Huguenot Reinforcements

Adding to the 2mm French Wars of Religion are some artillery, skirmishers (enfants perdus), and arquebusiers.  All figures are from Irregular Miniatures.

The artillery can be used by Huguenot, Ligue and Royalist forces.

Artillery from the front.. mind your head!

Artillery from behind where you can see the parked train.

Enfant Perdus. These will be used primarily in Huguenot armies.

Units of arquebusiers. As the Huguenot infantry was usually deficient in pikemen, they relied heavily on arquebusiers interspersing them between landsknecht and cavalry.

Arquebusiers from behind.

Flags are based on recorded designs. However, without sufficent records  the colours are what took my fancy.

Now to reflect on organising a game to include these new recruits.

Sedan 1870, The Eclipse of France

Having read Douglas Fermer's excellent second book in the series about the Franco-Prussian War, France At Bay (see here for my review), I was compelled to purchase his first book entitled Sedan 1870, The Eclipse of France.

About a third of the book rightly deals with Franco-German relations from the Vienna Settlement of 1815 through to the crisis of 1870.  Fermer does a superb job in balancing detail and narrative to give the long and short term causes of the war alongside the contributions of the main individuals.

The mobilisation and frontier battles up to Gravelotte/St Privat are covered with concise precision.  The maps are well placed and helpful in following the developments and manoeuvres. This is a real asset and not seen often enough in many military histories.  It was great to see a place name in the text and have a map with it on.  With ease, and enjoyment, I followed the course of the march routes of the the various corps and armies on the enclosed maps.

Unsurprisingly considering the title, almost half the text covers the manoeuvres and fighting of the belligerents leading to and including the Battle of Sedan.

The battle itself is covered in admirable detail. The narrative, like the whole book, creates drama and makes for a page turning delight.  Fermer nicely merges eye witness testimonies of front line soldiers with the unfolding tension of command between the French generals.  The sweep of the story reminded me of reading Emile Zola's well researched account in his novel La Débacle... another must read for anyone interested in the FPW and Paris Commune.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, both in the series in fact. Fermer's skill as a historian and narrator made me eager to read his account about which I feel that I already know much and have taught to an advanced level at school.  I can highly recommend Sedan 1870. A fine addition to my library.

The Fictional WOR Battle of Sodbury - "It Got Bad!" and then...

The Rejects assembled at Stuart's shed and threw themselves into a day of laughter and gaming as we hurled War of the Roses armies against each other.

The fictional encounter was set two days before the Battle of Tewkesbury, 1471.  The Lancastrians led by me, Lee and Surjit confronted a well positioned Yorkist army commanded by Steve and Ray, with the forces arrayed as shown.

Bear in mind my account will be written from the perspective from my (Lancastrian) side of the table.

This is the order of battle that I have unashamedly stolen from Lee's excellent report, click here to see.

The Order of Battle

Lancastrians (Richard, Surjit & Lee)

C/O Duke of Somerset 

   Men-At-Arms, Retinue Bill, Retinue Archers x2, Shire Bill & Light Gun

2iC Prince Edward 

   Men-at-Arms, Retinue Bill, Retinue Archers, Irish Bonnachts, Shire Archers & French Crossbowmen

3iC Earl of Devon 

   Men-At-Arms, Retinue Bill, Retinue Archers, Shire Bill, Shire Archers & Light Organ Gun

Yorkists (Steve & Ray)

C/O King Edward IV 

   Men-at-Arms, Retinue Bill, Retinue Archers x2, Shire Billmen, Light Gun

2ic Duke of Gloucester 

   Men-at-Arms, Retinue Bill, Retinue Archers, Shire Bill, Shire Archers & German Handgunners

3ic Lord Hastings

   Men-at-Arms, Retinue Bill, Retinue Archers, German Pikemen, Shire Archers & Light Gun

The Yorkists had a formidable position on the hill and the burden of attack was on the Lancastrians.  Plus, King Edward held an initiative advantage as the foremost commander on the battlefield. This is critical as the side with initiative can move and shoot first, so the other side has to shoot after casualties are removed.

The Lancastrians advance into a storm of arrows.

After just one round of Yorkist archery the land of the dead was already well populated. As Lee (Earl of Devon) said, "it got bad."

The casualty toll is more apparent when you see the emptying movement trays of the Yorkist longbowmen. Somerset's battle is taking a hammering. 

Now you see it...

... now you don't!

With the Yorkists concentrating their shooting against the Lancastrian centre and right to blunt any assault against the hill, the Earl of Devon took less longbow volleys and was able to dish out some some death on Hastings' battle.

But on the Lancastrian right there was another now you see it...

...now you don't, as Prince Edward's battle lost a unit and...

....so does Somerset's battle!

With arrows raining down, Somerset's battle recoiled stalling the Lancastrian assault towards the hill.

The view from the carrion crows wheeling around above the field of battle.

King Edward's battle secure on the hill with the longbowmen cutting down ranks of Lancastrians.  It was becoming hard for the Lancastrians to see how they might win.

Nonetheless, Prince Edward continued his advance on the right.

While Devon, having secured archery superiority, threatened the Yorkist right flank.

Somerset's battle in the centre were now moving again. Picking up the pace by shouldering weapons, they fast moved to start closing the gap.

The Earl of Devon (Lee) had clearly been traumatised by a previous encounter against pike. So, he decided to pour arrows into their phalanx on the left. Thus we had another now you see it...

...now you don't!

With the loss of another unit Lord Hastings' battle failed a morale test and retired a full move in disorder.  Perhaps a glimmer of Lancastrian hope.

Meanwhile, after a rapid approach, Somerset's battle started to close on the Yorkist centre, but how many will survive the arrow storm from the defenders?

More out of desperation than sound judgement, Prince Edward (Surjit) charged his depleted archers up hill against the Duke of Gloucester's bowmen.

This gave space for the Prince to move his troops into charge range.  Though sadly for his archers once again now you see it...

...now you don't.

Along the line the Lancastrians were closing. Although Devon held back a little, hoping to make his archers extract Yorkist blood.

And with the air blackened by arrows, both Hastings and Devon see their men at arms wiped out.

While along the centre, Somerset and the Prince assault the hill.

In the melee the King lost one archer and another was hurled back in disarray. Gloucester saw his archer unit decimated and recoil. With nearby units suffering disorder, matters now seemed to hang in the balance, albeit the Yorkists had fresh units to throw at the thinning Lancastrian units.

However, with destruction wrought everywhere, all battles (except  Somerset's) had to check morale. In a moment of tension and high drama, the Lancastrians passed theirs but Hastings and Gloucester both failed.  Hastings routed off the table and Gloucester was obliged to retire a move.

At the very last the Lancastrians snatched victory from what seemed like a likely defeat. Somerset, Devon and Prince Edward could hardly believe what had unfolded.

Well done to Stuart for the game and to all players for an occasion full of great play and tremendous banter and humour.

Analysis

The Yorkists won all but one initiative roll. This meant they could decimate the opposing ranks of archers before being fired on.  This was devastating. Even the optimistic Surjit (Prince Edward) thought we could not win against such appalling casualties being inflicted upon us.

The archery was deadly all game. Not sure this is entirely my reading of the Wars of the Roses... but it has been a very long time and I am probably mistaken.

The Yorkists rightly concentrated most archery from the hill onto the attackers' centre. However, this eventually allowed Lee (Devon) to enjoy an archer unit immune from shooting. It would go on to destroy a pike unit and a unit of men at arms. Thus being instrumental in the collapse of the Yorkist right flank.

Only two units of hand to hand troops engaged in melee with each other. All the other melees were uneven affairs against Yorkist longbow units. So the outcome of the engagement was largely determined by archery, destruction of archer units and failed battle morale checks. It poses a question about how to play these rules in future. 

Regardless, a good time was had by all in a game of twists and drama.