Meiningen, June 1525

Last month my friend Tom visited for another game. We were both keen to get the German Peasant's War collection back on the table so we returned to the upheavals of Germany in 1525 to play a scenario based on the battle of Meiningen, which took place on Bielstein Hill and resulted in the destruction of the Bildhausen Band.

Meiningen, June 1525

On 12 April 1525,  with unrest spreading throughout Germany, a small band of three hundred peasants marched on the Cistercian monastery of Bildhausen. The peasants plundered the monastery before setting up a camp in the monastic grounds. By the start of May a farmer, named Hans Scharr, and a citizen of Münnerstadt, named Hans Schnabel, had been elected as the captains of the encamped "Bildhausen Band" and new recruits swelled the band's ranks. The Bildhausen peasants set about plundering nearby monastic and noble estates whilst recruits, weapons, gunpowder and other supplies were brought in from towns that had allied themselves with the Bildhausen Band's cause such as Würzburg, Schweinfurt, Münnerstadt and Meiningen. The Bildhausen Band also allied with Hermann VIII, Count of Henneberg-Aschach, who provided them with some artillery pieces.

The band had intended to march to Würzburg to join with the other peasant bands of Franconia but they changed direction when Landgrave Philip I of Hesse threatened the peasants that had risen in revolt around Meiningen. Reaching Mellrichstadt they learnt that Philip of Hesse had instead marched to Mühlhausen to deal with Thomas Müntzer's uprising and so the Bildhausen Band split with Scharr and Schnabel heading off to take part in the siege of Marienberg Fortress, which lay on the opposite bank of the Main River from Würzburg, whilst part of the band remained under the command of the band's mayor.

Thomas Müntzer's uprising was crushed at Frankenhausen on 15 May and Marienberg Fortress held against the Franconian peasant's siege. Müntzer was executed at Mühlhausen on 27 May and the victorious Princely army of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse and Duke George of Saxony moved to Schlotheim where they were joined by the forces of John the Steadfast, the Elector of Saxony, and Count William of Henneberg. A meeting was held between the assembled princes and from Schlotheim John the Steadfast and William of Henneberg led a force of around 4,000 cavalry and 8,000 landsknecht southwards to deal with the Franconian rebels.

As the army of the Elector John the Steadfast and William of Henneberg reached Walldorf, around 6km to the north of Meiningen, the townsfolk of Meiningen called on the aid of the Bildhausen Band encamped some 20km away at Mellrichstadt. By now the two captains, Hans Scharr and Hans Schnabel, had returned to the band which numbered around 7,000 peasants and had 17 light artillery pieces. On 3 June 1525 as the Bildhausen Band marched on Meiningen its advance guard came into contact with units of Count William of Henneberg's vanguard and a skirmish took place in which around forty peasants were killed. Hearing of this the mainward of the Bildhausen Band decided to entrench themselves and form a wagenburg on Bielstein Hill which lay just to the west of the town.

Before the band's entrenchments and wagenburg were complete the army of John the Steadfast and William of Henneberg was upon them. It seems that much of the infantry of the Princely army did not engage as in the ensuing battle the Bildhausen Band managed to hold off the Princely cavalry and artillery until evening killing some of their men at arms and their captain of artillery. The band itself took heavy casualties with over 240 slain and more wounded. As darkness fell Scharr and Schnabel ordered their forces to retreat into Meinigen with Schnabel wishing to leave the town that night. The captains did not flee and two days later, on 5 June, surrounded by the far stronger army of the Elector John the Steadfast and William of Henneberg the town was forced to surrender. Captains Scharr and Schnabel were handed over to the princely army as a condition that the other peasants and townsfolk would be spared.

The Bildhausen Band was dispersed and Scharr and Schnabel, along with the band's mayor, were executed on 3 July in Mellrichstadt.

The Bildhausen Band have not had time to fully entrench themselves on Bielstein Hill but they prepare their wagenburg and defensive positions as best they can. 

Peasants of the Bildhausen Band man the wagons in readiness for an attack.

The Bildhausen Band's camp atop Bielstein Hill.

Scenario

As always we used our modified Lion Rampant rules for this game. Each army was divided into three retinues, with each army having a retinue that comprised primarily of guns.

The game started with the Bildhausen Band deployed on Bielstein Hill having been caught off guard by the rapid deployment of the Princely army. The Bildhausen Band had some entrenchments but they did not work fully to the peasant's advantage due to the fact they had not had time to complete them (see the photo of the table below). The Bildhausen Band was deployed before the Princely artillery was placed on the table.

At the start of the game only the artillery retinue of the Princely army was deployed and the other two retinues of the Princely army would arrive as per the turn sequence below. The units could only enter via move activations. They could not charge or shoot when entering the table.

The trenches gave +1 armour to anyone in them and counted as rough terrain for combat. They took half a move to cross and the culverins could not be moved across them.

Turn sequence

The order in which the retinues acted changed each turn. Each retinue had a coloured dice. The 6 dice were placed in a bag. Each turn a dice was taken from the bag and the retinue whose dice was drawn would then act. This was done for all six retinues every turn. If a retinue was wiped out its dice was removed from the bag.

Victory

For the Princely army to win it had to kill or rout Hans Scharr and Hans Schnabel, however the entirety of the Princely forces had to have entered the table before a victory could be claimed. If Hans Scharr and Hans Schnabel were both killed and routed before all of the Princely units were deployed then the game would continue until this happened.

For the Bildhausen Band to win it had to halve each of the three Princely retinues.

A view of the table. The Bildhausen Band have not had time to complete their defensive position but have formed up on the left hand side of the photo. The Princely artillery can be seen deployed on the right with the walls of Meiningen in the background.

The Princely artillery hastily deploys outside the walls of Meiningen on the slopes of Bielstein Hill.

For a moment the Bildhausen Band faces the artillery train of John the Steadfast and William of Henneberg.

The Armies

For this game, keen to avenge the defeat of his peasant forces in our Leipheim game last year, https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2025/03/and-lord-georg-fell-upon-peasants-with.html, Tom took command of the Bildhausen Band so I took command of the army of John the Steadfast and William of Henneberg.

The Bildhausen Band 

Hans Scharr's men

4 Units of Peasant Infantry (1 includes retinue leader Hans Scharr)

1 Unit of Peasant Shot and Crossbow

1 Artillery War Wagon

2 Infantry War Wagons

2 Hook Guns

Hans Schnabel's men

4 Units of Peasant Infantry (1 includes retinue leader Hans Scharr)

1 Unit of Peasant Shot and Crossbow

1 Artillery War Wagon 

2 Infantry War Wagons 

2 Hook Guns

The peasant guns

1 Radical Preacher (This unit includes the retinue leader)

4 Culverins 

The Princely Army of John the Steadfast and William of Henneberg

The Cavalry of William of Henneberg

3 Units of Men at Arms (1 unit includes the retinue leader)

2 Units of Lancers 

The troops of John the Steadfast

1 Unit of Men at Arms (which includes the retinue leader) 

2 Units of Mounted Crossbowmen 

1 Culverin

1 Unit of Landsknecht Pike

2 Units of Landsknecht shot

1 Hook Gun

The Princely artillery

1 Unit of Foot Knights (including the artillery captain who is the retinue leader)

4 Culverins

As always the best way to follow the action is to read the captions under the photos but a brief write up of this fierce engagement also follows.

As mounted crossbowmen from John the Steadfast's forces splash through the River Werra the Princely artillery open fire on the wagenburg of the Bildhausen Band.

The artillery is reinforced by an advance guard of landsknecht.

The guns of the Bildhausen Band return fire as the artillery duel commences.

Landsknecht arquebusiers from the Princely army are driven back by crossbowmen and arquebusiers from the Bildhausen Band.

As some of the peasants creep forward through the unfinished trenches the Princely guns fire on them.

Caught unawares by the speed of the Prince's attack Hans Scharr and Hans Schnabel ordered their peasant band to arrange the wagons as best they could and prepare for an attack. But John the Steadfast and William of Henneberg did not order their troops to attack immediately. Instead the Princely artillery began a bombardment to soften up the Bildhausen Band's position atop Bilestein Hill as their vanguard arrived.

The Bildhausen Band returned fire with their guns causing casualties to the crews of those of the Princes. At the same time Hans Schnabel sent troops on the peasant right flank into the unfinished trenches to skirmish with the landsknecht arquebusiers who were advancing on the wagenburg. The landsknecht were temporarily driven back. As this was happening the Bildhausen Band's wagons on the left flank of the peasant's position were smashed to pieces by the cannon fire. The men inside them tried to hold their positions but were forced to flee as they were sitting ducks for the Prince's guns.

Fearing a flank attack from John the Steadfast's mounted crossbowmen the guns and peasants on the Bildhausen Band's left flank reposition themselves.

The mounted crossbowmen suffer a few casualties but continue to press their attack.

During the artillery duel the three wagons that secure the Bildhausen Band's left flank have been shot to pieces by the Princely artillery that opposes them.

The Princely guns keep up their deadly bombardment.

John the Steadfast's mounted crossbowmen shoot their crossbows across the River Werra putting the Bildhausen Band's left flank under pressure.

As the bombardment of the wagenburg continued men at arms and mounted crossbowmen from the Princely vanguard skirted the walls of Meiningen and splashed through the waters of the River Werra in an attempt to flank the peasant position and avoid attacking their guns head on. The peasants under the command of the farmer, Hans Scharr, tried to use their hook gun and cannon to drive the attacking cavalry off. Some of the cavalry were slain but they pressed home their attack and, as the crossbowmen began to shoot at the peasants, the peasants began to give way.

As the cavalry attacked the peasant's left flank the fighting continued in the unfinished trenches. The landsknecht arquebusiers who had initially been driven back by the Bildhausen Band's own arquebusiers and crossbowmen led a renewed assault. This time the landsknecht did not retreat instead holding their ground as the peasants counter attacked.

Supported by their artillery landsknecht arquebusiers push an attack through the trenches. 

On the peasant's right flank the forces under Hans Schnabel advance and...

...skirmish with the landsknecht arquebusiers who were initially driven back.

The troops on the Bildhausen Band's right flank advance, under the command of Hans Schnabel. They are charged by Count William of Henneberg's lancers...

...Hans Schnabel's men are attacked before they can use their hook gun...

...but in the fighting that follows Henneberg's lancers are driven off and defeated.

More of the Princely army arrives and the vanguard is reinforced by a unit of landsknecht arquebusiers.

Seeing the landsknecht skirmishers advancing on their position, and with their wagons destroyed, the peasants holding the left flank charge into the trenches...

...and attempt to drive the landsknecht back in a fierce fight.

The first hand to hand fighting now took place as lancers from the vanguard of Count William of Henneberg charged the peasant's right flank in an attempt to drive Hans Schnabel's men from the trenches. The charge was so quick that the peasants were unable to use their hook gun on the attacking horsemen. The peasants did manage to finally drive them off after a series of short sharp clashes in which Hans Schnabel himself had to fight.

More and more troops from the Princely army were now arriving with extra arquebusiers joining the engagement. The peasants holding the beleaguered left flank were next to engage in hand to hand as they charged into the trenches atop Bielstein Hill and began a savage clash with the landsknecht arquebusiers who had been using the unfinished field works to cover their own attack. This was the beginning of a fierce prolonged clash as both sides fought bitterly to hold the position.

The Bildhausen Band's right flank is attacked by men at arms from the vanguard of Count William of Henneberg. 

Another Princely gun arrives and adds to the bombardment by targeting the peasants in the trenches.

The peasants respond with shots from their hook gun.

The fighting against the men at arms in the trenches continues and the men at arms are finally defeated.

At the same time the fierce battle in the trenches on the peasant left flank continues.

Yet more reinforcements arrive for the Princely army.

As the Princely army had refused to attack the peasant position head on and face the firepower of the remaining wagons the fighting now developed into two distinctive clashes on each flank of the wagenburg. On the Bildhausen Band's right flank some of Henneberg's men at arms were defeated as the peasants used the cover of the trenches to prevent the cavalry from sweeping them away whilst one of the Princely army's guns exchanged fire with a peasant's hook gun.

On the left flank of the Bildhausen Band the fighting in the trenches continued with both sides refusing to give any quarter. What the peasants fighting in the trenches didn't realise was that their fight to hold the left flank had now become futile as the cavalry attack along the River Werra had succeeded and the mounted crossbowmen were about to charge into the peasant camp and attack Hans Scharr.

One of the Bildhausen Band's leaders, the farmer Hans Scharr, is shot at by the mounted crossbowmen who have broken into the wagenburg.

There is chaos in the peasant camp as the left flank is rolled up by the Princely army.

The bloody fighting in the trenches between the landsknecht arquebusiers and peasants continues.

Some of the peasant wagons are still manned, having not been blasted by the Princely guns, and they fire into the attacking Princely army...

...accompanied by the peasant guns.

Having finally defeated the landsknecht arquebusiers and urged on by the words of their radical preacher the peasants holding the collapsing left flank attack the captain of the Princely artillery...

... the artillery captain drives the peasants back so the preacher himself engages in a one to one combat, hoping the power of the almighty will be with him as he was with David when David slew Goliath. The preacher is quickly slain.

As the mounted crossbowmen rode into the peasant's position a scene of chaos and carnage unfolded as peasants fled the camp in an attempt to reach the safety of Meiningen. The battle in the trenches on the peasant left flank reached its climax as, driven on by the words of their preacher, the peasants finally drove the landsknecht off and then charged the Captain of the Princely artillery. The artillery captain and his bodyguard drove the exhausted peasants back only for their radical preacher to attack him in a fit of eschatological rage. The two men duelled briefly but, though he may have been a man of God, the unarmoured preacher was doomed as the armoured and experienced captain quickly despatched him and sent him to meet his maker.

Some of the wagons and guns of the Bildhausen Band were still manned and as the Princely army attacked their troops were met with cannon fire and arquebus shot. Despite this heroic defence it was now clear that the peasant's right flank was also about to collapse. 

The Bildhausen Band's right flank is now collapsing and Hans Schnabel is driven back...

...in a series of fierce clashes with William of Henneberg's lancers.

The Band's left flank is destroyed...

...and the Princely forces charge into the peasant's defences.

Hans Scharr attempts to withdraw further into the camp, seeking the protection of the remaining peasant guns and wagons.

The fighting on the peasant's right continues as more men at arms join the fray.

Hans Schnabel and his men attempted to hold the Bildhausen Band's right but were subjected to repeated charges from the cavalry vanguard of William of Henneberg. The peasants fought on bitterly, killing all of the lancers that charged them and even managing to withstand repeated charges from Henneberg's men at arms. Eventually the pressure of the cavalry attack was too much and Hans Schnabel fled in a desperate attempt to reach the safety of Meiningen.

With the peasant's left flank having already completely collapsed Hans Scharr had retreated into the centre of the camp, hoping to continue his defence with the protection of the remaining manned wagons and guns. As the jaws of the two pronged Princely attack closed around the wagenburg Scharr too realised the game was up and fled for Meiningen. Sadly neither Schnabel or Schnarr knew that in two days they would both be handed over to the army of John the Steadfast and Count William of Henneberg to be executed a month later.

Sensing all is lost Hans Schnabel flees Bielstein Hill in an attempt to reach the temporary safety of the walls of Meiningen as...

...moments later the farmer Hans Scharr also flees the peasant's camp. The Bildhausen Band has been defeated.

This was a really fun and exciting game as the peasants heroically attempted to fight off the two pronged attack from the Princely army. It was only the second time we have fielded the peasants and they certainly performed better than in the Leipheim game. Although they inflicted casualties on lots of the units of the Princely army they didn't knock any of the three Princely retinues to under half strength.

As these games are so chaotic, it is hard to know if we need to make the peasants a little more resilient or if it is just the way that this game and Leipheim played out that led to the defeats. Historically the peasants did terribly in the field and historically the armies of the Swabian League or Princes refused to attack the wagenburgs head on. If force was used, as it often was, then the wagenburgs were normally bombarded first before any attack was launched as has happened in these two games. Perhaps we will make a few tweaks for the next German Peasant's War clash but it is definitely a theatre will we be revisiting as the clashes make for very different wargames to those we often play.