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Post by Pyotr Alekseevich on Sept 20, 2016 19:20:58 GMT
More than a year on from the great humiliation at Narva, Russian armies are once more on the move in Estonia. Placing itself on the main road between the bridge over the Luga at Kingisepp, this bridge will be important as it opens up Estonia to Russian access. Hopefully the danger of Russian forces flooding around Narva will prompt a swift counter attack from the Swedish force in said city.
A force from the Army of Novgorod under the command of General Menshikov has placed itself on an arterial road to the East of Narva. Occupying ground between Narva and Kingisepp, the army is protected on the northern flank by a large swampy river.
Army of Novgorod:
3,000 Line Infantry
1,000 Engineers
50 Field Guns
The army is deployed with two regiments of line deployed across the road and one held in reserve. The Engineers are tasked with building a series of dirt and log redoubts, these redoubts will be placed ahead of the main line by fifty paces and will contain the artillery. When the Swedish infantry press an offensive against the redoubts they will be met by a counter offensive from their Russian counterparts. The cannon will be loaded up with two balls to be fired in the first salvo. The infantry will do likewise with their muskets.
But this engagement is not the real focus of Russian efforts. The true blow will come from a force commanded by Field Marshall Sheremetyev.
The 2nd Army of Novgorod, Commanded by Sheremetev:
5,000 Dragoons
2,000 Hussars
100 Field Guns
Sheremetev's Army is split into two equal forces. It crosses the Kingisepps bridge almost 12 hours before the force under Menshikovs command. The two forces head North and South, the Northern forces heads along the line of the River Luga, it uses the large woodlands to covers its advance. The force is intended to wait above the road between Narva and Kingisepp, they will descend between the Swedish Army and Narva once the sound of cannon is heard. The southern army will follow a parallel route.
Once in position the 5,000 Dragoons will deploy to foot and form lines with the multitude of cannon spread along the line, bolstering the infantry's firepower.
The Hussars in the army will protect the flanks and counter any Swedish cavalry offensives, or routing infantry.
In order to facilitate movement along the winter ground the cannon have had their wheels removed and replaced with sleds, they have also been provided with additional horses to pull them along. The troops have also been issued with thicker coats and protective clothing against the biting cold.
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Post by The Viceroy (AdminM) on Sept 21, 2016 19:09:26 GMT
Rehnskiold, noting the overwhelming cavalry advantage of the Russians, opts to remain within his fort.
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Post by Pyotr Alekseevich on Sept 21, 2016 19:34:19 GMT
Due to Swedish cowardice the following actions are taken.
Menshikov brings up the entire army of Novgorod to begin the investiture of Nerva. He is bolstered by a transfer of 100 Field guns from Sheremetyevs force.
Siege lines are dug around the city and palisades are constructed facing inwards and outwards. A massive earthwork is created for the siege cannon whilst the fields guns are divided with some emplaced facing the city and some facing outwards. Engineers also begin tunnelling and mining efforts.
Meanwhile Sheremetyev leads his cavalry force Southwards towards Kaunas where he will try to relieve his sovereign.
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Post by The Viceroy (AdminM) on Sept 23, 2016 17:01:46 GMT
Army of Finland, commanded by Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld:
8,000 Swedish Line Infantry
5,000 Grenadiers
1,000 Engineers
500 Yeomanry Cavalry
50 Field Guns
The Army of Novgorod, commanded by Menshikov:
6,000 Irregulars
10,000 Line Infantry
1,000 Engineers
1,000 Militia Cavalry
150 Field Guns
50 Howitzers
‘Huh?’ Rehnskiold uttered as he watched the Russian cavalry flee. ‘How bemusing…’ he continued, talking to no one in particular. ‘Menshikov must be trying to draw me out, well we shall wait and see…’
Several days passed and there had been no sign of the cavalry. Indeed it seems they were not even being supplied from the same stores. Rehnskiold had been comfortable in his fort, but the walls were constantly shaken by Russian artillery and some cracks had begun to open. This had brought in a stiff breeze which even the piping hot soup prepared by Rehnskiold’s mistress could not quell. Now the General’s only comfort was that the Russians were also being pounded by artillery.
Meanwhile, underground, a hidden battle was raging unbeknownst to either general. The Russian engineers had been building tunnels towards the fort, whilst the Swedes had been building tunnels outwards. Several of these tunnels began to mingle and pretty soon the engineers were fighting a bloody battle armed primarily with tools of their trade, though some lucky devils had knives, swords or even flintlock pistols. It was not long before wounded men were being carried out of the undermines and the scale of the skirmish became clear to those on the ground. Medics were called for, but an incident occurred that fired the whole battlefield into the air. Almost literally. The cause of the incident was unclear, but it is known a fire started, which ignited a powder store that the Russian engineers were planning to use underneath the fort walls. With the ground weakened by the network of tunnels, a significant portion of the battlefield caved in, burying hundreds of souls. Some of those engineers who had not been in the tunnels, from both side, attempted to dig their way in, but it quickly became clear their efforts would be in vain.
The shock had helped one side more than the other. The powder must have been close enough to the foundations of one portion of the wall, already weakened by cannonfire, to bring it down. Menshikov mustered his men, and prepared for an assault. However, Rehnskiold was quicker on the draw and his Yeomanry cavalry flew out of the fortress to the far right flank of the Russian force. This drew the attention of Menshikov’s Militia Cavalry who were concerned for the safety of their gun emplacements. The Swedes piled out of the fort and lined up, with five units of Line up front, and the rest of the Line and Grenadiers behind. Menshikov began to line his own men up, though not as quickly nor effectively as the Swedes who had begun to advance by the time the Russians were in place. Both armies were still subject to the artillery fire, which hindered the Swedes more than the Russians.
The line infantry from each force began to engage, with the cavalry units still running around on the far right flank. In the line, the Russians and Swedes were equally matched, though Menshikov realised if the Swedish second line was to fill the gaps left by their dead, he would be in trouble. To offset this, he ordered his irregulars to flank the Swedes. This was folly, as Sweden used this opportunity to get their sizeable Grenadier force into the mix as the remaining three units of Line pushed to the fore. The Russian Militia Cavalry, having seen off the pesky Yeomanry, rejoined the main fight, but it was too late. The battle had not lasted long before the Russian line buckled and began to break. The Cavalry was able to cause enough of a frustration to the Swedish force that the Russians could evacuate most of their artillery.
Losses:
Russia:
4,000 Line
3,000 Irregulars
800 Engineers
200 Militia cavalry
20 Field guns
30 Field guns (captured)
Sweden:
2,500 Line
1,500 Grenadiers
800 Engineers
500 Yeomanry Cavalry
A defeat was likely after the cavalry force of Sheremetev left the siege, however this was made even more likely by the removal of Sheremetev himself. Menshikov blundered and could not keep the same level of command over his unruly force. Still, he can be praised for his retreat, which prevented his entire force from falling, and even in being able to keep some of his artillery. Possibly due to this, the force has not been devastated enough to force it back for regrouping, and can continue to be used.
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Post by The Viceroy (AdminM) on Sept 26, 2016 23:26:58 GMT
The North Sea Fleet, Commanded by Philips van Almonde
4 Men o'War
2 Ships of the Line
5 Frigates
13 Transports
The Baltic Expedition, Lord Overkirk: Attached to the North Sea Fleet
3,000 Line Infantry
1,000 Grenadiers
1,000 Engineers
500 Hussars
500 Cuirassiers
50 Field Guns
The Royal Army, commanded by Tsar Peter
10,000 Preobrazhensky lifeguards
4,000 Lifeguards (mustering)
2,500 Engineers
2,000 Militia Cavalry
5,000 Dragoons
2,000 Hussars
185 Field Guns
100 Howitzers
The Army of Novgorod, commanded by Menshikov
2,000 Irregulars
6,000 Line Infantry
200 Engineers
800 Militia Cavalry
100 Field Guns
50 Howitzers
Army of Finland, commanded by Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld
6,000 Swedish Line Infantry
4,000 Grenadiers
1,000 Engineers
100 Field Guns
Needed some kind of Naval themed music
In the chilled Baltic air, Menshikov spotted the first black silhouettes emerging from the mist as if they were from the Devil’s own fleet. He rode quickly to the Tsar, who had been expecting this attack for some time. Pyotr glanced to the fort, where he swore he could see Rehnskiold rubbing his eyes and scratching his head from one of the towers. Almonde, an exceptional Dutch Admiral, was captaining a Frigate. Overkirk was with the rest of the infantry on the transports. The assault was daring, to say the least, and Overkirk had his concerns, though Almonde was convinced he could make it work. And, so, the commanders prepared to lock horns in what was certainly going to be a long and difficult engagement. As the sun begin to sink, the Dutch advanced, hoping the darkness of the sea would hide their ships from the enemy gun emplacements. Four great behemoths advanced first, many of the Russians had never seen ships so large. Well, many had never even seen ships before. Some of the artillery gunners took a while to collect themselves, but the batteries began to fire and the Men O’War lined up along the coastline, with two either side of the Narva’s mouth. The sheer amount of firepower on display was enough to rock the ground. The idea to attempt the attack in the darkness seemed to have been a good one. Many of the volleys from the land were missing, but by keeping their distance, the Dutch were also landing few hits. Even so, they seemed to be getting somewhere. After a few hours about one/third of the Russian batteries had went dark. Then disaster for the Dutch, one of their Men O’War beached itself. Tipping over, the Russian guns were merciless and men were torn to shreds by splintered wood. Eventually a fire broke out and the screams of dying sailors could not be drowned out by the chorus of guns. Despite one setback, the plan was going well for the Dutch. Almonde decided to begin stage two, and the frigates began to approach the mouth of the Narva River, escorting the transport fleet. They pushed through and their guns echoed throughout the town of Narva Jesou. Buildings, which had already been deserted by the locals, crumbled as the frigates continued their destructive advance. Some of the Russian garrison decided to desert the death trap to safety. The rest decided this was a bad idea once Pyotr ordered the first wave to be shot on their retreat. Rehnskiold looked on, waiting to see an advantage for the Dutch forces. The transports found their way through safely, as the Frigates were being used as shields for the artillery, and men began to disembark. From the rubble of the town, Russian soldiers formed up their lines and fired. The frigates continued to tear apart the defenders, but many Dutchmen fell. The battle had raged for many hours and the sun had begun to rise, taking away some of the Dutch momentum. Pyotr saw that his men in the town were faltering, and the cavalry transports arrived. The Dragoons disembarked first and routed the remaining Russian line infantry stationed in the town. The Cuirassiers gave chase and killed all those who could not make it to safety. The Dutch had succeeded in gaining some ground, but this minor victory was short lived. Pyotr gave the call, and his cavalry began to advance into the town. Although dozens were shot down in the charge, and many more killed in the close quarters of the town, the Dutch broke and began to flee to their ships. The cavalry gave chase and the frigates tried to cover them, causing more death amongst the Russian cavalry. However, the frigates were themselves beginning to struggle under pressure from the Russian guns. The Swedes did all they could from their position in the fort, but were never in a position to influence the battle decisively and opted to retain their strength, and to help the Dutch transports resupply their stock houses. The transports began to flee, and several were sunk. The frigates decided to pull back also, leaving their men to the mercy of the cruel Tsar Pyotr. Rehnskiold, decided his own mercy was a better bet, and opened one of the fort’s gates. His men ushered in the battered Dutch soldiers. Some of the Russians tried to follow but were cut down by the garrisoned forces. By noon, the Dutch fleet was disappearing off into the horizon.
Losses: Russia: 2,000 Line infantry 750 Dragoons 500 Hussars 85 Field guns Dutch Republic: 2,500 Line Infantry 750 Grenadiers 500 Hussars 500 Cuirassiers 50 Field Guns 1 Man O’War 2 Frigates 3 Transports Sweden: No losses. The Dutch never had a realistic chance to land successfully. They did cause the Russians some heartache, but at what cost? Pyotr now has two victories on the trot, and his men are starting to realise that they could win this war. The Russians who were sent to scour the remnants of the town find the body of Lord Overkirk, surrounded by his fallen compatriots.
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