Battle reports thread - King of the Romans PBM

[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!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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.'

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: