

At last the Swedish flanking force appeared, led by the cavalry.  The leading unit charged, but was shattered by a volley from the Russian cavalry and then cut to pieces in the melee.  This caused some hesitation from the rest of the brigade and the advance was only resumed once they had been joined by the cavalry brigade from the main force. 

The Swedish attack becomes rather disjointed

At only one point had the Swedes managed to cross the defences and here the victorious unit had been driven back by fire from supports brought forward from the second line.  The right hand brigade of Swedish infantry was now down to under 50% strength, with battalions teetering on the brink of disintegration.  This allowed some of the supporting line to begin to move to the Russian right to bolster the defences there.

The Swedish flank attack stopped in its tracks

Swedish infantry heading for the trees

Russian reserves beginning to move to their right

With the lack of success of the Swedish cavalry any infantry assault on the Russian right was vulnerable to the Russian cavalry and the Swedish commander decided that his best course was to withdraw while he could.

The scenario was a difficult one for the Swedes, things needed to go their way in the 50/50 situations and on this occasion they didn't.  A lack of success by the Swedish cavalry against the Russian cavalry, (even though they were of better quality) and the delay in the flanking force's arrival, meant that the 'head on' attack by the two Swedish infantry brigades received the undivided attention of the defenders and was too weakened to hold that attention once the flanking force did arrive.  This is not to say that the Russians had an easy day.  Their troops were inferior in quality and their commanders not as experienced.  Once their linear formation was broken it became really difficult to maintain control.

One problem was our lack of familiarity with the Ga Pa rules.  As I said at the beginning, the Prince August figures had not been used for two years. Consequently, the rules hadn't either.  Play was slowed by us having to look up rules and the sections interpreting the playsheets.