Battle reports thread - King of the Romans PBM

The storming of Antioch, 1318

Elberhard sat with his head in his hands. His time as Chancellor was coming to a close and the enormity of the ruin the Reich had experienced under his stewardship was overpowering.

“Chin up.” said Linyeve, breezily. “It can’t be that bad.”

Elberhard looked up, exasperated. “Can’t be that bad? Think of what I have “achieved” during my term of office. I’ve given away a large chunk of the Reich. Seen my Kaiser assassinated. Watched my men sack the capital of our most faithful ally. Stood by as zealots killed poor Pope Abbate. Had my partner run off with the entire Treasury. Can there ever have been a worse King of Rome?”

Linyeve smiled, as if enjoying her husband’s discomfort: “Oh, I am sure there has.”

“Who?”

“Err… Nero, perhaps?” Linyeve teased.

“@#$%^&!!! off!” said Elberhard, emphatically. “It’s not my fault.” He whined. “The @#$%^&!!ing Bavarians killed the Kaiser. The @#$%^&!!ing Franconians started the war with Byzantium. The @#$%^&!!ing Austrians killed the Pope. And the @#$%^&!!ing Swabians are killing themselves! Only the @#$%^&!!ing crusaders in Outremer have been true.”

“Yes, and you @#$%^&!!ed the crusaders over, didn’t you?” said Linyeve, evilly.

Elberhard sunk his head back into his hands.

“Look” said Linyeve, seriously. “Forget about internal politics. You won’t have to worry about that for a while. There are far greater threats externally.”

“Whaddya mean?”

“I heard from my contacts at the English court. The Poles have been putting out feelers to all the Catholic powers. They are trying to organise a crusade against us. And not just any old crusade – not just each nation sending one to take one of our cities. But a crusade to crush the Reich completely. To take advantage of its weakness. Already our enemies are mustering fresh armies and preparing to cross our borders in concert.”

“Who is part of this alliance?”

“Everyone. Or almost everyone. The Poles have even brought the Orthodox Russians on board. The Hungarians have led the way with their destruction of the First Household Army of Austria. The breaking of the siege of Thessalonica has encouraged the Venetians to go on the attack. The Papacy is enraged by the extermination of Durazzo and the killing of the Pope. The surprise victory at Ajaccio is spurring the Sicilians to raise a massive army to do it right next time. The French can barely contain their delight at Swabia falling into civil war and rebellion. While the Danes have seen the arrival of Peter von Kastilien on their borders as the signal for a renewed drive on Hamburg.”

“And they are all going to work together?”

“Yes. While the Byzantines hold our attention in Italy and Outremer, the rest of Europe will fall on our flanks and rear.”

“@#$%^&!!ing hell!” sighed Elberhard. “What do I do?”

“Oh, that’s easy. There is only one thing for you to do." Linyeve said grimly: "You fight.”

*****

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Wary of what ten regiments of heavy cavalry could do in open battle, Elberhard attacks them at night, while most are still in barracks.

After a night march, the Kaiser’s army had arrived at Antioch. Elberhard watched with interest the deployment of the two batteries of cannon. He had been impressed by the stories of this new weapon and was keen to see it in action.

“Target the gates” he ordered.

One volley and the gates were down.

“@#$%^&!!ing hell!” said Elberhard appreciatively.

He turned to Jan the Teuton. Jan winced, remembering the fury with which the Kaiser had greeted him on return from Rome.

“Captain – you are in command. Bring up the army through the gates.”

Jan looked puzzled, as Elberhard spurred his escort off through the gates.

“Where does he think he is going?” he muttered as the Kaiser and his men entered the city alone.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The gate breached, the Byzantine cavalry mount up and head for the walls.



Elberhard races to infiltrate the city before they Byzantines reach the gate.

As the army began to approach the city, Jan saw crossbows start to poke out of the adjoining towers and fire on his troops. Through the smashed gates, he could see Byzantine cavalry arriving to block the entrance.

“Sergeants!” Jan called out. “Through the gates! For God, for Kaiser and for the Reich!”

The armoured spearmen poured through the gates into the enemy cavalry. Although the Muslim mercenary cavalry holding Antioch for Byzantium was well armoured, its main advantages were neutralised by its caught stationary and in a confined space.

“Archers! Indirect fire – shoot over the walls!” ordered Jan.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As the Byzantines cavalry focus on the armoured spearmen coming through the gates, they are demoralised by arching fire from German crossbowmen over the walls.



Elberhard’s escort, already within the city walls, hits the Byzantine cavalry in the rear, routing three regiments on impact.

The fighting was bitter but brief. Soon the enemy were in flight and through the gates Jan saw the Kaiser’s escort pursue them.

As Jan entered the city, he was greeted by an exuberant Elberhard.

“Great scrap, eh?” said the Kaiser. “Right – bring the spearmen through the streets. But halt them just a little ahead of the walls. I want you to create a killing zone for the enemy cavalry. Place the crossbowmen on the walls, so they can provide support. I am going to move to the east side of the city, so I can hit them in the flank as they fixate on you.”

Jan saluted. Sounds like a plan, he thought.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Byzantine general leads his men into the path of waiting German schiltrons. His death undermines the Romans morale.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Germans create a killing zone on the road to the gate. Behind the schiltrons, crossbowmen fire bolts into any approaching cavalry. Due to an oversight, only one regiment makes it onto the walls but kills 145 men – about ten times as much as the regiments left to fire indirectly from the ground.

Even Jan was surprised by how successful the Kaiser’s tactics were. The Byzantine cavalry could make no impression on the German schiltrons. After the death of their general, the enemy seemed crippled by low morale. Typically they would advance – take heavy losses from the crossbows on the walls – and then flee after only the weakest pretence of engaging the German schiltron.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Elephants with musketeers and mounted crossbowmen add to the carnage.



The main street to the city centre is left littered with the corpses of Byzantine cavalry.

After his men had expended about half their ammunition, Jan heard a loud “hurrah!” coming from the east side of the city. Evidently the Kaiser was making his move.

“Charge!” roared Jan.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

When the enemy have been sufficiently depleted, Elberhard delivers the coup de grace.

After the battle, Elberhard returned to Linyeve, his face flushed with pride.

“Well, it’s a start, I suppose.” she said.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The butcher’s bill




Mindful of King Jan’s guidance, Elberhard occupies the city.




And gains some much needed florins and authority from his actions.




With the German Kaiser occupying a Byzantine city, any hope of a rapprochement between the western and eastern “Romans” is destroyed.