I am scheduled to run the Battle of Pavia on Thursday night at Historicon next month. Last month we played a test game on a slightly smaller field (6 x 10 feet instead of 6 x 12 feet). I used Oman, the Osprey on Pavia, and the recently released Helion publication, The Italian Wars, Volume 3: Francis I and the Battle of Pavia, 1525, as sources. The following account is from:
https://www.henryviiithereign.co.uk/1525-battle-of-pavia.html
In October 1524, Francis, assured by Wolsey that there would be no English attack in the north, crossed the Alps and advanced on Milan at the head of an army 40,000. Bourbon, d'Avalos and their troops were in a weak position after fleeing southern France and found themselves besieged by Francis’s army at Pavia
On 21 November, Francis tried an assault on the city but was repulsed with heavy casualties; and hampered by the weather decided on a strategy to defeat the Imperialists by starvation over the winter.
Francis also signed a secret agreement with Pope Clement VII, who pledged not to aid Charles in exchange for Francis's assistance with the conquest of Naples. Against the advice of his senior commanders, Francis detached a section of his forces under the Duke of Albany and sent them south to support the Pope.
In January 1525, Lannoy was reinforced by the arrival of Georg Frundsberg with 15,000 landsknechts from Germany and renewed the offensive. the French outpost at Sant'Angelo Lomellina, was captured severing communications between Pavia and Milan Another column of landsknechts advanced on Belgiojoso and occupied the town. By 2 February, Lannoy was a few miles from Pavia.
On 21 February, the Imperial commanders, running low on supplies and little more to lose decided to launch an attack on Mirabello Castle and attempt to break the siege.
On the evening of 23 February, Lannoy's Imperial troops, camped outside the east wall of the park, began to march north along the walls. At the same time, the Imperial artillery began a bombardment of the French siege to create a diversion and conceal the advance.
Imperial engineers set about the walls breached the masonry defence, at the Porta Pescarina near the village of San Genesio and Imperial army charged through.
By 5:00 am, some three thousand arquebusiers under the command of Alfonso d'Avalos had invaded the park and advancing on Mirabello Castle followed by Imperial light cavalry.
A detachment of French cavalry under Charles Tiercelin then encountered the Imperial cavalry and began skirmishes. Swiss pike men under Robert de la Marck, Seigneur de la Flourance overran a battery of Spanish artillery and by 7:00 am, the full-scale attack underway, the French had been taken by surprise and were overwhelmed.
It was all over by 9.00am, the French gendarmes were surrounded and killed. Richard de la Pole and Lorraine, advanced to aid Francis, were met by Frundsberg's arriving landsknechts; the French infantry was broken and routed, and de la Pole and Lorraine were both killed, as were many nobles including Bonnivet, La Tremoille and La Palice . Montmorency and Flourance were captured. The French king continued to fight on horseback but his horse was killed from under him, ‘all is lost to me save honour and life, ‘he was taken prisoner’.
On 21 November, Francis tried an assault on the city but was repulsed with heavy casualties; and hampered by the weather decided on a strategy to defeat the Imperialists by starvation over the winter.
Francis also signed a secret agreement with Pope Clement VII, who pledged not to aid Charles in exchange for Francis's assistance with the conquest of Naples. Against the advice of his senior commanders, Francis detached a section of his forces under the Duke of Albany and sent them south to support the Pope.
In January 1525, Lannoy was reinforced by the arrival of Georg Frundsberg with 15,000 landsknechts from Germany and renewed the offensive. the French outpost at Sant'Angelo Lomellina, was captured severing communications between Pavia and Milan Another column of landsknechts advanced on Belgiojoso and occupied the town. By 2 February, Lannoy was a few miles from Pavia.
On 21 February, the Imperial commanders, running low on supplies and little more to lose decided to launch an attack on Mirabello Castle and attempt to break the siege.
On the evening of 23 February, Lannoy's Imperial troops, camped outside the east wall of the park, began to march north along the walls. At the same time, the Imperial artillery began a bombardment of the French siege to create a diversion and conceal the advance.
Imperial engineers set about the walls breached the masonry defence, at the Porta Pescarina near the village of San Genesio and Imperial army charged through.
By 5:00 am, some three thousand arquebusiers under the command of Alfonso d'Avalos had invaded the park and advancing on Mirabello Castle followed by Imperial light cavalry.
A detachment of French cavalry under Charles Tiercelin then encountered the Imperial cavalry and began skirmishes. Swiss pike men under Robert de la Marck, Seigneur de la Flourance overran a battery of Spanish artillery and by 7:00 am, the full-scale attack underway, the French had been taken by surprise and were overwhelmed.
It was all over by 9.00am, the French gendarmes were surrounded and killed. Richard de la Pole and Lorraine, advanced to aid Francis, were met by Frundsberg's arriving landsknechts; the French infantry was broken and routed, and de la Pole and Lorraine were both killed, as were many nobles including Bonnivet, La Tremoille and La Palice . Montmorency and Flourance were captured. The French king continued to fight on horseback but his horse was killed from under him, ‘all is lost to me save honour and life, ‘he was taken prisoner’.
Early on in the Battle; The Imperialists, Peter C (red shirt) and John (black shirt) get the first move to reflect their surprise attack. I played the French.
Orders of Battle (I will probably incre4ase these a bit more for Historicon):
FRENCH
French 271 pts, 56 VM
IMPERIALISTS
Imperial 274 pts, 63 VM
To the West of the Vernavola stream, Flourance and his Swiss are outnumbered by Frundsberg and his Landsknechts.
The Imperialist want to seize the small woods in the center. The (lousy) French Militia Crossbows are hanging way back (they turned several Aces for movement!), while the. Gendarmes barrel forards!
Peter C looks pensive as my French cavalry try to turn his far right flank.
On the French right, my (crappy) light cavalry try to distract some Landsknechts!
Overview of the action as the opposing armies close!
Close up of the Imperial Right under Pescara and Lannoy. That French cavalry sure looks tough!
Peter C. is smiling; I think at the spectacle, as he can't be happy about 2 units of French heavy cavalry having turned huis flank!
On the French Right, the famed lightning advance of the Swiss is looking like that of aa laconic armadillo in the sun!
Despite having maneuver problems of their own, the Landskechts are setting into position to take advantage of their numbers versus the Swiss.
Clash of the Titans! French Gendarmes face off against Spanish knights and Imperial Gendarmes!
The developing situation West of the stream.
Overview from the French left.
The French come off the better in the cavalry clash, and are able to bring their own "Black Band" landsknechts up... and even the craven French Militia Crossbowmen finally move forward.
The Swiss are outnumbered, but tough! Being "stubborn", they continue to hit on a "6+" in melee despite any losses!
"Hut, dich, hier komm ich!"
Francis and his Gendarmes are crushing the Imperialist cavalry!
Quite a confusing mess on the Imperialist right!
Push of Pike!
Merde! Spanish LC Genitors have shot the gap between my Swiss pike blocks! Maybe guns can dispatch them, now that they finally have an actual target?!
""And just who is upon whose flanks today, milord?"
Messy, messy messy!
Light cavalry are junk in To the Strongest! - except when they aren't! One unit of Genitors gleefully ran down my cannons (seen returning from the foul deed!), whilst another is harassing the flank of one of my Swiss kells...
and now the second has returned from its murderous ride to assault my rear... Mon Dieu!
Asa side show the clash of the heavy hitters, French Crossbowmen face off against Spanish Arquebusiers.
Open flanks everywhere... but the unit that Francois I is accompanying takes a hit; the King survives his test to fight on! With the game nearing it's final stages,. we had to call it quits due to a Zoom meeting I had with the next group of Medical students commencing their Family Medicine clerkships.
I played out the remaining 2 turns of the game. Both sides to the West of the stream had a pike block in trouble; whichever broke first would likely decide the game.
The far right Landsknecht unit is pursuing a few Swiss skirmishers.
Decisive results evade Francois on the French left.
After several successful charges by the "Italian" pike block (an numerous missed hit cards by the Genitors), the Swiss finally suffer their 4th hit.
With the loss of the Swiss, French morale breaks, and the Imperialists are victorious!
