no bloody fields of kehl until the 19th
i'm sure Eochaid can pick up the slack have fun on vacatio and hurry back
i'm sure Eochaid can pick up the slack have fun on vacatio and hurry back-
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The AAR continues strong. I fell behind for a while there.
I'm going on vacation too, I think they're gonna coup Eutopia while we're gone.
I'm going on vacation too, I think they're gonna coup Eutopia while we're gone.
XXV- Retreat...Almost
"Bring more men!" With that the Marshal sprang atop his horse. His courier scrambled off. "Not from the center!"
The Marshal rode to greet General von Seydlitz's army. General von Seydlitz's cannon, just deployed, greeted him. He jumped off his horse (which galloped off to the rear, scared out of its wits) and into the bushes. He looked back and saw French infantry marching. The courier had learned this time.
"Now, Colonel...what is your name? De Montségur. Colonel de Montségur, take your men and move them into position as you deem appropriate. Use the terrain to your advantage, and drive back the enemy!" The Marshal rode off to the North.
The situation there was desperate. The French lines were crumbling under a powerful new attack, and then Marshal de Broglie understood: This wasn't the feint, and the cavalry to the south weren't the real attack. The cavalry was the feint all along. This was the real assault. His fear was confirmed when a bullet took his hat right off.
There was only one option. "Bugle, sound the retreat!" The soldiers didn't need to be told twice. Marshal de Broglie found two couriers. "You, tell Colonel de Montségur, and you the commander to the south--we are retreating to a line directly around Kehl and the bridge." The couriers scurried off. Only one would reach his destination.
Soon the Marshal was caught up in the flow of the retreat, which was hastened by a cavalry charge very soon. However, all his officer corps (it seemed) was waiting near the bridge over the Rhine, to rally the troops. This they did, miraculously, and the troops began to form into lines. The troops from the south, who had successfully repulsed the Prussian King's own cavalry attack, added to the southern flank, protecting the town of Kehl itself. There was just one thing missing.
The courier to Colonel de Montségur had been shot or captured, for the Colonel and his regiments fought on--even as they were surrounded by Friedrich II's own cavalry. They would fight to the death, or surrender. But they were now beyond help.
"Bring more men!" With that the Marshal sprang atop his horse. His courier scrambled off. "Not from the center!"
The Marshal rode to greet General von Seydlitz's army. General von Seydlitz's cannon, just deployed, greeted him. He jumped off his horse (which galloped off to the rear, scared out of its wits) and into the bushes. He looked back and saw French infantry marching. The courier had learned this time.
"Now, Colonel...what is your name? De Montségur. Colonel de Montségur, take your men and move them into position as you deem appropriate. Use the terrain to your advantage, and drive back the enemy!" The Marshal rode off to the North.
The situation there was desperate. The French lines were crumbling under a powerful new attack, and then Marshal de Broglie understood: This wasn't the feint, and the cavalry to the south weren't the real attack. The cavalry was the feint all along. This was the real assault. His fear was confirmed when a bullet took his hat right off.
There was only one option. "Bugle, sound the retreat!" The soldiers didn't need to be told twice. Marshal de Broglie found two couriers. "You, tell Colonel de Montségur, and you the commander to the south--we are retreating to a line directly around Kehl and the bridge." The couriers scurried off. Only one would reach his destination.
Soon the Marshal was caught up in the flow of the retreat, which was hastened by a cavalry charge very soon. However, all his officer corps (it seemed) was waiting near the bridge over the Rhine, to rally the troops. This they did, miraculously, and the troops began to form into lines. The troops from the south, who had successfully repulsed the Prussian King's own cavalry attack, added to the southern flank, protecting the town of Kehl itself. There was just one thing missing.
The courier to Colonel de Montségur had been shot or captured, for the Colonel and his regiments fought on--even as they were surrounded by Friedrich II's own cavalry. They would fight to the death, or surrender. But they were now beyond help.
Oh, shoot! I just realized that they burned the bridge over the Rhine way back in Chapter 2...and I was centering the whole story on (but I'm not allowed to tell you, that's a spoiler) and now!
Well, just pretend they repaired the bridge between then and now, okay? Thanks...
Well, just pretend they repaired the bridge between then and now, okay? Thanks...
Damage Assessment, Evening, July 28
Strength, Start of Battle
Army of General F.W. von Seydlitz and army of Wurttemburg, combined total=45,000
Army of Marshal Duc de Broglie=110,000 (arrive in two parts)
Army of King Friedrich II=15,000
TOTAL=170,000
Casualties, Evening, July 28
Prussian/Wurttemburger=40,000
French=70,000 (OOC: WHOA! This is roughly true to the game, too!)
TOTAL=110,000
Strength, Evening, July 28
Prussian=20,000
French=40,000
TOTAL=60,000
Strength, Start of Battle
Army of General F.W. von Seydlitz and army of Wurttemburg, combined total=45,000
Army of Marshal Duc de Broglie=110,000 (arrive in two parts)
Army of King Friedrich II=15,000
TOTAL=170,000
Casualties, Evening, July 28
Prussian/Wurttemburger=40,000
French=70,000 (OOC: WHOA! This is roughly true to the game, too!)
TOTAL=110,000
Strength, Evening, July 28
Prussian=20,000
French=40,000
TOTAL=60,000
Thanks, Duke! Wow...this must be a better AAR than I thought...
Well, I have to go on vacation now...Eochaid...well, you guys just keep him busy, okay? Don't blow anything up while I'm gone! (picks up his suitcase and instantly vanishes)
Well, I have to go on vacation now...Eochaid...well, you guys just keep him busy, okay?
Don't blow anything up while I'm gone! (picks up his suitcase and instantly vanishes)
(reappears)
Well, it appears I have time to make one last update after all! And here it comes now...
Well, it appears I have time to make one last update after all! And here it comes now...
XXVI- de Broglie's Last Stand
July 29: Day 34
Marshal Duc de Broglie held a conference of war that night. He asked his officers: Was it worth it to keep fighting?
Almost unanimously the reply was, We still have twice as many men as they do, let's stay in the fight! And so King Friedrich woke up on the morning of July 29 to find the French army still in front of him. Incredibly, the King smiled.
Prussian artillery began to bombard the French lines with the newly arrived ammunition, and a small force was sent out by the King to the north. It was so small the Marshal dismissed it—maybe they were going to go keep an eye on the garrison in Rastatt. Then the infantry attacked.
All the new, fresh troops poured into the elite legions of France, which were exhausted by over a month of fighting. It seemed no contest—but the defenders weren’t in a hurry to give up ground. They fought ferociously, some firing three or four rounds a minute (well-aimed) and a few grabbing their regiment’s piles of spare ramrods (in case one was accidentally fired) and throwing these ramrods at the enemy. Soon the bayonets came out and the fighting grew bloody and furious. General von Seydlitz, directing the northern part of the assault, was shot in the leg—nothing serious; his surgeon appeared, pulled out the bullet, and applied a bandage, and the General rode off again.
And still the French wouldn’t give up. King Friedrich would later say, “They gave a dozen men for that many inches,” and he wasn’t far from the truth. Somehow the blue legions held together. All the Marshal’s generals were out to encourage the troops, and the Marshal himself galloped along from flank to flank just behind the line, yelling fanatically.
When dusk came, blood had been spilled in incredible numbers. If anybody had bothered to count how many soldiers died in each day of the battle, July 29 would have ranked very close to the top. The French army withdrew that night—not because they had lost, but because the stench was knocking many men straight out. Days later, in Rotterdam, people would look down at the Rhine River—and see that it had turned a pale red.
But when dawn broke the next day, King Friedrich II still found the French army before him. Waiting.
July 29: Day 34
Marshal Duc de Broglie held a conference of war that night. He asked his officers: Was it worth it to keep fighting?
Almost unanimously the reply was, We still have twice as many men as they do, let's stay in the fight! And so King Friedrich woke up on the morning of July 29 to find the French army still in front of him. Incredibly, the King smiled.
Prussian artillery began to bombard the French lines with the newly arrived ammunition, and a small force was sent out by the King to the north. It was so small the Marshal dismissed it—maybe they were going to go keep an eye on the garrison in Rastatt. Then the infantry attacked.
All the new, fresh troops poured into the elite legions of France, which were exhausted by over a month of fighting. It seemed no contest—but the defenders weren’t in a hurry to give up ground. They fought ferociously, some firing three or four rounds a minute (well-aimed) and a few grabbing their regiment’s piles of spare ramrods (in case one was accidentally fired) and throwing these ramrods at the enemy. Soon the bayonets came out and the fighting grew bloody and furious. General von Seydlitz, directing the northern part of the assault, was shot in the leg—nothing serious; his surgeon appeared, pulled out the bullet, and applied a bandage, and the General rode off again.
And still the French wouldn’t give up. King Friedrich would later say, “They gave a dozen men for that many inches,” and he wasn’t far from the truth. Somehow the blue legions held together. All the Marshal’s generals were out to encourage the troops, and the Marshal himself galloped along from flank to flank just behind the line, yelling fanatically.
When dusk came, blood had been spilled in incredible numbers. If anybody had bothered to count how many soldiers died in each day of the battle, July 29 would have ranked very close to the top. The French army withdrew that night—not because they had lost, but because the stench was knocking many men straight out. Days later, in Rotterdam, people would look down at the Rhine River—and see that it had turned a pale red.
But when dawn broke the next day, King Friedrich II still found the French army before him. Waiting.
Okay, folks, I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Expect more stuff soon!
EOCHAID! (grabs dagger) What were you up to all that time! Arrrggghhhh!!!! Lazy landlubber! You keep this up and you'll flunk the class!!
EOCHAID! (grabs dagger) What were you up to all that time! Arrrggghhhh!!!! Lazy landlubber! You keep this up and you'll flunk the class!!
XXVII- Close to Victory
July 30: Day 34
Amazingly, the King rubbed his hands in delight. His plan was working. The Marshal was just as stubborn as Friedrich had guessed he was.
Marshal de Broglie was now surrounded on three sides. His command was severely diminished after Colonel de Montségur and his men had disappeared in a cloud of Prussians. The Marshal could not surrender, because the sword he needed to ceremonially hand over was wedged in a tree behind enemy lines*.
Besides, he was too proud to surrender. His tired men, who had now fought for 33 days without substantial rest, would fight on.
And fight they did that day. The Prussians woke up early, as the sun came up, and attacked when they hoped to catch their enemy in camp eating French toast and gourmet cheese. But the enemy was ready, and the battle was bloody.
It was almost a repeat of yesterday. So many bullets hit the same tree that it fell over on a caisson, smashing it. A cannon misfired and exploded, killing 20 men in the packed area. The fighting grew and grew and came to hand to hand; bayonets smashed and fragments of the tree trunk were even used as clubs. One man lobbed a cannon ball into the stomach of an attacker, only to be speared by three bayonets seconds later.
These were not nobles, but savages. And they continued even as clouds formed and rain began to pour, ruining the gunpowder. Finally the Prussians and French both retreated back, leaving a ghastly number behind. The fighting would resume tomorrow.
But Frederick the Great knew something that Marshal de Broglie didn't know. The King had a great secret which would end any chances of French victory, period.
-----
*OOC: Go back to the July 28 installment: "'I am doomed!' he shouted, and threw his long dress sword down the hill and straight through a tree."
July 30: Day 34
Amazingly, the King rubbed his hands in delight. His plan was working. The Marshal was just as stubborn as Friedrich had guessed he was.
Marshal de Broglie was now surrounded on three sides. His command was severely diminished after Colonel de Montségur and his men had disappeared in a cloud of Prussians. The Marshal could not surrender, because the sword he needed to ceremonially hand over was wedged in a tree behind enemy lines*.
Besides, he was too proud to surrender. His tired men, who had now fought for 33 days without substantial rest, would fight on.
And fight they did that day. The Prussians woke up early, as the sun came up, and attacked when they hoped to catch their enemy in camp eating French toast and gourmet cheese. But the enemy was ready, and the battle was bloody.
It was almost a repeat of yesterday. So many bullets hit the same tree that it fell over on a caisson, smashing it. A cannon misfired and exploded, killing 20 men in the packed area. The fighting grew and grew and came to hand to hand; bayonets smashed and fragments of the tree trunk were even used as clubs. One man lobbed a cannon ball into the stomach of an attacker, only to be speared by three bayonets seconds later.
These were not nobles, but savages. And they continued even as clouds formed and rain began to pour, ruining the gunpowder. Finally the Prussians and French both retreated back, leaving a ghastly number behind. The fighting would resume tomorrow.
But Frederick the Great knew something that Marshal de Broglie didn't know. The King had a great secret which would end any chances of French victory, period.
-----
*OOC: Go back to the July 28 installment: "'I am doomed!' he shouted, and threw his long dress sword down the hill and straight through a tree."
XXVIII- The End is Near
July 31: Day 35
When the Prussians attacked the next morning, the French were just too darn tired. Many of them held up handkerchiefs, and their surrender was received gracefully, even gratefully.
The attack the next day was more lackluster, because the Prussians were tired too, after their king had pushed them on so hard. However, it still worked.
The King now led a cavalry charge at a point between the bridge over the Rhine and the town of Kehl. His goal was to split Marshal de Broglie's army in half. Riding through a cloud of bullets, seemingly invincible, the King led his men straight at a more and more terrified foe. "They are inhuman!" shouted an appalled Frenchman before fleeing for his life. Soon many others followed suit, although some made a heroic stand, bayonetting the horses of the Prussian cavalrymen. But they did not last when King Friedrich called in the infantry.
Now a full scaled assault was made on the town of Kehl. We will pass over this attack, as it was very bloody and since the poor French troops had nowhere to retreat to, all surrendered or died. After this tragic occurrence, the town of Kehl was burned. Even today nobody knows who burned it or why, but nevertheless it was razed to the ground.
That evening, Marshal Duc de Broglie inspected his troops and found that they were less than anybody could have guessed. They could not stand to fight another day. Come tomorrow, they would retreat across the bridge. The battle was lost.
But it still was not over.
July 31: Day 35
When the Prussians attacked the next morning, the French were just too darn tired. Many of them held up handkerchiefs, and their surrender was received gracefully, even gratefully.
The attack the next day was more lackluster, because the Prussians were tired too, after their king had pushed them on so hard. However, it still worked.
The King now led a cavalry charge at a point between the bridge over the Rhine and the town of Kehl. His goal was to split Marshal de Broglie's army in half. Riding through a cloud of bullets, seemingly invincible, the King led his men straight at a more and more terrified foe. "They are inhuman!" shouted an appalled Frenchman before fleeing for his life. Soon many others followed suit, although some made a heroic stand, bayonetting the horses of the Prussian cavalrymen. But they did not last when King Friedrich called in the infantry.
Now a full scaled assault was made on the town of Kehl. We will pass over this attack, as it was very bloody and since the poor French troops had nowhere to retreat to, all surrendered or died. After this tragic occurrence, the town of Kehl was burned. Even today nobody knows who burned it or why, but nevertheless it was razed to the ground.
That evening, Marshal Duc de Broglie inspected his troops and found that they were less than anybody could have guessed. They could not stand to fight another day. Come tomorrow, they would retreat across the bridge. The battle was lost.
But it still was not over.
XXIX- Trapped
The French soldiers woke up earlier then they would have wished the next morning. Three in the morning. By five, they were ready to go. All had eaten their last rations, all had packed, all were prepared for the disgraced march home.
Marshal Duc de Broglie now formed them in a column, four across. He rode to their head and told his horse to begin walking. Slowly the sad procession moved onto the bridge. As the Marshal's eyes adjusted and looked ahead, he noticed something moving at the end of the bridge...
A shout now--"Fire!" And the bridge was lit up by two dozen rifles firing straight into the Marshal and his horse. Both fell, the horse dead, Marshal de Broglie fearfully wounded. "Second rank--aim! Fire!" The troops recognized it now--the man was shouting in German. The Prussians had them trapped. They scrambled to pull out their guns and load them, as the thrid rank fired, and now the first again--"Step away!" and the Prussians fell back. Then one of them threw something at the bridge, just as the Frenchmen began to bustle across in a disorganized mob of men tring to get out of there...
It was a match. Now a good portion of the Marshal's army, as well as the Marshal himself, were stuck on a burning bridge. And now the rear of the column, still off the bridge, came under attack from the main Prussian army.
They were trapped. They were not only trapped, they were doomed.
---------------
EDIT: When were matches invented?
The French soldiers woke up earlier then they would have wished the next morning. Three in the morning. By five, they were ready to go. All had eaten their last rations, all had packed, all were prepared for the disgraced march home.
Marshal Duc de Broglie now formed them in a column, four across. He rode to their head and told his horse to begin walking. Slowly the sad procession moved onto the bridge. As the Marshal's eyes adjusted and looked ahead, he noticed something moving at the end of the bridge...
A shout now--"Fire!" And the bridge was lit up by two dozen rifles firing straight into the Marshal and his horse. Both fell, the horse dead, Marshal de Broglie fearfully wounded. "Second rank--aim! Fire!" The troops recognized it now--the man was shouting in German. The Prussians had them trapped. They scrambled to pull out their guns and load them, as the thrid rank fired, and now the first again--"Step away!" and the Prussians fell back. Then one of them threw something at the bridge, just as the Frenchmen began to bustle across in a disorganized mob of men tring to get out of there...
It was a match. Now a good portion of the Marshal's army, as well as the Marshal himself, were stuck on a burning bridge. And now the rear of the column, still off the bridge, came under attack from the main Prussian army.
They were trapped. They were not only trapped, they were doomed.
---------------
EDIT: When were matches invented?
Last edited:
XXX- Curtain
The tired, poor, hungry French troops fought for hours into the morning of August First--Day 36. Not many of them knew August had arrived, for the days were all blurred now; soon their vision was blurred, too, for the smoke of battle created a thick haze over the field. When they ran forward they were cut down by a row of German cannons...the cannons were led by a tall distinguished man who (little did they know) was King Friedrich II himself...and when they fell back the last officers told them to be brave and fight for their king...and when they hovered in the middle an unseen enemy picked them off with an unseen bullet through the fog...
It was living hell. It was made worse by the fact that all the smoke was blowing west, right in the Frenchmen's faces...
The end had come, and everyone knew it. There was no place to retreat. There was no choice but to surrender, if they wanted to live. As a final act, a few heroic soldiers crawled down the wreckage of the bridge to their Marshal, ensnared in the bridge's construction. For ten minutes they worked and worked, until he was pulled out, put on a stretcher, and slowly pushed up the wreckage to the east bank. There he moaned--
"Keep fighting men...keep...fightinggg..." and then passed out.
King Friedrich II soon ordered a cease-fire and offered terms of surrender. The Marshal's aide, a major (the most senior officer alive and conscious on the field) accepted. He requested full honorable surrender--the French would march home with one solid brass cannon, the symbol of honorable defeat. Once there they would keep their vows never to fight against Prussia or its allies ever again.
King Friedrich accepted, and finally the Battle of Kehl, the bloodiest single battle of the 18th century, was over. 145,000 men had fallen, either dead or wounded, or had been captured by the enemy. That number includes every man of the French army.
Yet it had been a great, unprecedented victory. In just four days, the armies of Prussia had gone from near-annihilation to victory so complete they saw the annihilation of the enemy.
The tired, poor, hungry French troops fought for hours into the morning of August First--Day 36. Not many of them knew August had arrived, for the days were all blurred now; soon their vision was blurred, too, for the smoke of battle created a thick haze over the field. When they ran forward they were cut down by a row of German cannons...the cannons were led by a tall distinguished man who (little did they know) was King Friedrich II himself...and when they fell back the last officers told them to be brave and fight for their king...and when they hovered in the middle an unseen enemy picked them off with an unseen bullet through the fog...
It was living hell. It was made worse by the fact that all the smoke was blowing west, right in the Frenchmen's faces...
The end had come, and everyone knew it. There was no place to retreat. There was no choice but to surrender, if they wanted to live. As a final act, a few heroic soldiers crawled down the wreckage of the bridge to their Marshal, ensnared in the bridge's construction. For ten minutes they worked and worked, until he was pulled out, put on a stretcher, and slowly pushed up the wreckage to the east bank. There he moaned--
"Keep fighting men...keep...fightinggg..." and then passed out.
King Friedrich II soon ordered a cease-fire and offered terms of surrender. The Marshal's aide, a major (the most senior officer alive and conscious on the field) accepted. He requested full honorable surrender--the French would march home with one solid brass cannon, the symbol of honorable defeat. Once there they would keep their vows never to fight against Prussia or its allies ever again.
King Friedrich accepted, and finally the Battle of Kehl, the bloodiest single battle of the 18th century, was over. 145,000 men had fallen, either dead or wounded, or had been captured by the enemy. That number includes every man of the French army.
Yet it had been a great, unprecedented victory. In just four days, the armies of Prussia had gone from near-annihilation to victory so complete they saw the annihilation of the enemy.
Epilogue
Marshal Duc de Broglie recovered from his wounds and was sent to Berlin (he was not allowed to return to France). There he grew very interested in the arts and began a lengthy friendship with many composers and painters residing there. Soon he moved to Vienna, where he himself spent the rest of his life composing music. Notable are his Symphony #1 "Berlin", #2 "Viennese", and #3 "Scepter of War". Most interesting is the third, which is rumored to be based on the Battle of Kehl.
General Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz continued to serve in the Prussian army, but now directly under the hand of his King. This was not because the General had shown any incompetence (quite the contrary), but because it was only logical after the Battle of Kehl for their two severely weakened armies to merge together. Only two months later, the General would be leading his troops into battle when he fell, a sniper's bullet having sliced through his brain.
King Friedrich II would never fight so ingeniously. The Battle of Kehl was the peak of his career, the jewel in his great military crown. For this battle he would become a legend. He would continue to lead both his army and his country to victory and glory for many more years.
At the Battle of Kehl he truly earned the title "The Great". Since then he has been revered as the Victor of Kehl, the Great King of Prussia, the best military commander Germany ever had. For while the Battle of Kehl took or maimed the lives of over a hundred thousand men, it also gave birth to a legend.
Marshal Duc de Broglie recovered from his wounds and was sent to Berlin (he was not allowed to return to France). There he grew very interested in the arts and began a lengthy friendship with many composers and painters residing there. Soon he moved to Vienna, where he himself spent the rest of his life composing music. Notable are his Symphony #1 "Berlin", #2 "Viennese", and #3 "Scepter of War". Most interesting is the third, which is rumored to be based on the Battle of Kehl.
General Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz continued to serve in the Prussian army, but now directly under the hand of his King. This was not because the General had shown any incompetence (quite the contrary), but because it was only logical after the Battle of Kehl for their two severely weakened armies to merge together. Only two months later, the General would be leading his troops into battle when he fell, a sniper's bullet having sliced through his brain.
King Friedrich II would never fight so ingeniously. The Battle of Kehl was the peak of his career, the jewel in his great military crown. For this battle he would become a legend. He would continue to lead both his army and his country to victory and glory for many more years.
At the Battle of Kehl he truly earned the title "The Great". Since then he has been revered as the Victor of Kehl, the Great King of Prussia, the best military commander Germany ever had. For while the Battle of Kehl took or maimed the lives of over a hundred thousand men, it also gave birth to a legend.
--THE END--
WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This AAR is FINISHED!!!
(Pardon my celebrating, I've never finished an AAR before)
Anyways,
Comments, compliments, complaints, and criticism are more than welcome; they are eagerly desired!! One of the big reasons I write AARs is to improve my writing, so please tell me anything you think!!! Please!!! I live for comments!!! Feel free to constructively criticize, so my next AAR will be even better...
Thank y'all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
...
...
Incidentally, this is my 300th post. Cool! What timing.
This AAR is FINISHED!!!
(Pardon my celebrating, I've never finished an AAR before)
Anyways,
Comments, compliments, complaints, and criticism are more than welcome; they are eagerly desired!! One of the big reasons I write AARs is to improve my writing, so please tell me anything you think!!! Please!!! I live for comments!!! Feel free to constructively criticize, so my next AAR will be even better...
Thank y'all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
...
...
Incidentally, this is my 300th post. Cool! What timing.