Battle of Kamienski
Dietrich of Saxony was not happy. He sat on his war horse on a hill near the village of Kamienski, to South East from Stettin. A beutifull valley opened under his eyes,as he sat on his horse looking at a dust cloud in the distance, created by rapidly advancing horse of one of his scouts.The ground was lovely,but he had no missile troops to protect the hills he had deployed his men on.
The scouts had spotted the enemy force and the reports sayed that there were nearly 200 Polish mounted noblemen coming at his way with about 100 Nobles on foot. He had little over hundred Spearmen and about same amount of Peasants as his infantry and Adolf Von Mahren´s and his own knights,amounting 62 men on horseback.
He had the high ground,but what to do with it? The Polish were known of their use of missiles on horseback so they could just run around his force,hurling missiles from their horses,while the heavier German Knights couldnt catch them. There were only glumps of trees on the hills,so he Dietrich could not protect his force by going inside an forest. Dietrich sat there for a while looking around and thinking.
For a little while he forgot the Polish army aproaching the battlefiield and the upcoming battle.He didnt think of the last years marching around the Reich on muddy roads with his men, building watchtowers and waiting for the message from Kaiser that he wouldnt be the Duke of Franconia anymore. In his eyes he saw his beutifull wife,smiling at him,like she had done on many quite evenings,when they were with each other smiling talking and doing what lovers do.
Dietrich woke up from his thoughts,as he heard the loud yell from the aproaching messenger: "The Polish are coming! The Polish are coming!"
Quickly he called to him,Von Mahren and the captain of the Spearmen.
Dietrich spoke with determination in his voice:
"Gentlemen. We are not here to die today! We will beat the Polish here today.Captain! Take command of the Peasants also and deploy your men to that ridge between these two hills."
Captain looked in Dietrichs eyes and nodded like a man who is going into a certain death and started to turn around to give orders to his men. But before he could,Dietrich continued:
"Captain, listen carefully. You will be our bait with your men. I will deploy my Knights on the other side of this hill we are standing so the Polish wont see us from the valley. Von Mahren will deploy his Knights,there behind the other hill on your right side. When the Polish Nobles see that there are only few men on foot on a hill against them, they will come right at you. Now listen carefully,since what you do then can decide the battle. When The Polish cavalry aProaches your men, you order your troops to run. And you will keep running untill you reach the highest spot on the ridge. Then turn around and fight and hold the line.I will attack the Polish right and Von Mahren their left flank. If God will´s we will trap them and the day is ours.If not,then atleast no one can say we didnt try."
Dietrich stared the captain of the Spearmen for a second and continued:
"Did you understand my orders?"
Captain nodded,looking same time worried and anxious.
"Then go man and give your orders to your men!"
Dietrich turned towards Von Mahren and sayed:
"My good man Mahren, what we are about to do could be the last thing for both of us. Do you have any questions?"
Mahren answered briefly:
"My Lord! Nothing to ask.Lets run down the Polish scum!"
Dietrich smiled becouse of the determinanation of the younger man and continued:
"Remember.Wait untill the Polish get in melee with our foot men.We cant let them escape or we are Finished.We will meet at the center once the Polish have been slain. Good luck and may God be with us all."
Von Mahren nodded and started galloping towards his men.
The Battle ensued first like Dietrich had planned.The Polish Nobility charged the Spearmen and two units of them were trapped between the Spearmen and German Knights. Third Unit of the Polish Nole cavalry charged the same mass and routed Dietrichs peasants, but Dietrich rallied them with his warhorn after some time. Dietrich charged and formed up and again and again and again. He saw how on the right Von Mahren fought like a beast with his men,giving blows to right and left. But the Polish were no peasants and they just kept on fighting untill also the dismounted nobles entered the fray. Dietrich and his men were covered on blood of their own and their enemies,while forming up again and again. While after each charge there was less and less of them. Finally he had only three of his knights with him and he saw that there were not much more men left of Von Mahrens Knights. Dietrich thought that it was just matter of time,when the younger Lion or himself would be struck down to the mud.
But suddenly as Lord himself had watched over the German army.The Polish commander was struck down by one of the remaining spearmen. This cutted the backbone of the Nobility of Poland,that had so far fought equally to any German. The Polish still outnumbering the tired Germans,broke of through and rode away,while the few German Knights led by Dietrich and Von Mahren charged after them.
The ridge was a grim site of butchery.Dead and dying men and horses with the ground coloured red from the blood. The Polish horses were faster, so after short time Dietrich ordered his knights to turn around and finish of the reminders of the Dismounted Polish.
Dietrichs tired men,what was left of them had captured only few prisoners,but as there were not many of them left themselves either. Dietrich had no choice,but execute the prisoners and move his army of the area before another Polish army would arrive.
The Butchers bill:
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