Jean IV de Chalon-Arlay Prince of Orange Mad War-Guerre Folle

Prince of Orange, Jean IV de Chalon-Arlay

Jean IV de Chalon-Arlay Prince of Orange , Lord of the House of Chalon-Arlay. Vicomte de Besançon , Vicomte d' Auxonne, Lord of Arlay , Nozeroy , Arbois , Bletterans, , Cuiseaux , Varennes-Saint-Sauveur , Beaurepaire-en-Bresse (Burgundy) Lord of Lamballe , Moncontour , Rhuys and Lespine-Gaudin (Brittany). Jean was born in 1443 in the County of Burgundy. Son of Prince of Orange William VII of Châlon and of Catherine of Brittany (daughter of Count Richard d'Étampes and sister of Duke François II of Brittany). He fought at the battle of Grandson during the Burgundian wars in support of Charles the Bold. 

In 1477 at the close of the Burgundian wars and following the death of his powerful ally the Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold, King Louis XI of France took a position of strength and confiscated all of the property of the House of Chalon-Arlay, forcing the Prince to 'Orange to compromise and enter the service of the king. However, he returned to the side of the Duchess Marie of Burgundy to facilitate her marriage to Emperor Maximilian of Austria . In 1477, in anger Louis XI banished him from the kingdom of France and had him hanged in effigy.

Nephew of Duke François II of Brittany , he travelled to the Duchy of Brittany sent with a marriage proposal by Maximilien I in 1481 for the hand of Anne of Brittany who was a minor. He returns to Brittany in 1486 with a contingent of Bearn Mercenaries halberdiers and crossbow (1100) and Burgundian nobles MAA. 

 He was in the main body at the battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier the July 28, 1488, after having fought fiercely, he tries to pass himself off as dead but is taken prisoner, and remains under house arrest in Riom until February 1489. 

He returned to Rennes in 1489, sent by Charles VIII of France to prevent Anne's marriage with Alain d'Albret and to negotiate with her the French occupation of the duchy. After the death of duke Francis, John became heir presumptive to the new duchess, Anne.  As a member of the high council, he was appointed commander of Rennes and lieutenant general of Brittany. Jean once again attempted to secure Anne's marriage to Maximilian, but the French intervened. John negotiated the eventual marriage between Anne and king Charles VIII, where he was one of the witnesses. He surrendered his own claim to the duchy for the sum of 100,000 livres, and was re-appointed as lieutenant general of Brittany, a position he held until his death.

Figures are again Perry Plastics 

cheers

Matt

50th Northumbrian Infantry Division Tyne Tees Work in Progress

50th Northumbrian Infantry Division Tyne Tees

This month I have started on my 20mm Collection to complete some half completed projects in my project drawers.


On the work desk this month are 100 plus 20mm British Infantry for the 50th Infantry Tyne Tees Division. I hope to have these completed by the end of this week. I have decided to build several elements of the division, first up will be the


69th Infantry Brigade
BHQ
5th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment
6th Battalion, Green Howards
7th Battalion, Green Howards
support elements
I also plan to build the DLI, No.47 commando and the crab flails of the Westminster dragoons, plus RMASG, and other support elements, engineers, artillery etc for Dday and inland.


I also have a lot of support elements and drivers to complete, plus vehicles. Infantry Figures are all Britannia miniatures which I like to paint, some of the crewed vehicles will have some AB and SHQ bits too.

East Yorkshire flashes

The unofficial Green Flashes, not approved until after the war, I have found no solid proof that were worn in France

The official Flash which I will use

Cheers

Matt

Louis II duc de Orleans (Louis XII King Of France) The Rebel Prince

 The Rebel Prince!

My next unit for the Guerre Folle-Mad War is Louis II Duc de Orleans, born at Chateau Blois, raised from a minor by King Louis XI. A very interesting figure in the early French renaissance. After the death of King Louis XI, his son young Charles VIII was crowned in minority (13) the regency was then held by his older sister Anne de Beaujeu.

Louis II duc de Orleans lead the opposition against the regency of Anne along with a number of leading French Princes in the west, particularly Maine, Anvegvin, and Blois Lords, predominantly to gain back territory annexed by Louis XI during his consolidation and unraveling of feudal rights within France (this lead the War of the Public Good/Weal). After the war of the public Weal, and the Death of Charles the bold of Burgundy, Louis XI annexed all of Armagnac, Anjou and Maine, taking it by force in 1471 from his Uncle René of Anjou, thereby in 1476 disinheriting Marguerite of Anjou queen consort of King Henry VI of England (who was executed in 1471). Louis XI had also obtained Burgundy and Picardy by 1482 making him the direct ruler of France rather than through the feudal fealty.


A plan is hatched by the Princes and Dukes after his death in 1483, Louis II Duc de Orleans joined with a great number the western Lords, René duc de Lorraine, the Breton Duke Françios, Jean de Chalon-Arlay Prince of Orange, Comte Alain d'Albret, Charles d'Orleans-Longueville count of Angouleme constable of Normandy, Odet d'Aydie count of Comminges, Phillip d'Comminges Flanders, and the Emperor Maximilian I of Austria. to overturn the annexations and the changes.


Louis II Duke of Orleans then tries to kidnap Charles in 1484, this fails, so he sieges Paris, this fails and he retreats to Maine, then back to Orleans. He is then besieged in Beaugency in central Val-de-Loire and captured imprisoned in Blois. Francois of Brittany signs the peace treaty of Bourges on the 2nd November 1485, this ends the first phase of the Mad War.


The rebels then are still planning rebellion, fighting again breaks out with the invasion of France by Maximilian I of Austria in the North in November 1486, the successful siege and capture of Parthenay by Charles d'Orleans-Longueville. On January 11th 1487 Louis II duc d'Orleans, is broken out of jail and rides hard for Brittany with Franc archers in hot pursuit


The French sent an armies North, South and West to deal with the rebels. The Northern Alliance was easily defeated by Philippe de Crèvecœur, Lord of Esquerdes Marshal of France. In the South-West the French army arrives in Bordeaux besieging the city, and Oydet d'Aydie, governor of Guyenne, is dismissed and replaced by Pierre de Beaujeu. The west however was a whole new exercise, negotiation began with François of Brittany, but Guy fealty to the King of France and the Duke of Brittany give over there important border chateaux to the King.


At the end of the month of May 1487, the French troops, nearly 15,000 men entered Brittany. The army of the Duke of Brittany is concentrated towards Malestroit. It has 600 MAA and nearly 16,000 men in the Archer Ban.
However, the advance of the French troops is dazzling Charles VIII and Anne de Beaujeu arrive in Laval: the border Breton Chateaux of Ancenis, Châteaubriant, La Guerche and Redon surrender after short sieges. Plöermel tries to resist, but fell after three days of bombardment and was taken on 1 st June. By this bad news, and political differences between the Breton nobles, the ducal army is dismembered. There are only 4000 men remaining in the field, unable to rescue Plöermel. François II and Louis II Duc d'Orlean fled to Vannes, and then onto joining Nantes, before Vannes was also taken.

In Nantes, the defense is organized, the French troops lay siege on the city on the 19th of June. It dragged on in front of the effective Breton defense, and the loyalty of the inhabitants, helped by the foreign mercenary Germans and Gascons, finally the city received the decisive support of the Arrie ban of Cornouaillais and Leonard who arrived lead by Léon Rohan, the son of the Vicomte de Rohan, and broke the encirclement. The French troops held in check lift the siege on August 6th. In the North Guy de Laval XV hands over Vitré on the 1st of September the Royal troops then move and capture Saint Aubin du Cormier and Dol de Bretagne on the 10th. Another ceasefire comes into effect and the King returns to Paris.

On January 20th 1488, the Duke of Orleans and the Duke of Brittany are both declared rebels and guilty of lese majesty. In March the Duc de Orleans leading his own household troops and the newly arrived German mercenaries recaptured the chateaux and cities of Vannes, Auray and Ploërmel. Capturing the Vicomte de Rohan in the process.
The Royal French Army musters at Chateau Gontier under the command of Louis II de La Trémoille Vicomte de Thouars. A large contingent of Swiss and Italian Mercenaries join them along with a large artillery train. On April 24, a confiscation order was issued against all of Louis d'Orléans' property.
La Trémoille and the royal army, 15,000 strong, easily took Château Marcillé-Robert on March 28. On April 7, François II ordered the muster of the Breton troops in Rennes. On April 15, the royal army laid siege upon Chateau Châteaubriant, it fell 8 days later. La Trémoille then moved towards Ancenis where he laid siege during the night of 12 to 13. The town and chateau fell on May 19 the large Royal French artillery train completely destroyed the citadel. While negotiations begin with the Duke of Brittany seeking a truce, La Trémoille seats Chateau Loroux-Bottereau, which also falls on the 14th., the southern Breton chateaux are all taken.

On the 1st of June, a thing begins, the Breton nobles and peasants returned home for harvest, but the Royal army remains in the field. La Trémoille moves north and Château-Gontier becomes one of the stores of the army of La Trémoille.

La Trémoille anticipates the end of the truce, and from June 17, he sets off his army towards his next objective Chateau Fougeres the largest fortification in the west (and France). The talks breakdown on July 9th, the Royal army departed Vitré and besieged Fougères around the 12th. The city is defended by a garrison of 3,000 men, the French artillery train again batters down the walls and the chateau falls on the 19th.


The Breton Army Musters in Rennes, pulling together an army of around 11,000 men by the 24th of June. They depart Rennes moving north meeting the Royal army just south of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier on the 28th of June.
At the battle of Saint Aubin du cormier Louis II duc de Orleans, was given the left flank command position of the Breton Army, leading the German Mercenaries, some loyal Blois nobles and some Breton nobles, in the battle the wing suffered terribly under the French heavy artillery fire, and fell back, leaving the hole that the Italian Mercenary cavalry to punch through and role up the center and right flank from the rear to the wood after a successful one.

cheers

Matt

WW1 20mm/172 Jasta Pilots

 WW1 1/72-20mm pilots

A few little pieces off the table in between jobs, some metal Wartime Miniatures 1/72-20mm ww1 pilots. I commissioned these figures a number of years ago so I could fill my WW1 aircraft both Allied squadrons and German Jastas and my  Spanish Civil war, and early war german aircraft. I have three Fokker DR1 aircraft to finish off from Jasta 11 in my project draw, I hope to build them over the christmas break

cheers

matt

German Landsknechte Pikemen Guerre Folle-Mad War

German Landsknechtes in Brittany

Maximillian I of Austria raised the most famous of mercenaries in the Renaissance, the Landsknectes. These mercenary Saxon princely bands started to become more common after 1488. As part of his support for his future wife 11 year old Anne of Brittany, he sent a small contingent as a body gaurd of 32 Halberdiers in 1487 commanded by Henri de Villespern. When the French launched their invasion of the duchy a promise came from Maximillain I that he would send 3500 mercenaries to support the Duchy of Brittany. 

Only 840 men arrived in Brittany in time for the battle of Saint Aubin du Cormier, the contingent contained three troop types, Pikemen, Halberdiers and arquebusiers, they were placed under the command of Louis II duc de Orleans (plus he added his retinue of 230 MAA, Louis became the future king of France Louis XII 10 years later) 700 pikemen and Halberdiers commanded by Captain Bhler of Jullac (thought to be the bastard son of Duke Heinrich VIII of Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel), and 90 arquebusiers. I will break this into three contingents, one pike, one Halberdiers and a skirmish base or Arquebusiers. 

The figures are from the Perry Miniatures mercenaries box

 Cheers

Matt

Special Forces Splinter Teams

 Special Forces Splinter Teams

Another completed unit from the project drawers, almost completely emptied one this year, these guys have been sitting in there for at least 10 years. 

I completed these three sections of four man splinter teams  for my Cold War collection, all based on different bases to tell them apart. The bases are built up with green stuff for tiles or floorboards. Perfect for indoors ops during Covid! I will use them for my Force on For e skirmish games and perhaps for Cold War skirmish games. They are from the platoon 20 Israeli range. Quite happy with the results.

cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday- Steam Traction!

 

Terrain Tuesdays!

 Each week until March, I have decided to spend some time on some terrain each tuesday, I will try to complete a piece or at least add some detail to a piece of terrain for my table, sometimes really useful or just a filler, results of today's efforts! 

Steam traction engines have always fascinated me, in my childhood I would often visit the neighbours saw mill that has a steam traction engine the dove the great saws that cut down the Australian hardwoods from the forests of New England Tablelands. Later in my teens when I joined the engineers we had as our regiments mascot a Frog and a steam traction engine (2/3 Feild Engineer regiment) and I volunteered to work on the beast. 

So with that in mind I picked up a Steam Engine pencil sharpener around 6 years ago, these are often found in Australian tourist gift shops, particulary in country areas and have been around for 30 odd years. 

First job remove the sharpener and the wheel assembly, add decent axles, then undercoat.

Next I scratch built the flywheel, and the housing 

Then a quick fit before I attach the linkages, then paint job green and red plus Brass work for the bling!

getting close, still some highlighting and bits to do

Mounted, I did F?U and forgot to add the rubber band belt......oh well nothing a bit of superglue will not fix.

Now I am not certain if it will drive a saw mill or a chaff cutter, both were widely used in Maine and Normandy during the war.

The Chaff cutter may be more suitable for Normandy/Maine

Second item I have been working on is a ww2 destroyed resin building, a refurbishment and completion of a part painted piece that has been in my collection for ten years or more. It suffered a little in the move so I decided to do a few repairs and touch ups, a bit more to do then complete.

cheers

Matt