Kavkaz Campaign - Surprise Attack (2)

 

Action at the West ford:

As the first sliver of sunlight gleamed over the distant East Kavkaz mountains, the Tucowaz cavalry had already forded the stream close by the farm hamlet, and the head of the 1st Division almost across.  At that moment, the artillery of Izumrud-Zeleniya opened fire with considerable effect upon the leading horse.  So destructive were those opening salvos, that fully two-thirds of the 1st Turcowaz Cavalry's strength was laid low or scattered. 

Nothing daunted, the gallant horsemen pressed on towards the bend in the road at the right flank of the Zeleniyan line. The immediately available Zeleniyan horse and foot at once converged upon the column, harassed by Turcowaz gunfire from across the river.

To begin with, such pressure as the defenders were able to mount was insufficient to prevent the Turcowaz expanding their bridgeheadalong the riverbank towards the town. For a brief period, 1st Zeleniyan Cavalry had to battle the assailants alone, even overthrowing the remnants of the lead enemy cavalry unit. Pushing out from the orchard posting towards the flank of the remaining enemy horse, 1st Grenadiers came under a galling flanking fire from the Turcowaz field artillery, and very quickly lost half their strength.

The Turcowaz column was going to be no pushover...

... especially as the build up of their Zeleniyan adversaries was going to require a considerable amount of time.

Zeleniyan efforts to contain the Turcowaz bridgehead along the riverbank were faced by the enemy gunfire, and the Turcowaz gunners were as good as their counterparts on the other side of river. The ferocity of the fighting might be measured by the heavy attrition of strength on both sides.

As the Zeleniyan reserves gradually entered the fray, it was becoming for the Turcowaz a fight for survival rather than an effort to storm the Zeleniyan lines.  Having eventually contained and boxed in the enemy, the Zeleniyans were now bent upon their annihilation.

They were not having it all their own way, however. Having reached the riverbank, 3rd Grenadiers tried to roll up the beachhead's inner flank, but were themselves chased back into the orchard close by the hill occupied by the sailors' artillery. From the cover of the trees, and with the aid of 4th Hussars, the Zeleniyans attempted a counter-attack, but were thrown back beyond the orchard and under the naval guns. Fortunately just at that moment there had been a pause in the fighting at the bridge, into which 3rd Grenadiers might have become entangled.

Such setbacks served to exasperate rather than to depress. Back came the Grenadiers. The Turcowaz column was already looking tired - some 9 strength points down from their original 21. The Division commander, Ali Khat, having taken a rifle bullet to the leg, was still able to exercise command of his beleaguered force.

For a brief moment, 3rd Cavalry broke through to the riverbank, cutting off and isolating 2nd Turcowaz Infantry close by the orchard. Having taken heavy losses making it so far, 3rd Cavalry's attempts to exploit on were dashed against 3rd Turcowaz Infantry's defence, under the eye of Ali Khat himself. 2nd Tucowaz was able then to fall back upon their comrades' position and restore the integrity of the bridgehead.

Even then, the Turcowaz were being inexorably driven back towards the ford.  

The badly depleted 2nd Infantry found themselves driven in into the flank of 3rd Infantry's line, facing a whole fresh Zeleniyan force - 4th Grenadiers. In the fierce fighting that ensued, the resistance of 2nd Turcowaz finally collapsed...

... though 4th Grenadiers were to know they had been in a fight!  [aside: the dice in the pictures tell the story; both sides 'hit' (I'm using the PW combat convention rather than the Colonial PW).  The Turcowaz lose their last SP (Ali Khat unhurt), and the 4th Grenadiers take the hit rather than the retreat.]

By this time very little remained as formed units of the column that had crossed the river at dawn. The horse had all scattered, and almost half the foot as well, though 1st Infantry was doing well enough holding up heavy cavalry attacks along the road. With no chance of achieving more on this front, events elsewhere indicated a withdrawal.

The Turcowaz were not, however, about to go without handing out a few licks.  In almost the final action of the day, the supporting artillery dropped a devastating gunfire into the flank of 4th Zeleniyan Grenadiers on the opposite riverbank: 2 salvos, 2 hits, 2 'kills'.  There, on this front, the action ended.

Action at the Middle Bridge:

Although the 2nd Division column got off the a slightly slower start than the column at the ford, it was really the first into close action.  The supporting Gardner guns had actually reached the bank at the river bend before the infantry column arrived at the bridge.  But this meant that the 4th Infantry could at once, with MG support, attempt to force the defile of the bridge.  

Actually there was a ford alongside that would have permitted the following 5th Infantry to make an immediate attempt upon the town as well, but for some reason, such an effort was not forthcoming. I have absolutely no idea why - I'm talking solo play here; talk about 'Burnside's Bridge! Possibly General Ispesh Ali wished to keep the line clear for the artillery.

The Middle Bridge (so-called) was defended locally by the Naval Artillery Detachment (popularly 'the NADS' by anyone prepared to pick a tavern fight with them). The Gardner guns, from the woods though which the main highway passed, covered the bridge approaches, with the naval guns fortified on the hill to their right. To their left was the southernmost quarter of the town, which provided cover for 9th Infantry of 3rd Zeleniya Division.

The early attack by 4th Turcowaz Infantry was met by a hot fire that laid 50% of the regiment low before they even made it to close combat. Once there, the close quarter fighting appalled both sides sufficiently to cause both to fall back - the Turcowaz across the bridge to make way for 5th Infantry; the sailors out of the woods.  

Meanwhile, 9th Zeleniya had also found the climate at the south end of town rather warm for their liking, and had pulled back. The Turcowaz had won their bridgehead.

The Zeleniyan 3rd Division Commander, General-Major Ivan Ivanitch Ivarilibaditch, quickly organised the counter-attack. Sliding 9th Regiment to the right to confront the Turcowaz in the woods, he led his reserve, 10th Regiment, onto the 9th's left flank, whereat they poured their rifle fire into the trees. 

Very soon, Ivarilibaditch joined the 9th and led them into a decisive counter-attack that at once recovered the wooded stretch of road, and drove the enemy out into the open.  This achieved, the whole enemy column, reduced by about 50% of their strength, faded back across the river, and declined to try a fresh attack.  It seems the battle was over on this front as well.  

But... what of the attack by 3rd Division?

The picturesque riverside at Zugdidi. the stones indicate 
the forded stretches (decided by die rolls).

Action at the East Bridge:

The tale here is soon told. In many respects, 3rd Turcowaz Division had the easier objective, as not only was there a bridge at the east end of the town, but the reaches of the river as it rattled by the town were almost everywhere fordable. There was some prospect of support from 1st Artillery Regiment, their main priority was nearer their front.

The fact remained that, having farther to go to reach the enemy, 3rd Division got off to a very slow start.  The battles in the other sectors were fairly under way before the leading elements of 3rd Division began to come under scattered fire from the town's garrison.   

The defence of the bridge itself had been entrusted to 12th Zeleniya, whilst the 11th was so placed as to cover by enfilading rifle fire the fords by which the enemy might reach the south and east end of town.  

Led by General Ibrahim Bazbug, 7th Infantry shrugged off its early losses and stormed across the bridge. The close quarter fighting was going on without result, and the rest of the Division poised to force a crossing, when the order arrived: break off the action.  

At the Middle Bridge, 2nd Division had essayed just one more assault. Overrunning the woods and routing 9th Zeleniya, 5th and 6th Turcowaz turned upon the 10th, which unit had reoccupied the southern end of the town. Attacked front and flank, the gallant Zeleniyans threw off their assailants, and the actioned drew to a close.

The final actions had finally brought the Turcowaz army to its exhaustion point. They had no more attack left in them. Perhaps surprisingly, the Izumrud-Zeleniyan army was barely in better condition, having lost 22SP (slightly less that their exhaustion point) as against 25SP by the Turcowaz (slightly over their E.P.).  

These were very heavy losses to both sides, in numbers, about 6,250 Turcowaz and 5,500 Izumrud-Zeleniya. It was an undoubted repulse by the latter, but no more than that (the Turcowaz get half their lost SP back, instead of just one third). But though something of a tactical victory, it had come at a very high cost. Time would tell just how high.  

To be continued:
1. Further campaign moves - and where is the Izumrud-Zelenian fleet?
2. Two more actions to come: a 'Baylen' moment?