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| The Battle of Novara in
Miniature By David Dickinson |
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| The Battle of Novara
was a battle of the War of the League of Cambrai fought
on June 6, 1513, near Novara, in Northern Italy. The French had been victorious at Ravenna the previous year. Nevertheless, the French under King Louis XII were driven out of the city of Milan the following month by the Holy League. In 1513, the French army of 10,000 under Louis de la Trémoille was stationed at Novara, which they still held. Novara, 28 miles west of Milan, was the second most important city of the Milanese duchy. However, the French were surprised at their camp there on June 6 by a Swiss army of some 13,000 mercenaries (Reisläufer). The battle was particularly bloody, with 5,000 casualties on the French side, and heavy losses for the Swiss pikemen. Additionally, after the battle, the Swiss executed the hundreds of German mercenaries they had captured who had fought for the French. The French defeat forced Louis XII to withdraw from Milan and Italy in general, and in the restoration of Duke Maximilian Sforza. |
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| The Wargame The game was played using Peter Sides’ scenario book ‘Renaissance Battles 1494 – 1700 Volume1’, with the numbers beefed up a bit. The figures are a selection of Wargames Foundry, Old Glory, Dixon and Ral Partha with a few others as well. Some of the banners and costumes are not quite right! |
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Photo 1 In the actual battle the Swiss surprised the French in their camp at the village of Trecate This was modelled by starting the game with the Swiss in their positions about to attack the surprised French Here we see the main Swiss column (nearest) bearing down on the French Landskneckts and artillery on the on the Swiss left flank. |
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Photo 2 Tremoille (with flag) rides out of Trecate Swiss middle column stops! The Swiss artillery is wondering what to do. |
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Photo 3 Tremoille goes back into the town! Some of the gendarmes go to threaten the flank of the main Swiss column. French crossbowmen come up to support gendarmes |
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Photo 4 Tremouille emerges now from the other side of Trecate Swiss right flank column making no better progress then the centre column (in the actual battle they seemingly swept all before them). Stradiots and archers of the ordnance companies swarm around the pikemen which have become separated. |
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Photo 5 Triumph of the Swiss Things are going better on the Swiss left. The artillery is overrun; the halberdiers are in the flank of the landskneckts and the command is about to break. |
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Photo 6 Last gasp of the French The Swiss right still fending off the Stradiots and others. In the end the main Swiss attack triumphed as in history. The French General rode this way and that, as in history. He didn't find out there weren't any more Swiss in the woods until about turn 2 or 3. The other two Swiss columns didn't make any head way though in the end they did destroy enough of the Gendarmes to eventually win the game for the Swiss. The French general was not particularly happy at the way the surprise inflicted on the French was simulated by having the Swiss start close to them. |