Welcome to the Wars of the
Roses.
The Wars of the Roses was a series of civil wars fought for control of the English throne during the fifteenth century. The
conflict was a dynastic struggle between
rival descendents of the sons of
Edward III namely Henry VI (also Duke of Lancaster) and Richard Duke of
York.
The war was triggered by the
incapacity of Henry VI who suffered from a form of schizophrenia (or petit mal)
which caused him to be apathetic towards his duties and prey to religious
delusions. Clearly not the attributes of a medieval king.
Richard Duke of York decided
he was the man for the job! On 22nd
May Richard marched to St Albans to save his king from the evil councillors who
surrounded him.
Historically the Lancastrians set up barricades in the
streets of St. Albans. The Yorkists assaulted up the roads leading into
the town. The battle was decided by a Yorkist breakthrough in the centre of the
battle line forcing the outflanked Lancastrians to withdraw.
For our replay St. Albans
was represented by a row of buildings on the Lancastrian side of the board with
the river Ver running down the left hand side of the battlefield.
The Lancastrians neatly outscouted
the Yorkists thanks largely to their Northern border horse and kerns. Richard Duke of York (Tony) therefore began
the set up
York (Tony) deployed his
wings first, leading with his longbowmen and, supporting them with his by bills
on both flanks. His left was under the command of Thomas Lord Stanley (Paul)
and his right was led by Edward Neville 8th Baron Abergavenny
(David)
Henry VI (Adrian) responded by deploying
mounted units on both flanks with his lighter units on the open western
flank. His mounted infantry were pushed
forward into the suburbs of St. Albans.
The Lancastrian right was under command of Jasper Tudor Earl of Pembroke
(Doug) and his left by Thomas Courtney Earl of Devon (Mal)
York (Tony) then deployed his heavy knights into the centre of the battle line, interleaving his shire levy with his more reliable retinue either side of them. A Yorkist unit of Currors was held off the board. Henry (Adrian) completed his deployment with his longbows in the town supported by bills. The Kerns were stationed to defend the Lancastrian camp.
The battle opened with a cannon barrage from the Yorkists leaving a scattering of disordered units across the Lancastrian front.
Henry (Adrian) responded by briefly pushing forward his left flank only to have his bills come under fire from Yorkist longbows forcing them to withdraw and disordering the Earl of Devon’s (Mal’s) knights.
Treachery! At a signal from
the Yorkist ranks Thomas Clifford commanding the Kings Bodyguard on Henry’s
(Adrian’s) left promptly about turned and galloped from the field.
Meanwhile on the Yorkist left
Edward Neville (David) pushed forward a unit of archers to engage the waiting
Lancastrian cavalry under Jasper Tudor (Doug).
The Lancastrian cavalry moved within bowshot threatening to engage the
Yorkist bowmen only to be disordered by cannon fire. They promptly withdrew to
reorder their ranks.
At this point the Yorkist
reserve entered the battlefield under the command of Baron Cobham. And moved to
support the archers on on the banks of the Ver.
As the cannon expended their ammunition York’s right flank commanded by Lord Stanley (Paul) moved forward bringing his Longbows within range and on the extrme right Sir John Melton began a rapid advance towards the eastern edge of the town.
Responding to threats on both
flanks Henry (Adrian) now resorted to his stratagem “Mercenaries work for
anyone who pays them”. Henry’s attempt
to bribe the Yorkist longbowmen by the
banks of the Ver was unsuccessful but at the pre arranged signal the traitorus Baron
Chobham’s Currors turned and left the battlefield.
On the opposite flank Sir
John (with supporting fire from Lord Stanley’s (Paul’s) longbows) charged into
the Eastern end of St Albans destroying the Lancastrian archers stationed there
and entering the town proper.
The Yorkist centre now advanced
en masse coming into bowshot and suffering some disorder from the fitful fire of the
Lancastrian centre which was still in disarray from the effects of the opening
Yorkist cannon fire.
As the Yorkists advanced the Lancastrian Northern border horse were destroyed by Neville’s (David’s) longbow fire from the right of the Yorkist line.
At the other end of the town,
the Earl of Devon’s knights had failed
to reorder their ranks and fell back
before the oncoming Yorkist infantry.
Sir Jasper Tudor (Doug) was now pushing forward on the right of the Lancastrian line with his remaining cavalry and bills.
As the centres closed Lancastrian archery began to take it’s toll and a unit of Shire Levy was destroyed fleeing the field in panic. Undaunted the Yorkists pressed their advantage destroying a second unit pf Lancastrian longbows and once again pushing into the town.
At this point the sands of
time were expended. The Yorkists having
entered St. Albans had the upper hand although a tough struggle remained to
finish off the Lancastrian army.
The day was awarded to the Yorkists with a score of Tony 6 and Adrian 4.
The next battle will be Blore
Heath between the Duke of Somerset (Rick) and the Earl of Warwick (Paul)
tentatively scheduled for 21st March.
