Battle of Tortsy: Difference between revisions
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==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Following the initial setbacks that proceeded the Leftist uprisings on Oktobrisk and coordinated mutiny amongst the Oktobrisk Naval Station, General Edward Doyle brought his command at the central settlement of Tortsy. Tortsy was a vital base on the road to the city of Oktobrisk itself. Under Doyle's command was the Imperial Oktobrisk Rifles, which consisted of six battalions, the Oktobrisk Mountain Brigade, a professional and well-equipped brigade of regular troops and the Thirteenth Infantry Brigade of the Germanan Army. Under the direct command of Ferdinand von Hallenberg, a Germanan-born officer in the Imperial Army, the 13th Infantry Brigade was well-trained and equipped but lacked supplies and morale was reportedly poor. Also under Doyle's command was around 16,000 loyalists, these were militiamen, civilian volunteers and surplus military forces including loyalist sailors from the Oktobrisk Naval Station and airmen from the captured [[Åndalden Airbase]]. | |||
[[Matayev Ivanovich]], chairman of the Oktobrisk [[Trades Union Congress]] was quickly elected to command the Leftist forces on Oktobrisk, along with Jasper Lane, a Socialist police commander from Álfröst. He pulled his forces together at Åndalden Airbase and, though he failed to make use of any of the remaining aircraft, his forces captured weeks of food supplies and fuel, along with a small number of weapons and ammunition. Leftist forces were organised into three 'Red Brigades' and two 'Worker's Columns', these purposely distinctive units were used in similar roles during the battle, whatever their stated differences. | |||
Doyle correctly deduced that Ivanovich would march on Tortsy and use it as a staging base for an assault on the city of Oktobrisk. Thus, he entrenched his forces along a ridgeline south of the settlement and made preparations for a defensive engagement. | |||
==Battle== | ==Battle== | ||
General Doyle's dug-in troops just about covered the ridgeline south of Tortsy, backed up with artillery and a small number of assault guns | ===Initial Attacks=== | ||
General Doyle's dug-in troops just about covered the ridgeline south of Tortsy, backed up with artillery and a small number of Germanan assault guns captured during the Second Europan War. The main line along the ridge consisted of trenches and wooden bunkers and pillboxes, garrisoned by his loyalist auxiliaries. In reserve he kept the Germanan 13th Brigade and the IOR. He placed the Oktobrisk Mountain Brigade on his right flank where a flanking manoeuvre was possible and backed them up with his few armoured vehicles. | |||
Matayev Ivanovich, his forces devoid of heavy equipment, decided on using massed infantry attacks to break the Imperial line. He first committed the Worker's Columns as assault units. They moved through wooded areas to the direct south of Tortsy to avoid being spotted until the last possible moment. At 1pm on the 2nd of December, the battle begun. Worker's Column A moved swiftly out of the woods and attacked with a wide frontage against Doyle's centre, using rifles, shotguns and melee weapons. Doyle's entrenched loyalists, similarly armed to their Leftist opponents, threw back the attack with relative ease, pouring enfilade gunfire downhill at the massed lines of rebels. | |||
As Column A made its futile attack against the entrenched Imperial centre, Worker's Column B stealthily moved to the left and, at 2pm, attacked Doyle's right flank. Expecting a clear path around Doyle's flank, Column B ran right into the guns of Ranya Yanovich's mountaineers. | |||
===Fighting on the flank=== | |||
==Aftermath== | ==Aftermath== | ||
Revision as of 22:14, 13 May 2019
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The Battle of Tortsy was a battle during the Imperial Civil War and the deciding engagement of the Oktobrisk Campaign. Fought between Imperial and Leftist forces over a 14 day period, the battle ended in a Leftist victory as the Imperial forces were pushed back to the town of Oktobrisk where they were besieged until mid-January.
Background
Following the initial setbacks that proceeded the Leftist uprisings on Oktobrisk and coordinated mutiny amongst the Oktobrisk Naval Station, General Edward Doyle brought his command at the central settlement of Tortsy. Tortsy was a vital base on the road to the city of Oktobrisk itself. Under Doyle's command was the Imperial Oktobrisk Rifles, which consisted of six battalions, the Oktobrisk Mountain Brigade, a professional and well-equipped brigade of regular troops and the Thirteenth Infantry Brigade of the Germanan Army. Under the direct command of Ferdinand von Hallenberg, a Germanan-born officer in the Imperial Army, the 13th Infantry Brigade was well-trained and equipped but lacked supplies and morale was reportedly poor. Also under Doyle's command was around 16,000 loyalists, these were militiamen, civilian volunteers and surplus military forces including loyalist sailors from the Oktobrisk Naval Station and airmen from the captured Åndalden Airbase.
Matayev Ivanovich, chairman of the Oktobrisk Trades Union Congress was quickly elected to command the Leftist forces on Oktobrisk, along with Jasper Lane, a Socialist police commander from Álfröst. He pulled his forces together at Åndalden Airbase and, though he failed to make use of any of the remaining aircraft, his forces captured weeks of food supplies and fuel, along with a small number of weapons and ammunition. Leftist forces were organised into three 'Red Brigades' and two 'Worker's Columns', these purposely distinctive units were used in similar roles during the battle, whatever their stated differences.
Doyle correctly deduced that Ivanovich would march on Tortsy and use it as a staging base for an assault on the city of Oktobrisk. Thus, he entrenched his forces along a ridgeline south of the settlement and made preparations for a defensive engagement.
Battle
Initial Attacks
General Doyle's dug-in troops just about covered the ridgeline south of Tortsy, backed up with artillery and a small number of Germanan assault guns captured during the Second Europan War. The main line along the ridge consisted of trenches and wooden bunkers and pillboxes, garrisoned by his loyalist auxiliaries. In reserve he kept the Germanan 13th Brigade and the IOR. He placed the Oktobrisk Mountain Brigade on his right flank where a flanking manoeuvre was possible and backed them up with his few armoured vehicles.
Matayev Ivanovich, his forces devoid of heavy equipment, decided on using massed infantry attacks to break the Imperial line. He first committed the Worker's Columns as assault units. They moved through wooded areas to the direct south of Tortsy to avoid being spotted until the last possible moment. At 1pm on the 2nd of December, the battle begun. Worker's Column A moved swiftly out of the woods and attacked with a wide frontage against Doyle's centre, using rifles, shotguns and melee weapons. Doyle's entrenched loyalists, similarly armed to their Leftist opponents, threw back the attack with relative ease, pouring enfilade gunfire downhill at the massed lines of rebels.
As Column A made its futile attack against the entrenched Imperial centre, Worker's Column B stealthily moved to the left and, at 2pm, attacked Doyle's right flank. Expecting a clear path around Doyle's flank, Column B ran right into the guns of Ranya Yanovich's mountaineers.
Fighting on the flank
Aftermath
Order of Battle
Imperial
Imperial Oktobrisk Rifles
Oktobrisk Mountain Brigade
13th Infantry Brigade
Oktobrisk Loyalist Militia
Leftist
1st Oktobrisk Red Brigade
2nd Oktobrisk Red Brigade
3rd Oktobrisk Red Brigade
Oktobrisk Worker's Column A
Oktobrisk Worker's Column B