Battle of Bengaluru
The Battle of Bengaluru (15 October 1821 - 25 October 1821) was fought at Bengaluru from 15 October to 25 October. The battle would prove to be the climax of the 1821 Maharashtra-Andhrapradesh Campaign and would determine the fate of both sides. The battle would be the largest fought in Indiae until the Second Europan War.
With the Coalition forces continued to be routed, General Sir. Benedict Humeray remained determined to prevent the advance of the Aurucolians and the Sikhs to the vital Port of Pondecherry. The battles prior to Bengaluru; the Battle of Bhangare knocked the Galbadians out of the campaign and sent Field Marshal Georg Ludwig Koppel's Galbadian forces into retreat while the Battle of Mysoru, while a victory for the Lucians, prevented General David Auchinleck from reinforcing Humeray at Bengaluru. Marshal Flórián Székely de Kisbátor ordered Generals Perunović and Rácz to continue engaging the retreating Galbadians and prevent the Lucians from reinforcing Humeray respectively. With this, the Coalition forces at Bengaluru were heavily outnumbered.
In 15 October, Kisbátor commenced the attack. Unfortunately for the Sikhs and Aurucolians, Humeray's mass retreat in August granted Humeray enough time to prepare defences at Bengaluru. The Aurucolians and Sikhs were shocked to find that despite their overwhelming numbers, the defending Coalition forces were remained determined not to yield a single ground. The defenders had the high ground and Humeray knew that it was the best place to defend Pondecherry from. For the next 5 days, the defenders held their ground. In 20 October, Hyderabad forces under the Aurucolians revolted and many switched sides when Humeray took advantage of the situation. However, in 21 October, Kisbátor sent reinforcements and forced the Lucians back to their defences. On the night of the same day, the news of the defeat of the Sikh and Aurucolian fleet at the hands of the Royal Navy at the Naval Battle of Pondecherry reached the Sikh and Aurucolian commanders. Kisbátor realised that without the fleet, his plan was doomed. He was to push to Pondecherry on his own.
The following day at the afternoon, David Auchinleck's forces arrived on the battlefield just 5 kms away from Lucian and Colonial positions at Bengaluru. The arrival of Auchinleck's forces was due in fact that Auchinleck faked a withdrawal, which General Rácz pursued. However, Rácz's forces were met with Galbadian colonials and natives at the Battle of Coimbator while Auchinleck turned his army at 90 degrees to march to Bengaluru to reinforce Humeray. The fate of the Sikhs and Aurucolian forces in the battle were sealed when Field Marshal Koppel's Galbadian Army had also turned around to reinforce Humeray instead of retreating to Goa. The Galbadians engaged with the rear of the Sikhs and the Aurucolians at the Battle of Rankati, thereby effectively almost surrounding the attacking forces. Realising this, Humeray pushed the bulk of his army to the Sikhs and Aurucolian forces, who were now in disarray following Koppel's arrival. Kisbátor ordered a retreat with the remaining forces that were still intact.
The battle dealt a decisive blow to the Sikhs and Aurucolians, who were expecting Pondecherry to fall and the Coalition forces to give way. The Sikhs and Aurucolians would continue to suffer losses and defeats until the end of the campaign with the Fall of Chindewara.
Background
The Battle
15-17 October: Initial Engagements
18-19 October: Grand Bombardment on Lucian defences; Coalition forces hold their ground
20 October: General Dobos' attack on the left flank successfully forces Humeray to withdraw troops on the left flank; General Vandemeer's Stands His Ground; Kisbátor commits a reckless frontal assault, causing heavy casualties but the Coalition forces hold their ground. Pro-Aurucolian Hyderabad Forces defect to the Coalition.
On the morning of 20 October, Kisbátor orders Dobos to force the Lucian left flank under Vandemeer to retreat. All focus was shifted to Vandemeer's flank, given the fact that the Lucian left flank was the weakest. However, Humeray was prepared to reinforce him with Accordish regiments from the central flank. Throughout the day, Vandemeer bore the brunt of Dobos and Kisbátor's repeated attacks. By the afternoon, the Lucians and Baselian troops on Vandemeer's flank were exhausted. However, while under fire, Vandemeer rode out and rallied his troops, enabling most of them to stand their ground and prevent a route.
On the other hand, Kisbátor commits a reckless frontal assault on the central flank. But the Lucian and the Accordish troops held their ground. A combined cavalry and infantry charge was sent by the afternoon, with the combined attack inflicting massive losses on the Lucians and Accordish troops. However, the Royal Accordish Hussars were sent in to reinforce the defenders. Massive artillery barrage rained down on the defenders of the central flank. Despite being winded and taking heavy casualties, the Lucians and Accordish troops regained their ground.
At dusk, Vandemeer's forces could not suffer another heavy attack. Hence, Humeray sent in the Accordish regiments to reinforce him. However, the Mangyars were sent in to counter this. The Accordish dueled with the Mangyari's until Vandemeer's forces exhausted all energy and effort. The Mangyars forced Vandemeer to retreat back further into the woods, while the Accordish prevented the Mangyars from pursuing his forces. Despite the mounting heavy casualties that the Aurucolians had inflicted, Vandemeer's stand also caused Kisbátor and Dobos a large amount of stress, being unable to force him to retreat until the evening came. Vandemeer's forces also inflicted heavy casualties on the Aurucolians despite the massive elite regiments and battalions that Kisbátor and Dobos committed on Vandemeer's flank. The Aurucolians lost the largest number of their best troops during this day alone.
When the night had came, the news of the Hyderabad Revolt arrived in the Hyderabadi camp in the Aurucolian side. The causes of the revolt bought about the intense love of their homeland and what had happened as the Aurucolians began their administration. Bondage and slavery were taking place as taxes were being raised to fund the war effort. This alone was enough for the Hyderabadi in the Aurucolian camp to defect that night. At about 9pm, a group of Hyderabadi soldiers set fire to an ammunition tent and the explosion was heard throughout the camp. The diversion alone allowed most of the Hyderabadi to inflict casualties and destroy precious equipment on the Aurucolians and the Sikhs before fleeing and making their way to the Lucian lines. The incident became known as The Night of the Gunpowder, attributing to the amounts of gunpowder used by the Hyderabadi to destroy parts of the Aurucolian and Sikh camp.
At midnight, tensions were running high in both the Lucian and Aurucolian camps following the incident. Kisbátor was still awaiting news of the naval battle that took place earlier that day at Pondecherry while Humeray hoped that either Auchinleck or Koppel would arrive to reinforce him. 30 minutes later, Kisbátor received a message about the Naval Battle of Pondecherry. The Royal Navy decisively defeated the combined Aurucolian and Sikh navies just 20 kms from Pondecherry, and that the Lucians had captured the best ships that the Aurucolians and Sikhs deployed. Despite the morale was high among them, the Royal Navy's superior training and greater experience meant that the Aurucolians and Sikhs would not be able to destroy the Royal Navy at Indiae. Despite the defeat, Kisbátor remained hopeful that a final attack would force Humeray out.
21 October: Sikh and Aurucolian forces commit their final grand attack. Lucians lose the central flank. Dobos captures Bengaluru. Nihhonese Colonial troops continue to harass Aurucolian and Sikh supply lines
Following the incident on the previous night, Kisbátor ordered a massive grand attack with a combination of cavalry and infantry charges while being supported by artillery. The Lucians held their ground but the massive attack was beginning to be exhaust them beyond their efforts. This left Humeray with no choice but to abandon the central flank, which allowed Dobos to immediately capture the small town. However, Humeray left Indiaen raiders and a handful of troops to keep Dobos in the town. As the Aurucolians entered Bengaluru, they were constantly ambushed by Indiaen natives and colonial troops who stayed behind to prevent Dobos from pursuing the retreating central force. Bengaluru would not fall to Dobos until dusk, greatly costing him the chance to destroy the central flank. By that night, Humeray reconsolidated his forces for one last attempt to defend. At this time, there was still no news of Auchinleck's reinforcements, nor Koppel's. Despite losing the central flank, the stand at Bengaluru alone nearly exhausted the Aurucolians and Sikh's munitions.
On the other hand, Nihhonese, Baselian, and Indiaen troops continued to raid Aurucolian and Sikh supply lines, greatly delaying munitions that would have been used for the attack at Bengaluru. The Baselians also planted mines on certain routes, while the Indiaen natives continued to search for high ranking officers directing the supply route. The Nihhonese raided reinforcements and munition caravans, frequently taking no prisoners and stealing munitions. These set backs proved a heavy burden to Kisbátor, who realised that his troops were almost running out of munitions, despite a handful of caravans arriving the replenish their munitions. These caravans were immediately sent to Dobos at Bengaluru, who was preparing for a massive pincer movement planned for the next day.
22 October: Auchinleck's forces arrive and ambush the right flank of the Sikh-Aurucolian forces and assumes command of the Lucian left flank from Vandemeer. Dobos' forces attempt to encircle Humeray's right flank. Vandemeer turns his forces around and forces Dobos' to retreat back to Bengaluru.
With the central flank in their hands, and the Lucian left flank nearly disabled, Kisbátor orders Dobos to attempt to encircle Humeray's right flank, which was the only flank that still remained standing, after suffering from repeated heavy Sikh attacks. This encircle alone would have been enough to seal the fate of the Lucians, Baselians, Nibelheimians, and the Nihhonese who had been trying to hold and prevent the Aurucolians from advancing. With no sign of Auchinleck or Koppel, Humeray prepared his staff to sound the retreat to Pondecherry or worse, wave the white flag and accept surrender.
Knowing Kisbátor and Dobos would attempt to encircle and annihalate Humeray's right flank, Vandemeer decided to give one final show of force to former allies. Vandemeer reorganised his force and left Baron Hamilton and his Accordish troops to continue holding the line. Vandemeer's forces would to encircle Dobos' forces encircling the Lucians, resulting in a double encirclement, something which had never seen before. This alone split Dobos' encircling force to engaging with the Lucians in the right flank, and as well as Vandemeer's force encircling them. Attempting to force Vandemeer back, Kisbátor dispatched the Mangyars and the Hollanders to counter this threat to seal the fate of Humeray and Vandemeer.
However, the fate of the defending Allied armies was reversed when at 1pm, Auchinleck's newly armed and fresh forces finally arrived and immediately engaged against Dobos' flank. Despite the Aurucolians on that flank not wanting to give up the flank, Auchinleck's fresh forces were more organised while the Aurucolians on the left flank of the Lucians were still winded, and had not yet fully recovered from Vandemeer's brutal show of defence. This alone split Dobos' army in two, as Auchinleck's Nibelheimian and Hanoverian cavalry charged through the left flank, enabling them to retake the left flank and forcing the Aurucolians on that flank to retreat at 2pm. The news rapidly reached Humeray and Vandemeer. This made Humeray to have Auchinleck to assume full command of the left flank which enabled Vandemeer to order the bulk of his forces from the left flank to rejoin his encircling forces and force Dobos' to break his encirclement and retreat to Bengaluru.
Seeing this, Kisbátor realised that General Arnold Rácz had failed. Kisbátor would not know the fate of Rácz's army until the evening. In an attempt to force Auchinleck out, Kisbátor dispatched the reserves of his army to engage against Auchinleck. However, by the time he had ordered sending them, Auchinleck had already regained the left flank and forced Dobos' troops on that flank to retreat. The reserves, while remaining resolute, could not defeat Auchinleck's forces. Auchinleck's forces were more organised and had been fully armed. This effort failed and Kisbátor still depended on Dobos to somehow bring the right flank under his control. But by 5pm, Dobos' encirclement began to wane and the Mangyar and Hollandic troops that Kisbátor had sent was engaging a part of Auchinleck's Hanoverian troops. Despite the discipline and orderliness of the Mangyars and Hollandic troops, Auchinleck's Nibelheimian cavalry arrived to reinforce the Hanoverians send the Mangyars and Hollanders in disarray and disorganised. Seeing this, Kisbátor ordered them to retreat. Dobos realised that without them, his encirclement was doomed. This forced Dobos to order his troops to retreat back to Bengaluru as Vandemeer's forces gave chase.
23 October: Vandemeer forces Dobos out of Bengaluru. General Koppel's Galbadian forces engages with the rear guard of the Aurucolians and Sikhs at Rankati; Rankati falls.
The following day, Kisbátor realised that he had lost the advantage that he gained just 2 days ago and that his forces were now on the defence. Humeray orders Baron Hamilton's forces to reinforce the right flank and force the Sikh's back, who were still engaging with the Lucians on that flank since the start of the battle. Meanwhile, Auchinleck's forces began to harass the Aurucolian right flank, inflicting casualties on Dobos' forces holding their line. On the other hand, Dobos' forces at Bengaluru were still holding as Vandemeer ordered his troops to attempt to encircle Bengaluru and prevent the Dobos' Aurucolian force from escaping. By 12 noon, Kisbátor realised that if Dobos continued to carry out resistance on the central flank, then it would give the Lucians the chance to attack his central flank exposed. This rendered him to order Dobos' to withdraw his troops from Bengaluru and rejoin with the main army.
However, by the time Vandemeer committed his encirclement at Bengaluru, only 2/5ths of the Aurucolians at Bengaluru managed to escape. On the other hand, an army began to appear from the furthest left flank of the Lucians, and the furthest right flank of the Aurucolians. While it still remained unclear on whether if it was General Koppel's Galbadian Army or General Perunović's Aurucolian Army, both sides continued to engage. At about 4pm, Dobos' forces still at Bengaluru could no longer carry out the resistance and were forced to find means of escaping rather than retreat. At 5pm, the identity of the army was finally revealed when General Koppel's Galbadian forces engaged with the rear guard of the Aurucolians and Sikhs just near Rankati. The tenacity of the Galbadians who engaged the Aurucolians and Sikhs at Rankati shocked Kisbátor, who thought of them as nothing but easy beats. The timely arrival of Koppel's newly-organised army managed to end the last hope of victory for Kisbátor as Galbadian cavalry and infantry surged throughout the battle.
24-25 October: Koppel and Auchinleck's forces engage with the rear and right flank of the Sikhs and Aurucolians. Humeray commits his armies. Sikh and Aurucolian forces routed. Kisbátor retreats.
By 24 October, Auchinleck's forces advanced towards the the furthest point of the Aurucolian right flank while Koppel's forces engaged in full force against the rear flank of the Aurucolians. Despite attempting to set up a line of resistance and still putting up a stubborn resistance, Kisbátor realised that it was already hopelessly late for him to regain the initiative. Dobos' forces at Bengaluru had been forced out, the Sikhs were disorganised and defeated, and Auchinleck and Koppel's forces were already putting the pressure on him. Then, at about 1pm, Vandemeer pushed his forces straight into Kisbátor's central flank. Humeray would do the same, and Baron Hamilton pushed the Aurucolian left flank as Humeray's forces caught up with Vandemeer's forces.
The last Aurucolian force in the area were the elite Mangyars and Hollanders near the centre. Kisbátor hoped that the army would stand behind them but unfortunately, they too were defeated by Vandemeer's forces as the Sikhs and Aurucolians were routed. The two retreating elite forces were surrounded by thousands of retreating, broken Aurucolian and Sikh troops. Aurucolian equipment and munitions were captured by the Lucio-Galbadian forces as the Aurucolians and Sikhs abandoned more and more of their equipment in an attempt to save their lives.
Auchinleck joined up with General John Manuel Da Gama's forces to pursue the routing columns until 23:00. Humeray signalled the end of the battle by the midnight as he and Koppel shared a drink to seal the fate of the battle.