"and Lord Georg fell upon the peasants with his personal flag and with the Rennfahne", Leipheim, April 1525

A I mentioned in my last post a couple of weeks ago my friend Tom visited and for our first game of the year we decided it was time to visit the German Peasant's War. We decided upon the first "battle" of the war, many of the "battles" seem to have been little more than routs, and played a scenario based upon the clash that took place just outside Leipheim on 4 April 1525. The relatively recent Helion books by Douglas Miller covering the army of the Swabian League and the Peasants' War are fascinating and have provided lots of great detail for collecting and gaming this conflict whilst the recent Steel Fist range of Peasants' War figures has provided lots of superb miniatures.

Leipheim, April 1525

The German Peasants' War was not a unified, centrally controlled movement. Rather, it was a series of localised uprisings, each with its own grievances and objectives, though often united by the "Twelve Articles," a manifesto outlining the peasants demands for fairer treatment. The first major clash of the war took place close to the small town of Leipheim. Lying 11 miles to the north east of Ulm the town had become the centre of an uprising led by a local preacher named Hans Jakob Wehe who led a band of around 5,000 peasants drawn from over a hundred villages. The peasants of the Leipheim band were relatively well armed carrying looted weapons and wearing armour from local castles or purchasing arms through the sale of loot from pillaged church buildings. The castle of Bühl had provided them with four falcons, lighter artillery pieces. 

Wehe had led the band in a march on the wealthier town of Weissenhorn which was known to support the Swabian League but he was forced to withdraw to Leipheim after being informed of the approach of the League army under Georg "Truchsess" von Waldburg, the word Truchsess meaning something akin to "steward". By the 3rd of April 1525 Wehe and his followers knew they were facing an attack. The preacher sent word to the peasant band of Ries requesting support whilst at the same time writing to the commander of the Swabian League infantry, Wilhelm von Fürstenburg, to see if they could enter into negotiations and prevent a confrontation.

On the morning of the 4th April the main League army began its march from Ulm to Leipheim. The Truchsess ordered Sigmund von Berg to command the Ulm and Hessian horse and ride down the northern bank of the Danube attacking the peasants who were plundering the priory of Elchingen before rejoining the main force at Leipheim. With the main army following behind the Truchsess commanded a vanguard of cavalry from Bamberg and Würzburg, five light artillery pieces and a forlorn hope of infantry. Whilst Sigmund von Berg rode to the north of the river the Truchsess would lead this vanguard along the southern bank of the Danube.

As the Truchsess and the vanguard headed towards Leipheim they found their path blocked by a wagenburg the peasants had established taking advantage of the terrain where the smaller Biber river flowed into the Danube. In his account of the events Hans Lutz, who was accompanying the Truchsess as his herald, wrote (translated from the German): “And his grace advanced with his personal flag and with the Rennfahne (the League's light cavalry) and with the forlorn hope, which consisted of three flags: the Augsburg flag, a yellow flag and a white flag. And the peasants had set up camp in front of Leipheim, towards Ulm, and had a wood behind them and a deep path on the side and also the Danube on the side and had several wagons and four falcons (light artilllery)". The vanguard’s guns began to fire on the wagenburg but the strength of the Leipheim band’s position with the Biber in front of them surrounded by marsh led the Truchsess to order his horsemen to flank the peasants, blocking their route back to Leipheim,  Lutz continues "And as soon as the well-born Lord Georg saw the enemy, he had a noise made and his trumpeter blow a noise. Then they established order on horseback and on foot, and Lord Georg fell upon the peasants with his personal flag and with the Rennfahne".

With the artillery firing on them from the front and the Bamberg and Würzburg horse advancing on their flank the peasants broke, attempting to get back to Leipheim through the woodland to their rear. At this moment a small force of peasant reinforcements arrived from Günzburg, which lay just over three miles to the east of Leipheim, but they could do little to stop the rout. Chaos ensued as the League horse, with the forlorn hope behind them, cut many of the fleeing peasants down. The herald Hans Lutz described  how the Truchsess: “shouted in a loud voice: "Everyone, follow me!" He took the deep path away from the peasants and God gave him the luck that he defeated the peasants (God be praised and honoured), and took four falcons from the peasants and, if I may say so, four flags too. And killed more than 2000 peasants and the peasants themselves drowned in the Danube”. Those peasants who made it to the Danube and could swim were met on the northern bank by the men under von Berg. His Ulm and Hessian horse had encountered a band of 2,000 peasants from Lagenau who attempted to flee with many being ridden down and others driven to their deaths in the Danube. 

Following the rout the main body of the League's infantry and its artillery arrived outside Leipheim. It is unclear as to whether Hans Jakob Wehe had been with the defenders of the wagenburg or not but facing the full League army the town was forced to hand him over to the Truchsess. The following day, 5 April 1525, Wehe and the other ringleaders, Ulrich Schön, Melchior Harolt and Jörg Ebner were beheaded, with Hans Lutz commenting "and the priest of Leipheim was beheaded in a field between the two towns", the towns being Leipheim and Günzburg.

A view of the table from behind the starting position of the Swabian League. The League guns and forlorn hope of infantry will start in front of the Leipheim band's wagenburg on the other side of the Biber river. The Truchsess and the League light horse will arrive from the right of the table behind the wagenburg and from the other end of the table through the trees. The Günzburg reinforcements, marching to aid the Leipheim band will also arrive through the trees.

Scenario

The game focused on the Leipheim band's attempt to defend the approach to Leipheim where the Biber met the Danube. The band would then attempt a retreat back towards Leipheim as it was attacked from the front by the League's forlorn hope and then from the flank and rear by the Truchsess and the cavalry. As always we played the game using our modified Lion Rampant rules. Each army was divided into three retinues one of which was comprised entirely of artillery and did not have a retinue leader. At the start of the game the League's forlorn hope and the light guns of the Swabian League were deployed along the Biber whilst directly opposite at the top of a slope, facing them, Wehe's retinue, including the wagenburg, and the peasant artillery was deployed. The wagons and culverins all had to be deployed in defensive line along the ridge. The rest of Wehe's retinue was deployed in the 48" by 12" zone behind the slope, across the table (see the pictures above and below for the initial deployment).

Georg "Truchsess" von Waldburg and his cavalry and the Günzburg reinforcements did not start on the table.

The arrival of Georg "Truchsess" von Waldburg 

The League player could enter the table from either the long table edge that represented the area to the south or from the far table edge (see the photo above). Before the game he had to write down which units he intended to arrive from which table edge. Those units arriving from the south could not arrive within Wehe's initial deployment zone and had to arrive behind it.

When a unit from Wehe's retinue had retreated by moving out of Wehe's deployment zone, moving back towards the woods leading to Leipheim, then the retinue of the Truchsess could begin to activate on the following turn. The units could only enter via move activations could not charge or shoot when entering the table.

The arrival of the Günzburg reinforcements

When a unit from Wehe's retinue had retreated so far that they reached the last 24" of the table moving towards Leipheim then on the following turn the Leipheim band player could begin to activate the Günzburg reinforcements. These units would arrive from the far end of the table. The units could only enter via move activations could not charge or shoot when entering the table.

Terrain

The Biber counted as difficult terrain for movement and combat and provided cover for those in the river. The League's culverins could not cross the Biber.

Hook Guns

In the game there were three of these in Wehe's retinue. They could accompany an infantry unit and would move with the unit. If the unit was attacked, made an attack or was battered then the Hook Gun was removed. Each Hook Gun could fire once per game. 

They had range of 24", rolling 5 dice which hit on 5+. There was always a -1 Armour modifier regardless of range. If the unit was charged the gun could fire in defence on a successful activation of 7+.

Victory Points

Victory was based on victory points and the game would end once all of the peasant units that need to escape (see below) had done so or when they had all been killed or routed.

The Leipheim band

2 Points if Hans Jakob Wehe escaped via the far table edge

1 point for each unit of peasants with a flag that escaped via the far table edge

1 point for each culverin that escaped via the far table edge

The Leipheim band received no points if the Truchsess was killed as this would make future negotiations with the League much more difficult!

The vanguard of the Swabian League

2 Points if Hans Jakob Wehe was killed or routed

1 point for each peasant flag captured (this is done by the peasant infantry unit with a flag being destroyed or routed)

1 point for each culverin captured from the peasants (this was done by the culverin being destroyed or routed)

A view of the table from above. The starting positions of the League's guns and infantry forlorn hope are shown along the banks of the Biber river as are the positions of the Leipheim band's guns and wagenburg. The Leipheim band must attempt to retreat all of its units carrying flags and its guns leaving the table to the right hand side. The Leipheim band will be reinforced by peasants from Günzburg but they will come under attack from the Truchsess and the League light horse who have ridden around the wagenburg to out flank it.

The Leipheim peasants watch nervously as the vanguard of the army of the Swabian League arrives.

"And the peasants had set up camp in front of Leipheim, towards Ulm, and had a wood behind them and a deep path on the side and also the Danube on the side and had several wagons and four falcons" 

The wagenburg of the Leipheim band.

The guns of the Swabian League "with the forlorn hope, which consisted of three flags: the Augsburg flag, a yellow flag and a white flag".

The Armies

Tom chose to command the Leipheim band in the game so I took command of the vanguard of the Swabian League.

The Leipheim Band

Hans Jakob Wehe and the Wagenburg

1 Radical Preacher (retinue leader, Hans Jakob Wehe)

2 Artillery Wagons

4 Infantry Wagons

4 Units of Peasant Infantry (each carries a flag, see victory points above)

1 Unit of Peasant Shot

3 Hook Guns

The Günzburg reinforcements

1 Unit of Peasant Pike (retinue leader)

4 Units of Peasant Infantry

1 Unit of Peasant Shot

Artillery

4 Culverins

The vanguard of the Swabian League

Georg "Truchsess" von Waldburg and the Bamberg and Würzburg Horse

2 Units of Men at Arms (one unit contains Georg "Truchsess" von Waldburg, retinue leader)

2 Units of Mounted crossbowmen

4 Units of Lancers

The Forlorn Hope

1 Unit of Foot Knights (retinue leader)

3 Units of Landsknecht Halberdiers

4 Units of Landsknecht Shot

Artillery

4 Culverins

A brief description of the action follows but the captions under the photos are a great way to follow what happened on the table. This was not a good first appearance for the peasant army!

The League guns open fire on the wagenburg...

...and the wagons begin to be smashed to pieces.

Coming under lethal fire some of the peasants abandon the wagons.

The forlorn hope begins to advance on the wagenburg.

The peasant's guns fire back at the attacking forlorn hope.

The men of the Leipheim band watched nervously from their wagenburg as the guns in the vanguard of the Swabian League opened fire on their position. It took minutes for the first wagon to be smashed to pieces by a well aimed shot from one of the falcons of the League. The peasants fired back with their own guns killing some of the landsknecht in the forlorn hope, but firing downhill and into the marshy ground around the Biber river the peasant guns were not as effective as those of the League.

Realising they were going to loose the artillery duel and with the landsknecht infantry of the forlorn hope beginning to cross the Biber, advancing on the wagenburg, the peasants began their withdrawal. The retreat was well organised, with the peasants keeping in their formations and helping to pull their guns back from the wagenburg. The sudden arrival of units of the Swabian League's light cavalry on the peasant's flank was an unwelcome surprise for the Leipheim band and threatened to block the route back to Leipheim.

Under the intense bombardment the Leipheim band begins its withdrawal back to Leipheim.

Initially the withdrawal is orderly and the peasants maintain their discipline.

Some of the peasants remain in the wagons to hold off the League's forlorn hope.

There are some landsknecht in the peasant ranks carrying hook guns.

The League's forlorn hope wades into the Biber and takes cover from the guns of the Leipheim band.

The first units of the Truchsess's light cavalry, mounted crossbowmen, have arrived behind the peasants.

More of the wagons are abandoned as the League guns maintain their bombardment of the wagenburg.

The Leipheim band have begun to withdraw their guns but seeing the League's infantry are nearly upon them they prepare to defend themselves.

As the landsknecht arquebusiers of the forlorn hope break into the wagenburg...

...more of the League's light horse join the battle.

The Leipheim band fire on the attacking forlorn hope and succeed in killing some of the arquebusiers...

...but the hook guns have little effect on the attacking cavalry.

The League light horse capture one of the peasant guns.

As elements of the League's light horse arrived the infantry in the forlorn hope pushed through the defences of the wagenburg. Two of the guns of the Leipheim band opened fire on the landsknecht arquebusiers of the forlorn hope, hitting them at close range with a hail of grapeshot. The landsknecht suffered casualties and were so shaken that they could not effectively fire back at the peasants. At the same time landsknecht within the peasant ranks attempted to shoot the League cavalry with their hook guns but these proved to be completely ineffective. Before the peasant gunners could reload the Truchsess charged in with units of men at arms and lancers. The gunners were ridden down and two of the guns were captured.

Having taken two of the guns the Truchsess and his cavalry charged the nearest units of peasants and a fierce fighting took place. Initially the men of the Leiphem band fought bravely, being inspired by the orations and battle cries of Hans Jakob Wehe, but as the fighting continued they began to take more and more casualties and panic started to spread.

The Truchsess arrives with his men at arms and lighter cavalry.

The halberdiers of the forlorn hope are still wading across the Biber as the battle begins around the wagenburg.

The League's light horse charge into the withdrawing peasants.

A view of the table as the battle is in full swing.

From directly behind the peasants more League horse arrive and attempt to block their retreat.

Another gun is captured by the the Truchsess and his men at arms.

The peasants attempt to withdraw the remaining two guns but the League forces are very close.

As the battle continues the brave Günzburg peasants arrive...

...but are they too late to turn the tide for Hans Jakob Wehe and the Leipheim band?

The League's cavalry capture one of the Leipheim band's banners. 

In the bottom left two of the Leipheim band's mounted scouts look on in horror as the withdrawal becomes a rout. 

Wehe is attacked by the League cavalry but his personal bodyguard, which includes some veteran landsknecht, prevent him from being killed in the melee.

The Truchsess is riding down the peasants as they attempt to retreat.

The mounted crossbowmen chase down Wehe as he attempts to escape and the preacher is killed by a crossbow quarrel.

The fighting intensified as more of the Truchsess's cavalry joined the attack but it still looked like part of the the Leipheim band might be able to withdraw safely taking the two remaining guns with them. The peasants were heartened to see reinforcements from Günzburg marching through the woods to their aid but before the men of Günzburg could get into the fight the much faster League light cavalry were upon the Leipheim peasants. The first of the peasant flags was taken by the League cavalry and Wehe himself became caught in a melee with some men at arms, only to be saved by his own landsknecht bodyguards.

Wehe may have survived a clash with the League horse but he was unable to withdraw from the battle. As he attempted to escape a unit of the League's mounted crossbowmen chased him down and the preacher died when he was struck but a crossbow quarrel. The men of Günzburg charged into the battle and succeeded in routing some of the League's lancers and mounted crossbowmen but they were never able to reach the beleaguered infantry units and guns of the Leipheim band. The remaining flags fell to the Truchsess and his cavalry and when one of the remaining guns was captured in a brief melee the crew of the other fled, attempting to swim across the Danube. The attempted withdrawal back to Leipheim had turned into a complete rout and the Leipheim band had been destroyed.

The Leipheim band disintegrates as the League cavalry continue their attack. 

The wagenburg is completely abandoned as the forlorn hope pour through the broken wagons.

The Günzburg peasants fight back courageously and are successful...

...in killing some of the League's cavalry.

But the arrival of the peasant reinforcements has come too late. As the crew of the last of the peasant guns flee, abandoning it to the League forlorn hope, the battle is over and the Leipheim band have been crushed.

This was one of those wargames that turns into a complete rout for one side, in some ways it played a bit too closely to the actual event! Tom had some activation fails at terrible moments. Once my cavalry were able to get at Wehe, the radical preacher who allowed his infantry to reroll their missed hits in combat, the rest of the force fell apart. Even the hook guns which were capable of doing some serious damage to the League cavalry were abysmal either failing to activate or just missing completely! We did have a laugh about it though and both really enjoyed playing as the Peasant and League forces. Whilst the reality of the German Peasants' War was extremely grim it makes for fascinating period to game.

Tom and I will certainly return to the dark events of the German Peasants' War but for our next game we are thinking of revisiting a favourite of ours and playing out a clash that took place during the Ottoman expansion into Eastern Europe.