Gripen: 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.''

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.