"Of all I had, only honour and life have been spared" Pavia, February 1525

This weekend Stuart visited and it being February 2025 there was only really one choice for the battle we were going to cover. Just a few weeks away from the 500th year anniversary of the capture of the French king on 24th February 1525, it had to be Pavia! This is not the first time Stuart and I have visited Pavia on the wargames table. Our first ever Italian Wars clashes were based around actions that took place during the siege in November 1524, http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-siege-of-pavia-october-1524.html. It was great to be able to revisit Pavia and game some parts of the battle itself.

As I am sure most people reading this will know, Pavia was quite a chaotic and complicated battle with different actions taking place at the same time around the siege lines of the city. We thought two dramatic parts of the battle would make for great scenarios and focused our games on these. Of course the obvious choice was the fighting in the park around Francis I and the clash between Frundsberg's landsknecht and the Black Band landsknecht. The other was based on the rout by the Swiss garrisoned at the five abbeys and their attempt to reach the pontoon bridge over the Ticino river. In both games the table layouts represented a very idealised and truncated version of the battlefield but Stuart and I both felt they helped capture the feel of the battle as did the scenarios described below.

The Battle of Pavia, 24 February 1525

Amidst all the drama and conflict of the Italian Wars the battle of Pavia, fought in the fog on the morning of 24 February 1525, is one of the most famous events, perhaps the most famous. In October 1524 the French king, Francis I, had personally taken to the field in an attempt to reconquer Lombardy having lost it to the Imperialist forces in the fighting of 1521 to 1522. Perhaps he was hoping to relive the glory of his victory at Marignano nearly a decade before? The Imperial Commander and Viceroy of Naples, Charles de Lannoy, decided Milan, having just faced an epidemic, could not be held and withdrew. The city of Pavia, around 22 miles to the south, remained in Imperialist hand's held by the Spanish commander, Antonio de Leyva, with a garrison of perhaps 300 men at arms and 5,000 infantry. With an army of around 30,000 infantry, 2,200 lances and 1,400 light horse Francis was confident he could easily take Pavia and by 2nd November 1524 the city had been surrounded by the French forces. Skirmishes took place around the siege lines and an attempt to storm the breaches on 21 November 1524 failed (see http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-siege-of-pavia-october-1524.html) as did an attempt to divert the Ticino river, which ran to the south of the city.

As the French army suffered in their siege lines during the winter of 1524 to 1525 Lannoy was suffering from a lack of funds and finding it difficult to hold the Imperialist forces together. Within Pavia itself the gout stricken Antonio de Leyva resorted to melting down gold and silver plate in order to pay his men. Imperial fortunes began to look brighter when in January 1525 the renegade Duke of Bourbon (see http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2023/08/bourbons-rebellion-neufchateau1523-and.html) arrived in northern Italy bringing with him with Georg von Frundsberg at the head of 15,000 landsknecht reinforcements and Nicholas, Count of Salm, with 500 Austrian men at arms (Salm would later lead a Habsburg army at Tarcal in 1527, http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2021/08/tarcal-1527.html and the defence of Vienna in 1529 http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-siege-of-vienna-1529.html). With money to pay the army remaining an issue Lannoy advanced on the French siege lines around Pavia in an attempt to draw the French into battle.

Although the French had Pavia surrounded the bulk of the French forces were encamped to the east of Pavia between the Ticino river, flowing to the south of the city, and the walls of a large hunting park that stretched up to the north of the city. The French gendarmes and men at arms were grazing their horses in the park. To the east of the main French camp, and through the hunting park, ran the Vernavola Stream, on the other side of which the Imperialist army made camp when they arrived at Pavia. Skirmishes took place between the two closely encamped armies but the French refused to be drawn into battle. As Francis I appeared to be relying on the park walls to protect his camp the Imperialists decided they should launch a surprise attack through the park. Within the walls of Pavia, Antonio de Leyva received word of the plan and was instructed to lead a sally from the gates once the attack was in full swing. 

Numbers within the two armies before the battle vary, Mallet and Shaw's excellent "The Italian Wars, 1494-1559" states "Florange, who fought in the battle and was captured, put the numbers in the French army on the day as 600 men at arms and 17,500 infantry. He claimed to have heard in a debate over dinner at Pescara's table afterwards that there were 24,000 infantry, 1,200 men at arms and 1,200 light horse in the Imperial field army, and 8,000 infantry and 220 men at arms in the Pavia garrison. This probably underestimated the strength of the French and overestimated that of the Imperial army. Francis himself spoke after the battle of having had 26,000 infantry".

The Imperialist plan was put into action during the night of 23 February. Lannoy's troops marched north along the park walls where under the cover of darkness and the thundering of the Imperialist guns, which began firing on the French camp to cover the sound of the attack, the Imperialist engineers began to breach the park walls. This was to be a "camisado" with the Imperialist soldiers being ordered to wear their shirts, or camisa's in Spanish, over their armour so they could indentify themselves to each other in the dark. Soldiers unable to do this were ordered to sew white squares onto their doublets. 

Detail from The Battle of Pavia 1525, Rupert Heller c.1529. There are lots of great details in this painting, note the Imperial arquebusiers with their shirts over their other clothing and armour in the centre and the landsknecht pouring through the breach in the park wall at the top left. The golden crosses of the banner of Francois de Lorraine can be seen to the right of the image.

Day was breaking on February 24th when the park walls were finally breached but the battlefield remained shrouded in a heavy fog. Three thousand arquebusiers, sources disagree as to whether they were German, Spanish or Italian, under Alfonso de Avolos, Marquis de Vasto, entered the park and made for a hunting lodge at Mirabello hoping to capture the French king or possibly link up with the beleaguered garrison. In his account of the battle Martin du Bellay, the French chronicler,  stated  (translated from the French)"they knocked down forty or fifty fathoms of the said wall, which having fallen, made two or three thousand pass towards our camp through the said breach Spanish arquebouziers, accompanied by some light horses, each having a white shirt over their arms to recognize each other, because the day was not yet clear".  Whilst not at the hunting lodge Francis I was in the park encamped with the French gendarmes. To his south were the "Black Bands", landsknecht in French service led by Francois de Lorraine and Richard de la Pole, "The Last White Rose". Having been informed there was some kind of attack taking place the French king sent Guillaume Gouffier, Seigneur de Bonnivet with fifty men at arms to discover what was happening but Bonnivet and his horsemen only encountered some Imperialist light cavalry and reported back to Francis that they had routed an Imperialist incursion.

The exact course of events differs in the many contemporary and modern accounts of the battle but it seems that as the Imperialist's advanced into the park their cavalry under Lannoy and Bourbon came under fire from the artillery that was positioned near the French king's camp.  Du Bellay's account has the French guns making a significant impact "for suddenly they made breaches in their battalions, so that you would have seen only arms and heads flying" but it is questionable how effective the dozen or so guns were in the fog and broken terrain. The Imperialist horse, both light and heavy, were then attacked and driven back by Francis and his French gendarmes with Lannoy reportedly making the sign of the cross and stating "There is no hope left except in God. Follow me and do as I do" when he realised his outnumbered horse were about to be charged by the finest heavy cavalry in Christendom. The captain of the Spanish Jinetes, Ferrante Castriota, the Marquis of Sant'Angelo was killed in the attack (see the image below), being the only senior Imperialist officer to be killed in the battle.  

Under the command of Fernando d'Ávalos, Marquis of Pescara, Imperialist arquebusiers then began to fire into the flanks of the French cavalry. The uneven ground of the park and its wooded areas sheltered the Imperialist infantry and prevented the French from riding them down. As the flower of the French nobility, who had accompanied their king in the charge, began to suffer casualties from the enemy arquebusiers the Imperialist horse countercharged.  To the east of this Georg Von Frundsberg and Mark Sittlich von Ems had also entered the park with their landsknecht. They engaged and overwhelmed a block of Swiss infantry under the command of Robert de la Marck, Seigneur de Florange, who was captured in the fighting. Whilst Sittlich von Ems pursued the retreating Swiss Frundsberg led his men to aid Lannoy and Pescara.

Detail from Bernard van Orley's Pavia Tapestries of c.1528-1531 showing the commander of the Imperialist light horse, Ferrante Castriota, the Marquis of Sant'Angelo being struck down by the Francis I.

A chaotic battle developed around the French king with de Vasto returning from the Mirabello lodge, which had easily been taken, and Frundsberg arriving with his landsknecht. Richard de la Pole and Francois de Lorraine had also joined the fray with their "Black Bands" of landsknecht in French pay. The fighting between the landsknecht of either side was particularly ferocious with the "Black Bands" suffering appalling casualties and both de la Pole and Francois de Lorraine being slain. Bellay described the landsknecht battle: "Our lansquenets, who could not be more than four or five thousand, of whom François monsieur de Lorraine, brother of the Duke of Lorraine, and the Duke of Suffolk White Rose had charge, marched with bowed heads straight to the large Imperial battalion which was coming to charge the King, but being few in number (as I have said), were surrounded by two large battalions of Alemanni (Germans), and fighting well were defeated...And the said François monsieur de Lorraine and the Duke of Suffolk died in the said fight, and their soldiers suffered no less". 

To the south of this turmoil Antonio de Leyva had sallied from the city, de Leyva himself being carried along on a chair as his gout was so bad! Jean Giono is his 1965 book on the battle described de Leyvas force as "a mixed force of lansquenets, arquebusiers and dismounted cavelrymen". Their aim had been to reach the Mirabello lodge but it seems that the flooding around Vernavola Stream meant they diverted towards an area known as the five abbeys which was held Anne de Montmorency with a 3,000 strong Swiss garrison and according to du Bellay "a hundred men-at-arms and a thousand French foot soldiers". Montmorency's troops were overwhelmed by de Leyva's attack, the morale of the Swiss breaking as at the same time defeated Swiss infantry were also arriving in panic having fled from the encounter in the park with the landsknecht of Frundsberg and Sittlich Von Ems. Montmorency was captured and the Swiss made for the pontoon bridge that crossed the Ticino, with many drowning in the river after either the French rearguard or the French infantry guarding the bridge broke the it to prevent a pursuit.

In the fighting around the French king many great captains died. Jacques de La Palice, Louis de la Trémoille and Guillaume Gouffier, Seigneur de Bonnivet, were all slain. Francis himself was pinned when his horse was brought down by an arquebus shot and was momentarily at risk of being slain in the confusion but the Imperialist command was close by and the king surrendered to Lannoy, Martin du Bellay provides a dramatic account "Let us return to where I left the King: on foot, being on land, he was assailed on all sides and pressed by several to give his faith, which he did not want to do, and always as long as time lasted he defended himself, although he knew that he could not resist the will of God, but he feared for the quarrels that he already saw between the Imperials for the booty, that being returned, out of spite for each other they would kill him. At that moment the Lord of Pomperant arrived there, of whom I have spoken, who had gone with Monsieur de Bourbon (the Duke of Bourbon), for having killed the Lord of Ghissé at Amboise, who suddenly set foot near the King, sword in hand, and had each withdraw from his person, until the Viceroy of Naples (Lannoy) arrived, to whom the King gave his faith". Only the rearguard under Charles IV, Duke of Alencon, escaped although Alencon never recovered from the shame of having retreated from the battle. Francis's great campaign to retake Lombardy had ended in total disaster but he had fought bravely. Following his capture in a letter to his mother, which he gave to Lannoy to pass on, the French king wrote "De toutes choses ne m'est demeuré que l'honneur et la vie qui est saulve" - "Of all I had, only honour and life have been spared". 

Detail from Bernard van Orley's Pavia Tapestries of c.1528-1531 showing Georg Von Frundsberg commanding his landsknecht amidst the battle.

"Of all I had, only honour and life have been spared" 

As usual both of our games were played using our modified Renaissance Rampant version of Lion Rampant. The first of our games focused on the moment when Francis I and the French heavy cavalry engaged with Lannoy's forces arriving through the breach in the park wall. Each army was divided into two retinues with Lannoy and Francis I's retinues starting on the table, but being hidden (see below). During the game Frundsberg's landsknecht would arrive, for the purposes of the scenario we assumed the clash with the Swiss under Robert de la Marck, Seigneur de Florange, had already taken place. The Black Band's under François de Lorraine and de la Pole would also arrive during the game.

Deployment

At the start of the game Lannoy's retinue was deployed within a 12" square around the breach. On the other side of the board in another 12" square Francis I's retinue deployed outside the French king's camp. The photo below shows the positions.

"because the day was not yet clear"

To represent the confusion caused by the morning light and the fog all the retinues in the game started as hidden. Markers were used to represent each unit, with each player writing down in secret which unit each marker was for. A unit was revealed either by an enemy unit attacking or shooting it once the marker was within 6” or by an enemy unit simply moving to within 3” of the marker. If a marker was within charge range of a unit it would trigger a wild charge. Retinue leaders could not apply their morale bonus until revealed and all counters could "move" activate on a 6+ and move 6” in normal terrain and 3" in the woods or stream until they were revealed regardless of what type of unit they were. If units wanted to “reveal” themselves earlier, for example if the Retinue Leader wanted to give his leadership benefit, they could do so by declaring this when they activated. Once “revealed” units did not disappear again. Declaring a challenge would reveal a unit.

"and their soldiers suffered no less"

To represent the "bad war" between the rival landsknecht in this clash all landsknecht pike units had to test for wild charge against other landsknecht units, be they pike or arquebusiers. To further represent the brutality of the fighting if the units of Georg von Frundsberg, François de Lorraine, and Richard de la Pole were fighting another landsknecht unit then they could re-roll missed to hit rolls.

The woodland

Two rectangles on the board will be designated as woodland (see the photo below). These were rough terrain for combat and movement and they provided +1 to armour if a unit was fired at whilst in the woodland.

The Vernavola Stream

The stream counted as rough terrain for combat and movement and provided +1 to armour if a unit is fired at whilst in the stream.

The arrival of the Black Band

The Black Band would arrive, using the same hidden movement from a position on the opposite side of the table from the breach in the wall (see the photo below). Once Francis I's unit of Gendarmes had charged in combat or had been charged the following turn the French player could start rolling 2 dice to see if the Black Band arrived. The first turn, so that after the charge, they would arrive on an 11+ on 2D6, the following turn on 10+ and so on. The units could only arrive via move activations on their first turn. The French player could elect for them to arrive as unhidden units if he wished. 

If the French were so unfortunate for Francis I to have been routed or killed without ever having charged or been charged in combat then the French player could start rolling as above the turn after this happened.

The arrival of Frundsberg and de Vasto

Frundsberg's retinue would arrive, using the same hidden movement from a position opposite that of the Black Band (see the photo below). Once Lannoy's gendarmes had charged in combat or had been charged on the following turn the Imperialist player could start rolling 2 dice to see if the Frundsberg and de Vasto arrived. The first turn, so that after the charge, they would arrive on an 11+ on 2D6, the following turn on 10+ and so on. The units could only arrive via move activations on their first turn. The Imperialist player could elect for them to arrive as unhidden units if he wished.

If Lannoy had been routed or killed without ever having charged of been charged then the Imperialist player could start rolling as above the turn after this happened.

Victory Points

Victory in the game was based on whoever's army was the first to score 17 victory points or more and these were awarded as described below. If both players reached 17 or more on the same turn, then the player with the highest amount would win unless the amounts were the same in which case the players would continue as if in "sudden death" until one player had more than the other at the end of a turn.

The victory points available were as follows:

The French Army

5 points if all of the Imperialist landsknecht units were killed or routed

4 Points if Charles de Lannoy was killed or routed

4 Points if Charles, Duke of Bourbon's unit was killed or routed

3 Points if the Marquess of Pescara's unit was killed or routed

3 Points if Georg von Frundsberg was killed or routed

2 Points if Marquis de Vasto's unit was killed or routed

2 Points if the Marquis of Sant'Angelo's unit was killed or routed

2 Points if Nicholas, Count of Salm's unit was killed or routed

The Imperialist Army

5 Points if Francis I was killed or routed

4 Points if all of the Black Band's units were killed or routed

3 Points if Louis de la Trémoille's unit was killed or routed

3 Points if Jacques de La Palice's unit was killed or routed

3 Points if Guillaume Gouffier, seigneur de Bonnivet's unit was killed or routed

3 Points if both the French guns were destroyed or routed

2 Points if François de Lorraine unit was killed or routed

2 Points if Richard de la Pole was killed or routed

An overview of the table. To represent the poor visibility and confusion of the Imperialist attack at the start of the game all units were hidden from each other and counters were used to represent them. The Imperialists deployed to the bottom left by the breach in the park walls with the French deploying to the bottom right by the king's camp. During the game Imperialist landsknecht would arrive from the top centre location by the hunting lodge whilst the French landsknecht of the Black Band would arrive from the top right.

The armies

For this game Stuart chose to play as Lannoy and the Imperialists so I took command of the French forces under Francis I.

The French army of Francis I

Francis I, King of France

1 Unit of Gendarmes (Francis I, retinue leader)

3 Units of Gendarmes (one unit contains Louis de la Trémoille, one contains Jacques de La Palice, Lord of Chabannes and one contains Guillaume Gouffier, seigneur de Bonnivet)

2 Units of men at arms

2 Units of  Ordonnance Archers (with lance)

2 Culverins

The Black Band

3 Units of Landsknecht Pike (one unit contains François de Lorraine and one contains Richard de la Pole, the Last White Rose and retinue leader)

2 Units of Landsknecht Shot

The Imperialist army

Charles de Lannoy and Fernando,Marquess of Pescara

1 Unit of Gendarmes (Charles de Lannoy, Viceroy of Naples, retinue leader)

1 Unit of Gendarmes (unit contains Charles, Duke of Bourbon)

1 Unit of Jinetes (unit contains Ferrante Castriota, the Marquis of Sant'Angelo)

1 Unit of Men at Arms (unit contains Nicholas, Count of Salm)                                   

1 Unit of Imperialist Lancers

2 Units of Spanish Arquebusiers (One unit contains Fernando Francesco d'Ávalos d'Aquino, Marquess of Pescara)

1 Unit of Spanish Pike

The Imperial Landsknecht and Alfonso de Avolos, Marquis de Vasto's arquebusiers

1 Unit of Landsknecht (Georg von Frundsberg, retinue leader)

3 Units of Landsknecht Pike                                                                             

2 Units of Landsknecht Shot                                                              

2 Units of Spanish Arquebusiers (One unit includes Alfonso de Avolos, Marquis de Vasto)                      

A brief account of the confusion and drama that took place in the fog follows but as always the captions under the photos are a good way to follow the action.

In the early morning fog of 24 February 1525 the Imperial light horse are first to enter the hunting park...

...they unknowingly ride straight into some of the French guns which have been positioned on the edge of the woodland.

The fighting develops with French men at arms charging Ferrante Castriota, the Marquis of Sant'Angelo and his jinete light cavalry. 

Sant'Angelo successfully evades the French men at arms and the Imperial commander Charles de Lannoy countercharges his gendarmes against them.

As the opposing cavalry fight the French guns continue to pour shot into the Imperialists.

The charges by the French horse combined with the artillery blasting them at close range force some of the Imperialist cavalry to flee.

The Austrian men at arms under Nicholas, Count of Salm come under the fire of the French guns.

As the sun rose over the hunting park to the north of Pavia the Imperialists began to advance through the breach in the walls. The light cavalry headed off along the walls to the west but they had not advanced far when the horsemen came under the devastating close range fire of a battery of French guns which had been deployed along the edge of the woods. As the cavalry reeled back in the face of the artillery fire the fighting began in earnest with units of heavily armed French men at arms emerging from the fog and charging the lighter Imperial cavalry.

The Marquis of Sant'Angelo in command of the Spanish jinetes was able to evade the charging heavy cavalry whilst the Imperial lancers were routed. At the head of a force of gendarmes and men at arms Lannoy and the Count of Salm, entered the fray and a swirling cavalry melee began but the French held the advantage as their heavy guns continued to send a hail of shot into the oncoming Imperialist horse. Thinking this would be an easy and glorious victory the French king himself then led a charge into the fighting. Lannoy's gendarmes suffered in the attack and the Imperial commander withdrew from the fighting. With the rest of his gendarmes advancing in the fog behind him Francis thought the clash was over and charged into the retreating Imperial cavalry not realising that he was dangerously isolated from the rest of his heavy horse.

Sensing victory the French king, Francis I charges into the cavalry melee and is initially successful.

Further into the park the French lighter horse have discovered that units of Spanish and Italian arquebusiers have deployed in the woods under the command of Fernando d'Ávalos, Marquis of Pescara. The French cavalry are quickly defeated by the volleys of shot.

Nicholas, Count of Salm has been slain and the cavalry melee still rages as the commanders of the two armies lead their gendarmes in charges against each other. Out classed by the French heavy horse Lannoy manages to withdraw from the fight.

Francis I thinks he has achieved a quick victory, having no idea of the extent of the Imperial attack...

...as Lannoy withdraws Francis charges the jinetes under Sant'Angelo. The jinetes outclass the French heavy horse in the difficult terrain and the unthinkable happens, Francis I is unhorsed and captured!

Seeing the French king was isolated, the Marquis of Sant'Angelo and his jinetes lured Francis and his heavy cavalry into the woodland. Flushed with the success of his initial charge Francis led his heavily armed men into the woods only to find himself unhorsed and taken prisoner by the Imperialists. Seeing this drama unfurl before him the aged veteran Louis de la Trémoille charged into the Imperial cavalry and Lannoy was defeated. Both armies commanders were now out of action but the battle was only just beginning.

By now the park was full of Spanish and Italian arquebusiers under the command of Marquis of Pescara. These experienced and professional infantry saw off charges by the French lighter horse and then moved into the woods. Trémoille's success was short lived as he was soon slain in a volley of shot from the arquebusiers. The French guns were silenced as the crew were attacked by the fast moving Spanish and Italian infantry.

In an attempt to rescue the king, the veteran Louis de la Trémoille leads his gendarmes in an attack on Lannoy. The Imperialist commander is unhorsed in the fighting but Louis de la Trémoille is soon slain as the Imperial arquebusiers begin to fire on the French horse from the woodland.

The Imperial arquebusiers advance on the French guns and capture them...

...at the same time the landsknecht in French pay have arrived to the fight.

As the battle rages around the park walls and woodland, Alfonso de Avolos, Marquis de Vasto arrives with yet more Imperial arquebusiers.

As the visibility improves the battle in the park develops.

Francois de Lorraine leads his landsknecht towards the fighting in the woodland.

What had started as a cavalry engagement was now developing into a pitched battle. Under the command of de la Pole and Francois de Lorraine reinforcements for the French army arrived in the form of the Black Band. For the Imperialists Alfonso de Avolos, Marquis de Vasto arrived with yet more Imperial arquebusiers, these being the men who had captured the hunting lodge of Mirabello earlier that morning. The arquebusiers began to pour their fire into the oncoming French cavalry whilst the landsknecht of the Black Band drove off a unit of Spanish pikemen.

The initial cavalry melee still raged on. The captain of the jinetes, the Marquis of Sant'Angelo, was slain by seigneur de Bonnivet, the French king's childhood companion, but Bonnivet himself was then killed by Charle, Duke of Bourbon. This marked the end of the cavalry clash which had been a clear victory for the Imperialists despite the loss of Lannoy, Salm and Sant'Angelo. The rest of the battle would be fought out between the rival forces of infantry.

Desperate to avenge his king Guillaume Gouffier, seigneur de Bonnivet leads his gendarmes in a charge on Ferrante Castriota, the Marquis of Sant'Angelo. Sant'Angelo is killed by Bonnivet's gendarmes but the Duke of Bourbon, countercharges and Bonnivet falls.

In the woodland a desperate melee takes place between the Black Band landsknecht and the Spanish infantry...

...the black band fight fiercely but more and more Imperialists are arriving. 

Jacques de La Palice and his gendarmes look on in horror as the French situation becomes clearer.

Having already defeated the Swiss under Robert de la Marck, Georg Von Frundsberg now arrives with his landsknecht.

Francois de Lorraine urges his landsknecht on...

...they are about to engage in a pike battle against Frundsberg and his landsknecht. 

As the infantry battle around the woodland developed more Imperialists arrived as Georg von Frundsberg led his landsknechts in an attack on de la Pole, Francois de Lorraine and the Black Band. The fighting was especially fierce with these two groups of mercenaries having a particular hatred of one another and no quarter was given. Although they had some supporting arquebusiers the landsknecht of the Black Band also had to contend with the deadly volleys of shot from Pescara and de Vasto's arquebusiers.

As Frundsberg's pikemen charged the Black Band Francois de Lorraine was the first captain to be killed. The famed German captain's success did not last long as Richard de la Pole, the Last White Rose and Yorkist heir to the throne of England, then stepped into the fray and in personal combat he slew Frundsberg. Being shot down by the arquebusiers in the woods and assailed on all sides by the Imperial landsknecht De la Pole's men were hopelessly outnumbered and out gunned. The Last White Rose was himself slain by a shot from an arquebusier. Some of the Black Band did manage to escape as did Jacques de La Palice but the Imperialist had won the day and the field was left to their remaining captains, Bourbon, Pescara and de Vasto.

Georg Von Frundsberg attacks and Francois de Lorraine is killed...

...but in a one on one fight the Last White Rose, Richard de la Pole, defeats Frundsberg.

Moments later Richard de la Pole is shot down by a Spanish arquebusier. The French have been defeated and their king taken prisoner. Only Jacques de La Palice and some remnants of the Black Band have managed to survive.

Detail from The Battle of Pavia, Jörg Breu, woodcut c.1525. Note the earthen sconces infront of the walls and the pontoon bridge over the Ticino to the left.  

The rout across the Ticino

Our second game focused on the attempted flight of the Swiss who garrisoned the area known as the five abbeys under Anne de Montmorency. They were fleeing towards the pontoon bridge across the Ticino whilst the garrison of Pavia under the command of Antonio de Leyva were attacking them. The geography of the battlefield was condensed so that the walls of Pavia were shown along a table edge with trenches, sconces and earthworks across the table. At one end of the table the Ticino with the, yet to be destroyed, Pontoon bridge were shown as per the photo below.

Deployment

Montmorency and the Swiss deployed within 12" of one table edge. Half of de Leyva's retinue were  deployed slightly further down the table and close to the walls. The rest of de Leyva's troops would arrive behind the Swiss. The Swiss took the first turn.

From the second turn the Imperialist player had to roll 2D6. On a 9+ the Imperialist player could start bringing units on behind the Swiss. On the following turn the Imperialist player could bring on the additional units on an 8+ and so on. The units could arrive by move or attack activations.

Earthworks, Trenches and Sconces

The earthworks, trenches and sconces all counted as difficult terrain for movement or combat and they gave +1 to armour if a unit was fired at in the trench or whilst most of the unit was inside in a sconce.

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

The French

1 point for every unit that crossed the pontoon bridge.

2 points if Antonio de Leyva was killed or routed.

The Imperialists

1 point for every unit that was destroyed or routed.

2 points if Anne De Montmorency was killed or routed.

One of Bernard van Orley's Pavia Tapestries of c.1528-1531 showing the Swiss fleeing the earthworks and rushing towards the Ticino river.

Detail from Bernard van Orley's Pavia Tapestries of c.1528-1531 showing the pontoon bridge over the Ticino.

A view of the table. The Swiss under the command of Anne de Montmorency will start in the top right corner. Their objective is to reach the pontoon bridge across the Ticino to the left of the photo. Some of the Pavia garrison are already deployed outside the walls in the centre of the photo whilst the rest of the garrison will arrive behind the Swiss, chasing them as they attempt to reach the bridge.

A view down the table from the Swiss deployment area.

A view from the other end of the table showing the pontoon bridge.

The Armies

We swapped sides for this game so Stuart took control of Montmorency and the Swiss whilst I took command of Antonio de Leyva and the Imperial garrison of Pavia.

Anne de Montmorency and the Swiss

1 Units of Gendarmes (Anne de Montmorency, retinue leader) 

1 Unit of Foot Knights 

3 Units of Swiss Pike

1 Unit of Swiss Halberdiers

2 Units of Swiss Arquebusiers

Antonio de Leyva and the Pavia Garrison

2 Units of Foot Knights ( one includes Antonio de Leyva, retinue leader)

3 Units of Spanish Arquebusiers

1 Unit of Rodeleros

2 Units of Landsknecht Pike

1 Unit of Landsknecht Halberdiers

1 Unit of Landsknecht Arquebusiers

As you can imagine compared to the first this was quite a straightforward scenario to play through but I have included a brief summary of what took place below.

The siege lines around Pavia.

Sensing that the battle is lost the Swiss garrisoning the five abbeys are attempting to retreat across the Ticino.

Part of Pavia's garrison has already sallied out and raced ahead of the Swiss in an attempt to head them off.

The Swiss begin their race to escape...

...at the same times Pavia's Imperial garrison rushes to stop them.

Having heard what had taken place in the park to the north of the city the Swiss garrison of the five abbeys began to retreat from the field. The withdrawal became a lot more dangerous when, under the command of Antonio de Leyva, Pavia's garrison of men at arms and Spanish and German infantry emerged from the city walls, making straight for the retreating Swiss. Initially the disciplined Swiss mercenaries were able to hold off the attacks and continue retreating in good order but they began to suffer high casualties as, fighting amongst the earthworks and siege lines, they could not bring their superior discipline and pike tactics to bear. 

In order to buy the retreat more time Anne de Montmorency and a forlorn hope of Swiss halberdiers formed a rearguard, fighting off numerous attacks from de Leyva's arquebusiers. This tactic appeared to be working well but at a cost. It meant that Montmorency could not lead the rest of the Swiss to safety and was overwhelmed and defeated when Antonio de Leyva arrived to take control of the pursuit.

As the Swiss flee Spanish arquebusiers arrive behind them and the fighting develops.

There is a headlong rush to escape...

...but the path of escape is blocked by some of the garrisons landsknecht and a fight develops.

The trenches and earthworks around Pavia become a battlefield as the landsknecht attack the Swiss.

Swiss engage in a fierce melee with dismounted men at arms from the garrison.

The Swiss arquebusiers...

...trade shots with the landsknecht arquebusiers in the cover of the earthworks.

Anne de Montmorency attempts to save honour and hold back the pursuing Spanish and German garrison. He fights the personal bodyguard of the gout ridden garrison captain, Antonio de Leyva, but is defeated.

Montmorency may have been removed from the fight but the beleaguered Swiss fought on. One of the Swiss captains led them towards the bridge as they engaged in clashes with the dismounted men at arms and landsknecht of the Pavia garrison. Both sides suffered losses and many of the Swiss chose to sell their lives dearly rather than attempt to reach the river.

One band of the Swiss arquebusiers were keen to save honour by killing Antonio de Leyva. Amidst the chaos in the siege lines they fired numerous volleys at the gout ridden captain as his personal bodyguard carried him along on a chair. Their shots never found their mark and the arquebusiers were soon attacked and killed by the Imperialist garrison of Pavia. There had been many brave last stands but none of the Swiss made it to the pontoon bridge.

A Swiss Captain attempts to prevent capture and fights off the pursuing landsknecht.

There is fighting all along the earthworks and none of the Swiss are able to reach the pontoon bridge.

Antonio de Leyva leads his men in an attack on the remnants of the fleeing Swiss who are unable to escape. There have been some fierce clashes and many of the Swiss have died fighting rather than attempting to escape.

These were two very absorbing and different games that I felt captured the confused nature of the battle of Pavia. For the first game there was always going to be the temptation to have the armies set up in full on the table but this would have meant the element of surprise and chaos that led to the historical battle taking place in the way it did was completely lost. The fact that both Francis and Lannoy had to engage in the fighting in order to trigger the arrival of their reinforcements was a great twist that meant they had to behave in a manner similar to the 24 February 1525 and quickly become involved in the fighting.

In command of the French for the first scenario I had four superb units of heavy cavalry in the form of the gendarmes of Francis I, Bonnivet, La Palice and La Trémoille but once the Imperial cavalry had backed off they became next to useless as they would either wild charge into the woods and be defeated in a melee in difficult terrain or simply be shot to pieces by the Imperialist arquebusiers. It became easy to sympathise with what went wrong for the French on that cold morning 500 years ago! The victory point scores for the first game were 18 to Stuart and 11 to me. I managed to save the Black Band from being completely destroyed whilst La Palice retreated safely. Most of Stuart's landsknecht were unharmed and Bourbon, Pescara and de Vasto all survived the fight. Tellingly, despite the terrible carnage they inflicted in the game, not a single unit of Spanish arquebusiers was routed or destroyed.

For the second game it was great to be able to combine Stuart's terrain with my own and recreate the siege lines and pontoon bridge, bringing some of the contemporary images of the battle to life on the tabletop. I won as the sallying Pavia garrison, mainly due to the fact that half way through their attempt to reach the bridge Stuart decided his Swiss would rather save honour and fight to the death! I still feel there are lots of other elements of Pavia, both the siege and the battle itself, yet to be explored and we will be returning to it again.