Battle of the Spurs
King Henry VIII of England joined the Holy League on the 13th of October 1511. This alliance included Venice and Spain to defend the Papacy against France. Henry promised to attack France at Guyenne with an army of 10,000 men. The force landed at Hondarribia in the Basque Country in June 1512. Admiral Edward Howard conveyed this army under the command of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset. The troops remained at Bayonne until October while supporting Ferdinand II of Aragon's actions in Navarre. They were undersupplied and suffered from poor morale. Emperor Maximilian I joined the league in November. Louis XII of France hoped that Scotland would aid France against England.
English soldiers began arriving in Calais in May 1513 to join an army commanded by George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury was appointed Lieutenant-General on the 12th of May. John Hopton commanded the troop ships. On the 17th of May Henry announced he would join the invasion in person. He appointed commissioners to requisition all shipping. Catherine of Aragon ruled England as Rector and Governor during his absence. The Chronicle of Calais recorded names of Henry's aristocratic military entourage from the 6th of June onwards. The army set out for Thérouanne at the end of the month. Shrewsbury commanded a vanguard of 8,000 men. Charles Somerset, Lord Herbert led the rearward with 6,000 men. Henry VIII sailed from Dover and arrived at Calais on the 30th of June with 11,000 men. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey provided the army as Almoner. It included cavalry, artillery, infantry, and longbowmen using arrows with hardened steel heads. Eight hundred German mercenaries marched ahead of Henry. Shrewsbury dug mines towards the town walls but made little progress against French and German defenders in July.
A second French attempt to supply Thérouanne was organized for the 16th of August. A force assembled at Blangy to the south consisted of gendarmes and pikemen. Some troops were stradiots equipped with short stirrups, beaver hats, light lances, and Turkish swords. These may have been Albanian units. English engineers built five bridges overnight over the river Lys. Henry moved his camp to Guinegate on the 14th of August after displacing French horse armed with spears. The heavy cavalry divided into two companies under La Palice and Louis, Duke of Longueville. Another company fell under Charles IV, Duke of Alençon. Each stradiot carried a side of bacon at his saddlebow and gunpowder behind him. The French hoped to catch the besieging army unprepared by moving before dawn. English border prickers detected the movement of the larger French body. Henry drew up a field force sending out 1,100 cavalry followed by 10,000 to 12,000 infantry. La Palice's force encountered English scouts at Bomy village. The French checked themselves on the edge of a hillside when they realized the English were alert.
Historical accounts from Edward Hall differ slightly from those of Reinhold Pauli. Sir Charles Oman based his narrative largely on the mid-16th century Chronicle of Edward Hall. He claimed La Palice made a mistake staying in an exposed position too long. The English heavy cavalry vanguard drew up opposite Palice's front while mounted archers shot from a flanking hedgerow. La Palice tardily ordered his force to retreat after realizing overwhelming numbers approached. The Clarenceux Herald urged the Earl of Essex to charge. English men-at-arms charged just as the French moved off throwing them into disorder. Stradiots crashed in confusion into the flank of the French heavy cavalry. A body of Imperial cavalry arrived to menace the other flank. Panic seized the French cavalry whose retreat became a rout. La Palice tried to rally them but failed. During pursuit many notable French knights were captured including Jacques de la Palice himself. Hall mentions Maximilian advised Henry to deploy artillery on another hill for out-scourers. Hall does not mention any effect this had on the outcome. Although Henry wished to ride into battle he stayed with foot soldiers on council advice.
Henry and Maximilian jointly published an account under the title Copia von der erlichen und kostlichen enpfahung. This text described their meeting before Thérouanne and the siege of Tournai. The book contained woodcuts showing their meeting and Maximilian in battle. An Italian poem titled La Rotta de Francciosi a Terroana was printed in Rome in September 1513. Maximilian commissioned woodcut images from Leonhard Beck and Albrecht Dürer. Dürer included a scene of mounted rulers joining hands in the Triumphal Arch. Henry commissioned commemorative paintings showing him involved in the center of action. One painting made by Master Hans showed the siege of Therouanne with every man's camp detailed. Henry VIII insisted his guests turn to look at the picture. Maximilian's tomb at Hofkirche includes a marble relief following Dürer's woodcut. In immediate aftermath Maximilian objected to use of his name in battle report. He adopted red rose and Cross of Saint George to avoid complaints about force size. Maximilian wanted to destroy city walls of Tournai which threatened his grandson Charles's Burgundian territories. Henry sent him 100,000 golden florin as gratitude for assistance.
Thérouanne fell on the 22nd of August after diplomatic reports confirmed garrison lack of supplies. Shrewsbury welcomed Henry to town and gave him keys. Eight or nine hundred soldiers worked demolishing walls and three large bastions into deep defensive ditches. Dry ditches contained deeper pits designed for fires to create smoke choking assailants. The Milanese ambassador Paolo Da Laude heard plans to burn town after demolition. On the 5th of September Pope Leo X received congratulations conveyed to Cardinal Wolsey. Allied attention moved to Tournai after discussions on the 4th of September. Henry entered Lille with great ceremony where Margaret of Savoy held court. That evening Henry played lute harp lyre flute and horn while dancing till nearly dawn. Army began siege of Tournai same day. Henry and Maximilian visited on the 13th of September. Tournai fell to Henry VIII on the 23rd of September. Defenders had demolished houses in front of gates on the 11th of September and burnt suburbs on the 13th of September. Town council proposed vote on declaring for France or Empire but suspended it. Charles Brandon captured one gatehouse taking two statues as trophies. Garrison negotiated with Henry and Richard Foxe Bishop of Winchester on the 20th of September.
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Common questions
When did King Henry VIII of England join the Holy League to fight France?
King Henry VIII of England joined the Holy League on the 13th of October 1511. This alliance included Venice and Spain to defend the Papacy against France.
Who commanded the English army that landed at Hondarribia in June 1512?
Admiral Edward Howard conveyed this army under the command of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset. The troops remained at Bayonne until October while supporting Ferdinand II of Aragon's actions in Navarre.
What happened during the Battle of Guinegate on the 14th of August 1513?
English heavy cavalry vanguard drew up opposite La Palice's front while mounted archers shot from a flanking hedgerow. Panic seized the French cavalry whose retreat became a rout after stradiots crashed into their flank.
Which city fell to Henry VIII on the 22nd of August 1513?
Thérouanne fell on the 22nd of August after diplomatic reports confirmed garrison lack of supplies. Shrewsbury welcomed Henry to town and gave him keys before soldiers began demolishing walls.
When did Tournai fall to Henry VIII during the War of the League of Cambrai?
Tournai fell to Henry VIII on the 23rd of September after defenders had demolished houses in front of gates on the 11th of September. Garrison negotiated with Henry and Richard Foxe Bishop of Winchester on the 20th of September.