Terra Ferra

The World of Terra Fere a wargame campaign

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2nd_battle_of_hoy

The 2nd Battle of Hoy

It was not even 9am and it was all over. Erzherzog Mikal sat astride his horse at the site of a wreaked Hoyseeian battery, the only place Flamboyant troops had penetrated his line. Before him lay the wreak of an entire division of infantry. In the distance their retreating colleagues falling back towards the river.

The battle had started early at about 6.30, less that three hours ago. A tide of Flamboyant troops surging out of the light early morning mist. They seemed too eager with no artillery preparation to wear down his own troops they had waited as the swarm reached the fields infant of the defensive line. In the days since the last desperate battle, they had dug trenches and sited the guns, walled up streets in the villages and prepared firing positions. With dense terrain to the southern left only the open right flank to the north was really a worry. Then they had come. All night the sound of preparation for the mornings attack had warned of the coming morning attack. his officers had predicted a moderately long artillery preparation after all Flamboyance artillery was known to out range his. In the end however the Grand Marquis had simple rushed the line of fortifications as if in a rush.

The first crisis had come within the first hour, with the Flamboyant cavalry sweeping around the open northern flank. Gathering the two brigade cavalry regiments along with the Ducal Mountaineers Mikal had personally lead the counter. The cavalry had timed their charge to coincide with the first wave of infantry reaching the defence works, but the soft ground in the fields and poor coordination of the cavalry conspired to break-up the attack in to a series of uncoordinated melees. Individual battalions reaching the breastworks being met by a hail of small arms fire and canister. While a galant stand by the Mountaineers and fierce counter-charge by the 4th Horse alongside the Lancers broke the Flamboyant light cavalry.

Again the Flamboyant troops gathered to assault the breastworks while artillery played along the line causing casualties. The mountaineers and the 4th horse suffering particularly as the Lancers routed the remains of the Flamboyant cavalry and turned the Flamboyance flank.

The finally came quickly after that. The reservist on the northern flank seemed to mill around as the appearance of the Lancers distracted the division from supporting their regular brethren. Who too soon for the effects of the artillery to be felt by the Hoyseeian defenders, made one final charge. One battalion breaking through and capturing a gun battery. but it was too little too late as the rest of the troops melted away and began to fall back.

The battle had not been bloodless with Mikal’s good friend Frier Szilagyi being one of the fallen. A number of Flamboyance general officers had also been seen to fall. But overall a good mornings work. Hoysee was still too weak to impede the retreat of Flamboyance back across the river but a crisis had been averted.

The decisions was who to place in command of the Ducal Brigade to replace poor Marek and how to take advantage of this victory, Mikal mused. As far as command of the brigade was concerned von Korn the commander of the Jaeger Regiment had done well enough in the battle, but was he of good enough stock to command a whole brigade? Some thought was needed.

The Author's View

2nd_battle_of_hoy.txt · Last modified: 26/11/2015 10:43 by mikep