There they joined an existing contingent of 12,000 Landsknechts in French service, originally drafted for a planned invasion of England under the Yorkist pretender Richard de la Pole that was aborted after the Anglo-French peace treaty of St Germain-en-Laye in 1514.
The full Landsknecht contingent of Francis I. army in 1515 was initially 17,000 men strong, composed of 12,000 pikemen, 2,000 arquebusiers, 2,000 two-handed swordsmen, and 1,000 halberdiers.
The Black Band marched into Italy in 1515, led by Asche von Cramm, in time to fight alongside King Francis I at the Battle of Marignano, where, defending the ditch and supported by artillery, they nonetheless recoiled from the attacking Swiss, but did not break.
Before the battle Georg Langenmantel, Obrist of the band, stepped out and tried to challenge Frundsberg or Ems to single combat, but was killed by the Imperials in response.
Struck in both flanks -- “seize[d] … as if with tongs”—and hacked to pieces, the Black Band was killed almost to the last man, including both of their leaders, and ceased to exist.