"Suffice it to say that the Persian host Darius assembled in Babylon for his second clash with Alexander could not have been more magnificent", Ainhice-Mongelos, October 1512

Last weekend my friend Tom visited and once again battle was joined on the tabletop. Whilst deciding what to game I looked back over previous scenarios we had done together and I noticed in one of our previous games featuring Bayard in Navarre, https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2023/10/seigneur-de-bayard-in-navarre-1512.html, in the background write up I'd mentioned how the Spanish had been defeated at "Ainhize" in October 1512. This sparked my interest as to what had actually happened in the battle. A quick internet search revealed nothing so I had a look through my book collection to see if I could find any references. A great book on the Duke of Bourbon, "The man who sacked Rome", provided my first clues and from this, I was able to find two detailed but very different accounts of what supposedly happened at Ainhice or Ainhice-Mongelos. I have quoted both accounts below in my attempt to describe what happened in this little known Franco-Spanish clash that took place in Navarre in the autumn of 1512.

Ainhice-Mongelos, October 1512

Located along the western Pyrenees, and guarding mountain passes between Spain and France, in the early 1500s Navarre was a kingdom of great strategic importance. In the summer of 1512 King Ferdinand II of Aragon duped Henry VIII of England into sending an army into Southern France (see http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-marquis-of-dorsets-1512-campaign.html) allowing Ferdinand to send his troops into Navarre under the command of Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, the 2nd Duke of Alba. Accompanied by perhaps as many as 17,000 men by the end of August 1512 Alba had taken much of upper Navarre, establishing his headquarters at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. With a garrison placed in Mongelos at the start of September the Spanish forces were beginning to threaten Béarn.

In support of John III, the Navarrese king, the French counter attacked in the autumn making a three pronged attack with one force attacking along the coast whilst a second was led by the Dauphin Francis d'Angoulême, the future Francis I. Though nominally headed by the 18 year old Dauphin in reality command of this contingent fell to Louis I d'Orléans, duc de Longueville, and Charles III, Duke of Bourbon (who would famously rebel against Francis I in the 1520s and die assaulting the walls of Rome in 1527). With 1,000 men at arms and 11,000 infantry, including around 1,500 landsknecht, the Dauphin was to advance and engage Alba whilst the third French contingent under the King of Navarre and Jacques de la Palice would then cut off his retreat. The Dauphin's army advanced quickly and reached the village of Garris from where they began to treat with Alba in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The French hoped that their delaying tactics would allow La Palice to advance undetected but Alba soon learnt of their intentions and sent troops south to secure his line of retreat. 

Realising Mongelos was now of no strategic value and was particularly exposed to the advancing French forces Alba ordered its garrison to burn the town and retreat back to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port from where the rest of his army could withdraw. In order to cover the retreat of the garrison Alba positioned his remaining forces on the road between Mongelos and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. It was during this attempted retreat from Mongelos that a confused clash was fought between the French and Spanish forces and the "Battle of Ainhice" or Ainhice-Mogelos took place.

Very different versions of the events were recorded by a Spanish chronicler, Luis Correa, and a French one, Gilbert de Marillac. Correa seems to have accompanied the Duke of Alba and wrote "La conquista del reino de Navarra" recording the events of the campaign shortly after it had finished whilst Gilbert de Marillac wrote his chronicle, "Histoire de la maison de Bourbon", some time before 1521 while serving as the secretary to the Duke of Bourbon. 

Correa's much fuller account explains how on learning of the French advance under the King of Navarre, who he refers to as "King John", Alba ordered the burning of Mongelos and the withdrawal of the garrison, putting this on 21 October 1512. According to Correa this led the French to send out three hundred light cavalry and stradiots to skirmish with the Spanish forces. In response Alba deployed more of his men at arms and infantry although his forces were depleted as most of the jinetes had been sent to block the advance of King John and La Palice whilst more Spanish troops had been sent back to cover Alba's line of retreat. Translated from the Spanish:

"Upon receiving news that King John (the King of Navarre who the French were attempting to reinstall) was entering via Valderroncal and noting the urgent activity in the provinces of Biscay and Guipuzcoa, the Duke (Alba)—realizing the peril facing those in Monjelos, who were no longer in a position to offer any strategic advantage—sent orders for them to set fire to the town. He instructed them to evacuate the residents and withdraw to San Juan (Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port) in the most orderly and disciplined manner possible, while keeping him informed of their progress. Thus, at daybreak on Tuesday, October 21st, Piui Díaz de Rojas and Lope Sánchez de Valenzuela, accompanied by the infantry captains, set fire to Monjelos and removed all belongings, ensuring the residents lost nothing; once this was done, they took up a strong position on a nearby hill while the town burned. They immediately notified the Duke, who ordered his troops to arm themselves and march out to the field known as El Helechar; he then dispatched Colonel Rengifo with up to eight hundred infantrymen to confront the French should they attempt to attack the forces from Monjelos. Rengifo secured a position on the lower slope of a mountain range to his right and stationed himself near our troops, who were positioned within sight of Monjelos.

Upon learning the next day of the fire set at Monjelos—and believing this signalled an imminent battle—the Dauphin immediately armed his troops. He sent forward up to three hundred light horsemen and Albanians to skirmish with and delay our forces while he advanced; upon arriving and seeing the fire already burning and our men well-positioned, they—while deliberating on their next move—proceeded to ignite the remaining fuel, leaving the two sides facing one another. At this time, the Duke, having been warned that the Dauphin's forces were on the move and seeing their light cavalry within sight of his own troops—and fearing what would indeed come to pass—sent Don Pedro Manrique with one hundred men-at-arms to provide support; accompanying Don Pedro were other young knights, eager to distinguish themselves in action.

He then arranged his battle formations as follows: in the vanguard, he placed a squadron of four hundred men-at-arms under the command of Pero López de Padilla. This unit included all the knights of the court—more than sixty of them—the finest gentlemen and the most splendidly attired ever seen in any army; indeed, they were so richly arrayed that to describe their surcoats and their horses' caparisons would require a separate chronicle. Suffice it to say that the Persian host Darius assembled in Babylon for his second clash with Alexander could not have been more magnificent; yet our men surpassed them in the richness of their hearts—a quality far more precious than all those armies combined. Behind this formation came another, consisting of three hundred men-at-arms under the command of Sancho Martínez de Leiva. Colonel Villalba held the left flank with the remaining infantry; though few in number, their valour was all the greater, for it was in him—and not in mere numbers—that trust was placed. There was a shortage of jinetes, as Don Luis de la Cueva had gone to Sangüesa to block the advance of King John's forces—a mission he carried out with great distinction—while Manuel de Benavides had gone to Roncesvalles to secure that pass for the Duke's crossing. ...and Juan Núñez del Prado—whom the Duke had sent to guard Don Pedro Manrique—along with the few remaining troops (numbering perhaps up to four hundred), were positioned on the right flank and in the rearguard."

With the French close at hand Correa reports how Alba sent Pero López de Padilla to scout ahead and report back. Padilla returned advising that having burnt the town and with the French forces nearby Alba should continue to retreat or else risk being caught in a pitched battle which the French were seeking. Being so close to the Dauphin's forces Alba feared a loss of honour and so ordered his men to remain in position but not to engage in any skirmishing "unless they hold a great advantage":

"He waited in this manner to see what the French would do; and since no one could tell him the situation of the people of Monjélos or of the French, he sent Pero López de Padilla to reconnoiteur. Padilla went with six horsemen and positioned himself within sight of the scene; he saw Monjélos burning—the roar of the fire and the sound of collapsing houses were extraordinary. The tears of the residents, watching their homes burn, stirred pity; they called upon God for justice against the French, who were the cause of it all. French light cavalry were visible to those stationed outside Monjélos.

After considering everything carefully, Pero López came to the Duke and gave him a full report. The Duke sought his counsel, and López said: "My Lord, your plan was to burn Monjélos—while sparing those inside—in order to await the Dauphin at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port; and if he did not come there, to proceed to Pamplona. Since that task is now accomplished, order those stationed there to withdraw—for they can do so. Otherwise, being in such close proximity, a skirmish is bound to break out between them. And given that the enemy has troops nearby—as is believed—and our own men are not without support, the situation could escalate beyond remedy, leading to a pitched battle—something the French desire, but which you, my Lord, do not need." The Duke replied: "Uncle, what you say seems sound to me; yet withdrawing our men could not be done without some loss of honour. Since they are in a secure position where the choice to fight or not lies with them, let them remain there until the French withdraw; I shall send orders to those stationed there not to engage in any skirmish unless they hold a great advantage." And so the Duke did immediately; yet in doing this, he erred gravely, as you shall now hear"

The French skirmishers knew that the Dauphin and the main French force was not far and so placed an ambushing force on the reverse of a hill by a monastery now know as the Prieuré-Hôpital d'Utziat, referred to by Correa as "Uclate". They then engaged the Spanish and Alba initially tried to stop the fighting but many of the Spanish men at arms refused to obey the order to retreat. Thinking they would achieve an easy victory Correa explains how the Spanish were lured into committing more and more troops to the escalating clash:

"The French, who had come to intercept our forces, learned that the Dauphin was nearby; they then positioned their entire force in ambush on the slope of the monastery known as Uclate and sought to engage our troops. Although our men had no tactical advantage, they desired the very same confrontation; despite the Duke's order not to fight, upon seeing the advantage they held, they engaged the Albanians. The latter, following their orders, began to withdraw, and our men, realizing this, pressed the attack vigorously. The Duke, who had cavalry held in reserve, soon learned of this and sent Diego de Vera, the artillery captain, to break up the skirmish. Upon arriving, Vera saw that our men were gaining the upper hand; though he tried, he could not halt the fighting, for our troops, seeing their advantage, were loath to let it slip away. Furthermore, there were many independent knights serving without a specific banner, and these men refused to obey Diego de Vera.

At this juncture, messengers arrived in quick succession to inform the Duke that our Spanish troops were gaining the upper hand. The Duke sent Garci Álvarez Osorio—a knight of the Order of Calatrava—to Diego de Vera with instructions: if he deemed it best to break off the skirmish, he should do so; otherwise, he should continue to fight, for the Duke was coming immediately to back him up. Acting on these orders, Diego de Vera gathered the captains present to consult them and convey the Duke's command; by this time, our men were displaying not merely an advantage but outright victory in their efforts, having driven the French back more than two thousand paces. Diego de Vera promptly reported this to the Duke, who sent word that, given the situation, they should press the fight while he hastened to their aid. With that, he ordered the trumpets sounded and the pages sent away from the battle formations; then, with helmets donned and lances in hand, the troops advanced in good order behind their banners."

As more French men at arms arrived to reinforce the French light horse and stradiots the Spanish pressed their attack. The French light horse feigned a retreat luring the Spanish into the ambush where the French infantry and landsknecht were lying down so the pursuing Spanish could not see them:

"Upon seeing the Duke's order and observing the situation—noting that up to three hundred men-at-arms had arrived to reinforce the French—Diego de Vera and his troops charged forward in unison, shouting "Santiago!" Unable to withstand this furious onslaught, the French turned tail and fled at full speed straight toward their hidden ambush party. Meanwhile, messengers arrived to bring the Duke news of the victory; yet he did not halt his advance, wary of French trickery. Instead, he pressed forward rapidly to back up his men. The latter pursued the enemy so vigorously that they drove the French right up to the very spot where the ambush force lay concealed—a position that had remained undetected by our troops, for the French infantry were lying flat on the ground, holding their pikes by the spearheads.

The French, who were fleeing, paused—partly to feign a retreat; at this moment, the Duke was informed that fresh reinforcements had reached the French, yet our troops were still pressing their advantage, so the Duke hastened forward. When Diego de Vera and the other captains saw the French halting on the crest of the hill—where the ambush lay—they assumed the enemy had stopped because the position offered a tactical advantage; spurring on their horses, they charged them once more with great vigor. The French, seeking to draw them deeper into their infantry ranks, fled just as before—though not for long—and our men had already pursued them down the slope when the Germans sounded the alarm and rose up with such perfect coordination, it was as if they had been drilled to act as one."

According to Correa the Spanish cavalry, with Don Pedro Manrique at their head crashed into a implausible force of 6,000 French infantry, 6,000 landsknecht and 1,500 cavalry! The landsknecht opened fire on the Spanish with their arquebuses before the Spanish were routed by the the landsknecht pike, despite Don Pedro Manrique's efforts:

"There were two squadrons of up to twelve thousand infantrymen, with six thousand Germans and fifteen hundred cavalrymen in the vanguard; the Germans at the front of their squadron exchanged fire with our men using their arquebuses, and—once this was done, and the arquebusiers had made way for the pikemen—they moved to the flanks, continuing to fire. With pikes lowered, the pikemen advanced upon our troops; leading their vanguard was a German colonel of such great stature that he towered over the others from the shoulders up—and, I was told, the valour of his spirit matched the size of his frame. Don Pedro Manrique, accompanied by about ten men-at-arms, charged the squadron—into which the horses refused to venture—and acquitted himself so well that he was not struck by a single arquebus shot. All the others turned and fled ignominiously; the captains could not restrain them, and—dragging their standards behind them—they vied only to flee further. Up to two hundred French cavalrymen pursued them, while the rest remained to guard the squadron. In that rout, many of our men lost both their lives and their honor; for—save for the captains—not a single one turned back to fight, even though they outnumbered the victors three to one—so great was the fear that had seized them!

Don Pedro Manrique, finding himself alone and at the mercy of so many enemies, displayed the same mettle in his retreat—conducted with great effort and caution—as he had shown in his flight; and since most of his men were irregulars and free-lances who did not rally to their standards, each fled wherever he saw fit, passing by the squadron of veteran infantrymen who implored them to stand and face the French alongside them; yet, turning a deaf ear, they cared only for flight."

With the Spanish men at arms in flight the landsknecht advanced into the three hundred Spanish infantry who had been posted close to Mongelos as a rearguard. One "Captain Caravajal" put up a brave fight, killing a landsknecht captain before being slain, but the Spanish infantry were overwhelmed. Correa describes men how "Colonel Rengífo" who had been station with 800 infantry to protect the retreat was abandoned by most of his men. Some Spanish infantry managed to escape but many of them were killed or captured, being pursued by the French men at arms as they fled:

"The three hundred infantrymen stationed at Monjelos with Caravajal, Vadillo, and Mondragón remained as a rearguard for our cavalry; when they saw the retreat, they—though they could have fled—refused to bear the stigma of cowardice. Determined to uphold their honour, they stood their ground until the German squadron arrived; they did not shrink from the fight, but, being surrounded by such numbers, and despite putting up some defence, they were all either killed or taken prisoner. Among the fallen was Captain Caravajal, who fought at the vanguard of his men; fired by the heat of battle, he had advanced so far that he could not be rescued. Pierced by four pikes, he fell and was hacked to pieces, having killed a brave German captain. Many assert that Caravajal killed four Germans before he fell. Vadillo was captured there; so many men bore down on him that he was forcibly brought to the ground and taken prisoner.

While the Germans were intent on looting, Captain Mondragon managed to escape with about ten of his comrades. Although Colonel Rengífo was positioned where the enemy could not harm him, he sought to aid Monjélos's infantry; yet as he moved to do so, he was abandoned by his troops, who thought only of flight. He managed to escape across the mountains with some two hundred companions who had stood their ground with him. The French knights, in hot pursuit, continued to kill and capture men as far as Monjélos, reclaiming the territory our forces had previously won—ground now watered with Spanish blood and strewn with the dead. The Duke, sensing the situation, rode straight to Monjélos, where he saw our men fleeing; he rallied them into his battle formation, but they were so gripped by fear that they refused to halt, pressing on instead toward San Juan."

With the Spanish vanguard in flight Correa describes how a "Colonel Villalva" who was leading the left wing of Alba's forces, emerged from the cover of the hills and formed his infantry "into a very tight square" with veterans holding the rear and Villalva and his best men in the front. Behind Villalva the Duke of Alba drew up the rest of his forces. Correa describes how Alba rode along the French lines to assess their strength but did not order an attack as according to the chronicler the French "outnumbered them six to one":

"Colonel Villalva, as previously mentioned, was leading the left wing through some hills; and he marched until, upon reaching the open plain, he found himself more than two hundred paces ahead of the main bodies of men-at-arms. Forming his infantry into a very tight square, he stationed men of great valour and military experience in the rearguard; meanwhile, he himself took the vanguard with his finest troops, intending to confront the German colonel, of whose presence he had already received intelligence. While in this formation, word reached him that the French were approaching and were intent on giving battle; the colonel replied: "Let them come, for they shall surely find someone ready to meet and withstand them."

The French, as they approached, halted upon sighting the Duke's battle formations—a fact of which the Dauphin was promptly informed. Likewise, upon seeing the enemy, the Duke ordered his banners to be halted, just as the French had done; thus, both hosts stood their ground at a short distance, each aware of the other's arrival. Turning to his knights, the Duke declared that victory was within their grasp—for which he gave fervent thanks to God—as that day would show the world the calibre of men he commanded. After ordering Pero López de Padilla not to move from his position until he returned to engage, the Duke—riding a la gineta (with short stirrups)—went to reconnoiter the French lines. He found them in good order: the infantry divided into two squadrons and the knights formed into a single, motionless battle unit. Having assessed the situation, he returned to his own ranks and rode past the squadron commanded by Villalva; he found them well in advance of the main force, displaying such spirit as if victory were already assured. With them was the Grand Commander of Castile, Don Fernando de Vega, who had promised to dismount and fight alongside them when the moment came to break the enemy lines. The Duke saw that his men were well-led and filled with high hopes; despite the small size of the force, there was a greatness of heart among them the likes of which had never been seen—knights and infantry alike spurring one another on with courage. Had the Duke possessed three thousand such Spaniards—like the contingent he had seen under Villalva—he would have marched straight against the enemy, who outnumbered them six to one; instead, he held his ground, waiting to see if the French would choose to give battle."

Correa continues to explain how the arrival of these more disciplined bodies of Spanish infantry and men at arms caused the French to pause in their attack and return to camp, even though they could have "annihilated the flower of Spanish nobility" if they had pressed the attack:

"The French, too, remained motionless; the sheer numbers favored one side, while valor bolstered the other, yet both hosts hesitated to engage. Observing the Spaniards' resolve—for they stood firm, awaiting the attack—the French decided against battle, heeding the counsel of King John of France: that one should not cross swords with a Spaniard in the heat of his wrath. Maintaining their formation, they withdrew to the encampment they had established nearby, failing to seize the victory that lay within their grasp; for, in truth, had they struck that day, they might well have annihilated the flower of Spanish nobility, inflicting upon their king a blow and a sorrow unlike any seen in his reign."

Stradiots in French employ have advanced up "the slope of the monastery known as Uclate" whilst the Spanish infantry under Captain Caravajal oversee the evacuation and destruction of Mongelos. 

As Mongelos burns the population are evacuated in "the most orderly and disciplined manner possible"

From the French side we have a very different record of events although interestingly it seems the French also had an issue with the discipline of their men at arms in the engagement. Gilbert de Marillac's account in "Histoire de la maison de Bourbon" describes how the French under Bourbon and the Duke de Longueville, who the chronicler refers to as "Sieur Dunois",  as the Count of Dunois had been the title of Longueville's father, advanced towards Mongelos from which the Spanish garrison withdrew. Translated from the French:

 "It was decided to advance via the Castle of Montialous (Mongelos) to approach the enemy, who were stationed at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. A small Spanish garrison held the Castle of Montialous; a detachment from the force of the aforementioned Lord of Bourbon advanced toward the castle, but the Spaniards inside withdrew to join their main army—which was marching in good order—and met the advancing troops halfway between Saint-Jean and Montialous"

As the Spanish withdrew an advance guard of one hundred to one hundred and twenty men at arms under Captain La Clayette (who also appears in Bayard's biography, see the first scenario here: https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2026/02/gentlemen-let-us-stop-here-for-enemy.html) engaged them. Sensing an easy victory La Clayette repeatedly sent messengers back to Bourbon and Longueville urging them to attack but the cautious Longueville would not move, being unwilling to hazard the King's army in battle:

"There, they encountered about one hundred or one hundred and twenty men-at-arms—the vanguard heading for Montialous—led by Captain La Clayette (a lieutenant commanding one hundred men-at-arms for the Lord of Bourbon). A skirmish ensued, which La Clayette sustained while sending word to the Lord of Bourbon .the Duke, your master, and the said Sieur Dunois, urging them to march—for the Spaniards were advancing in battle formation. La Clayette repeatedly sent trustworthy noblemen to convey these warnings, as they travelled back and forth with great haste; indeed, our army was but a short league away. Yet the Sieur Dunois would not budge from his position, insisting on stopping to refresh himself and have a drink, and declaring that the King's cause must not be jeopardized. This he maintained despite being reminded that he commanded the finest army assembled in France in twenty years; that the Spaniards numbered no more than ten thousand fighting men; that they were in an exposed position; and that, with God's help, they could easily be defeated—especially given the eagerness of all to fight and do their duty."

With the main French force remaining stationary behind them La Clayette and his men continued to fight. To aid the beleaguered vanguard Bourbon sent his younger brother François de Bourbon with "fifty lances". They were joined by other captains who were keen to ride to the aid of the fellow men at arms. When the main army did finally arrive the Spanish had begun to withdraw:

"Nevertheless, the Sieur Dunois refused to move from his spot for three or four hours. La Clayette and his company, who were engaged in the skirmish, were in great danger and would have fared worse had not the aforementioned Sieur de Bourbon sent his brother, François de Bourbon, with fifty lances; he proved himself a noble and bold prince that day, riding right up to the Spaniards and was soon followed by several other captains who moved of their own accord to rescue our men from danger. Seeing our forces being reinforced and realizing the true size of our army, the Spaniards began to withdraw; meanwhile, the day wore on, and it was nearly late afternoon when our army finally advanced to the site of the skirmish."

Marillac continues to explain how the Spanish retreated back to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and that "some two or three hundred Spaniards were killed" along with a small number of the French. Keen to cast blame on Longueville, "the Sieur Dunois",  Marillac agrees with the Spanish chronicler Correa that the French missed an opportunity to fully defeat Alba's army, explaining how the French vanguard were initially outnumbered six to one "yet all were eager for the fray":

"However, the Spaniards had already retreated into the town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Consequently, the army did not pursue them further at that time and returned to quarters; nevertheless, during the skirmish, some two or three hundred Spaniards were killed, along with a very small number of our own men. Many men of substance and standing, having witnessed the events unfold, have since expressed the view that had the army marched at the first alert, it is highly probable they would have defeated the Spaniards; for The French were outnumbered six to one, yet all were eager for the fray; indeed, the Spaniards made great haste to withdraw once they realized the strength of our forces."

From these two quite different accounts it is clear that as the Spanish troops withdrew from Mongelos they were attacked by a French vanguard, although the sources vary greatly on what troops this vanguard was comprised of. The French clearly came off better in the initial skirmishing but it seems once the main French and Spanish forces had arrived the fighting did not escalate any further and the Duke of Alba's army was able to retreat back to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port  having sustained some losses.

From Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, having secured the route behind him, Alba was able to retreat back to Pamplona where he would be besieged by the French in November. The siege of Pamplona lasted for a month but with Spanish reinforcements on the way under the Duke of Nájera and the autumn weather making life in the siege lines difficult the French and loyalist Navarrese were forced to withdraw. During the retreat across the Pyrenees the French suffered terribly (see https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2026/06/let-us-be-served-as-well-as-if-we-were.html).

Captain La Clayette and the stradiots draw up their lines and face off against the Spanish cavalry under Don Pedro Manrique.

The Spanish cavalry force under Don Pedro Manrique contains "many independent knights serving without a specific banner".

Scenario

Using the two accounts quoted above this clash could be fought out in lots of different ways. We used our modified Lion Rampant rules in our attempt to recreate some of the confused fighting Correa and Marillac describe with each player in the game having three retinues. 

Based on Correa's account the Spanish player had one retinue commanded by Don Pedro Manrique, the man who was initially sent by the Duke of Alba to lend support to the troops leaving Mongelos when they were being threatened by the French light cavalry and stradiots. He was leading 100 men at arms and was also accompanied by "young knights, eager to distinguish themselves in action". It was Don Pedro Manrique that bravely charged the French infantry and landsknecht. A second retinue comprising the Spanish infantry were commanded by Captain Caravajal, one of the Captains leading the 300 hundred infantrymen stationed to guard the evacuation from Mongelos, who was slain in a fight with the landsknecht.

A third reinforcement retinue would arrive under the command of the Artillery Captain, Diego de Vera, who in Correa's account was clearly mounted in this engagement and was initially sent to break up the skirmish only to then get drawn into the fighting.

For the French retinues there was one commanded by Captain La Clayette, who was leading the initial clash in Marillac's account. His retinue comprised of his gendarmes along with the light cavalry and the stradiots that Correa refers to. Marillac's account does not refer to the landsknecht engaging but we couldn't leave out the dramatic clash with them that Correa recounts so the second French retinue comprised of an infantry contingent and was commanded by the "German colonel of such great stature that he towered over the others from the shoulders up".

A third French reinforcement retinue would arrive under the command of Bourbon's brother François de Bourbon.

Deployment

The battlefield was set up to show Mongelos at one end and had a slope running down the centre that led to the ground the French were arriving from. Above this slope was placed "the monastery known as Uclate". 

 At the start of the game the Spanish infantry contingent were positioned next to the burning town with the civilians leaving the town behind them. Further along on the table edge, opposite the monastery the Spanish cavalry under Don Pedro Manrique were deployed. At the top the slope itself in front of the Spanish cavalry was Captain La Clayette and the French light horse (see the photo below for the initial deployment and the layout of the table).

The French infantry were considered to be deployed but were hiding "lying flat on the ground, holding their pikes by the spearheads". They were positioned on the reverse of the slope and were not visible.

At the start of the game only the Spanish cavalry under Don Pedro Manrique and the French Cavalry under Captain La Clayette could activate. The Spanish infantry retinue could be attacked and would fight back but could not activate until the ambush rules as described below were followed.

Turn Sequence

Until the ambush described below was sprung the game followed the normal "I go, you go" turn sequence. The turn after the ambush was sprung each of the four retinues that could then act in the game were represented by a coloured dice. Each following turn a dice was taken from a bag containing the four dice and the retinue whose dice was drawn could then act. This was done for all retinues every turn.  

As soon as the other cavalry units joined the game their dice were added to the bag. If a retinue was completely destroyed it's dice would be removed.

"when the Germans sounded the alarm and rose up with such perfect coordination, it was as if they had been drilled to act as one"

The Spanish player could not activate their infantry retinue or bring on Diego de Vera's retinue until a Spanish cavalry unit rode over the slope of the hill along the centre of the table which would then allow the Spanish player to see all of the French Infantry contingent. When the Spanish player reached the slope of the hill the French player immediately placed all of the French infantry retinue on the table. They could be placed anywhere the French player wished on the reverse of the slope.

At the start of each following turn each player rolled 2D6. On the first following turn if they rolled a 10+ this would bring on their remaining cavalry retinue, then a 9+ and so on. The dice for that retinue would be added to the bag before the following turn began.

The reinforcing cavalry retinues would arrive from each player's table edge and the units could arrive on the table via move or attack activations.

If the initial Spanish Cavalry retinue was wiped out before reaching the slope of the hill then the same rules as above would be applied as if the top of the slope had been reached.

"many independent knights serving without a specific banner, and these men refused to obey..." 

It seems that within the Spanish cavalry there were many knights who refused to obey the Captains, which Correa stating "there were many independent knights serving without a specific banner, and these men refused to obey Diego de Vera" and when referring to the cavalry under Don Predro Manrique "and since most of his men were irregulars and free-lances who did not rally to their standards". Marillac's account hints at similar issues within the French forces. When Marillac describes how François de Bourbon was sent to aid the French under La Clayetter he explains how he "was soon followed by several other captains who moved of their own accord to rescue our men from danger". 

As such if any gendarme or man at arms unit on either side failed an activation test (accept when taking wild charge tests) the retinue's turn would still end but that unit would make a full move towards the nearest enemy unit.

Victory

Victory in the game went to the first player to score 5 victory points. If this happened on the same turn then the game was considered a draw.

In an attempt to recreate the fact this was an escalating encounter in which lots of the troops on either side were keen to engage the enemy and not loose honour each player would get one victory point for each of their Retinue Leaders that attacked in hand to hand combat. Counter charges counted for this but being attacked and simply defending did not. Challenges counted for both participants. Each Retinue Leader could only get one point in the game for the first time they attacked in hand to hand combat.

Each player would also get one victory point for each enemy retinue that was reduced to half strength or more. This meant the maximum number of victory points a player could score was 6.

A view of the table at the start of the game. The Monastery of Uclate is in the centre of the table with the slope on the left of the photo. In the bottom left the French cavalry and stradiots under Captain La Clayette are deployed. Facing them on the right of the photo are the Spanish horse under Don Pedro Manrique whilst in the top right are the Spanish infantry under Captain Caravajal. The burning town of Mongelos is beyond the ditch at the top of the photo whilst the evacuating citizens of Mongelos can be seen behind the Spanish lines.

The Armies

For this game Tom chose to play the ambushing French and I took command of the Spanish.

The Spanish

Don Pedro Manrique

2 Units of Men at Arms (One unit contains retinue leader - Don Pedro Manrique)

2 Units of Jinetes

2 Units of Lancers

Captain Caravajal and the "three hundred infantrymen stationed at Monjelos" 

1 Unit of Foot Knights (Unit contains retinue leader - Captain Caravajal)

2 Units of Spanish Arquebusiers

1 Unit of Spanish Pike

2 Units of Rodeleros

1 Unit of Gipuzkoan Javelinmen

Diego de Vera, "the artillery captain" and the Spanish reinforcements

2 Units of Spanish Gendarmes (One unit contains retinue leader - Diego de Vera, the Artillery Captain)

2 Units of Men at Arms

2 Units of Lancers

The French 

Captain La Clayette and the French light cavalry

1 Unit of Gendarmes (Unit contains retinue leader - Captain La Clayette)

4 Units of Stradiots

1 Unit of Lancers

The "German colonel of such great stature that he towered over the others from the shoulders up" and the infantry

1 Unit of Foot Knights (Unit contains retinue leader - the German Colonel)

2 Units of Landsknecht Pike

2 Units of Landsknecht Arquebusiers

2 Units of French Pike

François de Bourbon and the French reinforcements

2 Units of Gendarmes (One unit contains retinue leader - François de Bourbon)

2 Units of Men at Arms

1 Unit of Mounted Crossbowmen

This was a close and action packed game and the captions under the photos are the best way to follow the action. This was only the second time we have tried using my board as 8' by 6' instead of 8' by 4' and we were struggling a bit with the lighting for some of the photos which you might notice. A very brief account of the cut and thrust of the game also follows.

The clash starts when some of the Spanish light horse ride over the slope. They are caught in an ambush by the French infantry who have been "lying flat on the ground, holding their pikes by the spearheads".

The Spanish cavalry are caught in the ambush, "With pikes lowered, the pikemen advanced upon our troops".

The landsknecht and French infantry rise and prepare to attack the Spanish.

A view of the action around the monastery of Uclate as the French infantry ambush is revealed.

There are only a small number of jinetes in the Spanish army but those that have taken to the field skirmish with the stradiots.

The Spanish lancers charge the landsknecht arquebusiers and...

...attempt to drive them back.

Many of the Spanish light horse are killed as the French pikemen advance on them.

With the abandoned town of Mongelos in flames the vanguards of the French and Spanish armies viewed each other nervously, "the roar of the fire and the sound of collapsing houses were extraordinary". Though many of the Spanish army's jinetes had been detached from the main army in order to secure their line of retreat the first significant movement came from the Spanish. Whilst the small force of jinetes they did have skirmished with the stradiots the Spanish lancers rode over the crest of the hill. To their shock the Spanish light horsemen rode straight into the ambushing French and landsknecht pike who "rose up with such perfect coordination, it was as if they had been drilled to act as one".

Though they were surprised the Spanish lancers still managed to charge the landsknecht arquebusiers before they could open fire. As the arquebusiers raced for the safety of the pikemen many of them were slain. The French infantry lowered their pikes and advanced on the Spanish cavalry driving them back up the slope and causing them to break and flee.

As the fighting develops the Duke of Bourbon sends reinforcements for the French and his brother, François de Bourbon, arrives with more French men at arms.

François de Bourbon observes the fighting on the slope as he rides to aid the French and landsknecht pikemen.

Further along the field Captain La Clayette and the stradiots attempt to flank the Spanish.

As a force of Spanish arquebusiers advances into the courtyard of the monastery some of the stradiots attack them. The stradiots are quickly defeated in a hail of shot. 

The stradiots are caught off guard as the first unit of Spanish reinforcements arrives.

"The tears of the residents, watching their homes burn, stirred pity; they called upon God for justice against the French, who were the cause of it all"

With the Spanish light horse seen off the rival infantry forces advance on one another.

With clashes breaking out on either side of "the monastery known as Uclate" French reinforcements now arrived in the form of "François de Bourbon, with fifty lances". The arrival of more French gendarmes and men at arms encouraged Captain La Clayette to order his light cavalry forces to attack. The stradiots attempted to outflank the Spanish and close in on them as the Spanish remained in formation around Mongelos.

A band of stradiots charged some Spanish arquebusiers who were holding the courtyard of the monastery only to be repulsed and routed by a ferocious hail of shot from the Spaniards. Things only worsened for the Albanian mercenaries as moments later the first of the Spanish reinforcements arrived charging a group of stradiots who were caught completely off guard and slaughtered in the ensuing melee.

Captain La Clayette fights bravely as...

...the cavalry forces of Diego de Vera arrive on the field immediately attacking La Clayette and the stradiots, "Suffice it to say that the Persian host Darius assembled in Babylon for his second clash with Alexander could not have been more magnificent".

As the cavalry melee continues Don Pedro Manrique and Captain La Clayette engage in one on one combat and La Clayette is slain. 

The Gipuzkoan Javelinmen drive back some of the French mounted crossbowmen...

...before launching skirmish attacks at a unit of French men at arms.

As Mongelos burns the fighting outside the walls continues.

The French pikmen advance on the Spanish infantry.

On the other side of the field with La Clayette slain the French light cavalry and stradiots are being driven back...

...as they are unable to face the united cavalry contingents of Don Pedro Manrique and Diego de Vera.

With the arrival of the Spanish heavy cavalry under Diego de Vera the French cavalry and stradiots under Captain La Clayette were suddenly in a very vulnerable position. As the Spanish men at arms advanced in good order "the Persian host Darius assembled in Babylon for his second clash with Alexander could not have been more magnificent". Don Pedro Manrique was riding over to Diego de Vera to discuss the escalating battle when he spotted Captain La Clayette and spurred his horse towards him. The two men clashed in deadly combat and La Clayette was slain causing the stradiots to fall back in the face of the advancing heavy cavalry.

Closer to the walls of the burning fortress the rival infantry contingents advanced on one another. The Spanish skirmishers armed with javelins harassed the advancing French but it was clear the two forces were about to join in battle.

As the French pike advance they are met by a volley of shot from the Spanish arquebusiers.

Close to the burning fortress the Gipuzkoan javelinmen have been routed by the landsknecht.

The cavalry melee continues as La Clayette's men are driven back to the slope.

Spanish rodeleros and German pike engage in brutal hand to hand fighting. Many are killed on both sides.

The "German colonel of such great stature" charges into the Spanish infantry and drives them back.

A view of the fighting around Uclate.

The bloody fighting between the landsknecht and rodeleros continues with neither side showing any quarter.

The German Colonel is attacked by Captain Caravajal. In the fight the Spanish Captain is driven back but...

...the German colonel is then slain when the Spanish arquebusiers open fire on him.

With the French light horse and stradiots retreating back over the crest of the hill and François de Bourbon's reinforcements yet to reach the slope it was the infantry battle that now took centre stage. As the two sides neared one another the Spanish arquebusiers opened fire on the French pike causing many casualties. Spanish rodeleros armed with swords and bucklers engaged in repeated bloody melees with the landsknecht pikemen. Both sides fought with courage with Germans and Spaniards alike selling their lives dearly in the bitter clash.

In the thick of the fighting was the "German colonel of such great stature that he towered over the others from the shoulders up" who pushed deep into the Spanish infantry proving that the "valor of his spirit matched the size of his frame" as he killed many of the Spanish. The Spanish Captain Caravajal "fought at the vanguard of his men" and though he was driven back Caravajal managed to stop the advance of the terrifying German Colonel. In a lull in the fighting the German Colonel was hit by an arquebus shot and slain. The only French captain of note left on the field was François de Bourbon.

Having defeated Captain La Clayette, Don Pedro Manrique continues to lead his men at arms against the French gendarmes.

With their giant of a captain slain the landsknecht begin to withdraw.

"Don Pedro Manrique, finding himself alone and at the mercy of so many enemies" is slain in the fighting.

Moments after Don Pedro Manrique's death Diego de Vera charges the French in an attempt to avenge his comrades death.

On the other side on the monastery the fighting intensified as Don Pedro Manrique charged down the slope to engage with François de Bourbon's heavy cavalry. Many lances were broken as French and Spanish knights took part in repeated charges as if they were in a "chanson de geste". Charging far ahead of Diego de Vera and the Spanish reinforcements Manrique was soon "alone and at the mercy of so many enemies". He was unhorsed and killed in the spectacular yet deadly cavalry battle.

With Manrique and most of his troops defeated François de Bourbon knew that if he hit Diego de Vera and the Spanish reinforcements hard enough he could win enough honour to save the day. Spurring his horse into battle Bourbon ordered his gendarmes and men at arms to charge. They were met by "Diego de Vera and his troops" who "charged forward in unison, shouting "Santiago!". Many French and Spanish were unhorsed in the fighting, including "a knight of the Order of Calatrava". The Spanish broke and fled back to the safety of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Bourbons' forres were too badly mauled to pursue them and the Spanish infantry were still in good order under the control of Captain Caravajal. It had been a close battle but the day had gone to the Spanish.

François de Bourbon's men at arms counter charge Diego de Vera and in the fighting de Vera's men suffer badly being forced back in flight. Despite this with his infantry retreating and La Clayette's scouting force badly mauled François de Bourbon is forced to sound the retreat of the French vanguard.

This was a close and hard fought game that really utilised the space of the 8' by 6' table. It felt like two battles, one between the infantry and a few supporting cavalry units outside the town and another battle fought between two large cavalry forces on the other side of the monastery. It was so close that if Tom had managed to defeat Diego de Vera's Spanish gendarmes in the final clash we would have drawn. Diego de Vera was broken and retreated back but had I rolled low enough for his unit to be removed from the table we would have both scored 5 victory points on the same turn.

I really enjoyed learning about this battle and we both felt that the scenario did it justice. It was great having the French and landsknecht infantry appear once the ambush was triggered and the heroic charge of the "German colonel" into the middle of the Spanish infantry provided us with a lot of entertainment as did the clashes between the various captains in each army. Now we just have to decide what to do for our next heroic tabletop clash!