Battle of Raqqa

So, this isn't really a full AAR. It's just a single custom battle I recently fought and I thought it was interesting how it all played out.

Raqqa

Between the Eighth and the Ninth Crusade there was a battle forgotten by history. This is the story of that battle.

The Mongolian army held their position at the crossing near Raqqa. Their mission was to keep the feuding Mamluks and Crusaders out of Mongolian territory. The army, small for a Mongolian force, was led by a Captain Agarbad. He had led many raids against the Mamluks under the great general Kitbuga, vassal of the great Ilkhan Hulagu. Success against the Mamluks had been great and the progress of Mongolian expansion was going well. Hulagu's leadership had brought Damascus under the rule of the Great Khan. But lately, rumors persisted that among the Crusaders there were plans on attacking the Mongolian Empire. Agarbad was stationed at his post in Raqqa to deter such thoughts. The rumor was that the head of the local Teutonic order desired to fight against the Mongols, however his Hospitaller and Templar allies were apparently not interested in such aggressions. With their war against the Mamluks still raging, it only made sense.

And yet, there they were. The Knights Hospitaller and the Templar across from the Mongolian army near Raqqa. Agarbad was confused by what he saw, he was sure that the Crusaders would not attack the post at Raqqa. But, perhaps it was too soon to be certain, still, he ordered his army into battle formation.

"Rocket launchers, take position on the hill. Archers, support the rocket launchers. Naffatun, stay close to the rocket launchers. Cavalry, to the center. Horse archers, support the flanks. We'll see what these men intend!" The captain made sure that his orders were followed and the army was equipped for a defense if need be.

His lieutenant asked him what he thought of the sight. "What do you think they intend Captain?"

"To make a show of force perhaps. Intimidation. We must respond with the same." the captain gazed over at the opposing armies. Their banners proudly displaying the cross of their orders. "They will have to cross the river to face us, and if they do, they'll suffer many losses."

The two armies occupied their side of the river, the Crusaders did not as the Mongolian army stand in formation. Instead in the low part of the valley they made camp and cooked their rations. A few men standing sentry, doubtlessly watching the Mongolian army for any sign of aggression. Upon the hill from the other side Agarbad watched the Crusaders, weighing out what he was seeing. "It seems they're just making camp."

"Perhaps to throw us off our guard Captain?" asked the lieutenant.

"Perhaps. I'm not reversing my order. The scouts counted one thousand warriors down there."

"One thousand?"

"And we number only four hundred."

"Captain Agarbad, if they attack, can we defeat them?" the lieutenant was clearly intimidated by what he had heard.

"I believe so. We control the high ground. We are the mighty Mongolian army lieutenant." Agarbad pointed to the enemy position, "With ground like this and an army like ours the enemies numbers is merely a liability. Under Kitbuga I've seen smaller forces beat larger ones than this across from us. We will prevail soldier, fear not."

Time went by and the Crusaders seemed to pull back, up into the hillside opposing the northern hill. It was then that Agarbad learned the fate of the general Kitbuga whom had just died in battle with the Mamluks at the Battle of Ain Jalut. Agarbad threw himself down from his horse, "Hulagu must avenge him! Kitbuga was our finest general!"

The messenger knelt beside the grieving captain, "Hulagu our great Khan shall punish them. Fear not. But, I have more news I'm afraid."

The captain looked up, "More news? What else could their be?"

"Since Kitbuga was respected by the Christians, they would not attack us, but now that he is dead, we know not what they will do. But, the Crusaders south of here must also know this news. For their allies Cilicia and Georgia also suffered greatly against Qutuz and Baibars." The messenger stood again, "I fear they may not respect our strength anymore."

Agarbad sprang up from the ground, "Then we must show them our valor!" He motioned to his soldiers, "To your positions men! Kitbuga and his warriors along with him may have died, but we must live to avenge him!"

The soldiers rushed into the positions they had become so accustomed to, Agarbad had drilled them extensively in this formation. The strategy was sound, in order for the enemy to reach the army they would have to climb the twin peaks the army was positioned upon. A valley between these hills allowed for the cavalry to rush down the hillside with great ease and speed. Agarbad and his cavalry positioned themselves at the crest. Their position ensured that if need be the fleet Mongol cavalry could deal a death blow to any enemy lucky, or rather, unlucky enough to ford the river.

Something stirred the Crusader army. The Hospitaller took up the left flank, and the Templar the right. And then together, the two armies marched to ford the river. The hour of battle had come!

The Crusaders in range of the rocket launchers died in the river as they crossed. Their army thick with men, many fell in the initial volleys. Volley followed volley, the Mongolian army had the advantage of range. Archers joined in on the assault. Mongolian arrows filled the sky. Agarbad shouted the order to fire and keep firing. The cavalry archers fired over the shoulders of the infantry. The barrages were devastating. Agarbad continued to shout his orders, encouraging his men. "Soon we shall destroy them all! Keep firing soldiers!"

The Knights Hospitaller were the first to cross the river. Agarbad knew he couldn't allow anyone to cross the river. "Cavalry! Charge! Drive them back!" The cavalry charged nimbly down the valley path between the two hills. The warriors exclaiming their threats to the Crusaders.

The met with the enemy general ascending the hill that led to the Mongols right flank, Agarbad and the light cavalry collided with the Hospitaller general with great force. They slew many in the generals retinue and the general himself, falling from his horse. Agarbad rallied his men, "Do not relent! We shall drive them all back!" they pushed on and stemmed the tide of the Crusaders advance. Making the point of crossing a deathtrap for the advancing Crusaders, but they had many men left yet, and so the captain ordered his men back, "Fall back, we shall charge again!"

The Mongols fled up the hill, their cavalry battered but far from broken. The captain bellowed out a second charge, the Crusaders had pursued but they would be struck a second time. "Charge warriors! Drive them back! Break them!"

The warriors charged into the wall of iron and steel that was the advancing Crusaders. They met with initial success but began to lose against the discipline and sheer number of the enemy troops. The cavalry broke, the captain's unit as well. Advancing Crusaders shouted amongst themselves. "Capture the heathen general! Don't let him escape!"

Agarbad's warriors fought hard to protect the captain. "Do not let them capture the captain! Rally men, trade your lives for the captain's!"

Agarbad watched as his soldiers resisted the enemy's advance, his guard fighting hard while the light cavalry fled up the hill, a warrior before him called out that he had found an escape route. But the warrior was killed by a Hospitaller cavalryman, soon the Mongolian captain was surrounded by Hospitallers. The captain was covered in blood and wounds, he lifted his sword up but to no avail, an enemy grabbed him from the back. A cavalryman ordered the soldier to take him back to the Crusader's camp. "Make sure that he can't escape. We shall deal with him latter."

The captain tried to resist but it was pointless, he had been captured. He sobbed heavily. "I have failed the Great Khan Hulagu!"

With the captain captured it was now the job of the lieutenant to maintain order in the army, he rode to the back of the Mongol lines. "Men! Do not cease to fire! We shall destroy them with our volleys!"

The devastating Mongolian volleys continued to harass the advancing Crusaders. Many fell at the base of the two hills. But they were gaining ground. Soon the naffatun were within range of the enemy. Advancing through the central valley they were quite vulnerable to the dangerous naphtha pots. Many Knights Templar died in the valley. The lieutenant knew the army was doing an excellent job, but the situation was worsening. The enemy infantry was gaining more ground on the hills. But they would easily break once within range of the naffatun and the dangerous gaze of the rocket launcher. The archers were ordered to switch to fire arrows to best break the enemy morale. But they advanced yet closer and closer. Soon the rocket launchers and the archers were in a melee. The archers had been prepared for a close quarters fight with their lamellar armor and sabres, they were fresh enough for a fight too. They fought against Hospitaller cavalry on the right flank while the left flank forced the infantry to fight against dangerous Templar cavalry. The mounted archers continued to harass the enemy while the naphtha throwers killed enemy soldiers with each of their dangerous volleys.

The lieutenant who rode with the horse archers let out a call, "All cavalry! Charge!" The horse archers who were still fresh joined the fray along with the remnant of the light cavalry. The fight went well, with many Crusaders falling to the Mongols defense. But then the enemy arbalests and guns crept up the hill far enough to engage the Mongolian army. The Mongolian army began to fall back, the cavalry broke. The artillerymen and the naffatun were both engaged in the brutal hand to hand combat. The battle, though it was no longer in their favor, did not seem to deter the Mongol warriors resolve. Cries rang out amongst them, "Fight to the death!"

The lieutenant inspired his cavalry to rejoin the fight. Crusaders had spread out all over the plain behind the hills. "Shoot them down while yet there is life in you!" The horse archers spread out and fired into the mass of Crusaders. The infantry tried desperately to keep the knights from engaging their remaining cavalry. "If they defeat the cavalry the battle is over!" cried an officer of the archers.

The lieutenant was swarmed with Crusader knights, despite the infantry's efforts to contain them. He yelled out to his cavalry, "Attack! For Agarbad, Kitbuqa, and Great Khan Hulagu!" The fight quickly turned to the Crusaders, the lieutenant shouted out more encouragements, "Look how our warriors fight! Don't disgrace our ancestors!" Suddenly the lieutenant was struck down from his horse, a wound to the head killed him instantly, his warriors broke. The Crusaders pursued, while the few archers who were left fired into the mass of charging cavalry with one last volley of fire arrows. The archers fought on, but were eventually cut down, one by one. Preferring death to the shame of retreat.

Agarbad wept in the enemy camp, the soldiers guarding him were covered in blood from the fierce battle. Their tabards drenched in blood. The river too had turned red and murky from the dead who now filled the desert river. The battle over, his warriors fled or killed, he refused to speak, and simply stared down into the dark sand.

The Crusaders had paid dearly. The smaller Mongolian force had fought well, easily killing more than their total number in the long battle. Had they had more troops the battle would not have went to the Crusaders. But alas, the Mongolian raiding party was only so many men strong and far away from reinforcements. In the end, the battle was just another battle fought in the desert sands only to be forgotten.