Battle of Ensoir

Battle of Ensoir
Part of South Terrifica War
Date 1-2nd October 1821 Location Ensoir, Gallandia Result Vionna-Frankenlischian Victory
Belligerents
Vionna-Frankenlisch	Kingdom of Gallandia
Commanders and leaders
Duke of Teutonberg	Comte de Revillier †
Strength
50,000 Men 60 Guns	39,000 Men 38 Guns
Casualties and losses
1,000	8,000

The Battle of Ensoir was an important battle in the South Terrifica War and the second engagement of the Vionna-Frankenlischian South Gallandia Campaign. Taking place following the capture of Adeleux, the battle saw the expeditionary army of the Duke of Teutonberg facing the amassed forces of the Gallandic Comte de Revillier, a major landowner along the River Calledoir. In a battle lasting two days, the superior forces of Lord Teutonberg's army defeated the Gallandic host, inflicting heavy casualties.

Background

Following a successful, yet inconsequential naval campaign off the Gallandic coast, Vionna-Frankenlischian forces finally landed on the Terrifican continent in mid-September, 1821, taking the important port town of Adeleux and disembarking a strong army led by the Duke of Teutonberg, Richard Poltov. Lord Teutonberg planned a steady campaign along the River Calledoir, pushing aside Gallandic resistance and seizing settlements along the road to the great walled city of Cationne. He marched his forces out of Adeleux on the 21st of September, keeping the River Calledoir to his left. He kept his army at a steady pace, not wishing to tire his forces, setting his first objective as the bridge castle of Chateau Calledoir.

As the Duke of Teutonberg's army set out from Adeleux, the Gallandic general Andre Mavillente, recently made Comte de Revillier after the former Count's untimely death at Adeleux, resolved to raise a force to resist the Vionna-Frankenlischian advance. Mavillente received a Marshalship from King Louis XI, giving him the right to raise the feudal levies and town militias of other lords and burghers. From his manor at Malbdoux, the Comte dispatched a group of outriders led by Sir Jean de Illebins to bring the levies of the nearby area together at Clermont. By the 28th of September, Mavillente had amassed an army of thirty-nine thousand men and thirty-eight guns at Clermont and marched swiftly to Chateau Celledoir. There he received information about Lord Teutonberg's movements and marched his already tired forces against the Vionna-Frankenlischian army. The two forces ran into one another at the small town of Ensoir and drew up for battle to the left of the riverside settlement.

Opposing Armies

Vionna-Frankenlischian

The Duke of Teutonberg's army numbered 50,000 men and consisted of thirty thousand of his militia and noble retainers from the Duchy of Teutonberg and the Duchy of Grythshead, they were organised into divisions and had wide variation in terms of weaponry, only two-thirds had guns, within this 30,000, Poltov also had a large number of pike and long/crossbow armed troops. The remainder of his forces were mercenaries from Wolfswood, Prodava and the Germanan Duchies. He also boasted forty-two cannons and eighteen howitzers. At Ensoir, his formation was a straight line of militia with his mercenaries in blocks behind as reserves.

Gallandian

Opposing the Duke of Teutonberg was the Comte de Revillier. The Comte fielded a numerically inferior army of 39,000 and 38 guns. They were almost entirely levied from the villages and towns along the Calledoir and, like the Duke of Teutonberg's army, was nearly exclusively infantry. His forces were divided into divisions also.

Battle

Once the Comte de Revillier had deployed his forces, he immediately began to move offensively. Only Lord Poltov's front line was deployed and his reserve units were still moving into position and his artillery had yet to deploy. Poltov was forced to advance his militia unsupported to screen the deployment of his reserve troops.