Battle reports thread - King of the Romans PBM

[Stuperman]

[econ21]

Frankfurt, 1348


“He is leaving before your honeymoon?” Linyeve prodded her sullen daughter.

Eue looked up, with dull eyes and nodded, saying under her breathe: “Thank God.”

Linyeve looked at her daughter sharply, was about to say something and then thought better of it. Warily, she circled round in the conversation: “And he is leading the militia off to fight a Polish army?”

“A small Polish army. And he does not just have the militia. He has persuaded the Kaiser to let him lead some of the remnants of what was once the Prinz’s army. He will lead them and two of the more experienced militia regiments - the rest will be in support. He will have over 750 men, all told”

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Linyeve smiled quietly. “Well, well - Sir Charles said he showed promise. And the Chancellor has authorised this expedition?”

Eue nodded disinterestedly while her mother seemed to grow ever more fascinated.

“Not many sixteen year olds could charm the Kaiser out of his army or get the iron Duke to give them command of seven hundred and fifty men!”

“I am sure charm had nothing to do with it. Charm is not something my dear husband is over-endowed with. And anyway, the Reich is so desperate, they’d appoint anyone. They’ve just made mad pox-ridden Dieter von Kassel their Prinz, remember?!”

“Now, now, dear - we have talked about this. You have made your bed and you have to lie in it. Do not talk your husband down. He has done well getting the horse out of the stable door. Let’s hope he knows how to ride it”

Eue looked up at her mother and scowled. “If he fell and broke his neck, I would not be…”

“Eue!” reprimanded her mother and the girl fell back into her morose silence.

*****

Welf von Luxemburg looked around at the small force he had gathered together. He had been exultant when the Kaiser had agreed to the loan of his men. But the Kaiser’s force that had survived a close victory with the Poles east of Magdeburg was heavily depleted. From the survivors, Welf created one near full strength regiment of pavise crossbowmen and one of armoured sergeants. He also gathered a band of less than one score unhorsed Imperial knights. He had ample militia - two regiments with some combat experience and a further three in support. But he had little faith in the ability of militia to handle the formidable Poles. The few professional infantry, and his own retinue, would have to be the spearhead in the day’s battle.

“What do we know of the composition of their forces?” inquired Welf, as his men began to deploy for battle.

“One regiment of Polish Guard and one of Strzelcy - backed by two regiments of spears and two of archers.”

Welf nodded. It could have been worse. He had organised the entire expedition without knowing the composition of the enemy force. It was a reckless move, but a necessary one. To rise within the Reich, he needed to fight and the Poles had obliged by marching on his very wedding party. Spending his honeymoon besieged in Nuremburg would have been an irrecoverable shame.

He looked around at the position. He had been lucky - his men had secured a hill and the poorly led Poles were left deployed below them. Welf looked at the Strzelcy stationed below and, gesturing to them, asked his captain of archers:

“Can you hit them?”

The Captain smiled: “Consider it done.”

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The Strzelcy are the hardest enemy for the Imperials to catch, so they are prioritised as targets for the German arbalests.

The advantage of height and the heavier design of their crossbows allowed the Germans to fire down on the Polish cavalry without exposing themselves to counterfire. The Poles were slow to react, but eventually appeared stung into action - sending their own missile infantry and the Strzelcy up the hill, and into range.

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Stung by mounting losses, the Poles advance. Welf starts to counter them.

Welf spurred his escort down the hill, aiming to catch the skirmishing Polish infantry. The generals’ retinue caught a regiment of Polish crossbow militia and wrecked it, but the Lithuanian archers managed to escape to safety behind the supporting line of spears.

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The German crossbowmen continued to shoot down the Strzelcy until they were so demoralised, they could be put to flight by a regiment of militia.

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Heavily depleted by Imperial crossbow fire, the Strzelcy flee when charged.

Having disposed of the Strzelcy, the German crossbowmen began to target the formidable Polish Guard - some of the finest cavalry in Europe. Once again, the Polish foot archers moved up the hill to return fire and once again, Welf charged his escort in pursuit after them.

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Welf's escort hacks through the Lithuanian archers.

This time, however, the Polish Guard did not stand idly by but charged Welf’s cavalry - while the accompanying Polish spear regiments also climbed the hill in support.

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The Polish Guard charge Welf's escort.

In haste, Welf extricated his escort from their combat with the Lithuanian archers and quickly raced back to the protection of the German spear men. The pursuing Polish Guard were caught in the front by the serried ranks of the armoured spearmen and in the flank by the militia regiment that was returning from driving off the Strzelcy.

For a moment, Welf considered committing his escort to support the action against the Polish Guard. However, the Guard’s advance lacked momentum and its riders were spread out - it could be contained. He turned instead to the two regiments of Polish spearmen - now battling the Nuremburg militia. The Poles were of superior quality and were lapping round the militia lines. But in so doing, they were exposing their rear to Welf’s reforming cavalry. Never one to miss an opportunity, Welf seized this one.

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Welf’s escort charges the engaged Polish spearmen

The targeted regiment of Polish spearmen routed at the momentum the German cavalry charge impacted.

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The other regiment of Polish spearmen was disposed of in much the same way. As Welf turned to give his attention to the Polish Guard, he saw with satisfaction that they too were running - snared by the spearmen and stripped of all support, even these fine knights had had enough.

After the battle, Welf totalled up the losses. His force had got off rather lightly - the Polish force had been all but destroyed, although 216 survivors had been taken prisoner.

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The butcher’s bill

“What shall we do with the prisoners, Sire?” a Captain inquired.

Welf looked at the captives - they were mainly the low grade infantry who had surrendered to his escort. Ransoming would provide little return and if released, they posed little threat. Most of all, Welf judged that if he - as a mere sixteen year old, devoid of much station in life - was to earn the respect of the Imperial nobility, he must act according to their principles of chivalry.

“Let them go - and let them tell their friends of what awaits any armies that dare to threaten the Reich!”

[TinCow]

Northwest of Florence, 1348 AD

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“Damned Byzantines breed like rabbits…”

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“…good thing they get their brains from the same place.”

Lothar Steffen turned to survey his small and battered army. Ever since the desperate defense of the walls of Milan, the army had been composed more of crossbowmen than infantry. They stood now in a formation designed to turn that weakness to an advantage.

The army stood on a high mountain slope, with the regiments of Pavise Crossbowmen arrayed in two double lines. The lower reaches were too steep for any man to cross in the heat of battle.

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The only access to the veteran crossbowmen was via two steep pathways on either side of them. To their left, the slope was narrow and wound away from the attacking Byzantine force. It was safe and easily defended. To their right was a much larger slope, but all of Lothar’s infantry was concentrated at that point. In the narrow confines of the slope, the vastly superior Byzantine numbers could not be brought to bear.

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The Duke of Bavaria turned to look at Count Karolinger.

“Shall we give them a chance to face true Bavarians in honorable combat before we humiliate them?”

The Count of Innsbruck grinned and lowered his visor.

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After a few minutes of combat, the Bavarian cavalry withdrew back to the mountaintop. The charge had inflicted many casualties, but it was only a small fraction of the total Byzantine force. Of greater significance was the chaos and disorder it caused amongst the Greek lines. It took the infantry several minutes to reform their lines. In the meantime, the archers continued to advance on the Bavarian positions.

The crossbowmen were heavily outnumbered, but their powerful weapons, superior height, and protective shields gave them a significant advantage in the duel that was to follow.

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After several minutes of combat, nearly the entire Byzantine ranged contingent lay dead on the field.

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Less than a dozen Bavarians had fallen for the effort.

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Count Karolinger turned to look at Lothar Steffen. “The crossbowmen are running low on bolts. What now, my Duke?”

“Now?” The Duke of Bavaria laughed. “Now we run away!”

“M’lord?”

“Their infantry lines are done reforming and will be advancing on us shortly. Despite this excellent ground, we will not be able to hold it forever. Before long, our lines will be breached and we will be defeated. The army will be shattered for good and we will be helpless to stop their advance.”

Lothar gave some orders and the army began filing off of the hill via the narrow back passage.

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“If we withdraw now, we have destroyed one quarter of their force at almost no cost to ourselves. A few more battles like this and they will be dead and we will be victorious.”

The Duke of Bavaria looked at the Byzantine force that was too far away and too slow to prevent the Bavarians from withdrawing. “The Greeks will undoubtedly say that they defeated us here today.” He snorted and turned away. “As I said, they have the intelligence of rodents.”

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[Zim]

Place holder for Antioch sally and assault of 1348.

[AussieGiant]

Outside Ragusa 1350

The Chancellor relieving the the siege of Ragusa.

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showp...&postcount=264

[OverKnight]

Prologue

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showp...&postcount=265

The Defense of Adana, 1350

Chancellor,

The Greeks, after being bloodied twice, finally decided to attack.

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I had a skeleton crew on the first ring. My archers and infantry were deployed on the second. My goal was not just to throw off the siege, but to destroy the Greeks.

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Of course I did not give up the first ring without a fight.

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The Greeks, despite the delay at the main gate, attacked on a wide front. Another reason I planned to hold them at the second ring, to make them concentrate their men so they could be more easily destroyed.

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I also wished the Greeks to waste their siege equipment on the first ring so their move on the second would be weakened.

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Using their ladders, however, they made it over the wall.

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This was part of the plan, I wanted them to gain entrance to the first ring. They hadn't brought in their cavalry yet, only when they had possesion of the first gate would this happen. I decided to withdraw my skeleton crew to the second gate to allow them entry. A recent loss left me distracted, and I foolishly decided to charge some Byzantine Infantry that had come off the wall. The charged failed and I lost many of my bodyguard.

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Still, the plan worked. I was able to shake off their pursuit and the survivors of the skeleton crew succesfully withdrew to the second gate. I ordered my archers to fire on the Greek infantry that had made it over the wall. They were milling about in the gap between the second and first rings waiting for the cavalry and what was left of the siege equipment. Many of them fell.

The Greek cavalry arrived along with most of the remaining infantry, which had a set of ladders and a ram. My Crossbowmen were positioned to rain fire down on them as they made their way from the first gate to the second.

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The Greeks attacked to the right of the gate with dismounted Latinkon on ladders.

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They were good men, but I already had my own on the walls. Their last ram went up in flames as well.

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The Greek Captain showed tenacity, if not intelligence, by refusing to retreat. A few more attacks up the ladder were crushed while my archers inflicted losses on their horsemen.

Their Captain finally broke, but still many of them stayed in front of the gate waiting for the last set of ladders to be brought in. They died for their stubborness.

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I sent the infantry and cavalry out to dispatch the remaining schwein. They met one last unit of dismounted Latinkon.

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They clung to the assault to the last. Their force crushed, they still hoped to bring ladders to the walls. A cavalry charge to their rear put paid to that.

All that was left was to capture the few who had the sense to run.

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I attempted to ransom the survivors, but I guess the Greeks have so many soldiers, they don't care about 500 florins worth of captives. With that, their army is gone. Though I hear rumors of another approaching from Iconium.

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A curse on the Greeks and the Plague. I will hold Adana until my last breath, whether God wills it or not. If I am damned for it, I will drag down as many Byzantines as I can to Hell with me.

Matthias