Battle reports thread - King of the Romans PBM

[Ramses II CP]

Near the walls of Hamburg, 1342.

'M'lord the moment we've been waiting for has arrived. I thought you would want to watch.' The weary Albanian shuffled his feet and gazed at the ground while speaking to Fritz von Kastilien. As well he might, Fritz had been ruthless in driving his men to reach the siege works, and then upon their arrival had set a close guard and given the men a watchful rest period. Now the scout was forced by Fritz's own order to interrupt his general's council with the captains of the army.

For once, however, Fritz appeared pleased, if briefly, and dismissed his captains with only a few final words. 'The same formation will be fine Robert, the flag men assure me that the garrison will sally when called and meet us in the field, but even if they don't the crossbowmen will have to hold the line. Make sure those Honor Guard banners are visible tied to the stake tips! Hans, you know what to do, make every charge count.'

'Now, take me to your vantage point, and be quick!' An imperious gesture sent the scout racing for his horse, Fritz right on his heels. The men rode out in haste and soon came to a small rock outcropping which provided a narrow look at the distant siegeworks north-east of Hamburg. Unbeknownst to the besiegers, who were watching an arranged distraction on the walls at Hamburg, a hundred and fifty badly treated Danes were crawling through the deepening snow to try to reach their position. Some of them were impossibly far behind the lead group, and more than a few had ceased moving entirely, but the front runners would soon be impossible for the siege army's scouts to miss.

Scarce moments after Fritz's arrival a stirring was visible in the Danish camp as a small group of Huscarls mounted up in response to some signal and rode into the snow field. As they reached the site of the first crawling ruin of a man several of the Danes drew up early, and after the shock passed half of them bent double in their saddles and puked violently into the snow. Fritz rubbed his hands together briskly, whether in response to the sickness of the Danes or simply to keep them warm the Albanian could not know, but whatever the cause the cavalryman shivered and thought back on what his general had ordered done with the prisoners when word came of the refusal to pay ransom.

At that time Fritz had seemingly taken the news calmly, standing and departing his tent in the camp near Hamburg with his arm almost jovially thrown around the messenger boy. Striding outside Fritz pulled the man along to the field where the battered Danish prisoners were kept. At a single gesture from their commander the German infantrymen and crossbowmen leapt to their feet and began pulling the Danes apart into groups. These valiant men, mighty veterans of the Danish wars, gave no resistance, perhaps thinking they had been ransomed, until it was too late. When they had been scattered into small groups and held hopelessly surrounded, Fritz's soldiers began the bloodletting. First they cut off the prisoner's fingers, all of them, with short chopping motions of their daggers. Next, as they lay writhing in pain, the Danes were hamstrung in both legs, and finally a cloth was tied around their mouths and a line formed to load them roughly into wagons.

Then Fritz had turned to the boy and spoke, 'You will carry no word back to your man Inge at Hamburg. He'll hear soon enough. You will instead ride north for Arhus as hard as you can. You will never return to German lands. Tell your King and every man you pass on the road that I am coming. Tell him I will ride through **** itself to find him.'

'And tell him if he ever wants to see his soldiers again, he'll have to start paying or stop sending them against me.'

And that was how over a hundred crippled Danes came to be crawling through the snow towards Hamburg. It was well that these remnants of men were the hardy veterans of the Danish Honor Guards, else none of them might have survived to be seen. As it was there were not many still crawling, and the Huscarls could only bring themselves to carry back the most lively looking in the group of frontrunners. Gruesome cries could be heard to echo up the field towards the rocky outcrop when the Huscarls slung that lucky survivor over a horse's back and rode away back to their camp.

A small, grim smile crept momentarily over Fritz's face before he stood, clapped the Albanian on the back, and walked quickly back to his horse. 'Keep a watch and bring word when they form up. We'll be ready. Well done!'

Riding back to the lines Fritz's headache had departed fully for the first time in weeks. This was a battle in which he'd have the advantage no matter the numbers, no matter the experience of the men. Either the Danes would fight with berserker fury and break sharply, like a firm, dry stick, or they'd fight with fear and flee at the first taste of the lance. No matter which was the case every one of them would be dragged down and destroyed.

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There was little infantry remaining in Fritz's army, but it would surely be enough to hold until the arrival of the reinforcements from Hamburg. Those men should be sallying to join him already, and would approach from the rear after departing the north gate of the city.



Han's orders were different this time. His intent was to terrorize the Danes rather than scatter them, to make them fear the unpredictable coming of the Teutons, and so he circled his men around to the rear of the Danish formation before striking home as the Albanians chased away a small contingent of mounted crossbowmen.



Inge drove his men on, demanding that they disregard the harassing attacks of the Teutons. Every brutal strike left dozens of corpses piled in the snow.



Inevitably the Danes started to peer over their shoulders while marching, leading to chaos in the lines and a slow, disorderly advance.



Seeing this, Fritz sent in the Merchant cavalry militia from Hamburg with the captain of the garrison at their head directly against the spearhead of the Danish army. They crashed through a company of crossbowmen who were desperately on watch against a Teuton attack against a their 'rear.'



Inge now struggled to organize his cavalry to defend the infantry. Seeing this, Hans switched sides and struck the Danes' left rear flank hard.



He paid for it when, while pulling back, his Teutons were hit by a charge from the Danish mounted Huscarls. Those men had no heart for this fight, however, and routed almost immediately.



Alas, while Hans was dealing with the enemy Huscarls one of his companies of Teutons bogged down during a charge and was hit with a volley from the Danish handgunners. Their horses reared in terror and began carrying them from the field, the riders unwilling to flee but unable to halt the flight. (Okay, WTH! There were only 4 handgunners remaining. This was an odd rout, and these men didn't recover their morale either, they were all captured or fled.)



Seeing his enemy in disarray Inge led his guardsmen on the attack! Fritz, watching from a nearby wood, saw the Danish general commit himself to battle and rode forth to aid Hans and the Teutons.



While struggling to find Inge in the crush, Fritz caught sight of the enemy's Chivalric Knights charging to join the battle. %&$^, thought Fritz, just when I was getting my blood up! Quickly he turned his guardsmen and pulled the Danish knights into a tail chase to prevent them reinforcing their commander.



Riding back towards his infantry, Fritz caught sight of the first clash of the lines. The Hamburg militia had arrived in plenty of time, and set their lines well supported by a fresh company of merchant cavalry. If nothing was done, the experienced Danish infantry (3x bronze mostly) would eventually overwhelm them. Shouting as he rode by, with Chivalric Knights still in pursuit, Fritz made it clear that he intended the fresh merchant cavalry to line up and charge cleanly into the rear of the Danish companies one by one until they routed.



Meanwhile Inge Henriksson had exhibited unexpected good sense and withdrawn from the fighting with the Teutons, alive but with a gutted bodyguard unit. Spotting a man in full plate Inge had no doubt taken him for the German general, but in fact it was only the captain of the Hamburg garrison.



The Danes courageously charged the fifty merchant cavalrymen with their seven guardsmen, seeking to behead the German army, pursued by the dozens of remaining Teutonic Knights. Only Inge himself would survive to assail and ultimately kill Captain Hugo.



At the line, however, the courage of the Danes had failed. With their general nowhere in sight, with their archers and crossbowmen slaughtered behind them, and with the unceasing charges of the fresh merchant cavalry militia against their rear the powerful Danish soldiers broke and attempted to flee the field. Perhaps their will was broken by the rumor which had swept through their camp of the fate of the Honor Guard army holding the bridge to their west, or perhaps they were simply outmatched. Very few would survive.



Inge Henriksson was not among the survivors, as the Teutons caught him and cut him down just as his valiant efforts routed the reduced company of merchant cavalry militia who were shocked by the death of their captain.



Fritz reached the safety of his lines moments after the general rout began, and his Chivalric Knight pursuers became caught up in it. Forced to choose between riding down their own to continue the pursuit or fleeing as well, they turned tail and ran.



In the end a slow, battered company of Obudshaer were all that still held their courage, marching bravely forward until a crushing Teutonic Knight charge caught them out of formation while passing a tree and butchered them to a man.



Back at the infantry line Fritz shook his head while watching the pursuit. Once again his men had done little in the battle, which had been won by the power of his wit rather than the might of his swordarm. Ah well, thought Fritz, now what in the name of God am I going to do with all these prisoners?

Ransom would've been quite nice, but it is refused:

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Fritz gets a reputation:

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[Zim]

Andreas raced to Antioch as soon as he got the message from Viceroy Matthias. Apparently the Greeks had moved their major armies away from Antioch, to the east. Whether it was cowardice in the face of the Viceroy's victory, or if they had not yet received news of the battle and assumed their man had won, making them needed more against the Turks, Andreas did not know. Whatever the reason, they had left the city in the hands of a single unit of Vardaratoi, although an elite one.

Since the news of a large army marching north might bring the Greeks back before he could reach Antioch, Andreas decided to take only a small force, including his bodyguard, a slightly depleted unit of spearmen, and the cannons needed to takeou he city walls. It was a risky move but a needed one, and Andreas was driven to it partly by guilt over not contributing to Outremer's defense to the extent he ad wanted. He was able to reach Antioch before any Greek scouts spotted his force, and assaulted it immediately.

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The cannon crews, experienced from their battles alongside Matthias, took down several sections of the wall in minutes.

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Oddly, the Byzantine cavalry did not have the tower walls manned to shoot at Andreas' men, and did not come to block entry into the city. Perhaps the Greek captain felt that with only one unit of men and several breeches in the wall, trying to plug one would only result in his being surrounded, or worse yet in cannon bombardments of hs position. Encouraged, Andreas ordered his spearmen to aim for the leftmost breech and his own bodyguard into the rightmost one.

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His men's entry into the city seemed to jolt the Greeks from their stupor, and they came forward to shoot at the German spearmen. Andreas ordered he spearmen to hold their position. The Vardaratoi had stopped next to an open street on one side, and he hoped to take his guard around and strike them from two spots.

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Although his spearmen took some losses from the expert horsearchers, Andreas' plan worked. Andreas' guard slammed into the flank of the Greeks, splitting their forces in two. This was the signal for the spearmen to charge, and half the Greek forces were taken out in detail, including the enemy captain.

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Their captain defeated, the Greeks were allowd to surrender, and Andreas occupied the town peacefully. Andreas was treated to throngs of rejoicing citizens. It would seem that the Greek extermination of the great city some years earlier had increased support for the Reich. The local merchants event donated over 1,000 florins from their coffers to help repair the damaged buildings in the town. It would take time to repair the city, and rebuild the old church, but in regaining its capital Outremer had finally begun to go on the offensive.

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[deguerra]

Bruges, 1342

Heinrich strode into the chamber, tentatively feeling a bloody scar on his left cheek.

“Really, Ludwig, next time you can make lewd suggestions to arrogant French princesses yourself. In the unlikely event that that…Guillemette snob…ever finds a husband, may God have mercy on his soul. And anyway, I am paid to fight, not as a diplomat!”

Ludwig smiled up at his friend from the desk at which he had been sitting. Heinrich noticed that the desk was empty. Ludwig had an annoying tendency to forego planning for thought and prayer at pivotal moments.

“We are needed at the walls, Heinrich. Baldwin looks like he is about to attack from the South.”

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At the walls

“What in the Lords name is he doing, Heinrich? He’s sending those catapults out undefended? Does he expect me to sit here waiting for him to pointlessly smash my walls down while I do nothing? Saddle up!”

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Having slaughtered the catapult crew, Ludwig calls out to his men

“That’s enough, there’s not enough of them to man these catapults now! Back to the walls! And where in Gods name are those Frenchies heading now?!?”

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“I think, Ludwig, that they might have finally discovered our walls are already breached in the East, from the fine work Jan von der Pfalz and those English did several years ago”

“And so they’re going to give me a beautiful column I can just charge into? Men, to the Trebuchet crew! And then kill those Scots guards!”

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Meanwhile, Thomas Bogaard, the civilian mayor of Bruges, and commander of the City Watch has the Town Guard lining the Square, ready for anything, which is just as well, because the first French Lancers are about to reach them.

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The ensuing melee goes decidedly badly for France. The first Lancers to hit the Flemish pikes break and run almost immediately, under crossbow and gunfire. Baldwin Robert, the French General, rallies his men and sends another cavalry charge into the Flemish pike. This too, however, proves indecisive, as the Flemish are able to beat back his cavalry with minimal losses. Fearing this battle unwinnable, Baldwin attempts to quietly slip out of the town square and head for home. Just at this point, Ludwig and his bodyguard have reached the square from the other direction (behind the Flemish pike), after having routed the trebuchet crew and the Scots guards.

“Ludwig! He is running! That arrogant, foolish, stupid coward is running! Let’s get him!”

And so, having finally arrived for the battle, Ludwig’s men charge back out the South gate, to head off Baldwin, who is fleeing in that direction.

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In the meantime, the now leaderless French army is in a spot of bother. The Lancers and Dismounted Knights are refusing to charge, in front of them are formidable Pikemen, and their rear is rapidly being cut off by a small force of Crossbowmen and Hand Gunners, as well as Ludwig’s bodyguard, which is coming around from the outside. Taking charge of the situation, Thomas Bogaard orders the Pikemen and Spearman to advance slowly on the French lining the street.

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As unit by unit of Knights is attacked, the entire army makes one last desperate attempt to break out of the city. However, they are met by a devastating volley of gunfire from the street behind them, which immediately sends the entire army on a massive rout. They are cut down to the man.

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Heinrich strode into the chamber, tentatively feeling a bloody scar on his right cheek, also.

“Surely, you must be kidding Ludwig! You are not going to ransom those cowards!”

“We could have used the money, Heinrich, to rebuild our walls. But no, our offer of ransom has been rejected. I left the butchering to the Flemish. It is a foul, sinful deed, even if they are French. But it doesn’t seem to bother those whose lands they invaded.”

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[flyd]

Imperial Forecast Office, Nuremberg, December 24, 1342

Severe weather warning for central and northern Germany, in effect from noon today until December 29th. Expect heavy snowfall, extremely low temperatures, and low visibility. Move all livestock and peasants indoors for the duration of the warning. Do not go outside unless necessary, and if in the field, seek shelter immediately.

Magdeburg, 1342

After two days of bad weather, the Polish army, no longer able to withstand it in their camp, and not being able to march back to Poland, are forced to seek shelter in Magdeburg, by force.

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During its lengthy siege of the fortress, the enemy had constructed two siege towers, at least four battering rams, and numerous ladders. However, they had no advanced artillery. The Poles took the easiest approach to the fortress, from the east. Here, the outer wall was easily accessible. To at least eliminate the threat of the siege towers, the Imperial commander, Dieter Bresch, Count of Madgeburg, elected to abandon the outer wall, and set up a defense on the second wall. Most of the fighting was to occur at the inner eastern gate.

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The Inner Eastern Gate

The outer eastern gate was locked and abandoned.

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The Outer gate was breached with a battering ram.

After the initial breach, the enemy sent in a highly experienced unit of foot knights with ladders, as well as another battering ram.

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Poles within the walls of Madgeburg! A sight no Franconian ever wanted to see!

However, the Germans had an excellent defensive position. In order to approach the inner gate after having entered through the outer gate, one has to follow the inner wall for some distance. Imperial crossbowmen lined that wall, and inflicted heavy casualties. The enemy would lose a full one-fifth of their army before making first contact. The battering ram teams had issues too.

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As the first set of ladders reaches the wall, the first ram is destroyed.

Some Polish foot knights successfully scaled the wall, but were defeated. The enemy sent a second ram, which reached the gate, causing a breach. The rest of the Polish army entered the outer ring. The spearmen scaled the ladders left there by the previous attack, while the hussars attacked through the gate, both supported by the elite foot knights.

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The battle.

Three enemy units had scaled the wall, where they were engaged on both sides with German foot knights. The hussars, meanwhile, attempted to charge through the gate which was guarded by German sergeants. The sergeants took heavy casualties when the enemy cavalry was joined by foot knights, but both were held off with the help of our own cavalry. After a lengthy period of hand-to-hand combat on the wall, the enemy broke when a fresh unit of knights was brought in from the reserve.

As the enemy soldiers from the wall retreated, Lukas Godwinson arrived from Nuremberg, entering through western gate. They would pay for taking so many German lives that day.

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After these two attacks were defeated, the enemy still had a significant amount of cavalry outside the walls, but little infantry remaining. Dieter Bresch gave the order to withdraw behind the third and final set of walls.

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German flags still fly over Magdeburg.

The Poles did not attempt to breach the third set of walls. Their army withdrew and was not seen again. Offer of ransom for the prisoners was not accepted.

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[OverKnight]

The Third Battle of the Iron Bridge, 1342

The pair of Vardariotai scouts watched the enemy army deployed on the southern side of the bridge. Black and gold Crusader Cross banners flew over the force, meaning it was the Army of Outremer, almost all of it, except for the few units assigned to garrison Antioch. It looked like the Cyclops himself was in command. The lead scout shook his head, Strategos Valsamon would certainly not attack the entire army, not with its fell reputation over the past few years. Others had tried and failed, and the Strategos was no impulsive Captain looking to burnish his reputation or save his skin.

Just as the scouts were about to turn back to report, a series of horn blasts were heard from the other side of the Orontes. Several Crusader infantry units decamped, and as the scouts looked on with interest, marched south on the road back to Antioch.

The lead scout paused to think, over half of the brigand's infantry was now gone, this changed the situation. He ordered his companion to report back to Valsamon.

On the the other side of the river, Matthias Steffen and Adalric watched the second scout depart. Matthias smiled and laughed darkly, "They have taken the bait, again. The Greeks think they're clever this time, waiting for us to divide the army. The sin of pride can be blinding."

Off to his left, Adalric glanced at his liege, Matthias's black eyepatch stood in stark contrast to the rest of his face.

"My Lord, there is the danger that we have weakened our forces too much. It is not just our enemies who may suffer from. . .arrogance."

Matthias turned and leveled his one good eye at Adalric, a grim expression on his face. He held it for a moment and then grunted ruefully, "True enough, Sir, but if I am prideful, at least I am doing it from behind an excellent defensive position. God favors a strong defense."

The Viceroy turned and took in the panorama of the river valley.

"It is good to be back here Adalric. To be back north. This is a good place to make a stand."

A day later, Valsamon moved to attack.

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Matthias deployed his men a distance back from the bridge as the Greeks had elite archers who could reach the far bank. The infantry were in front, ready to charge in and cap the mouth of the bridge. The cannon were off to the right. The cavalry were deployed behind them. The crossbowmen were on the flanks, angled inward to face the midpoint of the bridge.

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The Byzantines led with their archers, mounted and foot. Their infantry was behind them, followed by the heavy cavalry and Vasamon and his retinue. Matthias ordered the cannon to begin firing into their center of mass.

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The rounds exploded among the Greeks. With the Crusaders out of arrow range, the Greek archers and infantry surged forward across the bridge rather than sustain more cannon fire. The Strategos and the melee horsemen hung back.

Matthias, seeing this purple wave crossing the bridge, ordered his own infantry into position. The cannons were ordered to fire at the Greek cavalry.

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The lines met, the Imperial spearmen set just in time to receive the charge of the Vardariotai. As the Greek foot arrived, a mixture of archers, spears and swordmen, Matthias ordered the unhorsed knights and Great Cross guards into the fray.

It was a vicious melee. The Crusader Sergeants and others were being pushed back. Matthias wondered if Adlaric had been right, but then the first Greek units began to break. The horsemen were ordered to pursue.

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This was good news, but as the second wave of Greek foot hit the lines, the routers rallied briefly enough to kill a few crossbowmen. This chaos and the pursuit of the routers disrupted missile and cannon fire. Matthias cursed as he ran down a spearman.

Valsamon, seeing this chaos, decided to cross with the Greek horsemen.

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Fortunately the Imperial cavalry had managed to clear the Greek routers from the line of fire of the crossbowmen. The Imperial front was restored in time to meet the third wave. Matthias ordered his own bodyguard to charge in to meet the Strategos.

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With Valsamon captured, the rest of the Greeks broke. The rout was on.

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A few survivors were able to make it off the field, but the army was destroyed.

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The Basileus did not reward defeat, the Strategos and his men were left to die.

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[Ramses II CP]

Failure at Hamburg, 1344.

Morale was high inside the city, despite the siege. The Hero of Hamburg, Fritz von Kastilien, was inside the city and Prinz Peter himself with a powerful force of Teutonic Knights was just outside, ready to relieve the siege. Every few days Fritz would announce a spot of entertainment for the masses as a Danish prisoner from the last siege army was strung up and hung from the walls to show the Danes outside their eventual fate. Spies reported that this was the last substantial Danish army on the mainland, and that Arhus was lightly held. Communicating with Prinz Peter via flags Fritz prepared to make his sally. Surely God would favor his offensive today just as in every other battle in the war of the north!

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The enemy was experienced and well equipped (3x silver with weapon and armor upgrades) but the walls of Hamburg were very high indeed.The reinforcements would have a long walk to reach the city, so Fritz prepared to keep the Danes busy while his crossbowmen outside the walls advanced.



Spearmen and the merchant cavalry were sent out to encourage the enemy to advance into range of the towers and crossbowmen on the walls. The cavalry moved into position to flank the Danish army. Not wanting to seem passive the enemy sent forward their Norse Archers to duel with the crossbowmen on the walls.



On the Dane's right flank, where the smaller company of merchant cavalry had taken position, War Clerics rushed out to drive them off. The merchants failed to spot this move in time and were struck a glancing blow by a heavy charge. Though few of them were killed, they routed instantly (The first of my many mistakes from not pausing while checking on the progress of the reinforcements) and made for the gates at top speed, pursued by sixty angry War Clerics. Fritz ordered the men who had sallied out of the walls to withdraw back in and close the gates with the merchants outside. Alas one clumsy militia spearman managed to first trip over his own spear, and then drop his shield attempting to get back inside and the gates could not be closed in time.



The gateway was lost! If the Danish captain realized how much initiative he had gained the entire city might fall! Flagmen on the walls ordered the eastern group of merchant cavalry to try to make up for the failure of their fellows and distract the Danes. Hurling insults at Captain Berger's own War Clerics those men managed to draw him off into the forests to the east, in the direction from which the defenseless crossbowmen were marching for the city but also preventing him from issuing the critically necessary order to attack.



At the gate Fritz immediately sent his entire infantry force, two partial companies of spearmen militia and one of Forlorn Hope, to the battle as well as his own bodyguards. The clumsy fool who had allowed the gates to be taken was the first to die, as the War Clerics ran him down from behind when he bent to pull up his socks. Confusion reigned amongst the War Clerics in the gate house as they were surrounded and unsupported in their unexpectedly successful attack.



Long moments passed during which for every War Cleric that fell three of the Hamburg militia were killed, but at last Fritz reached the front personally. There were few War Clerics remaining, but they still held the gatehouse. Roaring a challenge Fritz burst into their midst and slew two of them instantly.



The rest at last gave up the battle and fled. All would be shot down from behind before they could return to the Danish lines.



In the woods Captain Berger had at last given up on chasing the merchants and made his way back to his lines. The militia cavalry exulted that they had escaped a deadly battle and actually been useful in the siege, unlike their brothers. (I hate Merchant Cavalry Militia.)



Upon his return to the army Captain Berger learned what an opportunity he had missed and was infuriated. Inside the city Fritz's reinforcements had finally arrived, though the day was half over. Fritz ordered them onto the walls and went back to overseeing the tower fire without a thought. Alas, two companies of those weary men, having already marched miles on this day, somehow misunderstood Fritz's orders and marched out of the gate instead. Just in time to take a charge from the War Clerics Berger sent to probe any potential weakness at the gate (Round two of my mistakes, or three. No idea how they got their orders so wrong.) and many were lost, especially among the militia crossbowmen.



By this time in the battle the number of crossbowmen on the walls was overwhelming, and the Danish Norse Archers had been all but obliterated. The merchant cavalry were called in from the woods to clear them away. One group of them, having shot out their arrows, made their way almost intact back to the enemy lines but the other three were destroyed. The merchants overpursue and take losses in the mass of Danish infantry.



By this point in the battle the bombard is at last in place, and the ribault is moving slowly into position as well. The enemy has no ranged units to answer this fire, and from their left flank Peter's Teutons are arriving in force. Captain Berger has inflicted far more losses, and held his infantry intact far longer than Fritz had expected, and now he makes the decision to put his two remaining War Cleric companies into battle. First he sends one to probe the gate again and attempt to silence the bombard, then he personally rides out to attack the Teutonic Knights, calling infantry behind him to support his move.



A bombard shot blasts through the War Clerics attacking the gate just as they are carving a path through the militia spearmen there. Those men scattered themselves out desperately to attack the bombard, and killed two of the crew, but they now broke and fled having taken surprisingly few losses. Many of the men would be shot down on the way out, and none would return to the city. Three quarters of the daylight available for fighting has passed, and the Danish infantry, the mass of their army, is almost completely whole.



Near a withered old tree the Teutons surround Captain Berger's men, who stand and fight despite being slightly outnumbered. Eventually they are overwhelmed and start to fall in large numbers. Their infantry support is still far distant, and unlikely to arrive. They've killed half the Teutons, but only ten of them remain. Captain Berger sounds the retreat, but not in flight or fear, in orderly fashion.



The Teutons cannot pursue as they must reorder their own lines and smash the infantry in the area, so Captain Berger escapes to furiously launch his men at the bombard which has been firing into his infantry.



All but three War Clerics die before reaching the walls, and spearmen are ready to attack those three. Many militiamen die to the valiant Captain Berger, but in the end they drag him down.



At last Fritz himself rides out of the walls to salute the corpse of Captain Berger. 'You fought better than any of the Danish nobles I've encoutered. I am suitably impressed, but now I go to butcher your army. Go with God.' Most of the remaining crossbowmen are brought down from the walls to harry the enemy. Every time they attempt to attack the massed crossbowmen charges strike home on their flanks from the Teutons and Fritz's bodyguard. Both sides are ground down by the fighting, but the Huscarls that make up half the Danish infantry are finally annihilated.



At this point the field is a mess. There is no longer any question of losing this battle, only of whether or not his men have the strength and time to complete it. Volleys of bolts smash into the slow moving swordstaves. Fritz's infantry and cavalry combined to overwhelm two companies of them, but losses are staggering and Fritz's infantry formations are no longer combat capable. It's all down to the crossbowmen. One company of militia crossbowmen and mercenary crossbowmen, out of bolts, attempt to overwhelm some swordstaff men with the help of a few remaining Teutons and Mounted Sergeants, but they are repulsed and slaughtered. One mercenary flees the battle, four militia crossbowmen survive, and few of the cavalry.



Assessing his remaining forces Fritz realizes the time has come to withdraw behind the walls. There is very little daylight left for shooting down the rest of the enemy militia, and their heavy armor withstands many of the bolts fired at them. It would be unwise to utterly exhaust his men firing blindly in the dark when the army outside no longer has a real chance of capturing the city. Reluctantly, angrily, but also wearily Fritz orders his men to pull back and leave the huge, vulnerable formations of swordstaves sitting outside.

The battle was brutally unpleasant and ultimately disappointing. Mere minutes away from victory Fritz had been forced to concede a draw, with the enemy still in possession of the field. Fortunately Prinz Peter was still out there, an untapped resource, and if he could rally the crossbowmen outside the walls he should be able to clear away the remaining Danes.

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Ascending the walls the next day Fritz notes a Danish messenger has brought word that the Danes are ransoming some few men who surrendered to them during the battle. The final humiliation, thinks Fritz, but I will need the men if the Danes can somehow draw up more forces. 'Pay the man his paltry sum. My day will come again, and soon. And after that... Arhus.'

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[OverKnight]

The Assault on Adana, Part I


Prelude

Matthias Steffen knelt in the ruined Catholic Church in Antioch. He had ordered it's enlargement in 1336 right before the Greek Siege of the city and its eventual fall. Whatever improvements had been made, the Greeks had smashed. Windows were shattered, pews used for firewood and stones stolen for a new Greek church, which in its own turn had been demolished upon Andreas's retaking of the city. A cloudy sky could be seen through the many holes in the roof.

The state of the building saddened Matthias, for it was here Aldaric had presented him with Iron Faith, the sword of Saint Maximillian and King Salier, which the young man had removed from Adana shortly before its transfer to the Greeks. It was here that Matthias had received his mission from God, to restore Outremer to glory.

Matthias shook his head as he knelt in the dust. That mission had seen many delays, the loss of Antioch, the retreat south and the holding actions he had fought on the road to Acre. Matthias noticed a fresco on the wall behind the remains of the Altar. It showed a map of Outremer in its prime, superimposed on a Crusader Cross. Matthias grunted, true Antioch had been regained, but others of the former counties lay in darkness or in the hands of allies.

The question facing the Crusaders after the reconquest of this city, was what to do now? Risk an attack on Adana? Hold at the Iron Bridge? Raid any Greek army that showed up? Build a fleet to strike at Cyprus?

Matthias was unsure, pressure had to be kept on the Greeks, but his army had to be kept intact. He prayed for guidance.

After a few minutes of silence, the wind picked up, rushing through the holes in the battered church. Suddenly there was a break in the clouds, and a beam of light broke through. As Matthias watch transfixed, it struck the map of Outremer, illuminating Adana brightly before winking out of existence as the clouds rolled in again.

Matthias stood somewhat shakily. Another sign. There would be no more falling back, no more tricks, Adana must be retaken.

Striding out of the Church, Matthias began calling for his men.


The Assault

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The Army of Outremer came at night to Adana. It had been reinforced from Antioch, Andreas would have enough men to keep the city quiet, and there were no Greek armies within marching distance.

The cannons took pride of place, it would be up to them to make any breaches. The rest of the army deployed around them.

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The Greeks were off the walls, no doubt Strategos Pelekanos was fearful of the cannons. It was wise of him.

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As the Imperial foot advanced, the Greeks moved to block the gate. Screaming the name of Saint Maximillian the Crusaders charged the Greeks to retake his burial site.

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A fierce battle developed at the gate, but the Greeks decided to retreat once cannon fire began raking the gate towers. Their aim was to make a stand at the second ring. Imperial horsemen pursued as the cannon were brought up to just inside the first gate.

The cavalry mauled the retreating Greeks, but switched to charge a unit of Guard Archers that was firing on them. They eventually broke as well and began falling back to the second gate. As the cavalry ran them down, a unit of dismounted Latinkon charged through the second gate to attack. A confused melee ensued.

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Concerned, Matthias considered withdrawing his horsemen, but enemy troops now lined the walls of the second ring, missile fire would be deadly on retreating cavalry. The Latinkon were keeping the gate open, best to call the infantry up and try to force it.

The cannons began firing on the defenses of the second ring in support of this push.

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The addition of the Imperial foot broke the Latinkon and they fell back through the open gate. The Crusaders ran after them in full pursuit.

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The second ring had been breached.