The Akinji

Today's post is the second part to the Balkan Cavalry post from a couple months back: https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2024/09/balkan-cavalry.html. That post showed the Wargames Atlantic 3D printed "turkic light cavalry" built and painted as generic 15th and 16th century Balkan light horse and here we have another dozen of them built and painted more specifically as Ottoman akinji. Of course the previous figures would also be perfect as akinji but the turbans most of the figures in this second unit wear demark them more clearly as Ottomans. As with the previous unit these figures are not made solely from the 3D printed kits. The shields have been swapped whilst feather plumes have been added to some of the turbans and sheathed swords have been added to the miniatures along with bows in bow cases. One of the figures has a helmeted head left over from the dismounted sipahis unit that was completed earlier in the year: https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2024/05/dismounted-sipahis.html.

As the Ottoman empire expanded westwards in the 1500s large raiding parties of akinji, meaning "raiders" in Turkish, were often active, even when the more formal Ottoman army was not engaged. They were unpaid irregular forces of horsemen and were not allowed to camp with the rest of the Ottoman army if they were campaigning alongside the more regular troops of the Sultan. Some contemporary images of akinji can be seen here: https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2020/01/ottoman-raiders-akinji-and-azabs.html. In some ways the akinji remind me of the Border Reivers of the Anglo-Scots border but operating on a much larger scale. There were even well known akinji families as was the case with the border families. Raiding parties of akinji, which included all kinds of light horsemen intent on plunder, both Muslim and Christian, crossed into eastern Christendom spreading panic and terror to the civilian populations they raided. Sometimes they encountered defending forces resulting in skirmishes and even pitched battles. 

Many of the border clashes that took place in the late 15th and early 16th century were encounters between defending "Christian" forces such as the Imperialists, Hungarians or Croatians and Ottoman forces comprised entirely of akinji. I have already gamed one such encounter, Leobersdorf in 1532, with Stuart back in 2021, https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2021/06/leobersdorf-1532.html, but plan to cover more clashes like this in the future. The force shown in the final photos would be perfect for representing the Ottoman forces, or perhaps more accurately the forces of the local Beylerbeys and Sanjak-beys, in battles such as Vrpile 1491, Krbava Field 1493, Illádia 1512, Dubica 1513 and Plješevica 1520 to name but a few. The army is made up of 96 figures with 7 additional figures for command and kettle drummers and represents all of the Ottoman light cavalry I can muster so far, a force made up of akinji, balkan light horse, delis, Wallachian calarasi and some skirmishing sipahis to represent better armed akinji.  About a third of the figures included in the akinji horde can also be used in opposing Hungarian, Wallachian or Croation armies. Like landsknecht I don't think it is possible to have too many akinji and I will be adding to the akinji host if any more suitable figures become available in the future!

28mm 3D printed Ottoman akinji

28mm akinji horsemen

Akinji or "raiders"

A unit of 3D printed akinji from Wargames Atlantic

The akinji carry a mix of spears and bows

Two units of 3D printed akinji

Twenty four 28mm akinji

The akinji raiding party under a local Sanjak-bey

An Ottoman raiding party of akinji

The akinji raiding party is formed of delis, akinji, Wallachian calarasi and other Balkan cavalry

An army comprised of Ottoman akinji

Ambush at Tripalda, June 1502

Last month Tom visited and we played our fourth game of the year. So far in 2024 we have focused on the Ottomans and Hungarians in our games so we decided to return to the Italian wars for a scenario. I have recently read Massimo Predonzani's work on the Franco-Spanish War in Southern Italy 1502-1504 which has loads of great detail on the war which included Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba's greatest victories of Cerignola and Garigliano. We decided to base our game on a clash that happened right at the start of the war in 1502, around the small town of Tripalda.

Ambush at Tripalda, June 1502

Charles VIII's French invasion of Italy and attack on Naples in the 1490s had led the monarchs of Naples and Spain into an alliance. Following Charles's death his successor, Louis XII, was initially more concerned with capturing and holding Milan and the Treaty of Granada on 11 November 1500 divided up parts of the southern Italian Kingdom between Louis XII King of France and Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain who renounced their alleigiance to the King of Naples. Louis was to hold Naples as well as the northern areas of the kingdom, whilst the Spanish monarchs would hold more southernly areas such as Calabria. A crucial flaw in the treaty was the fact that three areas were not clearly assigned to either, these being the Basilicata, Principato and Capitanate. The Capitanate was rich in both wheat and wool and this made it a particular bone of contention between the rival powers.

During the spring of 1502 the French and Spanish commanders in Italy, Louis D'Armagnac and "El Gran Capitan" Gonzalo de Córdoba met in an attempt to resolve the issue of the disputed territories but being unable to reach any agreement they deferred any decisions to their monarchs. Whilst a resolution was being awaited fighting broke out between the French and Spanish troops occupying southern Italy. Contemporary sources disagree on who started this. The Italian Francesco Guicciardini stated the French ordered that the Spanish should withdraw their garrisons in the Capitanate and that on 19 June 1502 they sent a force to attack Tripalda, now known as Atripalda, a town that lay 5km from Avellino in a plain amidst the mountains. The French chronicler Jean D'Auton states that the Spanish started the fighting by taking cattle from the Capitanate and leading a night attack on Troia in Puglia.

However the clashes had initially started  by June 1502 Tripalda was held by a Spanish captain called Escalada, or Ascallade in Jean D'Auton's chronicle. From their forces based in Naples the French sent Bernard Stewart, Lord d'Aubigny, the man who had captained Henry Tudor's French troops at Bosworth as well as authoring a book on the art of war, to recapture the town. D'Aubigny was a Scot who had already defeated de Córdoba in the field at the first Battle of Seminara in 1495, https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2019/10/seminara-1495.html. Massimo Predonzani in his work on the Franco-Spanish War in Southern Italy 1502-1504 states that d'Aubigny was at the head of one hundred Scots men at arms, two hundred mounted "archers" and two hundred infantry. 

Jean D'Auton's chronicle describes how d'Aubigny used light cavalry to scout the area and sent sixty Gascon footmen, under the command of a certain Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede to lure the Spaniard's out of Tripalda. D'Aubigny sent infantry to do this as he knew that the garrison of Tripalda was mostly comprised of infantry so would be more likely to attempt to catch a rival force of foot. When the Gascon's reached the leper house outside the town it was raining heavily and they were ambushed by a Spanish force twice their size. This clash could be seen from the walls but the rain prevented the defenders on the walls from firing at the Gascons. Initially the rest of the  garrison did not join the fight as they feared a potential French ambush. 

As the fighting outside continued the Spanish troops inside Tripalda could not see any other French troops and so according to D'Auton, translated from the French, "they made a secret sortie from behind, where they forded a small river that surrounded the city, and they were in great number, eight hundred foot soldiers or so" although the numbers may be an exaggeration. In doing this the Spanish were spotted by the French scouts and Lord d'Aubigny attacked the Spanish as they reached the leper house. D'Auton continues to describe what took place:

"There was a great commotion; for it was well attacked and well defended, and the melee lasted a long time; and so much so that the Spaniards gained a rather narrow path and gathered there, with their pikes crossed, for the shock of the horses, which could do them little harm.  

The French foot soldiers joined them, and a great blow of swords and pikes scattered them, but not without mortal damage on both sides, for more than two hundred men from both parties died on the spot. In fact, the Spaniards were overwhelmed and put to flight, killing and beating their way to the city of Tripalda and chased inside the gates, at the entrance of which, on a narrow bridge that led to it, a pitiful slaughter of Spaniards was made. For at the entrance of that bridge, there was such a great crowd of followers that one hindered the other's progress, so much so that the French, who were driving them away with pikes and lances, killed and threw into a river, which crossed it, more than two hundred. And, as soon as they were overturned in the water, the French infantry, who willingly carried out such work, drowned and killed them in the sight of those in the city, who could not help them. A French lackey, named Jehan Loignon, a murderer and a bad fellow among all others, was so well-suited for this task that, by his own hand, he put more than twenty Spaniards to the sword; for which reason, the Lord of Aubigny, who, for his misdeeds, had previously wanted to hang him, seeing the exploit of his arms, forgave him his wrongdoing, and since then held him in good esteem. Thus the Spaniards were skirmished. Many of the French foot soldiers were wounded and killed there, and, among others, one of their captains, named Gorrier, died there. Whatever it was, the French had all the honor and most of the profit from the work"

Following the success of his ambush Lord d'Aubigny sought reinforcements and returned to Tripalda and laid siege to it with 2,000 infantry, 400 men at arms, 500 light horse and 14 artillery pieces. D'Aubigny was countered by de Córdoba sending Gomez de Solis to the area with 1,500 infantry and 100 men at arms. Following further skirmishes around Tripalda a short truce was made on 26 June 1502 and d'Aubigny withdrew his army from the town but further fighting soon followed. The war that would end with de Córdoba's great victory on the banks of the Garigliano had started.

A view of the table with the walls of Tripalda in the foreground. Working up the photo in front of the bridge are the Spanish troops who initially engaged in a skirmish with the Gascons. In the centre of the table is the leper house behind which are the Gascons under Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede. Behind the Gascons at the top of the photo is the Spanish ambushing force under Captain Escalada that has left the town from a different gate and has encircled the Gascons. Little does Escalada know that d'Aubigny is about to strike and ambush the ambushers! The French ambush can arrive from the left and right between the top of the hill and the river.

Scenario

The game was based on the moment when d'Aubigny sprung his ambush on Captain Escalada with the Gascons sent to lure out the garrison already being on the table facing the Spanish troops who had initially ventured out to engage them. As always we used our modified Lion Rampant rules. Each army  consisted of two retinues, with one of the retinues in each army much larger than the other. On the table (see the photo above) a small force of Spanish in front of the bridge was deployed facing a force of Gascons, under Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede, around the Leper House. Further up the field, 8" from the far table edge the main Spanish ambush force under Captain Escalada was deployed. The ambushing French under d'Aubigny did not start on the table.

The river was impassable and could only be crossed at the bridge. Fighting on the bridge counted as difficult terrain. The bridge did not give any additional cover from missile attacks.

Jehan Loignon

To represent the fact that "A French lackey, named Jehan Loignon, a murderer and a bad fellow among all others, was so well-suited for this task that, by his own hand, he put more than twenty Spaniards to the sword"  the French Halberdier unit that included Jehan Loignon could re roll missed hits if attacking in combat.

The Ambushing French

The ambushing French retinue under Lord d'Aubigny could arrive on either side of the table from the river to the top of the hill (see the photo above). At the start of the game the French player had to write down which units would be arriving from which side. The units could arrive via move activations only. Units could not shoot, attack or skirmish on the turn they arrived.

Victory

Victory in the game was based on victory points which were awarded as follows:

The Spanish

2 points for every unit they could get back into the gates of Tripalda

5 points if Bernard Stewart, Lord d'Aubigny was killed or routed

3 points if Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede was killed or routed

2 points if Jehan Loignon's unit was killed or routed

The French

1 point for every Spanish unit that was killed or routed

4 points if Captain Escalada was killed or routed

A view from the bridge with a force of Spanish infantry in front of it.

Some of Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede's sixty Gascon infantry who have been sent to lure out the garrison of Tripalda...

...Bouchede himself is in the unit with the white cross on a blue field. His men are taking cover behind the leper house having engaged with the Spanish infantry around the bridge.

Captain Escalada's garrison have "made a secret sortie from behind" and encircled the Gascons.

The Spanish garrison of Tripalda under Captain Escalada.

The Armies

Tom decided to take the role of Captain Escalada and the Spanish so I took command of the French under Bernard Stewart, Lord d'Aubigny. The retinues that started on the table are shown in the photos above.

The Spanish Garrison of Tripalda

The initial Spanish ambushing force (deployed in front of the bridge)

1 Unit of Foot Knights (retinue leader)

1 Unit of Rodeleros

1 Unit of Spanish Crossbowmen

1 Unit of Spanish Arquebusiers 

1 Unit of Armoured Halberdiers

The ambushing force under Captain Escalada (deployed at the far end of the table)

1 Unit of Foot Knights (Captain Escalada - retinue leader)

3 Units of Rodeleros

4 Units of Spanish Arquebusiers

2 Units of Spanish Pike

Lord d'Aubigny's French

Gascons under Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede (deployed around the leper house)

1 Unit of French Halberdiers (Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede - retinue leader)

1 Unit of Gascon Pike

2 Units of Gascon Crossbowmen

The French ambush force under Bernard Stewart, Lord d'Aubigny (this force started off the table)

2 Units of Gendarmes, D'Aubigny's Scots Cavalry (1 Unit includes Bernard Stewart, Lord d'Aubigny - retinue leader)

2 Units of Men at Arms

2 Units Ordonnance Archers with lance

1 Unit of French Pike

2 Units of Aventuriers

1 Unit of French Halberdiers  (Jehan Loignon's unit see special rule above)

1 Unit of Arquebusiers

A brief description of some of what took place follows. Hopefully the captions under the photos will also help to tell the tale of this bloody and close fought skirmish!

The ambush is sprung early and d'Aubigny's men at arms charge down some of the Spanish arquebusiers who were skirmishing with the Gascons.

As Captain Escalada's troops descend on the Gascons they see the Spanish infantry at the bridge being attacked on both flanks by French infantry and cavalry.

Riding under the standard of Louis XII a troop of d'Aubigny's Scots heavy cavalry attack the garrison's crossbowmen.

The Gascons are set upon from both sides and their pikemen are put to flight after coming under heavy fire from Escalada's arquebusiers.

As the rain cleared the fighting between the Spanish and Gascon infantry around the leper house was interrupted. French infantry and mounted men at arms emerged and surprised the Spanish. Part of d'Aubigny's ambush had been sprung. Having crept out of the town walls to catch the Gascons Captain Escalada and the majority of Tripalda's garrison were yet to engage. As the ambushing French and Scots heavy cavalry charged into the Spanish around the bridge Escalada hurried his men on in an effort to join the fray. As of yet he had know idea that even more French and Scots troops were waiting to ambush him.

Escalada's arquebusiers ran forward and opened fire on the Gascons immediately routing their pikemen. Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede had known his men would be at risk as they attempted to lure Tripalda's garrison into d'Aubigny's trap and he could only hope d'Aubigny and the rest of the French troops arrived quickly as the skirmishing around the leper house intensified. As units of French infantry joined the fight a notorious "French lackey, named Jehan Loignon, a murderer and a bad fellow among all others" was slain in a clash with Spanish swordsmen.

A view from the walls as d'Aubigny's Scots heavy horse continue to wreak havoc just outside Tripalda.

The Spanish swordsmen at the bridge engage in a fierce melee with a band of French infantry and slay Jehan Loignon, a "murderer and a bad fellow among all others".

Captain Escalada looks on as fighting rages around the bridge and leper house.

Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede's Gascon crossbowmen have sought refuge within the walls of the leper house...

...seeing this Escalada's rodeleros prepare to assault the house and drive out the crossbowmen.

With the fighting intensifying around the bridge the Spanish infantry who initially began the fighting with the Gascons attempt to retreat back into the walls of Tripalda.

The Spanish crossbowmen and one of their captains make it safely onto the bridge...

...the armoured halberdiers follow them in an attempt to escape the ambushing French.

As Captain Escalada's troops advanced on the Gascons, Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede ordered his crossbowmen to seek shelter within the leper house. This they did only to be pursued and attacked by Escalada's rodeleros who stormed the walls of the house. The Spanish sword and buckler men quickly slew the crossbowmen meaning only Bouchede and his unit of halberdiers were left from the original force of Gascons. 

Things faired little better for the Spanish infantry that had initially engaged the Gascons. As more and more of D'Aubigny's troops arrived, getting between them and Escalada's men, they tried to retreat back across the bridge and into Tripalda. A Spanish captain and the garrison's crossbowmen made it back to the safety of the walls but many of them were slain. As a unit of halberdiers from the garrison fled across the bridge in panic they were set upon by a band of French aventuriers and cast into the river below. The aventuriers now controlled the bridge blocking a quick retreat for Captain Escalada and his men.

The fighting rages around the leper house outside the town's walls.

In the courtyard of the leper house some of the Gascons are put to the sword by Spanish rodeleros.

As they attempt to cross the bridge a unit of Spanish infantry is attacked by French aventuriers. The panicked Spanish are thrown into the river where they perish.

The bridge has been captured by the French and the Spanish garrison's route back to the town is blocked.

Bernard Stewart, Lord d'Aubigny arrives with more of his Scots heavy cavalry.

D'Aubigny's gendarmes engage in a furious combat with the Spanish pikemen but they are defeated when the arquebusiers join the clash, firing into the horsemen at very close range.

The Gascons have been driven from the leper house by Escalada's sword and buckler men. In the distance Spanish and French pikemen can be seen fighting.

Although his route back into Tripalda was blocked Captain Escalada had no reason to be alarmed. His men were in good order and had fended off repeated attacks as D'Aubigny's ambush unfolded. With clashes taking place all around the leper house D'Aubigny ordered his Scottish heavy cavalry to charge the Spanish pikemen who were advancing on either side. The fighting was fierce with one group of the Scots horse being broken in the fighting as they came within range of groups of Spanish arquebusiers. The horsemen with d'Aubigny were more successful and put the pike they attacked to flight. D'Aubigny's success was short lived though as moments later he was caught by a lucky arquebus shot  and unhorsed! With the shock removal of their captain French morale plummeted.

As the French began to either flee or withdraw Escalada continued his push towards the walls determined to drive the French off the bridge. His rodeleros took the fight to the French infantry and broke them in a series of clashes. The Gascon Captain Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede had taken up position at the bridge having managed to escape the assault on the leper house by the rodeleros. In an attempt to turn the tide for the French he stepped forward and challenged Captain Escalada to face him. The two infantry captains met in one on one combat and Escalada was slain. With this twist of fortune it was now the Spanish who suffered a collapse in morale.

A Spanish pike unit has driven off the French pike only to be attacked by d'Aubigny's cavalry. The pike are routed but... 

...in the chaos of the fighting d'Aubigny is brought down by a Spanish arquebusier. The French force's morale is hit badly...

...one of the units of French men at arms begins to retreat without even engaging in any fighting.

At the bridge more fierce fighting takes place as Spanish swordsmen attempt to drive off the French infantry who captured the bridge earlier.

The Captain of the Gascons, Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede engages Captain Escalada in a one on one duel. Escalada is slain although moments later de Bouchede is also killed. It is now the Spanish morale  that collapses. 

Having cleared the bridge of the French those Spaniards that can make it to safety race across the bridge and back into Tripalda. 

With Escalada slain the French found renewed vigour. A unit of mounted men at arms that had so far performed terribly, refusing to engage to the extent that some of them rode off, now charged into the fight. They rode down arquebusiers and rodeleros, even reaching the bridge and attacking the Spanish on it as they attempted to reach safety. 

French fortunes may have turned but it was not enough to win the day. Dommé Bertrand de Bouchede was soon slain after his triumph over Escalada and despite the savage fighting on the bridge the Spanish managed to retake it from the French and get some of the garrison back to the gates and into safety. It had been a bloody encounter for both sides but with the French loosing a captain of such repute as d'Aubigny and being unable to completely trap Tripalda's garrison in the ambush the day was narrowly won by the Spanish.

Seeing the Spanish are now in full flight the French men at arms that previously refused to engage now charge into the fleeing men riding down arquebusiers and swordsmen.

The surviving Spanish infantry make it back across the bridge. It has been a bloody skirmish for both sides but with d'Aubigny unhorsed, a key French commander in southern Italy, and having managed to save some of the infantry from the ambush the Spanish have narrowly won the day.

This was the closest game Tom and I have fought yet with the final victory point tally being 18 to Tom and 15 to myself. It was a scenario that seemed to develop a life of its own. Initially things were pretty close with both of us suffering a few losses. The game then swung in favour of the Spanish with Captain Escalada's retinue keeping in good order and putting all those arquebusiers to great effect whilst the French proved very difficult to control. With the removal of d'Aubigny it looked like it was going to be a Spanish triumph but the subsequent death of Escalada caused a panic in the Spanish force that was made worse by the charging French men at arms who rode through multiple units. The final mad scramble of the Spanish back across the bridge was a lot of fun and neither of us was sure who had won until we tallied the victory points at the end. A very entertaining scenario!

I can think of quite a few of these double ambush clashes in the early 1500's. Jacques de Mailles's account of Bayard's life has lots of them so I will definitely revisit this style of scenario again. Having the rival retinues positioned amidst each other on the table is a great way to present the players with tricky decisions during the game. I think Tom and I will stay with the Italian Wars for our next game, hopefully we will get a clash arranged for early in the new year.

"the King of Scots had sieged, 'saulted and in a great stormy night scaled and won the castle of Norham", James IV's siege of Norham, August 1513

This weekend I visited Stuart and we played a couple of scenario's written to showcase his two new Scots guns: https://stuartsworkbench.blogspot.com/2024/09/scots-artillery.html. The choice of one of these was easy as we have been meaning to game James IV's assault on Norham Castle for a while and this was the perfect opportunity. For the second we chose a scenario based on a letter sent from Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, to Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, following James V's unsuccessful siege of Tantallon Castle in 1528. This continues the series of games we have played that centre around the minority of James V.

The host of James IV arrayed outside the walls of Norham Castle.

The Scots army prepares for the assault.

Carrying ladders the Scots troops will cross the ditch and assault the battered walls of the castle.

Accoring to Hall the Scots "made thre great Assaultes thre dayes together, and the Capitayne valyauntly defended".

James IV's assault on Norham Castle, August 1513

Norham castle was first built in the 12th century and had already been witness to numerous sieges by the time of the Scots King James IV's invasion of England in 1513. James himself had attempted to take the castle in 1497 when he had besieged the Northumbrian border fortress on the banks of the River Tweed for two weeks before an English relief army arrived. In that siege the famed bombard "Mons Meg" of Edinburgh castle had been used to pound the walls of the fortress. In the 1513 campaign Mons Meg remained back in Scotland and James brought more up to date heavy guns that would prove extremely effective in demolishing the outerwalls of the castle.

Norham castle belonged to the Bishop of Durham, Thomas Ruthall, and at the time of the 1513 siege was captained by the constable of the castle, John Anislow or Ainslie, the surname differs in different accounts. It had fallen to the Scots in 1136, 1138 and 1322 but had successfully withstood Scots attempts to capture it in 1215, 1318, 1319, 1327 and of course 1497. Anislow just had to defend the castle long enough for an English relief army to arrive as had happened 16 years before. The castle had undergone constant improvements in its defences since its initial construction and Bishop Ruthall had been sending supplies to the castle over the summer as it seemed increasingly likely that a war with the Scots would breakout.

It seems that initially James positioned his guns on the Ladykirk bank on the Scottish side of the Tweed from where they were effective in smashing Norham's outer walls to pieces. As the Scots army crossed the Tweed the guns were then repositioned to the west of the castle and used to batter the gatehouse. There is a story that this was under the instructions of an English traitor but this is probably a later addition. The destruction of the walls and gatehouse to the west meant that infantry assaults could then be delivered.  Hall's chronicle states that over the course of three assaults the garrison were driven back into the inner bailey and the great keep claiming that Anislow wasted ammunition  and was thus forced to surrender: "...the kyng of Scottes with hys greate ordinaunce had rased the walles of the Castell of Norham , and had made thre great Assaultes thre dayes together, and the Capitayne valyauntly defended hym, but he spent vaynely so muche of hys ordinaunce, bowes and arrowes and other municions that at laste he lacked , and was at the vi. daye compelled to yelde hym symply to the kynges mercy. This castell was thought impregnable, if it had bene well furnished, but the Scottes by the undiscrete spendynge of the Capitayne, toke it in sixe days..."

 In a letter to Wolsey written on 18 September Bishop Ruthall wrote of his castle that "the King of Scots had sieged, 'saulted and in a great stormy night scaled and won the castle of Norham; which news touched me so near with inward sorrow that I had lever to have been out of the world than in it". Gervase Phillips in his excellent "The Anglo-Scots Wars" states "It is far more likely that the ageing castle was simply battered into surrender and, once surrendered, looted and cast utterly to the ground". The scale of damage to the castle is backed up by a further letter from Bishop Ruthall to Wolsey on 20 September, once he had received news of the Scottish defeat, in which Ruthall stated "The dungeon (keep) stands. The walls, gates, and ordnance taken away, and the lodgings destroyed".

However it actually fell the castle was taken on 29 August meaning James had achieved a key objective of his campaign removing a powerful fortress from the English border and opening up a clear route for operations in the future. Of course events soon to follow at Flodden eleven days later would reverse this success and mean Norham would be back in English hands within weeks when work would begin to rebuild it. 

The western gatehouse has been battered by James IV's heavy guns.

The state of the art Scots heavy guns keep up a steady bombardment of Norham's walls.

The Scots gunners work from the safety of the gun emplacements.

Scenario

In this game we both played part of the Scottish assaulting force with one retinue under the command of James IV and the other under the command of Alexander Home, Lord Home. We used our modified Lion Rampant rules. Victory went to the player with the most victory points once all the objectives had been achieved.

The victory points were awarded as follows:

One point for the first unit to reach the keep gate of Norham castle 

One point for the first unit to scale the walls of Norham castle
One point for the first unit through the battered western gate 

One point for the unit that killed or routed , John Anislow, the constable of Norham

One point for the first unit through the breach of Norham 

One point for each culverin captured (destroyed or routed) 

Two points for the player who's gun caused the most destruction to the walls during the assault 

A player would loose two points if their retinue leader was killed or routed during the assault.

The locations of the keep gate, breach, the western gate and the culverins are shown in the photo below.

"with hys greate ordinaunce had rased the walles of the Castell of Norham"

One of the ways to achieve victory points was to smash the walls with the heavy Scots guns. Each player had one large gun in their retinue. They could fire this gun as part of their turn in the normal way but they could not move the gun, it remained in its entrenched position. Every time they successfully fired the gun the player would record how many hits they achieved. The player with the most hits at the end of the game would score two extra victory points. A draw meant neither player got points for this. In our rules the guns becoming increasing hard to fire the more they fire. This added a difficult decision to each of our turns as scoring more hits on the walls would mean the two victory points were more likely but a failed gun activation, which became increasing likely the more the guns fired, would end the turn.

John Anislow and the garrison of Norham

The garrison was comprise of static units and randomly controlled units.

The Static Units

The archers and culverins in the garrison were static units. The only movement these units could make was to return to their position if they had retreated out of it. All of the static units could try and activate every turn. They would activate before the randomly controlled units. They would always try and shoot at the nearest enemy unit. The two organ guns attached to the archer units would fire the guns once they were in range (8")

The Randomly Controlled Units

 Both of us started with 5 playing cards. Each turn we played a card and whoever played the highest got to control the randomly controlled units for that English turn. Both of us then took another card. These units behaved like a normal retinue and a failed activation ended their turn.

"scaled and won the castle of Norham"

Three units in each of the Scottish retinues carried ladders which could be used to scale the walls. The ladders were placed by the units to represent this. The units carrying ladders could move, shoot and attack as normal. If a unit carrying a ladder was broken or destroyed it would loose the ladder. To pick up a ladder a Scots unit had to move into contact with it and next turn it was considered to be carrying the ladder. English units could not pick up the ladders.

They ladders could not be used to cross at the towers, only the walls. They did this by moving into contact with the wall. On the following turn an attack activation would mean the unit could cross to the other side but the player had to roll a D6. On a 1-2 the unit took D6 casualties in crossing. On a 3-4 D3 casualties and on a 5-6 no casualties. Once the ladders had been placed other Scots units could use them to enter the outer bailey but they still had to roll a D6 in case any defenders on the walls attacked them.

The Breach

To cross the breach took a whole turn, so a unit had to move into contact with it and on the following turn another move activation meant they had crossed and were inside the outer bailey. Any unit crossing the breach had to roll a D6. On a 1 it took 2D6 casualties due to falling masonry and enemy action! Units could not shoot or charge through the breach.

The West Gatehouse

As the western gatehouse of Norham had been so battered it could also be moved through in the same way as the breach and so took a turn. As with the breach any unit passing through the gatehouse had to roll a D6. On a 1 it took 2D6 casualties due to a hidden English gun that blasted them as they entered the gatehouse. Units could not shoot or charge through the gatehouse.

A view of the table showing the Scots army arrayed before the walls of Norham and the outer bailey of Norham at the top with the garrison deployed within it. Some of the objectives in the game are shown. The first units to enter via the western gate, the breach or to scale the walls will score victory points as will units reaching the keep gate, killing the garrison's captain and capturing the English culverins in the outer bailey. The Scots heavy gun that hits the walls the most during the game will also win victory points.

A breach has been made in the outer bailey's walls.

The keep of Norham castle with the keep's gate shown on the centre right of the photo. Some of the Bishop of Durham's administrators can be seen in the foreground. They seem to be discussing the severity of the situation the Bishop's castle is in! 

The western gateway has taken a pummeling from James's guns. Members of the garrison rush back inside as the assault is imminent.

The Armies

As described above the units in the garrison either automatically attempted to shoot every turn or were under the command of Stuart or myself depending who played the highest card. For the Scots retinues Stuart chose to take command of Lord Home and his force of borderers so I took control of James IV's retinue.

The Garrison of Norham Castle

The Randomly Controlled Units

2 Units of Foot Knights (1 unit contains John Anislow, Constable of Norham, the retinue leader)

3 Units of Garrison Billmen

The Static Units

4 Units of Garrison Archers (2 have organ guns attached) 

2 Culverins

The Army of James IV, King of Scotland

James IV's household

2 Units of Foot Knights (1 unit contains King James IV - retinue leader)

4 Units of Scots Pike

2 Units of Borderers

1 Culverin (see special rules above)

Alexander Home, Lord Home and the Borderers

1 Unit of Foot Knights (Lord Home - retinue leader)

1 Unit of Scots Pike

3 Units of Borderers

2 Units of Borderers with Polearms

1 Culverin (see special rules above)

As normal a brief write up of this chaotic game follows whilst the pictures and captions also do a good job of catching some of the action. The layout of the actual castle is shown here: http://castlefacts.info/Assets/photographs/12656/fullimages/Norham%20Castle-33%2007042013%20145941.jpg, although the image is from 1560 the layout at the time of the siege was very similar. The intention of our terrain set up was to show the west gate with the keep behind it. You will have to imagine that an already battered wall and the River Tweed are just to the left of the keep and gatehouse in the photos!

The attack starts with a salvo of shot from one of the Scots gun batteries.

The Scots troops begin their advance towards the walls but are slowed by the castle's ditch.

A group of Kennedy troops under the banner of the Earl of Cassillis are first to reach the walls...

...they fight their way over the walls, taking losses...

...and are quickly slain by the archers and guns in the outer bailey.

The assault began with James IV's guns sounding the attack. The Scottish infantry advanced on mass clambering into the castle's ditch and man handling the scaling ladders across it. It was men under Lord Home's overall command that first reached the walls. The fighting was fierce as they fought their way over the walls and into Norham's outer bailey. Once inside the castle they were caught in a killing ground and quickly slain as arrows showered down and an organ gun was brought to bear. The terrifying hail of shot the gun unleashed soon stopped their attack.

Further down the lines fighting started when a courageous band of men at arms and billmen sallied out of the ruined west gatehouse in an attempt to drive the attack back. Encountering a force of borderers they were quickly driven back inside the walls. The borderers pursued them into the outer bailey but like the first men to scale the walls, once inside they were quickly slain as the billmen and men at arms turned back to attack them and arrows rained down on them from the walls. 

On the other side of the attack lines some of the garrison bravely sally out of the shattered west gatehouse...

...in the face of overwhelming numbers they are driven back inside...

...the borders who push their way through the gatehouse meet the same fate as the Scots who were first to scale the walls. They are quickly slain once they enter the outer bailey.

Outside the walls the Scot's guns continue to fire...

...in an attempt to suppress the fire coming from the castle's towers.

Most of the Scots force is yet to reach the walls...

...James IV's troops push forward.

The walls are reached and the Scots raise scaling ladders to the walls...

...and prepare to enter the breach.

As the guns continued to pound the towers with shot the curtain walls and the breach were attacked at multiple points. There was fighting all along the walls as the ladders went up whilst at the breach the fighting was especially intense. The first Scots through it were slaughtered as some of the garrison's guns had been moved into position right behind the breach with the intention of providing a murderous welcome to those brave enough to storm it. As the smoke cleared a unit pushed through only for a large part of the curtain wall to fall on them, burying them in the rubble. Through the smoke and dust further units pushed into the breach. Under the leadership of Norham's Constable, John Anislow, the garrison's billmen and men at arms charged the attackers and a ferocious melee developed.

As the fighting raged around the breach the attacking Scots continued to scale the walls. A unit under the King's direct command scaled the curtain wall close to the west gate only to be broken by another deadly organ gun which was fired into them at point blank range. The attackers were taking terrible casualties but their numbers were beginning to tell. With the defender's ammunition running low and the outer bailey filled with Scottish troops the Constable, John Anislow, panicked and fled back to the inner bailey, abandoning many of his men to their fate. This hit the morale of the defenders allowing more Scots over the walls as the garrison fell back.

The garrison fiercely defend the breach with bills and poleaxes...

...as the Scots attempt to force the breach with their pikes.

A group of Scots scale the wall by the gatehouse...

...only to be met by the furious fire on an organ gun once they make it into the outer bailey.

The assault on Norham Castle is in full swing.

Fighting is ferocious in the outer bailey...

...as the Scots force their way through the breach and over the walls.

The garrison's Constable, John Anislow, flees back into the keep fearing the outer bailey has fallen!

Home's men pour over the walls and join the fight but sustain heavy losses.

The fighting swings back and forth with some of the garrison's men at arms charging back out of the gatehouse in an attempt to drive the Scots back.

More Scots force the walls and enter through the ruined gatehouse...

...they push forward in an attempt to reach the gate to the keep.

Reinforcements push in behind the Scots that have already entered the outer bailey...

...and as the fighting continues it looks like the momentum of the assault has been maintained.

Billmen from the garrison are driven back by Graham men at arms...

...who then successfully reach the gate to the keep.

Not all of the defenders had lost heart and one band of men at arms once again sallied out of the shattered west gate in an attempt to rout the attacking Scots. This failed and a group of Graham men at arms, fighting under the banner of the Earl of Montrose, counterattacked. They pushed through the ruined gate clashing with billmen in the outer bailey. With pikemen storming the walls behind them the Graham men at arms fought their way through the outer bailey reaching the gate to the keep.

At the same time Lord Home himself braved the arrows and shot of the defenders to scale the walls and support his borderers in the attack. With his own personal retinue being heavily armoured he was able to force back the garrison's archers reaching two of the garrison's guns. Home and his men quickly slew one of the gun crews whilst the other crew fled in an attempt to reach the safety of the inner bailey and the keep. 

The outer bailey had fallen but at a tremendous cost to the attackers. The inner bailey and keep were still held by the Constable, John Anislow who had fled in front of his men at the height of the attack. Surely it would only be a matter of time until he was forced to surrender?

Across the courtyard, on the other side of the outer bailey, Lord Home and his men at arms enter the fray...

...Home charges into the outer bailey and captures the two guns the garrison had been using as a second line of defence. The Scots attackers have sustained awful losses but the outer bailey has fallen and only the keep still remains in English hands.

For our second game we returned to Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus and his struggle for power with the Scottish government.

The Earl of Angus's ambush of the Royal Artillery Train, November 1528

Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, had taken control of his step son James V's Scottish kingdom in 1525 (see the Battle of Melrose under https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2022/12/cleanse-causeway-edinburgh-1520.html)  and held onto the reins of power even when challenged by force in the field as demonstrated at Linlithgow Bridge in 1526 (https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2023/03/linlithgow-bridge-1526.html). Despite his military success Douglas was unable to maintain his position permanently and the young King finally escaped from Douglas in 1528 and headed to Stirling. Douglas was attainted and the King and his mother, Margaret Tudor, who was also Douglas's ex-wife, banished him to the north of the River Spey. Douglas ignored this and instead left Edinburgh for his stronghold at Tantallon from where he could easily journey to England to stir up trouble for James and Margaret south of the border.

Seen as a centre of Douglas power Tantallon, , or "Temtalloune" as Douglas calls it in the letter below,  was besieged by James V on 28 October 1528. Douglas himself was not in the fortress which was commanded by one of his men Simon Penango. Borrowing guns and, according to Douglas, assisted by troops from Dunbar castle, which was being held by a French garrison of the Duke of Albany, James bombarded Tantallon for twenty days but was prevented from doing any real damage to it by the deep outer ditch and defensive works. Unable to make any progress James V lifted the siege and returned to Edinburgh, leaving the guns, which took longer to move, with a force of infantry and cavalry, "ane hand of fut menne and ane cumpany of horss menne to convoy hame the artaillierie", under the command a captain named David Falconer. Ever confident of his military abilities this gave Douglas a chance to counterattack and as the guns slowly began to make their way back to the Scottish capital he attacked the Royal Artillery train at night with a fast moving mounted force of one hundred and sixty of his followers or in Douglas's own words "wele horssit menne of myn awin, to noumer of aucht score" . In the fight that followed David Falconer was killed and the guns captured along with other prisoners.

Douglas recounted the event in a letter to his English ally at the time, Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland. If you have found the excerpts from Hall's Chronicle tricky to read, try some of Douglas's letter. I have included the whole letter as it is only three sentences long:

"My Lord, in my maist hertly manere I commend me unto your gud lordschip and to certify the sammyn of such novelles as occuris here. Emplesit your lordship, call to rememberance how the King my master assemblit his army the xxiii day of October last hipast, notwithstanding the tender and speciall lettrez the Kingis hienes of Eingland directit to his grace in favouris of me, and incontrar the said convocacioune or asseigeing of my houss of Temtalloune, at the quhilk he and his army, with artaillierie of his awin and of Domhar Castell in greit quantite has lyne and assiegit rycht scharply baithe he gunnis and inginiouss menne, baithe Scottis and Frenche, that myndit the wallis in such sort that as can he rememberit, thare was nevir sa mekill pane, travell, expensis, and diligence done and maid for the wynnyng of ane houss and the sammyn escaip in Scotland sen it was first inhabit; and apone Weddynnsday, the ferde of November the King removit to Edinbrurght, bot xvi mylis fra Temtalloune, and left ane hand of fut menne and ane cumpany of horss menne to convoy hame the artaillierie; and that sammyn Weddynnisday, at nycht I, and part of wele horssit menne of myn awin, to noumer of aucht score, and levit the lave of my folkis behynd me at Temtalloune, followit in efter thame, and a litill eftir the mone rysing or it was day, set upone thame, and has defait thame all, loving to God, haithe horss menne and fut menne, and slane David Falkconer, principall capitane of the fut menne, the best man of wer in Scotland on the sey, and was takin be Einglismenne nocht land ago; and I have takin aneuther capitane of the fut menne, and has him in firmance; and also I tuk the maister of the artaillie, and wane all the sammyn, and had baithe menne and artaillierie all in my will and dangare; bot becauss the King my maister is sa neir of blud to the Kingis hienes of Eingland, that has done sa mekill for me, and sa gud and graciouss prince to me, and mekill the better he your solicitacioune; I wald nocht dishonour the King here sa fer as to hald his artaillie bot convoyit the sammyn my selff quhill it was furthe of danger and sufferit the maister of artaillie to pas, and prayit him to commend my lauly service unto my soverane, and to schew his grace that I have bene trew servand and subiect to the sammyn, and that I gave his grace na wyte of ocht that was done to me, bot to the evill avisit personis about his grace nocht worthy thereto, and had done sich dishonour to him at this tyme thai mycht nevir amend it, and I had plesit put it to executioune, My Lord, thir premissis ar of verite, and howbeit I mycht have ane way and appoyntment, I will do na thing therein bot be the ordinance of the Kingis hienes of Eingland and the aviss of your lordschip, and hes writtin presently to the Kingis hienes to send command to the Commissionaris nocht to tac na trewis nor paex without I and my frendis be restorit to our heritagis, benefices, offices, rumys and possesssiouns, and his grace abyding thereat, I knaw perfit all wilbe as his hienes will have it. And forther, in every behalff my brother your servand cann informe your lordschip, quhame God conserve eternaly, writtin at Coldingham Abbay this Setterday.

Yours 

Ard, Erl off Anguss"

In the moonlight David Falconer, "principall capitane of the fut menne, the best man of wer in Scotland" leads James Vs guns back to Edinburgh from the failed siege of Tantallon accompanied by "ane hand of fut menne and ane cumpany of horss menne to convoy hame the artaillierie".

Scenario

This scenario was centred around Douglas's mounted attack in the moonlight on the artillery convoy as it struggled to make it's way back through the night to Edinburgh, accompanied by some Scots and French troops under the leadership of David Falconer. At the start of the game the artillery convoy was placed on the table up to 20" from the table edge (see the photo above).

"to convoy hame the artaillierie"

Two large guns accompanied the convoy which were each placed with a foot or mounted unit. These units could move a maximum of 6" per turn and would loose the gun if they were defeated in combat or battered. They could not attack or skirmish but could shoot whilst they had the gun. Units could pick up the "lost" guns by moving into base to base contact with them. A unit was then considered to have picked up the gun and could move with it. The guns could be picked up by both Douglas or Royal units. If a Royal unit reached the edge of the table it was headed for it could leave with the gun as could a Douglas unit if it stole a gun.

"followit in efter thame"

Douglas's retinue started off the table and could arrive on either side of the table to the artillery convoy or from behind it. The Douglas player had to write down which units would arrive from which table edge at the start of the game. The units could arrive via move activations only. Units could not shoot, attack or skirmish on the turn they arrived.

Victory points

Victory in the game was based on victory points which were awarded as follows:

Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus:

One point for each gun captured

One point if David Falconer was killed or routed

David Falconer and the Royal Artillery:

One point for each gun that reached the other end of the table safely

Two points if Douglas was killed or routed

As the horsemen leading the convoy pass through a small hamlet they sense something is wrong as they hear the sound of other horsemen approaching...

...the night is light enough for them to make out the Douglas banner as the Earl of Angus and his "wele horssit menne" appear on the crest of a hill.

The Armies

Stuart chose to play as the Royalist force under David Falconer in this game so I planned the ambush in charge of Douglas's horsemen.

Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus and his "wele horssit menne"

5 Units of Demilances (1 unit includes Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus - retinue leader)

4 Units of Border Horse 

David Facloner the royal artillery and "ane hand of fut menne and ane cumpany of horss menne"

1 Unit of Foot Knights (David Falconer - retinue leader)

3 Units of Scots Pike

1 Unit of French Men at Arms from the garrison of Dunbar

1 Unit of French Crossbowmen/Shot from the garrison of Dunbar

1 Unit of Demilances

1 Unit of Border Horse

2 Units of Arquebusiers

A brief write up of the ambush follows. The photos have a lot of shadows in them as we were trying to recreate the effect of this being an ambush that took place "a litill eftir the mone rysing".

Douglas's calvary attack the cavalry at the head of the column and defeat them.

The front gun is vulnerable and the men accompanying it panic and flee in the night.

As the convoy of Royal gun's struggled on in the moonlight the horsemen at the head of the convoy thought they could hear horses in the distance, despite all the noise made by the artillery wagons, marching soldiers and their own horses. With horror they saw horsemen silhouetted on the crest of a hill to their left. Moments later they were under attack as Douglas's horsemen descended on them, causing them to flee into the night.

The next unit in the column of Royal troops panicked and fled as they came under attack from skirmishing border horsemen. They abandoned the artillery wagon and gun that they had been escorting allowing Douglas's retainers to capture it. As the Douglas troops prepared to secure the gun they were charged by a troop of French men at arms. The gun in question had been one of those borrowed from Albany's French garrison of Dunbar Castle and they were determined to not let it fall into Douglas's hands. The French men at arms crashed through the Douglas horsemen only to then be countercharged by the Earl of Angus himself. With his heavily armoured personal bodyguard Archibald Douglas joined the battle and sent the French men at arms fleeing back to Dunbar.

A view of the table. The ambush has been sprung with the main attack falling on the gun column's left flank.

Douglas's borderers prick at the columns left flank in an attempt to find a weakness to exploit.

Under the command of David Falconer James V's troops put up a good defence. The arquebusiers drive off some of the harrying attacks of Douglas's borderers.

The abandoned front gun is seized by Douglas's armoured retainers. The retainers are then charged by a band of French men at arms, troops from the garrison of Dunbar castle in the employ of the Duke of Albany. Douglas men are defeated and flee.

Seeing this fight around the gun develop Douglas himself charges into the fight, driving the French troops back...

...and allowing a band of his border horsemen to seize the gun.

With the French put to flight Douglas ordered a group of his borderers to seize the abandoned artillery wagon and take the gun back to Tantallon, the castle it was being used to attack only days earlier. He had successfully halted the column of Royal troops but had now lost the element of surprise. His borderers continued to press skirmishing attacks but the arquebusiers, both Scots and French, that had been assigned to defend the artillery train did a good job of keeping them at bay and preventing them from pushing home any attack.

Knowing that David Falconer. "principall capitane of the fut menne, the best man of wer in Scotland" was keeping the artillery train in good order Douglas ordered his armoured retainers to charge his banner in an attempt to kill or capture him and thus break the column. Supported by his pikemen Falconer easily saw off the attack ordering some of his arquebusiers to advance in an attempt to shoot the Earl of Angus. This attack also failed with Douglas charging the arquebusiers and sending them fleeing back to the shelter of the Scots pike blocks. Unable to break the rest of the artillery train Douglas had the retreat sounded. As his horsemen rode off into the darkness he would have to be content that he had captured one of the artillery pieces used to batter his home. As the artillery train began to move again and headed towards Edinburgh it was clear the ambush had ended in a stalemate.

As the ambush develops David Falconer is attacked but supported by his infantry the attack is driven off.

Falconer sends a group of arquebusiers in pursuit of Douglas but the Earl charges and defeats them. Douglas is forced to retreat having taken one of the guns. Falconer restores order in the column of Royal troops and they continue the march through the night back to Edinburgh.

The attack on Norham was a real spectacle and a lot of fun to play. My castle worked well on Stuart's superb terrain, at times it felt like we were gaming in a diorama instead of on a wargames table! I scored victory points for having the first unit through the western gate, through the breach and to reach the keep gate whilst Stuart scored points for having the first unit to scale the walls and for taking both of the English guns. Neither of our retinue leaders fell and both of us were denied the chance to kill or capture John Anislow as he rolled a blunder for an activation which resulted in him retreating two full moves and thus off the table! In the end it did come down to the two guns and I just managed to hit the walls more times than Stuart so won by two points. It was a great debut game for Stuart's Scottish heavy guns. Not only did they look great firing on the walls from their gun emplacements but in the end who won or lost the game depended on them.

I really enjoyed planning the ambush in the second game although I was unable to successfully break up the advancing column it was a lot of fun trying. Both Stuart and myself made efforts to pick off the opposing retinue leader but it was just not to be so the game ended in a draw. As always the games gave us lots of ideas for future clashes on the table in the new year.