The Battle of Perrinshlaw
| Battle of Perrinshlaw | |||||||
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| Part of Tanysira Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Tanysiran Rebels |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Andrianerinerina (KIA) Ralph Köstler |
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| Units involved | |||||||
| Tanysiran Rebels |
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| Strength | |||||||
| About 600 Rebels |
250 Fluttkregjen 2000 Sheenish Marines | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 280 deaths, rest captured or deserted |
100 Fluttkregjen dead, others severely wounded 90 Marines killed | ||||||
The Battle of Perrinshlaw occurred from 3rd August 1900 to 25th August 1900 in Sadaler Occuppied Tanysira between the forces of Sadalen and the Tanysiran Rebels, later also those of the Associated Cities of Sheen. Battle was joined after the Sadaler forces forded a local river in order to try and establish a fortification on a nearby hillock. This was part of a larger effort to secure routes of transit through the Tanysiran interior and stop the easy movement of rebel forces throughout the theatre of operation.
The first attack was carried out by Tanysiran camel cavalry who managed to accidentally set alight and detonate the wagon containing most of the Sadaler ammunition and explosives. This explosion shocked and dismayed the attackers who had not been expecting it, allowing the company to hurry to the hillock and establish a laager there, from which they were able to repel several attacks over the next few days. On the fourth day, a rider was sent out from the laager and successfully escaped the now developing siege. He was able to make it back to friendly territory where he then informed the Sadaler command of the situation and requested reinforcements before then dying from exhaustion.
While this was going on, further efforts to make their position more defensible were undertaken, with several of the wagons being broken down for wood and basic trenches and spikes being created to ring the laager. It is around this time that the position became known as the 'Hlaw', though it later one was named Perrinshlaw in honour of the Sheenish officer to relieve them. On the sixth day of the siege, the commanding lieutenant of the company (the highest ranking officer to survive to this point) led a daring sortie out of the laager to secure water for their men. Through a combination of improvised explosives and bluffs, they were able to scare off their would be attackers and over the next few days were able to dig a canal from which they could retrieve some of the rivers water more easily.
After a failed attempt to surrender to the rebels, Sheenish forces arrived finally on the 25th of August and managed to inflict massive casualties on the besieging forces, breaking them and relieving the beleaguered Sadaler troops.