Battle a la Garigliano, 29 December 1503

This was to be my last game in this year, so I looked for a kind of a cosy winter battle for our little Christmas bash and found Garigliano (1503). A retreating battle of an sickened French army attacked and defeated and driven before them by the Spanish under the great de Cordoba (maybe with heavy rain, wet powder and an ailing French rump army ... hmm we will see) . The Spanish would split forces and in a pincer movement attack the weakened French in their camp.

As we don't have Spanish (Yet!!), I took my Landsknechts (all Habsburg anyway in the end), I also reduced the Castellos Suio, Castelforte and Traietto to mere hills with gabbions and switched the two Habsburger commander. Bart got the Imperial high command as De Cordoba (staff rating 9) and the southern half of Andrades army, while I (as Andrade or Mendoza) overslept the night march and attacked Suio in the north at daybreak.

I also refrained to weaken the French troops any further as a very grumpy Angus thought he was out numbered and out-manouvered right from the start. He had to play the French, because we loved it.

The start was a bit slow as Bart suddenly decided to start off table (??) and we had some difficulties to cross the little Garigliano River. My flank attack on the French crossbow position on "Castle" Suio was, to say the least, abysmal, if not out right uncoordinated. I attacked with my light horse the French archer and got very badly beaten and whittled down by bolts and guns powder ...

On the other side, Bart tried to save the day by an all out cavalry attack, destroyed some of the French feared men-at-arms, but crucially not all, not the Gendarmes. The rest of his Horse battalia had to withdraw and rally, while heavy losses occurred form the French Basilisks (heavy artillery) and Swiss halberdiers.
The day had shown a total reversal of history. We had to end the battle, but it was clear that the French had won the day and we could be lucky if the gendarmes would not follow us over the river ...

Still it was an immensely enjoyable game (and year).

Angus Rap:
http://www.edinburghwargames.com/Journal%20113.htm
Bart's Rap
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/garigliano-1503.html

Merry X-mas to you and everybody and all the club mates (SESWC) and a wonderful new year to come!

... maybe Santa is bringing some more lead ...

The Merry Christmas fun at the Garigliano crossing on the road to the Traietto camp

The Imperials at the Garigliano River

The French camp

The attack of the Arquebusiers on Suio ...

... with Angus Landsknechts unit (each figure took a year to finish)

Suio and its cool south french defenders

the French archer are coming!

The Swiss centre a display of vulgar aggression

The clash of the Gendarmes

..and its final winner - The French

at Suio nothing has changed apart from decimating the Spanish/Imperials

The Landsknechte are pushing forward

the Swiss still blurred in the faint distance

some fearless Doppelsöldner are attacking the Scharfmetze

somehow a concert of an attack looks different

Still the Swiss are standing in defiance.