Battle of Ravenna - A DBR Scenario (Draft)
| Ravenna, Italy |
11 April 1512 |
Historical Situation or Mission
Beginning in February 1512, the French forces in Italy, newly commanded by Gaston de Foix, Duc de Nemours, had been engaged in capturing cities in the Romagna and the Veneto, in an attempt to deny control of those regions to the forces of the Holy League (Wikipedia: Battle of Ravenna (1512)). Although he had been successful in a number of sieges, Nemours was aware that the impending invasion of France by Henry VIII of England would cause much of his army to be withdrawn, and he was determined to force the main army of the Holy League into battle before that occurred. Thus, in late March, Nemours, together with an Italian contingent under the Duke of Ferrara, marched east from Bologna and laid siege to the city of Ravenna, which was defended by Papal troops.
Julius II, alarmed at the prospect of losing his last stronghold in the Romagna, demanded that an army be sent to relieve the city; Ramon de Cardona had to comply, and the Spanish army set out for Ravenna with a company of Papal troops in tow (Wikipedia: Battle of Ravenna (1512)). By April 9, they had passed Forli, and were advancing north along the Ronco River towards the city, and on the next day had reached Molinaccio, only a mile south of the French positions, but still separated from them by the Ronco. Nemours, short on supplies and increasingly anxious to give battle before he was forced to withdraw from Italy, ordered a general attack for the following day.
Rules
DBR
The figure scale is DBR’s condensed scale. In brief:
artillery are 8 pieces per element;
formed infantry (pike and shot) are 400 men per element;
all others are 200 men per element.
French Order of Battle using 250 men/element
Map/Terrain
|
(Click on the map to the full size version) |
Key features are: |
Pre-game preparation
None.
Spanish Player (Defending)
Objective
Defeat attacker in battle.
Forces Available
|
Command |
Composition |
DBR Type |
Elem. |
AP / Elem. |
Total AP |
|
Vanguard (Fabrizio Colonna) |
670 Papal Lances |
Ln (O) |
3 |
12 |
36 |
|
Battle (Marquis della Padula) |
575 Spanish Lances |
Ln (S) |
3 |
15 |
45 |
|
Rearguard (Don Alfonso Caravajal) |
490 Spanish Lances |
Ln (S) |
2 |
15 |
30 |
|
Infantry (Pedro Navarro) |
6600 Spanish |
0 |
|||
|
· 4000 Pikemen |
Pk (O) |
10 |
4 |
40 |
|
|
· 1300 Swordsmen |
Bd (F) |
4 |
5 |
20 |
|
|
· 1300 Arquebusiers |
Sh (I) |
4 |
4 |
16 |
|
|
2000 Papal Italians (Ramassot) |
0 |
||||
|
· 1600 Pikemen |
Pk (I) |
4 |
3 |
12 |
|
|
· 400 Arquebusiers |
Sk (O) |
2 |
3 |
6 |
|
|
30 War carts |
Art (I) |
5 |
6 |
30 |
|
|
Light Cavalry (Marquis de Pescara) |
1500 Light Cavalry |
0 |
|||
|
· 500 Papal Arquebusiers |
LH (I) |
3 |
4 |
12 |
|
|
· 1000 Genitors |
LH (O) |
5 |
5 |
25 |
|
|
Artillery |
30 Guns |
Art (O) |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Generals |
3 |
20 |
60 |
||
|
Ditch and bank |
12 |
2 |
24 |
||
|
436 |
Deployment
Deploy inside their entrenched camp.
Reinforcements
None.
French Player (Attacking)
Begins scenario with initiative.
Objective
Defeat defender in open battle.
Forces Available
>>>>>> Must separate the Gendarmes and the Archers (50/50).
|
Command |
Composition |
DBR Type |
Elem. |
AP / Elem. |
Total AP |
|
Rear Guard (Yves d’Alègre) |
1000 Infantry (unknown type and didn’t participate) |
Pk (I) |
2 |
3 |
6 |
|
|
400 French Men-at-Arms |
Ln (S) |
2 |
15 |
30 |
|
Vanguard |
910 Italian Lances |
Ln (O) |
4 |
12 |
48 |
|
(Alfonso de’Este) |
24 guns |
Art (S) |
3 |
25 |
75 |
|
Battle (Thomas Bohier) |
780 French Lances |
Ln (S) |
4 |
15 |
60 |
|
Extreme left |
2000 light cavalry |
0 |
|||
|
(Caraciolo) |
· Arqubusiers |
LH (I) |
2 |
4 |
8 |
|
· French Crossbowmen |
LH (F) |
4 |
5 |
20 |
|
|
· Stradiots |
LH (O) |
4 |
5 |
20 |
|
|
1000 Dismounted archers |
Sk (O) |
5 |
3 |
15 |
|
|
Infantry |
5000 Landsknecht (Jacob Empser) |
0 |
|||
|
· 4500 Pike and Halberdiers |
Pk (O) |
12 |
4 |
48 |
|
|
· 500 Arquebusiers |
Sk (O) |
2 |
3 |
6 |
|
|
8000 Gascons and Picards (Seigneur de Molart) |
0 |
||||
|
· Gascon Archers [Xbow] |
Sk (O) |
16 |
3 |
48 |
|
|
· Picard Pikemen |
Pk (I) |
12 |
3 |
36 |
|
|
3900 Italian foot (Federigo da Bozzolo) |
0 |
||||
|
· Pikemen |
Pk (I) |
4 |
3 |
12 |
|
|
· Arquebusiers |
Sh (I) |
6 |
4 |
24 |
|
|
Artillery (Ferrara) |
24 Guns |
Art (O) |
3 |
20 |
60 |
|
Generals |
3 |
20 |
60 |
||
|
576 |
Note: Taylor says 9000 Landsknecht, Stevenson says 5000. This would add AP to the army.
|
Infantry |
9000 Landsknecht (Jacob Empser) |
0 |
|||
|
· 8000 Pike and Halberdiers |
Pk (O) |
20 |
4 |
80 |
|
|
· 1000 Arquebusiers |
Sk (O) |
5 |
3 |
15 |
Deployment
As per rules.
Reinforcements
None.
Victory Conditions
As per rules.
Scenario Special Rules
None.
Notes
None.
Sources
Stevenson, P. (1991). The battle of Ravenna 11th April 1512. Wargames Illustrated, 46, pp. 11-14.
Taylor, F. (1993). The art of war in Italy 1494-1529 (originally published 1921). Essex, UK: Partizan Press.