Gripen: 2023

Sunday, July 2, 2023

1521 - The last stand of Magellan (28mm Diorama)

My 6th diorama from 2023 depicts the defeat of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew.

Ferdinand Magellan organized and launched the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, from 1519 to 1522. The expedition consisted of 5 ships: Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepción, Santiago and lastly Victoria - the only ship which completed the journey and made it back to Spain, under the command of Juan Sebastián Elcano.

The crew numbered around 270 men, mainly Spaniards, but also 40 Portuguese. Members of other nations were also recorded, including 29 Italians, 17 French, and a smaller number of Flemish, Greek, Irish, English, Asian, and black sailors. Counted among the Spanish crew members were at least 29 Basques (including Juan Sebastián Elcano), some of whom did not speak Spanish fluently.

In 1521 Magellan reached portions of the Philippine islands, which he named the ''Islas de San Lazaro'' and claimed for the Spanish crown and promptly got involved in the rivalries of local chieftains. He had managed to secure the allegiance or submission of these chiefs, the most important being Rajah Humabon of Cebu. One chief did not submit: Lapu Lapu.

The battle of Mactan took place in the archipelago of the Philippines on April 27, 1521. The indigenous warriors under the chieftain Lapu Lapu overpowered and killed Magellan and 8 of his men. The small Spanish force, retreated in disordered panic to the ships and left the islands.

Thanks to the Italian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta's eyewitness account, the events of the battle have been preserved. Magellan fervently believed that his men were so superior to the natives that he only deployed 49 of his crew to face off against a force of 1,500 enraged natives. He was so confident that he refused the help of his allies, Rajah Humabon and Datu Zula, and asked them to just observe the battle.

According to Pigafetta, they arrived at the distant shores of Mactan three hours before sunrise. Magellan sent a message to the natives saying that if they still refused to recognize the Spanish king and pay them tribute, they would demonstrate how effective their swords and armour were.

The boats of the Europeans were unable to approach the shore, supposedly because of rocks or corals in the water, which also prevented the large ships from supporting Magellan with their artillery. When the sun rose in the morning Magellan and his men left their boats, leaving 11 men behind. They had to wade "three crossbow flights" with water up to their thighs before they could reach the shore.

Magellan divided his small force into two and ordered his men to engage the local warriors with their arquebuses and crossbows. However, the missiles had little appreciable effect since the local fighters were at the extreme range of the Europeans' projectiles. Furthermore, Lapu Lapu's warriors dodged the bullets and crossbow bolts with great dexterity. Apparently, the shields of the warriors of Mactan were made of light materials and were easily pierced by the European missiles, but this had no effect on the warrior wielding the shield. Despite his best efforts, Magellan was unable to stop his men from wasting their bullets and gunpowder, and the Europeans kept up their missile fire for almost half an hour. In response, Lapu Lapu's warriors subjected the Europeans to a heavy and demoralizing barrage of arrows, spears, fire-hardened sticks, and even stones.

Magellan was hit by an arrow and called for an orderly withdrawal. Though his men were so shaken and demoralized that they beat a hasty and undisciplined retreat, abandoning Magellan with just 6 or 8 men. Magellan tried to cover his army's retreat with his remaining men.

Antonio Pigaffeta recounts:

''When they saw us, they charged down upon us with exceeding loud cries, two divisions on our flanks and the other on our front.

The natives shot only at our legs, for the latter were bare; and so many were the spears and stones that they hurled at us, that we could offer no resistance. We continued to retire from the shore always fighting up to our knees in the water. The natives continued to pursue us, and picking up the same spear four or six times, hurled it at us again and again.

One of them wounded Magellan on the left leg with a large cutlass, which resembles a scimitar, only being larger. That caused the captain to fall face downward, when immediately they rushed upon him with iron and bamboo spears and with their cutlasses, until they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our true guide.''

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Many different brands of miniatures has been used for this diorama. Bits and pieces from TAG, Steelfist, Perry, Warlord Games, Artizan Designs, Wargames Atlantic and 1st Corps.

Since there are no Philippine warriors available on the market, I had to create them myself. I used Zulu warrior bits from Perry and Warlords Games, combining them with 1st Corps Burmese/Thai warriors and some Sudanese Tribesmen, also from Perry miniatures.

In the end are some inspirational pictures.


Art by Marek Szyszko.

Art by Oliver Frey.

Art by Neil C. Defeo.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

1519 - Hernán Cortés Expedition (28mm Diorama)

My 5th diorama from 2023.

It depicts the expedition of Hernán Cortés in 1519, and the march through Mexico. The Spanish conquistadores, who numbered around 600 soldiers, allied themselves with different native american tribes. The Tlaxcalan kingdom became the most important ally and supplied the europeans with food and thousands of additional warriors. Cortés exploited the tension and animosity between the ruthless Aztec empire and its neighbours, and initiated what was to essentially become a civil war between huge armies of Mexica warriors.

The Spaniards only had 15 horses in the beginning and a small number of cannons. Most soldiers were equipped with swords and shields, but also pikes, halberds, crossbows and arquebuses.

The horses made a fearful impression on the native americans, who had never seen such big animals before, charging at them, some clad in armor. Cortés allegedly said: ''after God, we owed our victory to the horses''.

Cortés reached the capital of Tenochtitlan on November 8, 1519, and they were received by Moctezuma, ruler of the Aztecs. After several bloody battles back and forth, hundreds of Spanish lives lost and an unbelievable number of the Mexica population decimated, the conquest was over and in 1521 Tenochtitlan was renamed Mexico City.

When I created this diorama I tried to depict the clothing and armor as faithfully as possible. I have even tried to depict the colour of each horse correctly, as described by Bernal Diaz.

Contrary to popular belief, the classic portrait of Spanish conquistadores with morion helmets is wrong. To my knowledge they actually had a more medieval look, which would be appropriate for the period in question. My goal has been to only include different kinds of kettle helmets, cabasettes, sallets and early forms of burgonet helmets. As far as I know morion helmets were not in use until the middle of the 1500's.One can also notice the native quilted cotton armor used by the Mexica, that was quickly adapted by the Spaniards. Most of the common soldiers did not have lots of steel armor, since it was very expensive.

Lots of bits and pieces from many different brands has been used to get the correct appearance I'm after. Mainly Perry, Warlord Games, Gringo 40's, TAG, Steelfist Miniatures, Artizan Designs and Wargames Atlantic. I have sculpted some things aswell with green stuff.

I hope I have managed to capture the true look and atmosphere of the time.

At the end are several amazing pieces of art that I have used as inspiration.

Hernán Cortés and Malinalli. She was a Mexica slave girl that would eventually learn Spanish and translate for Cortés. She became one of the most valuable assets for Cortés and a respected member of the expedition. Without her the conquest may not have been successful. In history she has had many names, such as: La Malinche, Malintzin or doña Marina.

Bernal Diaz was one of the soldiers. Later in his life he wrote a book about his participation in the conquest. It is one of the most important sources we have today. It gives us a glimpse into the past and the life of not only Cortés but also the ordinary soldiers and native americans.

Gonzalo de Sandoval was the youngest officer and a soldier from Medellín. He eventually became one of Cortés's most trusted lieutenants, in charge with many near-death missions during the invasion of Mexico.

Pedro de Alvarado, nicknamed ''Tonatiuh'' (the sun) by the Aztecs due to his blond hair, was allegedly a handsome, flamboyant and athletic officer. But he was also extremely cruel and reckless, giving Cortés a series of headaches during the campaign. During an episode of ''la Noche Triste'' he leaped over a gap in the bridges with the use of a pike. He would later in his career invade Guatemala.

An able officer, Juan de Escalante was assigned the command of the first established colony in Mexico, named ''Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz'' near Cempoala. He met thousands of Aztecs on the battlefield of Nautla. Escalante had 2 cannons, 3 crossbowmen, 2 arquebusiers, 40 soldiers and over 2000 Totonac Allies. The latter eventually fled the field and the spaniards were driven back. Escalante died of his wounds.

Francisco de Morla was one of the captains of the eleven ships of the expedition. He is acknowledged by Bernal Diaz to be the first cavalryman that led a charge against the Maya in the beginning of the conquest. Not much is known about him, and he later perished during ''La Noche Triste'', in the desperate and fatal escape from Tenochtitlan.

Cristóbal de Olid and Juan Velázques de León looking at something in the distance. Velázques de León was a relative of the governor of Cuba. He died when the Aztecs attacked the spaniards as they fled Tenochtitlan during what would later be known as the Sad Night or ''La Noche Triste''. Weighed down by gold he fell down and became stuck in one of the huge piles of bodies that accumulated as hundreds of people tried to push forward and escape the city on the narrow bridges.

Tlaxcalan or Totonac porters.

African slaves were a regular aspect of the conquistador expeditions, something that is not often mentioned in my opinion. Some free men even joined as soldiers.