Varangian Wars - Flank Operations

It is the year 1539 OC and the Siege of Sjelle is being conducted on the central island between the narrow sea separating the Flossian Union and mainland Gluteborg-Varangia. To relieve the central forces in the way of the Union assault, a small detachment of Varangian and Sjelle troops advances on the Flossian hinterland positions. The Flossian defense rests on the River Marknog, and the careful commander of the area, Brigadier von Luchs has built strong defenses.

The river is calm and slow, but grants that any unit that crosses it will lose its coherence. The water is also deep, so only cavalry can get through it in any place; the infantry has to use the bridge on the main highway leading to the center of the island, or the ford upriver. 

The Flossian defenses are strengthened by redoubts on both banks, two protecting the bridgehead. These five redoubts are manned by seven infantry battalions and four guns. Von Luchs also has cavalry support in the shape of three cuirassier squadrons.

Another flashback - the battle of Walsund

At the early stages of the Varangian Wars, although ultimately the war resulted in a draw and the Treaty of Glutemarknog, the Varangian army landed south of the Sjelle Islands, hoping to cleave through the Flossian heartland. It was a harsh November when the Army of Sjelle and a much smaller, but battle-hardened Varangian contingent marched on the small village of Walsund, only a few miles inland; the opposing Union and Böhnstadter armies soon arrived with a large contingent to force them back to the sea.

It was well below freezing point in the morning when the two armies took positions on two edges of the fields south of Walsund. The two lines of battle thus ran south to north. A road ran diagonally to both lines, connecting the village with the continental trading towns. The fields were broken up around the small houses, but were unattended for the coming winter. Walsund had some stone walls surrounding its main square, but otherwise consisted of only a pair of homesteads and a church with whitewashed stone walls.

The field was mostly open ground: three heights, two to the west and one to the east, rose out from the snowy plain. There were dots of woods and swampland throughout, and neither commander was sure these could be passed by the troops. The field's western edge was cut in half by thick woods and a quick stream crossing it. The stream was cold, but not frozen. A walled farmhouse was standing on the far Southern flank, and an inn rose on the eastern height. General Hvalbard Magnusson chose this spot as his HQ, although the ground before the height was the least perfect for defense.

The opposing armies turned out to be almost equal in numbers of troops. The Varangian left comprised of the veterans of the homeland. Four wings of cavalry, including the Life Guards, were posted there, but their commanders saw little opportunity to ride the enemy's flanks down as a large forest also protected the infantry. According to the Varangian tradition, the infantry was arrayed in two lines, and a lighter piece of ordnance was added to the force as a regimental gun. 

On the right stood the Army of Sjelle, sporting many captured weapons and uniforms: five battalions of infantry and four wings of cavalry. Only one cavalry unit was Varangian. The islanders' force was commanded by Lukas Verger, and Brigadier General Lars Aldstern of the Gluteborg court was posted  there to lead the cavalry. A Glambrian officer, Paul d'Essely, joined General Magnusson's staff, to be later given independent command of the Varangian cavalry on the left.

This arrangement was curious for the onlooker, because while the line of battle, starting on the left, took a traditional form, running northwards to the village its shape changed: in the centre, next to the inn, stood the light infantry contingent and three artillery batteries, and then, instead of a center infantry line, followed the cavalry under General Aldstern.

The Allied army's right, facing the native Varangians, was taken by the Flossian corps, with four units of cavalry including the Hussards Bleus, and four infantry battalions, including a veteran grenadier unit. Then came two units of hussars, as if creating a separate army with infantry in the center and cavalry on the flanks; then the Böhnstadter units, first three squadrons of cavalry, artillery on the northern hill, and the Jäger and line infantry mixed together and huddled up west of Walsund. The Flossian army was led by Elias von Strutzenheim, great-uncle to General Alfred von Strutzenheim (the one leading the Flossian army in the Störkburg Campaign), and the Principality troops had Marshal Eugen von Jazygia, nephew of the Princeps; or rather, would have had, had he not taken to an illness not named here to retain the good general's honour. 

Wars Page

This page is linked from the basic info page, and details not all wars found in the short chronology there, but only those which have already been played out in one form or another.

The Varangian Wars

All posts with the 'Varangian Wars' label

Fought between the Kingdom of Gluteborg-Varangia and the Flossian Union, between OC 1538-40. Schultze-Böhnstadt troops allied with the Flossians, but retained a separate command. The Army of Sjelle, a native force, allied with Varangia.

Beginning of the conflict

The Varangian court, as a result of the Great Wars [the Thirty Years War] has gained control over the Sjelle Islands. The inhabitants of the islands are mostly of Varangian origins, but some trade from the New World is directed here, and the islands serve as bases for fishing and whaling. The Flossians, ninety years later, have forged a clause in the documents signed at the Treaty of Westfahren, ending the Great Wars, and using these laid claims on parts of the Sjelle shelf. The Varangian court, alerted by the amassing of Flosse troops in their northern ports, sent a contingent of the mainland army to the islands. 

Chronology

May 1538: despite harsh weather conditions, the Flossian main force lands on the largest island and begins the siege of the smaller coastal fortresses. 

June 1538: the weather prevents the arrival of reinforcements, and the Varangian army, strengthened by the Army of Sjelle, a large volunteer force, pushes the Flossian invaders back to the landing site.

August 1538: despite receiving more troops and ammunition, the Flossians starve on Sjelle, and the Varangian fleet sails out to halt any further convoys. A cease-fire agreement is signed and the Flossians sail back to the continent.

September 1538: peace negotiations fail and a small Varangian contingent raids the northern Böhnstadt border.

October 1538: The Battle of Linskög Narrows between seven Varangian and eight Flossian ships.

November 1538: the Battle of Walsund is fought with a decisive Varangian victory.

December 1538 - February 1539: harsh weather prevents a Varangian advance: part of the army sails home, fearing an invasion from the southern mainland.

March 1539: the Varangian advance is halted west of Walsund by an outnumbering allied force.

May 1539: on the first anniversary of the outbreak of the war, a Flossian squadron of ships of the line bombards the Sjelle ports, in return the Varangian fleet sails out in full force. The Flossian ships sail back towards Rückelburg and the Battle of Nordstrand ensues.

June-July 1539: the exhausted Varangian expedition sails back to Sjelle. The Flossian fleet secures the strait and the army follows.

August-October 1539: the Siege of Sjelle proves inconclusive and hostilities cease.

November 1539: both the Varangian and Flossian fleet suffer heavy losses from a storm. The siege is interrupted, then lifted as the Böhnstadter break the alliance and return home.

December 1539: despite heavy weather, a Varangian army crosses the Böhnstadter territories and begins plundering the eastern borders of the Union.

January 1540: the battle of Willenberg between a Union and a Varangian army.

February 1540: in exchange for lifting the siege and resigning all claims for Sjelle, the Varangians pull out from Union territory. 

March 1540: the Flossian ambassador in Glutemarknog signs the peace treaty which effectively contains the same criteria as the previous cease-fire.

The Île-de-Suillen Campaign

All posts labelled with 'Île-de-Suillen Campaign'

Fought between the Kingdom of Glambria and the Alliance of Quattri Formaggi in the year 1543. The Glambrian army and navy conducted a series of agressive maneuvers, engaging their Formaggian foes, and landed a large contingent on Île-de-Suillen in hopes of capturing the vital strategic spot on the South Seas.

Beginning of the conflict

Failing to best the protestant Duchy of Armagnac, the Glambrian court, trusting in their previous victories over the weakened Formaggian government, devised a combined action plan and a landing on the island. From Île-de-Suillen, Glambrian fleets could scour the entirety of the South Seas, giving hardships to both Formaggian and Armagnac trade.

Chronology

April 28, 1543. The Battle of Suillen Shelf, The Glambrian fleet attacks the Formaggian ships arriving to intercept the landing of the army. The Formaggians retreat with heavy losses.

April 30, 1543. The Battle of Porto Parisiani. An irregular Glambrian force comprising of light infantry and horse ties down a Formaggian contingent, preventing them to join the relief of the island.

May 1, 1543. Second Suillen Shelf. Privateers in Formaggian service attack the frigate screen north of Suillen to gain time for the relief force to land. Although suffering heavy losses, they succeed in their task.

May 3, 1543. The Siege of Suillen. Encountering heavy resistance, the Glambrian army, despite fatal losses, manages to capture the key fort on the island, and with the aid of the fleet, throws the Formaggians back.

The Störkburg Campaign

All posts with the 'Störkburg Campaign' label

Beginning of the conflict
Still not content with the secession of the Störkburg Valley and its resources, the Flossian army launched a series of attacks against the Schultze-Böhnstadt border. The army was, however, ill prepared for a prolonged campaign, and the superiority of the Principality's army soon showed.

Chronology

March 20, 1550. Flossian irregulars cross the border and launch a series of attacks on Schultze-Böhnstadt outposts.

March 23. The declaration of war reaches the Schultzdorf court. The Schultzdorf Brigade mobilizes and marches westward to Störkburg Valley on the initiative of General Hohenspitz.

March 25. Flossian cavalry capture the river crossing at Spülge.

March 26-28. The Flossian first wave infantry brigade captures the border fortress of Grübsheim.

March 29. The Schultzdorf Brigade captures the Flossian fort of Mecklenheim. 

March 30. The Dreichholm Brigade under Dietrich von Spülge engages the Flossian cavalry at the second Battle of Spülge and destroys most of it.

April 1. Princeps Erhard Berthold orders the levy of reinforcements and decides to lead a contingent himself to Flosse.

April 3. Von Hohenspitz engages the conscript Flossian brigade at the town of Strutzenheim. Part of the Flossian contingent manages to escape and reform.

April 4. The conscript brigade, while being reinforced from local burgers, still retreats before the Böhnstadter in the west. Spürsburg Fortress yields to von Hohenspitz's demands.

April 5-6. The Princeps besieges two smaller border forts. During the night of the 6th, a troop of dragoons from the destroyed Flossian cavalry brigade escapes the prisoner camp and heads westward.

April 7. Recruiting and emptying local garrisons, Bishop Elector Michheim at the head of the Flossian Landwehr Brigade stands battle at Skreptsdorf against von Hohenspitz with catastrophic results.

April 8-9. Rushing to the southern bridges of the River Flosse, Bishop Michheim opts to stand his ground to protect the Flossian capital. 

April 10. Elector von Presser stands battle with the united forces of the Princeps and Dietrich von Spülge at Rammsfeld, east of Rückelburg. The Böhnstadter again emerge victorious, and the Union pleads for negotiations of peace. 

April 11-12. Unaware of the defeat in the east, Michheim defends the Flosse bridges against the Schultzdorf Brigade's assault. One bridge is burnt and the Flossians retreat to the right bank.

April 14. Heads of the two states sign the Treaty of Neu-Leuchtenberg, ending the war with a formal Schultze-Böhnstadt victory.