The Assault on Metz, 1083
My lord Hugues de Champagne was content to wait out the rebels in Metz. Two more seasons, and a lack of supplies would have forced them to sally forth or surrender. However, news reached the Duc that a large German army was fording the Moselle to the south. Obviously we had beaten them to Metz, but now they were heading west into our own Duchy. Whether the Germans will prove to be hostile or not, a quick resolution of the siege was needed to free up the Duc's army.
My lord wished to attack the front gate of the castle with his one ram and continue with a frontal assault on the garrison. I suggested, considering the parity of forces and the fact that ram could also batter in wooden walls, an attack on the south-eastern corner of the fort.
This way our forces would only be in range of one watchtower. Also, some of the inner buildings of the castle would screen any company entering from direct arrow shot. My lord grudgingly acceded to this wisdom after prolonged encouragement.
A company of spearmen moved the ram to the wall, with archers in a loose formation nearby. The retinues of my lord and his vassals hung back.
Which was felicitious because Captain Evrart decided to sally.
My lord and his vassals, Bertin de Montsault and Thomas de Saint-Amand, gathered their retinues to meet this threat. Captain Ervart compounded his folly by not reforming his men after coming through the small gate. They were still strung out and unorganized when my lord did what he does best, charge straight ahead.
Caught flat footed on three sides by horsemen at full gallop, Captain Evrart's company was destroyed within moments. Only two men escaped back to safety, the Captain was not one of them.
As this slaughter was happening, the wall was breached.
Two companies of rebel spearmen had marched over to repel the assault, but they withdrew back to the main yard as my lord returned to enter the castle.
As my lord entered, the rebel archers, their line of sight blocked by buildings, moved to loose on him. The Duc took umbrage at this.
A few managed to make it back to the spearmen in the yard. My lord wished to bag them all, but I reminded him that taking Metz would prove of little use if he fell victim to a well timed spear thrust.
Having removed the enemy's cavalry and archers, the Duc ordered our entire army into the fort. One company of spearmen worked their way along the eastern wall, while the other screened the archers who took position on the slope of the motte south of the keep. My lord gathered his retinue to the north of the keep. Bertin made his way along the northern wall, positioning himself behind the rebels. Thomas and his men were in reserve behind the archers, waiting to pounce.
From the motte, our archers began to rain arrows down on the rebel spearmen. Now that the yard of the castle was no longer of any protection, the garrison charged their tormentors.
This allowed Bertin from the north wall and the spearmen from the east wall to march into the yard, threatening the rebels' rear. Then my lord called a general advance, and the garrsion was beset from all sides.
They were surrounded and destroyed.
Duc Hugues decided to occupy Metz on merciful terms in gratitude for the rank stupidity shown by the garrison. While my lord is all for winning first in battle, he is a merciful ruler afterwards. Though he has begun to call me his "veteran warrior", in response to my tactical suggestions no doubt. I believe he is being sarcastic, which is a less admirable trait of my lord.
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