Oct 1 1556
This wargame, (which bears a striking resemblance to a certain scenario from CS Grant's rather useful tome, Scenarios for Wargamers) was based on a 16th C action between English and Scottish. Having more money than manpower, both sides used plenty of mercenaries. The Scots, calling upon the Auld Alliance, also have a contingent of Allies troops loaned by the French King. The rules used were Rough Wooing a set of free rules heavily inspired by Joseph Morschauser. The pictures were shot the next day and are therefore staged. I had planned to have my 6x10 table in place by now but alas it looks like the improvised 5x6 will have to do for a year or 2 so I need to pay some attention to scenery. Still the basic nature of the setup did not detract from the fun of the game.
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An overview of the field |
SETUP. The English force under Lord Howie set up on the hill line in the
background. English foot on the hill to the right (4 Bills, 6 Bows, 1
light gun), Landsknechts to the left (4 pike, 4 shot), cavalry to the
centre (2 demi-lancer, 2 border horse, 1 mounted arquebusier). The main
English force had not arrived and Lord Howie's mission was to hold the
gap until last light. Being of a dashing nature, he decided on an
immediate advance by all units in an attempt to catch the Scots off
guard and destroy them piecemeal. The Scots, advancing in some disorder arrived on the secondary road with Lord Home and 6 Border Horse leading, followed by the Sueur de Belmont with his French cavalry (2 Gendarmes, 2 Lancers, 1 Reiter) and Clan Macfarlane (6 light infantry swordsmen with a few archers mixed in). The Scottish pike (6 pike, 2 shot) arrived on the main road shortly after the border horse filled the streets of Holden town. The Landsknechts, 4 pike, 4 shot brought up the rear. The original plan was to form up the two small pike blocks screened by the border horse, then assault the hill to the left of the gap while using the Highlanders to flank the Germans there. The cavalry were to protect the right wing and forma reserve. It is said no plan survives contact with the enemy. |
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The armies clash |
As the Scots army tried desperately to bustle their way through the road block that was the narrow streets of Holden, the English cavalry struck. Lord Home hurriedly deployed his border horse but they were no match for the English demi-lancers and the moss troops were driven pell-mell back through Holden, flowing around the hastily formed pikes. All attempts to rally them failed but they had held just long enough for the Scots pikes to shake out of march column and into a solid mass. The English cavalry was tempted to spur their horse forward into the narrow streets but cool heads prevailed and they rallied back behind their own infantry. As the English foot hurried forward, the Germans advancing slowly to their left rear, the Scots filtered through the town and formed up just beyond it, screened by their arquebusier. The Germans deployed on the far side of the town and advanced slowly, their arquebusiers skirmishing with a the English archers. On the other side of the town, the Sieur de Belmont led his heavily armoured cavalry around the wood to flank the English if he could. The Highlanders pushed forward into the wood to see what opportunities would arise. |
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Confusion in the streets of Holden. |
The Scots had barely formed when a shower of arrows fell upon them,
striking down the lightly armoured men. Hardly had the arrows stopped
when the English bills were upon them. Bracing their pikes, the Scots
held firm. To their right the Germans rushed forward driving in the thin
skirmish line of archers, to their left the reiters trotted forward to
empty their pistols into the mercenary pike while the cavalry deployed.
Suddenly from behind the German line, the English demi-lancers rode onto
the hill as the light cavalry charged forward into the reiters. The day
hung in the balance.
With a loud shout and a blare of trumpets Belmont led the gendarmes forward and scattered the demy-lancers to the wind. The heavily armoured reiters, belching fire and steel, drove off the English lights then spurred forward to crash into the flank of the English bills. Cheering loudly the Scots gave a might heave and suddenly the English were running. As the reiters rode their horses to exhaustion, cutting down fleeing infantry, the Scots surged forward into the German pike. With French cavalry advancing behind them and the English fleeing on all sides, the mercenaries put up a token fight then headed for the gap as the sun started to sink in the sky. The gamble had almost paid off. |
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