The Siege of Rostock
The League Army on the March
In early February 1546, the League Army marched on Rostock. The city was separated from the rest of Turkish Pomerania by Brandenburg and the Free Polish City of Stralsund, and only had a small garrison of 2,000 men defending it. The League forces quickly overwhelmed the defenders and set in to besiege the city. More importantly, Frederik began to prepare for the inevitable arrival of Turkish reinforcements. The Turks had negotiated right of passage for their armies through Brandenburg by ceding the Elector territories from Mecklenburg-Pomerania. Already Orkhan Pasha was marching with both of his armies to engage the League.
Seeing the arrival of League forces at Rostock as their chance for liberation, the people of Pomerania rose up against the Turkish army. A small army of Pomeranian peasants and Justifer nobles supplied with weapons smuggled from Wielkopolska blocked the coastal road to Rostock. Outnumbered four to one by Orkhan Pasha’s army, they were annihilated after a short battle. The few survivors scattered across the border into Wielkopolska and Brandenburg, but their sacrifice had not been in vain. Fearing further uprisings, Orkhan Pasha ordered half his force back to Danzig, while he continued onwards to Rostock.
The Turkish relief force reached Rostock a week later, and battle was immediately joined. Frederik’s forces had used the time bought by the Pomeranian revolt to dig in around Rostock and create cavalry ditches to cover their flanks from Sipahi attack. The Turks would be forced to approach over open ground towards the League positions on a small ridge near the town, under the guns of the arquebusiers.
The Turks initially probed the League positions with 3,000 Akincilar light cavalry, which began to rain arrows on the defenders’ lines. The Dutch and Germans responded with massed fire from their musket squares. In the confusion of the battle the Turkish captain was brought down by a musket ball, and his lieutenant decided to charge. Sabers drawn, the Turks fell upon the League lines. The Turkish cavalry broke upon the massed League pikes, but a small group managed to get among the unarmored arquebusiers and inflict significant casualties. With the charge’s failure the Turks retreated, leaving 1,700 dead and wounded on the field.
Casualties of the First Three Hours
Having bloodied the League’s forces, Orkhan Pasha committed his main force to the battle. This time, 6,000 elite heavy Sipahi lancers led the charge, followed by 6,000 Janissary pikemen. The Sipahi wedge smashed through the League’s lines, shattering four pike squares. Frederik redeployed his arquebusiers to the flanks and poured fire into the Turkish column, slowing the Janissary advance. His second line of pikes began to close ranks and push back on the Sipahi thrust. After two hours of struggle, the Turkish cavalry withdrew, and the Dutch-German line held. 6,000 Leaguers died to 2,500 Ottomans killed.
Orkhan Pasha retreated from the area, but continued to launch attacks throughout the siege. Again and again, his cavalry pounded the League’s positions, inflicting heavy casualties. However, Frederik’s forces still outnumbered his, and he was receiving few reinforcements from Constantinople. After a final attempt to break the siege in June failed, Rostock fell and he withdrew what was left of his forces back towards Danzig. The Hessian army pursued, managing to engage and destroy the retreating Ottomans outside of Neustettin. Upon his arrival in Danzig Orkhan Pasha was relieved of his command and sent back to Constantinople in disgrace.
. I started reading a few days ago, but then my own AAR caught me up, and there was an exam inbetween. But now that I read it all, I will follow your progress.
