Maximilian adventure in North Africa (16th Century)

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

A little while ago, I - perhaps a tad foolishly - staked my reputation (OK, no laughing at the back) on the fact that the 30,000 German auxiliaries shipped to North America for the War of Independence, represented the largest gathering of armed Germans outside of continental Europe prior to the Afrika Korps in 1941 (the late 19th Century colonial garrisons in Africa and the Far East apparently were small and mostly recruited locally).  However.....

.....in the back of my mind (OK, again with the laughing? - I'm noting down names) there was a vague recollection of a military expedition to North Africa during the 16th Century, sent by either Maximilian I or II.  The source for this is one of the FoG:R army list books, but it doesn't really give much detail and, in any event, I can't remember where I put the damn book!  I cannot find any reference to it on t'interweb, but do any of the Renaissance Men on here have any details?  I'm really only looking for numbers, but any background info would be appreciated just as much.

Yours in anticipation.....

[Mad Doc Morris]

Neither Max I nor II nor a 'German' adventure – but perhaps you're thinking of Charles V and his "Tunisian campaign"?

[TheBlackCrane]

Yep, sounds like 1535 Tunis Campaign to me. (Charles V, as Mad Doc Morris says)

Unless you're thinking of the Battle of Three Kings in 1580 (Sebastian I of Portugal)

[juergen c. olk]

Brandenburg setup a garrison and small fort in Ghana .1682 Brandenburg setup "Grossfriedrichsburg "..transferred later to Holland.The Brandenburg  African trading co.When the Dutch took over,the Locals whohad sworn allegiance to Brandenburg,fought the Dutch,till a document from Brandenburg came releasing them from their vow.It took a year.

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Neither Max I nor II nor a 'German' adventure – but perhaps you're thinking of Charles V and his "Tunisian campaign"?

Thank you - yes, I think this was the one I was thinking of.  There were only 8,000 Germans involved, so I was at least right about the AWI being the largest deployment of armed Germans outside of mainland Europe prior to WW2.

That Portuguese ship with 366 guns sounds a bit of a monster!!!