Earlier in the week I visited Stuart for a couple of games. We still have lots of scenarios we want to game involving "le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche", Bayard, and we also want to do some more games featuring Richard de la Pole. Both Bayard and de la Pole fought together in the 1512 French campaign in Navarre and the difficult French retreat through the Pyrenees gave us the perfect scenario for our first game. For our second we returned to the early Italian Wars with a daring attempt by Bayard to capture Gonzalvo de Cordoba's treasure convoy.
"Let us be served as well as if we were in Paris"
Following the Spanish King Ferdinand's invasion of Navarre in the summer of 1512 the French, in support of the Navarrese king, John III, counter attacked in the autumn. The French made a three pronged attack with one column besieging Fuenterrabia and Donostia whilst a second under Louis I d'Orléans, duc de Longueville, defeated the Spanish at the battle of Ainhize on 19 October 1512. As the Spanish retreated to Pamplona a third column under the command of the King of Navarre, John III, and Jacques de la Palice, Lord of Chabannes, entered via the valley of Roncal besieging the Duke of Alba in Pamplona in November. It was during the siege of Pamplona that Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard, led a small force to attack a nearby castle (https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2023/10/seigneur-de-bayard-in-navarre-1512.html).
The siege of Pamplona lasted for a month but the French and loyalist Navarrese forces were forced to withdraw when they learnt Spanish reinforcements were on the way under the Duke of Nájera and the autumn weather was making life in the siege lines difficult. During the retreat across the Pyrenees the French suffered terribly. As weather conditions worsened Spanish skirmishing forces continually harassed the retreating French troops. The rival claimant to the English throne, Richard de la Pole was in the French army, commanding a force of landsknecht, and during this retreat it seems his men suffered particularly badly. John Stile, the English Ambassador to Spain, wrote to Henry VIII in January 1513 stating: "yowr rebel Rychard De la Pole was yn the sayd warrys of Navar, cappytan of the Almaynys (landsknecht), where there yowr sayd rebel and hys cwmpany receveyd most hwrte and los of men then eny other of that party".
One particular event that it seems de la Pole's landsknecht were involved in was the "Battle" of Velate in December 1512, which may have been more a skirmish than a pitched battle. The Spanish sources describing what took place vary but they all generally agree on the fact that the French artillery was in the rear-guard of the retreating French army being guarded by a contingent of German troops. As they attempted to bring the artillery through a mountain pass men from Gipuzkoa attacked the landsknecht who were routed, leaving between ten to twelve artillery pieces to be captured by the Gipuzkoans. This victory was so celebrated that the following year Queen Joanna of Castile, Charles V's mother, also known as "Joanna the Mad", allowed the Gipuzkoans to add twelve cannons to the province's coat of arms. This commemorative addition remained on the arms of Gipuzkoa until 1979!
Bayard's biography, "La très joyeuse, plaisante et récréative histoire du gentil seigneur de Bayart" probably written by Jacques de Mailles, describes the failure of the Navarrese campaign and, whilst not describing a battle at Velate, highlights the difficulty in getting the artillery back and that "bloody skirmishes" took place. Jacques de Mailles account claims the artillery was deliberately destroyed rather than being left for the Spanish. Translated from the French:
"The result of this campaign was very unfortunate. The army, on entering Navarre, had made there a general waste of all the good things of the earth ; the corn magazines had been blown up, and the mill-stones broken. They soon had reason to repent of this, for everything was wanting at once, and the famine became so great that many soldiers died of it; added to that, the troops were barefooted and ragged, so that they were full of misfortunes.
In this sad plight, and to finish their disgrace, they learnt that the Duke of Naxara was advancing with a body of from 8,000 to 10,000 men, and that he was already at the Pont-de-la-Reine. All these circumstances caused Chabannes, and all the officers, to advise the King of Navarre to put off the expedition to another time, in consequence of which the siege was removed in broad daylight, and the artillery taken away; but it did not go far, for they had hardly gone two or three days' journey with it, with almost incredible trouble and expense, by a hilly road, when they had to leave it, and shatter it to pieces, so that the enemy should not profit by it. Added to this, they were continually harassed in their retreat, and had bloody skirmishes to withstand."
Bayard's biography continues to describe how Richard de la Pole, who would assume the title of "Duke of Suffolk" in 1513, was heavily involved in the skirmishing, as of course was Bayard, and how the two men formed a close bond during the campaign. After a particularly "vigorous skirmish" which lasted until the evening, perhaps the "Battle" of Velate, Bayard raised de la Pole's spirits by dining with him as if they were both back in Paris:
"The Duke of Suffolk was in this army, and had formed a very close friendship with our hero. One day after a vigorous skirmish, which lasted till the evening, he retired; overcome with lassitude, hunger, and thirst, he came to beg some supper of Bayard. "For," he said, "I have not broken my fast, and my men have told me that there is nothing to eat at my house."
"Very willingly," replied Bayard; "I will entertain you well."
Then calling his butler, he ordered him to hasten the supper, and, added he ,"Let us be served as well as if we were in Paris." Suffolk laughed with all his heart at this joke, knowing that no one in the army had had anything but millet bread for two days; but he was agreeably surprised at being regaled as if he had indeed been in Paris."
The account continues to describe how the French army eventually made it back to Bayonne, and of course how Bayard "especially acquired much honour" during the retreat:
"The French retired, with the enemy in pursuit, which disturbed them much. However, the retreat was not so unfortunate as it might have been. Bayard especially acquired much honour, being always in the rear-guard, and turning and facing the enemy, whom he often made repent of their rashness. In fine, the army reached Bayonne, where it found plenty to make up for the previous famine; but this abundance even was a misfortune, for many soldiers died from over-eating."
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| Richard de la Pole's landsknecht march through the Belate Pass at the head of the French rear-guard. |
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| A view of the table from above showing the landsknecht column and the French guns moving through the Belate Pass. The Gipuzkoans will attack from all sides apart from to the viewer's right which will be where Bayard and his forces will arrive from in an attempt to relieve the landsknecht. |
Scenario
As always both the games were played using our modified Renaissance Rampant version of Lion Rampant. For this game each side was divided into two retinues. The French forces comprised the landsknecht under de la Pole with Bayard and his cavalry forming the other retinue. For the Spanishthe different sources give different captains so for this game we will had two of them from the account by the chronicler of the Duke of Alba, Correa, which was printed in 1515, these being the Lord of Lizarzaburu and Diego López de Ayala, warden of the fortress of Fuenterrabía.
At the start of the game only the landsknecht under de la Pole were deployed in the centre of the table surrounding three artillery pieces (see the picture above).
The Spanish would attack from three table edges. The Spanish player decided at the start of the game which retinue would attack from one table edge and which two table edges the other retinue would attack from. The retinue attacking from two table edges had to bring at least one unit on from each table edge but how this was done could be decided during the game. The remaining table edge represented the direction the rest of the French army was heading in and would be the direction from which Bayard would arrive to help his friend de la Pole (see the picture above).
On their turns the off table retinues could only arrive via move activations. For the two Spanish retinues the two retinue leaders had to arrive on the table first at the head of their retinues.
Turn sequence
To further add to the confusion the order in which the retinues acted would change each turn. Each retinue, the two Spanish and two French, had a coloured dice. At the start of the game 3 dice were placed in a bag for the two Spanish retinues and the landsknecht retinue under de la Pole. Each turn a dice was taken from the bag and the retinue whose dice was drawn must then act. As soon as the first melee or shooting took place the dice for Bayard's retinue was also added to the bag at the end of the turn so he could arrive the following turn. This method was used for all retinues every turn. If a retinue was wiped out its dice was removed from the bag.
"and the artillery taken away; but it did not go far"
The three artillery bases were placed in the centre of the table spaced apart as if they were in a convoy (see the picture above). The pieces were considered to be limbered and part of the convoy so they could not move or fire but were there to represent the guns being moved. In order for an artillery piece to be destroyed a Spanish infantry unit had to be in base to base contact with the artillery piece. On the following turn, as an activation, the infantry unit could attempt to destroy the gun. If the unit was at more than half strength then a roll of 6+ on 2D6 would destroy the gun and if the unit was at half strength or less then it needed an 8+ on 2D6. For every additional unit in base to base contact with the gun the unit could add +1 to the roll.
Victory
The victory conditions were simple, for the Spanish to win all three artillery pieces had to be destroyed. For the French to win the two Spanish retinue leaders, who had to arrive on the table first, had to be killed or routed.
If both players achieved their objectives in the same turn then the game would be a draw.
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| The "barefooted and ragged" landsknecht and guns moving through the pass. |
The Armies
For this game Stuart took command of Bayard, de la Pole and the French so I took command of the Spanish/Gipuzkoan forces.
The Spanish and Gipuzkoans
The Lord of Lizarzaburu
1 Unit of Foot Knights (unit contains the retinue leader the Lord of Lizarzaburu)
2 Units of Gipuzkoan Crossbowmen
1 Unit of Gipuzkoan Skirmishers with Javelins
3 Units of Rodeleros
Diego López de Ayala, warden of the fortress of Fuenterrabía
1 Unit of Spanish Men at Arms (unit contains the retinue leader and Diego López de Ayala, warden of the fortress of Fuenterrabía)
1 Unit of Spanish Pike
3 Units of Spanish Arquebusiers
2 Units of Jinetes
The French
Richard de la Pole and the landsknecht
1 Unit of Foot Knights (unit contains the retinue leader Richard de la Pole)
2 Units of Landsknecht Arquebusiers
4 Units of Landsknecht Pike
Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard
2 Units of Gendarmes (1 unit contains the retinue leader Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard)
1 Unit of Men at Arms
1 Unit of French Ordonnance Lancers
1 Unit of French Mounted Archers with bows
1 Unit of Aventuriers
As always the best way to follow the action is with the photos below but a brief write up of what did indeed turn out to be a "vigorous skirmish" follows.
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| The ambush is sprung and jinetes under the leadership of Diego López de Ayala, warden of the fortress of Fuenterrabía, arrive above the landsknecht in the pass. |
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| As jinetes flank the landsknecht column more Spanish troops attack from the rear. |
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| Richard de la Pole, the last White Rose, despite being "overcome with lassitude, hunger, and thirst" attempts to steady the ranks and prevent any panic caused by the ambush. |
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| The rear of the landsknecht column is fired at by Spanish arquebusiers. |
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| On the scree slopes Spanish arquebusiers harass the landsknecht. |
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| Some of the landsknecht turn and drive back the attacking Spanish. |
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| The jinetes apply pressure by launching skirmish attacks on the column. |
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| The first French gun is destroyed by a group of Spanish pikemen. |
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| Further up the pass Gipuzkoan crossbowmen shoot at the withdrawing landsknecht from the cover of the mountainous slopes. |
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| There are bloody melees along the road. |
As the "barefooted and ragged" landsknecht struggled through the mountainous terrain of the Belate Pass there were ominous sounds of movement in the hills above them. Local Gipuzkoan troops along with men from the garrison of Fuenterrabia had lain in ambush and now made their move. The initial attacks were by skirmishing jinetes and arquebusiers and these troops were soon joined by a unit of Spanish pikemen who advanced along the road from behind the retreating French rear-guard.
Much blood was spilt on the cold mountain road as some of the Germans turned about and charged into the ambushing Spanish. Both sides took casualties and some of the Spanish were driven back but the hungry and exhausted landsknecht were unable to defend the French gun that was at the back of the column and is was quickly destroyed by the Spanish pikemen who over ran the men defending it.
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| Having been alerted of the attack Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard, arrives with his cavalry having ridden back down the Belate Pass to aid his friend Richard de la Pole. |
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| Bayard orders his men into the fray to make the enemy "repent of their rashness". |
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| Crossbow and javelin armed Gipuzkoans shoot at the landsknecht from the cliffs. |
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| Bayard and a unit of landsknecht pike make their way up the side of the pass in order to drive off the attackers. |
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| Bayard charges back down into the pass putting a unit of jinetes to flight... |
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| ...before crashing into a unit of Spanish arquebusiers. |
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| Another of the French guns is captured as the Spanish destroy the rear of the landsknecht column. |
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| "Bayard especially acquired much honour, being always in the rear-guard, and turning and facing the enemy" |
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..Richard de la Pole drives the Spanish pikemen back.
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As the fighting raged at the rear of the landsknecht column Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard, heard the sound of the gun fire and ordered his men to turnabout and race back down the pass to aid his friend Richard de la Pole and make the Spanish "repent of their rashness". The French gendarmes rode hard to reach the scene of the fighting where, despite the rough terrain, they charged straight into the Spanish attackers.
Both Bayard and Richard de la Pole were in the thick of the melee, urging their tired men to fight on and leading from the front. Although these two captains succeeded in slaying many of the ambushing force they could not be everywhere at once and were unable to prevent another of the guns from falling into Spanish hands.
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| On the road through the pass Bayard's gendarmes are able to push the Spanish back but... |
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| ...many of the Gipuzkoan's use the rugged terrain as cover knowing the cavalry will be unable to ride them down, |
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| De la Pole is in a fierce and bloody melee with a unit of Spanish pike. |
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| Bayard has ridden through dozens of Spanish troops but disaster strikes when he is wounded and unhorsed by a Gipuzkoan crossbowman. |
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Bayard's men at arms leap the stream and ride down a group of Gipuzkoan skirmishers...
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| ...before engaging in some bloody and confused fighting beneath the cliffs. |
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| In the thick of the fighting Richard de la Pole finds the warden of the fortress of Fuenterrabía, Diego López de Ayala, and kills him in a one on one duel. |
Under the leadership of de la Pole and Bayard the French cavalry and landsknecht managed to fight off many of the Spanish who had attacked the back of the column. Far more difficult to reach were the skirmishing Gipuzkoan crossbow and javelin armed troops who used the terrain their advantage. The high slopes and cliffs prevented the Gipuzkoan's from being ridden down by the French cavalry whilst at the same time providing them with cover and the perfect platform from which to rain down missiles on the beleaguered French rear-guard.
As the fight hung in the balance disaster struck the French forces. Bayard had crashed through no less than four different groups of Spanish cavalry and infantry but with many of his gendarmes slain the good knight was then himself struck by the quarrel of a Gipuzkoan crossbow and unhorsed. With Bayard downed his friend Richard de la Pole cried vengeance and sought out Diego López de Ayala, warden of the fortress of Fuenterrabía, in the melee. The two men engaged in a one to one duel and de Ayala was slain. If de la Pole could reach the other Spanish Captain he would be able to end the ambush and send the Gipuzkoans running back into the mountains.
The fierce fighting continued with French men at arms taking their horses into the rough terrain in an effort to drive back the Gipuzkoans but as more landsknecht and French fled the scene the emboldened ambushers charged down into the pass to fall on the remaining German pikemen. Yet more fierce clashes to place and in the midst of this the final French gun was captured. Richard de la Pole made a fighting retreat with the remainder of the French and landsknecht forces. It had been a bloody day for both sides but the Spanish ambushers had won the day.
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| In the pass chaos reigns as the Gipuzkoan's continue to press the attack... |
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...a group of Spanish infantry reach the final French gun and capture it. Richard de la Pole has failed and the guns in the rear-guard have been lost.
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| The Spanish treasure convoy on its way to Gonzalvo de Cordoba, "El Gran Capitan". |
"Bayard, resolved to lay hands on the man and his treasure"
Jacques de Mailles' account of Bayard's life, "La très joyeuse, plaisante et récréative histoire du gentil seigneur de Bayart", is full of heroic exploits by the good chevalier, one such being an event that took place in 1503 when Bayard captured the pay chest of Gonzalvo de Cordoba, the famed Spanish general also known as "El Gran Capitan". The biography describes this immediately before continuing to focus on events around the Garigliano where the French were defeated in December 1503, but as the account refers to the pay chest passing "a few miles from Monervine", this being Minervino Murge where Bayard was garrisoned from some point in 1502 until the spring of 1503, it may have occurred earlier that year when Gonzalvo was still based in Barletta and Bayard still in Minervino Murge .
As is often the case in Jacques de Mailles' account spies provided the information to Bayard about the Spanish gold. On receiving this intelligence the good chevalier set out to ambush Gonzalvo de Cordoba's treasure by setting an ambush where he would lie in wait with twenty men at arms whilst his comrade Tardieu, accompanied by twenty five stradiots, would hide in another location in order to prevent any escape. Translated from the French:
"Some time after, when the truce was ended, Bayard heard by his spies that a treasurer from Naples was about to carry a large sum of money to Gonzalvo, and that he would pass at a few miles from Monervine. Bayard, resolved to lay hands on the man and his treasure, set out two hours before daybreak, and went, accompanied only by twenty men, and put himself in ambush between two little hills, and he sent Tardieu, one of his men-at-arms, in another direction with twenty-five Albanians, so that if the treasurer escaped one, he should be taken by the other."
The ambush was sprung at 7am with the French discovering that 15,000 ducats had been on the way to Gonzalvo and capturing the "treasurer". Bayard's comrade, Tardieu, wanted half of the money but their commander decided it should all go to Bayard. Of course everything described in Bayard's biography paints a glowing picture of him so he gave half the money to Tardieu before distributing the rest amongst the other soldiers and setting the "treasurer" free. I can't help but think the French commander would of kept at least some of the money as it was common for a share of ransoms and booty to go to the overall commander but regardless of this the account states:
"At seven o'clock in the morning the knight's spies heard the noise of horses, and came to announce it to him. He was so hidden by the two rocks that the treasurer and his escort passed without seeing him, and, as soon as they had gone by, Bayard and his company fell upon them, crying, "France! France! slay! slay!" The Spaniards, thinking they had a whole army at their back, fled to Barletta without looking behind them. They were pursued until the treasurer and cashier were taken, when 15,000 ducats were found in their cases. Tardieu, arriving just at this time, was dazzled by the glitter of the coin, and claimed half the prize, as he had gone on the expedition, but Bayard, who loved justice, chose to have the affair properly settled by the French general, who decided that the prize was Bayard's alone. When Tardieu saw the course matters were taking, he made a virtue of necessity and joined in the laugh against himself. Bayard, with his usual generosity, gave Tardieu half the large sum of money, and distributed the whole of the remainder among the soldiers. He then set the treasurer free, and allowed a herald to accompany him to Barletta, whither he wished to go"
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| A view of the treasure convoy from above. The Spanish player does not know which table edges the French ambush will be sprung from. |
Scenario
At the start of the game the Spanish treasure convoy was placed in column in the centre of the table with three treasure wagons. The French player would attack from two different table edges but could choose the two table edges they wished to attack from. As in the previous game each side was split into two retinues.
"and, as soon as they had gone by, Bayard and his company fell upon them"
As stated above the French player would attack from two table edges of their choice and they had to decide which these were before the game started. The French units could only arrive on the table via move activations.
"when 15,000 ducats were found in their cases"
There were three treasure wagons in the game, each was assigned to a Spanish unit. These units could move a maximum of 6" per turn and would loose the wagons if they were defeated in combat or battered. They could not attack or skirmish but could shoot whilst they had the wagons. Units could pick up the "lost" wagons by moving into base to base contact with them. They were then considered to have picked up the wagon and could move with it. The wagons could be picked up by both the French and Spanish units.
Turn sequence
As in the first game each retinue, the two Spanish and two French, had a coloured dice. At the start of the game the four dice were placed in a bag for the two Spanish retinues and the two French retinues. Each turn a dice was taken from the bag and the retinue whose dice was drawn would then act. This was done for all the retinues every turn. If a retinue was wiped out its dice were removed from the bag.
Victory
The game ended once all the wagons were off the table.
Victory points would then be awarded as follows:
The French
2 Points for each wagon that the French took off any table edge
2 Points if the Treasurer from Naples was killed or routed
1 Point if the Spanish Captain was killed or routed
The Spanish
2 Points for each wagon that the Spanish escaped with off any table edge
2 Points if Bayard was killed or routed
1 point if Tardieu was killed or routed
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| The Spanish treasure carts are guarded by infantry and cavalry. To the viewers left is the the treasurer from Naples and his mounted guards. |
The Spanish and French forces
For this game Stuart remained in command of the French and whilst I took command of the Spanish.
Bayard and Tardieu
Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard
1 Unit of Gendarmes (1 unit contains the retinue leader Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard)
2 Units of Men at Arms
1 Unit of Mounted Archers
2 Units of Lancers
Tardieu and the Stradiots
1 Unit of Gendarmes (1 unit contains the retinue leader Tardieu)
5 Units of Stradiots
The Spanish Treasure Convoy
The Treasurer from Naples
1 Unit of Foot Knights (unit contains the treasurer from Naples, to represent this unit we used a base of 4 mounted figures but the treasurer counted as a Foot Knight unit in the game)
1 Unit of Spanish Pike
3 Units of Spanish Arquebusiers
1 Unit of Rodeleros
The Cavalry Guard
2 Units of Spanish Men at Arms (1 unit contains the retinue leader- a Spanish Captain)
4 Units of Jinetes
This was quite a quick game and the photos below show what happened but very brief write up of the game also follows.
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| With cries of "France! France! slay! slay!" Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard, and his men charge the front of the Spanish convoy... |
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| ...and a fierce melee develops on the road. |
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| At the rear of the column "twenty-five Albanians" appear on the horizon. |
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| Spanish and French men at arms break lances with one another as the fighting continues, |
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| Bayard seeks out the Captain of the Spanish men at arms and kills him in a one on one clash. |
With cries of "France! France! slay! slay!" the morning peace was shattered. The treasurer from Naples and his small bodyguard of Spanish troops were horrified to see the banner of Bayard ahead of them on the road as the French knight and his companions charged directly at them. The Spanish arquebusiers added to the din when they opened fire on their attackers killing some of them but moments later the French cavalry reached the convoy and a chaotic melee began.
As the fighting raged at the head of the convoy Tardieu and the "twenty-five Albanians" emerged from hiding and began to threaten the rear. As the stradiots and jinetes skirmished with each other the fierce fighting continued at the front. Bayard and the Captain of the Spanish men at arms met in the fray and the Spanish captain was quickly killed by the famous French knight.
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| The fighting continues on the road. |
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| The rear of the convoy is coming under attack from the skirmishing stradiots. |
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| Bayard gathers his men at arms around him for another charge but the Spanish have not broken easily. |
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| A view from the rear of the convoy. Whilst Bayard and his men at arms have charged directly into the head of the convoy at the rear the stradiots have made skirmishing attacks rather than charging in. |
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| Bayard is in the thick of the fighting and many of his men are slain. |
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| The treasurer from Naples is keen to make his escape. |
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| As the Spanish and French men at arms continue to clash... |
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| ...one of the treasure wagons at the rear of the convoy escapes. |
Tardieu and his stradiots struggled to have much of an effect on the rear of the treasure convoy whilst at the front the fighting continued to rage. The French made repeated charges at the men guarding the wagons but were unable to break them. The failure of the "twenty-five Albanians" to push home their attack allowed the wagon at the rear of the convoy to escape. This was met by a further blow to the French forces as Bayard, "le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche", fled the field when he realised his charges could not break the morale of the Spanish. Perhaps he had only come to defeat the Captain of the Spanish men at arms, after all he was not a man to be "dazzled by the glitter of the coin"!
Shortly after the flight of Bayard another of the Spanish wagons escaped to safety. With their leader and two of the treasure wagons gone the remaining French cavalry called off their attack. The treasurer from Naples had lost the Captain of his men at arms but he had not lost any his "15,000 ducats"!
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| Bayard's twenty men have suffered heavy losses so the valiant paragon of chivalry decides to flee! |
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| Bayard's flight means the French attack is called off and the treasure wagons can make it to safety. |
We really enjoyed these two games, especially the first which Stuart's mountainous terrain was perfect for. Both of us thought it really captured the feel of an attack in a mountain pass and hopefully the photos above also show this. With two more victories I feel like I have had quite a long winning streak of games at the moment, I am sure a string of terrible defeats will soon follow!
Of course these ambushes are thirsty work so we had to find an appropriate location for a couple of drinks afterwards. Whilst we were unable to "
be served as well as if we were in Paris" we did visit a local 16th century Tudor pub which welcomed two weary captains "
overcome with lassitude, hunger, and thirst" . |
| Whilst no Tudors were in the games the thirsty captains "overcome with lassitude, hunger, and thirst" found an appropriate drinking spot. |
