Total War - Bloodshed is the Only Path

[blklizard]

Mongolian-Chagatai War of 1296

Battle of Urumqi (Part 3)

Preparations

Ogodei arrived at the ambush location half a day before Chagatai forces arrived. He separated his forces into three groups with the main force, under his command, concealed behind the large hill north of the road. Two smaller forces would be commanded by his trusted officers and they would be situated behind the two small hills south of the road. Ogodei wanted this ambush to be a success and wasn't willing to put anything to chance. He ordered all his men to remain concealed until he gave the order to attack. The main force would move out first and the two smaller forces would follow after. Thus, the forces were split and everyone waited patiently for the enemy to arrive. Meanwhile, the Chagatai force under Urgamal was making steady progress forward. The Chagatai Khan didn't want his men and especially the horses to get fatigued before battle even began. Earlier, his scouts reported seeing some Mongolian forces in the area which Urgamal assumed were scouting party. Urgamal was worried that Ogodei might be aware of his location which could put him at a disadvantage. Believing that the Mongolian forces required time to arrive, Urgamal made up his mind to only pillage the town before withdrawing. The pillaged wealth would help fill his nearly empty treasury while denying his enemy the funds he needed. Confident that Ogodei's forces couldn't chase them down, Urgamal felt safe knowing that he would deal a severe blow to his enemy. His forces would soon enter into the area where Ogodei has set up an ambush.

Urgamal was enjoying the bright sunny day that seemed perfect for his raid of Urumqi. One of his officers suddenly rode up beside him wishing to speak with him. Urgamal, being in a good mood, granted permission. The officer stated they were entering a narrow area that could be used as ambush. To engage the enemy, they would have to climb an incline which would slow their ascent and make them vulnerable to enemy horse archers. In addition, the road was somewhat rocky hindering the maneuverability of the horses. Urgamal listened carefully to the officer and nodded a few times. Before the conversation continued, the two men heard a hawk in the sky. The majestic creature was gliding high when it suddenly stopped flapping its wings. The hawk dropped down onto the ground a few meters away from Urgamal. The two men looked at each other before Urgamal called his soldiers to halt. The Chagatai army stopped in its tracks while the Khan scanned the hills. At first glance, he noticed nothing but he kept looking. Then, he caught sight of some shapes resembling humans on the hills confirming the suspicion of his officer. After a quick thanks to Tengri, Urgamal called for his men to withdraw immediately. Having fought the Chagatai Khan many times before, Ogodei knew that his opponent would be withdrawing after seeing the hawk fall from the sky. Knowing that he still had the terrain advantage, Ogodei got on his horse with his men following suit. As Urgamal was shouting orders to his men, the Mongolian force in the northern hills came out from hiding with their bows drawn. On Ogodei's command, they opened fire on the enemy below.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Seems like the Chagatai army literally walked into that one. Should make for a very interesting ambush.

 

[blklizard]

Seems like the Chagatai army literally walked into that one. Should make for a very interesting ambush.

Underestimating your enemies can prove costly though that dead hawk did prevent him from total defeat.

Mongolian-Chagatai War of 1296

Battle of Urumqi (Part 4)

The Ambush

The arrows rained down and the unprotected horsemen were shot off their horses. Urgamal wore enough armor to avoid the worst of the hail of arrows and, despite the chaos, was calm enough to gave his men orders to engage. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Mongolian horsemen in the south which made him change his orders so his forces split up into two groups with each group dealing with a flank. Urgamal didn't know how many enemy forces were in the ambush but he wasn't going to let his enemy to have his flanks to further worsen his situation. The Chagatai Khan was only relieved that the hawk fell in time that only part of his forces were in the ambush zone. That meant that his horsemen at the center and rear were spared from enemy fire lessening his overall casualties. However, the situation was looking rather dire for Urgamal's men as the rocky road was slowing them down while the enemy had the height advantage. In addition, Urgamal and his officers weren't familiar with the region which also gave their enemy the edge. The Chagatai horsemen has, after the couple of enemy volleys, recovered from the confusion and began firing back at Mongolian horsemen. Because they were well disciplined, they were already carrying out the Khan's order and began splitting into two columns allowing them to deal with the ambushers who continued firing down on them.

Ogodei has given orders for his men to stay on the hill since going down the hill to engage would, in Ogodei's opinion, give up their ideal positioning with little gains. From their vantage point, they could see clearly and fire down upon Chagatai horsemen that were in the open lacking any cover. The fact that Ogodei's forces controlled the both sides of the road was going to split the attention of enemy forces. The slope of the hills was somewhat steep making the climb for Chagatai forces difficult while making them very vulnerable during the climb. Initially, the Mongolian horsemen were to position on the hill and get as many volley as they could as they stood in one position. Once the enemy has recovered, they were expected to start moving since moving targets were tougher to hit. Ogodei wanted to limit his casualties knowing that this wasn't the decisive battle he was looking for. Ogodei joined his men in firing into the midst of the enemy and, on his orders, they began to ride parallel to the road while remaining in range of the enemy. Seeing the Chagatai horsemen reforming into two columns with each column traveling parallel to one hill, Ogodei knew that his edge was gone and a grueling fight would ensue. He hoped that the initial casualties for the enemy would be enough to weaken them so he could be victorious in the end. Meanwhile, bad luck would strike the Mongolian force as the ambushers at the southeast hill encounter a mudslide forcing them to descend the hill right onto the road. The leading officer gave his men orders to keep riding to the other side.

Urgamal saw the descent of Mongolian forces and knew this was the break he was looking for. The Mongolians soldiers were isolated and they could be either wiped out or used to force the ambushers to give up their ideal positioning. Either way, Urgamal knew his side would gain the edge which saw him immediately rise into action. His men, while slightly shaken by the ambush, were roused by their leader's eagerness to charge into battle and followed him. They soon saw the Mongolian forces on the road and, like wolves smelling blood, they sensed their prey and closed in. Ogodei saw the whole development and wasn't going to abandon his men for better positioning. However, he was a veteran in battle and knew the element of surprise would bring his men victory. Instead of striking at the head of the enemy where it's the strongest, Ogodei led some of his best warriors to what he considered the neck of his enemy. Striking at the neck would effectively cut off the head from friendly force isolating Urgamal and his men to deal with the combined forces of those trapped on the road and the remaining Mongolian soldiers still on the hill. Meanwhile, Ogodei hoped to disrupt his enemy and distract them long enough so his men could kill or, ideally, capture Urgamal. Without a second thought, Ogodei carried out his plan and his small force rode down the hill with their weapons drawn as they struck at the unsuspecting enemy who were too busy with what was in front of them. The sudden charge caught many off guard and the surprise was enough to halt the Chagatai forces in their tracks while the few hapless horsemen to be in the path of the charge were cut down mercilessly.

 

[Michaelangelo]

I was wondering if they shot down the hawk too early. Now I know.

Luck always seems to have a major impact on battles. I'm curious to see if this mudslide changes the dynamic enough for the Chagatai forces to pull through.

 

[blklizard]

I was wondering if they shot down the hawk too early. Now I know.

Luck always seems to have a major impact on battles. I'm curious to see if this mudslide changes the dynamic enough for the Chagatai forces to pull through.

I must have did a poor job writing because the hawk wasn't shot down but, instead, fell on its own (or rather, by the act of Tengri). Mudslide will play a major role as you will see in this update.

Mongolian-Chagatai War of 1296

Battle of Urumqi (Part 5)

Surprise Attack

The Supreme Chagatai army suddenly found itself in a terrible position. Previously, the army would be able to disengage if Urgamal was willing to withdraw and accept some losses. However, his poor decision to continue the push would see his force in a situation they cannot get out of. First, their southern flank struggled to keep up with the Mongolian forces on the hills that fired down upon them. The rocky terrain has made it difficult for the Chagatai horsemen to move freely while their enemy traveled on terrain suitable for horses. Secondly, the northern flank was sliced in two seeing a small number led by Urgamal isolated from his main army. Because the road was narrow, Chagatai horsemen basically entered a choke point with very little room to move. To their left, the somewhat steep slope made it nearly impossible for the horses to climb. To their right, the trees were obstacles that they cannot traverse over or through. Ogodei and his men effectively held enemy forces in place within the choke point with no way out. To get to their Khan, the Chagatai horsemen had to fight through Ogodei and his men but, considering that they were facing some of the fiercest and most skilled Mongolian horsemen, it wasn't going to be easy or quick. Meanwhile, the previously alluring target suddenly became a huge threat as Urgamal realized too late his dire situation. He not only had to deal with the Mongolian horsemen that were forced onto the road but also more Mongolian horsemen charging down from the northern hill. The two combined Mongolian forces encircled him leaving him with no chance of escape. During this dire moment, Urgamal looked as though he would become prisoner and the war was lost for the Chagatai.

However, fate would deal a generous hand for the Chagatai Khan when reinforcements arrived out of the blue to his aid. The Ilkhanate force, led by Badai Khan, has arrived behind enemy forces. The reinforcements would split into three groups to deal with the Mongolian threat. Badai would lead his main force to engage the rear of Ogodei's elite warriors to free up the Chagatai forces stuck in the rear. Once those horsemen were freed up, Badai knew that they would easily outnumber their enemy resulting in a decisive victory. Putting victory before the life of Urgamal, Badai would personally lead the group against Ogodei (there were personal reasons but we won't delve in that today). One of his forces would be sent to break the encirclement of Urgamal which, in an ideal situation, would free the Chagatai Khan before he got killed in action or become a prisoner. The remaining force was sent to intercept the Mongolians still in control of the high grounds. From their place of entry, there was a gentler slope that allowed Ilkhanate horsemen to climb up the hill with relative ease. The objective of these horsemen was to put pressure on the Mongolian horsemen on the southern hill relieving the pressure on Chagatai horsemen allowing them to participate in the battle more effectively. Luck would further favor when they arrived near the Mongolian force just as they were stopped dead in their tracks when they stopped at the mudslide. Because they were no longer moving, they would be easy targets for the Ilkhanate horsemen.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Ah, that would make more sense. I was wondering why they'd warn their opponent by shooting down a hawk. Now I know they didn't.

Well that was certainly a turn of events. You can never tell who's going to win until the battle's over.

 

[blklizard]

Readers, sorry for the slow updates. Real life has kept me busy. I have some news about this AAR though. Sadly, I will be concluding this AAR once I finish with the Mongolian-Chagatai War of 1296. I'm doing this partly because the conclusion of this war would just happen to coincide the conclusion of another of my older AARs. My plan is to start a new EU3 AAR which I hope you will take some time to visit when it does come out. For the new AAR, I hope to incorporate battles (of a different era) and much more.

Mongolian-Chagatai War of 1296

Battle of Urumqi (Part 6)

Conclusion

Ogodei suddenly found himself in a terrible position with his flank exposed to the Ilkhanate forces. Instead of isolating the Chagatai forces, the hunters has become the hunted. Ogodei's elite warriors fought furiously to fend off the enemies at their flank while gesturing to their Khan to leave. Khan knew that staying in the fight would result in his capture or death. Either scenarios would not bode well for his people who have sacrificed far too much. After a brief hesitation, Ogodei and his escort rode northwards up the hill while the Mongolian warriors fought to protect their Khan. The Mongolian horsemen soon withdrew slightly so they stood between the enemy and the hill. To get to Ogodei, the enemy would have to get through them which was tough with limited mobility on the road. The Mongolian horsemen on the opposite hill, upon seeing their Khan and his escorts climbing the hill, knew what was taking place. A few stayed behind to keep the Ilkhanate horsemen on the hill occupied while the remained charged down into the midst of the enemy. Their charge caught many off guard but the enemy soon recovered. By charging down the hill, the Chagatai southern flank was freed from enemy fire allowing them to engage the Mongolian horsemen that charged down the hill. The brave horsemen knew that they wouldn't survive the battle but, knowing they distracted enough enemy horsemen to save their Khan, they felt their sacrifice was worth it.

Ogodei and his escorts arrived on the hill to join with those still shooting down from the hill. On Ogodei's command, they rode as one eastwards towards Urumqi. However, their movement was caught by the Ilkhanate Khan who got enough warriors freed from the engagement with him to pursue the fleeing Mongolian Khan. A third of the free horsemen were sent to give chase while the remainder would be led by Badai himself swung off the main road to better terrain so they could intercept further down the road. The chasing Ilkhanate party closed in as the Mongolians tried their best fleeing their pursuers. The Mongolians tried to avoid the main road as much as possible to avoid the somewhat rocky terrain but Ogodei soon caught sight of Badai and his horsemen that were ahead of them ready to cut them off. Knowing that he had no chance of outrunning his enemy indefinitely, Ogodei decided to make a final stand against Badai. Interestingly enough, the battle took another turn when Badai's rear was under attack. Several of his horsemen were killed and many more were fighting with some unknown force. Badai had his horsemen spread out to be surprised by a Song army emerging around the forest. The Song infantry has been fighting the nomads for long enough to adapt their fighting styles against the Ilkhanate. At close quarters, the horsemen stood no chance against the Song qiang (spear) and ji (halberd). Ogodei and his men were able to evade capture due to the timely arrival of his allies. The Song reinforcements would withdraw once they knew Ogodei and his men were at a safe distance from the enemy.

Outcome

Ogodei and his men may have escaped but they have lost too many men to actually hold Urumqi. Instead of gambling the lives of his men at the poorly defended town, Ogodei chose to abandon it and regroup further into his territory. The Song reinforcements, not in a position to take on the two enemy armies, also withdrew through the forest where their enemies couldn't give chase. The Ilkhanate and Chagatai forces would march onwards to Urumqi where they would take the town with ease. Instead of keeping it occupied as they previously planned, the two armies merely looted the town taking as much of the wealth as they could. The battle has weakened the attacking force enough that they didn't have enough to form a garrison and continue roaming the lands. Ogodei has, months before, shipped a sizable amount of wealth out of the town which saw him not as affected by the looting. Thus, the battle of Urumqi was seen as an Ilkhanate victory with Urumqi temporarily taken by the Ilkhanate. Ogodei has lost a considerable number of his best warriors and he was saddened by the losses. However, he was determined to continue the fight against his enemies so the sacrifices wouldn't be in vain. The Song army would withdraw back into friendly territory as they awaited further orders.

Casualties and losses:
-7,394// -5,828

 

[Michaelangelo]

That certainly took a turn for the worse for the Mongols. At least the Song army finally showed up. I was wondering when they'd appear.

Too bad that this AAR will be coming to an end soon. Then again, you seem to have enough to work on as is.

 

[blklizard]

That certainly took a turn for the worse for the Mongols. At least the Song army finally showed up. I was wondering when they'd appear.

Too bad that this AAR will be coming to an end soon. Then again, you seem to have enough to work on as is.

Ya, the Song army arrived last minute but their timing wasn't that bad. Mongolia lost that one but there's still a few battles I have to cover so this AAR won't be ending that soon (give it a month or two).

I really do appreciate you following along the whole wayand wish to thank you for that. I do hope you will follow my new AAR when it does come out because it can be lonely in the EU3 forums . I've just losing interest writing this AAR (not as fun as I hoped for at the beginning) and, with the lack of people commenting here, I don't see much point continuing.

Mongolian-Chagatai War of 1296

Battle of Rangpur (Part 1)

Location: Rangpur, Chagatai
Date: 28 December 1300 - 6 January 1301 (1 week and 2 days)

Belligerents:
-Ilkhanate (ILK)
-Chagatai (CHA)

//

-Mongolia (MGL)
-Song (SON)

Commanders and leaders:
-Noyan Erketu(ILK)
-Noyan Togh (CHA)

//

-Noyan Jelme (MGL)
-General Zhou Yi (SON)

Units involved:
-Ilkhanate Third Mingghan (ILK)
-Chagatai Fourth Mingghan (CHA)

//

-Mongolian Third Army (MGL)
-Song Imperial Army (SON)

Strength:
-5,787 // -3,880

 

[Michaelangelo]

I always forget that people still play EUIII and post in the forums there. I kind of abandoned it when EUIV came out. I'll probably tag along just to see how it goes. I'll admit I'm not usually one for text-heavy AARs with little to no pictures, but I'll stick it out for your awesome battle descriptions.

 

[DKM]

You did a great job on the AAR blklizard! You also introduced a new type of AAR to the Paradox Forum.

 

[blklizard]

I always forget that people still play EUIII and post in the forums there. I kind of abandoned it when EUIV came out. I'll probably tag along just to see how it goes. I'll admit I'm not usually one for text-heavy AARs with little to no pictures, but I'll stick it out for your awesome battle descriptions.

There aren't that many people in the EU3 section now. Including me, there's like four authors that have been updating more or less regularly. I once went with picture-heavy AARs but they're not as much fun to write about so I apologize for that. I will try to put more pictures (from Paint, of course ) in my new AAR. I've decided to use the Napoleonic Era weapons for the battles. I'm afraid there won't be any battle descriptions in the early stages as I will be setting things up (like history of the nations that will be participating in the war).

You did a great job on the AAR blklizard! You also introduced a new type of AAR to the Paradox Forum.

I wouldn't say I introduced a new type since someone else may have already thought of this before me. Let's just say it's quite unique in the forums .

Mongolian-Chagatai War of 1296

Battle of Rangpur (Part 2)

Background

The Mongolian Third Army and the Song Imperial Army were deep inside enemy territory trying to gather intelligence of the region. There has been rumors that Ilkhanate and Chagatai forces were spotted nearby preparing to mount an offensive on Mongolian territory. Hoping to check if there were truth to the rumors, the two armies marched into enemy territory. The leaders of the two armies hoped to avoid all confrontation if they could avoid it. They basically had no reinforcements this far into enemy territory and, with Rangpur not that far, the enemy could be reinforced quite easily. The plan for the intelligence gathering was quite simple. The Mongolian army would scout out ahead because they had mobility on their side. They could cover distance quicker and, should they encounter some nasty surprises along the way, they could get away quickly. The Song army would cover the rear to reinforce if necessary. All the Song soldiers were equipped with a small bag of caltrop which they would use if they were pursued by a large enemy force. The leaders hoped that it would not come to that but they could never be too careful. The Mongolian Third Army moved past an intersection as it continued to move in the southwest direction deeper into enemy territory. It has been pouring making progress difficult along with limited visibility. The Song army was slowed by the mud and their progress forward was virtually nonexistent. The Song general ordered two of his fastest runners to go ahead to ask the Mongol Noyan to wait up for them. The two runners separated from the main army but, as they neared the intersection, they heard some hooves and quickly ducked into the trees. Taking a careful look around the trees, they caught sight of enemy forces.

The Ilkhanate Third Mingghan and the Chagatai Fourth Mingghan were making their way to Rangpur. The men were given the mission of delivering food and supplies to the town. Their journey has been a smooth one until they entered the region where rain plagued their journey ever since. Soaked to the bones, the horsemen rode onwards. None of them complained about the weather but no one was particularly happy about the rain. Most of these horsemen came from the north where rain only occurred occasionally. The fact that they had to endure rain for nearly a week really dampened their mood. The two Mingghan rode onwards to Rangpur expecting the mission to be a simple one. No enemy forces have been reported in the region and their objective was accomplished once their supply train reached the town. With half a day of riding before they reached their destination, the horsemen felt relieved that they could either return to their homes soon or be assigned for battle against the enemy. The victory at Urumqi has reached the ears of these warriors whose only regret was not participating in the great battle. The horsemen at the head of the Mingghan rode through the intersection without even turning their heads. They, however, were spotted by two Song soldiers that were hiding behind trees. The two soldiers carefully maneuvered through the forest so they could reunite with the main army. The Song general was quite surprised to see his two runners returning so soon. When he heard about enemy spotted at the intersection, he quickly gave orders for his soldiers to prepare for battle while getting one of his officers to lead a small detachment into the forest.

 

[Michaelangelo]

It would have been amusing if they both just stumbled upon each other at the intersection, but an ambush is always more fun. And I'd expect nothing less than Paint images from your new AAR.

 

[blklizard]

It would have been amusing if they both just stumbled upon each other at the intersection, but an ambush is always more fun. And I'd expect nothing less than Paint images from your new AAR.

I thought about having them stumble upon each other but it doesn't quite fit into the story. You'll see why soon enough.

Mongolian-Chagatai War of 1296

Battle of Rangpur (Part 3)

First Strike

The Song General, Yi, ordered four ranks of archers to lead the way until they were in range of enemy horsemen at the intersection. Song infantry would be directly behind them and would take the front once the enemy horsemen charged at them. The Song army moved as quickly as they could through the mud and, fortunately for them, the enemy horsemen didn't notice them. The archers got in position and began notching their arrows. The first two ranks would fire their arrows at the horsemen before ducking so the two ranks of archers behind them could open fire. The first few volleys killed many enemy horsemen causing a slight disruption within the enemy ranks. Soon, the Chagatai horsemen who were closest to the Song army found the source of the attack and began charging down the path towards the Song archers. The archers fired one more volley before withdrawing behind the infantry that had their qiangs out towards the enemy horsemen. The poor visibility had the initial few horsemen realize too late as they impaled themselves, or their horses, onto the waiting qiangs. However, their charging horses did have momentum that temporarily broke the Song formation. The Chagatai horsemen would continue their charge into the ranks of Song infantry until they were bogged down. In close quarters, the Song soldiers used their ji to knock enemy soldiers off their horses. Then, they would bring down their ji on the poorly armored Chagatai soldiers killing them with ease. The Chagatai horsemen would halt their charge and use their bows to fire into the midst of the enemy while the Song archers that withdrew earlier returned fire.

Noyan Erketu of the Ilkhanate noticed the choke point at which his and friendly forces were fighting in knowing that, against the more heavily armored Song infantry, they would eventually lose that battle. Thus, he dispatched a few messengers that would ride onwards to Rangpur where they would call for reinforcements. The extra reinforcements may help force the enemy to retreat thus freeing the Ilkhanate and Chagatai from their less than ideal position. Five messengers were picked and they would urge their horses towards Rangpur. However, they would be intercepted by the small detachment that has been sent by Yi to move through the forest. Yi knew that Rangpur wasn't that far from their location which made the enemy calling for reinforcements a viable threat. Because he had time to react to the discovery of enemy forces, he was able to send a detachment that had enough time to to intercept the messengers. The messengers were quickly disposed of by the detachment which then hid their corpses and horses. The detachment would wait by the road for another hour in case a second group of messengers were sent before they rejoin the main Song army. Meanwhile, Noyan Jelme of Mongolia found it odd that he couldn't see any of his allies behind him. He knew the terrain was quite muddy making progress on foot difficult and debated whether or not to keep going. Deep in enemy territory, he decided it was best he reunite with the Song army so that their chances of survival would remain high. The Mongolian Third Army would turn around as they headed back to the intersection where a fierce battle was taking place.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Looks like the Ilkhanate and Chagatai forces are about to be crushed between two armies unless the garrison at Rangpur comes to their defence. Knowing how your battles seem to turn out, I imagine there's another twist awaiting them though.

 

[blklizard]

Looks like the Ilkhanate and Chagatai forces are about to be crushed between two armies unless the garrison at Rangpur comes to their defence. Knowing how your battles seem to turn out, I imagine there's another twist awaiting them though.

I fear you are overthinking everything .

Mongolian-Chagatai War of 1296

Battle of Rangpur (Part 4)

The Disruption

Jelme led his horsemen back the way they arrived but halted when he saw horsemen at the intersection. Jelme had a few of his men dismount and sneak up ahead to scout out who they were. The scouts would return later reporting that Ilkhanate and Chagatai horsemen were spotted and, from their initial assessment, they would say that the enemy was engaged in battle. Jelme only knew one army they would be engaged with and ordered his horsemen to notch their arrows. Once they were ready, he led the charge directly at the rear of the Ilkhanate Mingghan. They would let loose a volley of arrows that would kill many and even wound Erketu in the process. Then, they would complete their charge unopposed killing many more Ilkhanate horsemen. The fact that an unidentified enemy appeared in the rear and Erketu was wounded in the process sent panic through the men in the vicinity. Erketu's personal guards hurried to get him out of the chaos to a safe location so he could be treated for his wounds. However, their withdraw would translate into a complete withdraw for the entire Ilkhanate Mingghan since most of the Ilkhanate horsemen were unaware that their Noyan was wounded. Only a few of the Ilkhanate horsemen were separated from the main Mingghan with the Mongolian army cutting them off. These horsemen would be engaged with the Mongolian horsemen unable to disengage without taking heavy losses. By then, many of the Chagatai horsemen in the rear realized something was up and, when they turned around, were shocked to see Mongolian horsemen in their rear. Once their initial shock wore off, they would engage the Mongolians.

Sandwiched in the middle, the Chagatai Noyan knew that his horsemen couldn't last long. With his ally nowhere in sight, he decided to lead a charge to break through the small encirclement so they could get to Rangpur. Once they reached Rangpur, they could get the reinforcements they needed to crush the enemy. Unfortunately for him, a stray arrow would find him before he could give orders to his men. Togh would fall of his horse and was dead before he hit the ground. The Noyan's death would have an enormous morale blow on the remaining horsemen who were already outnumbered. Without proper leadership, the Chagatai horsemen would continue finding in the unfavorable position. The Song army has got their formation back together and, with a wall of qiang, they pushed forward skewering any Chagatai horsemen in range. Meanwhile, the Mongolian horsemen were fighting fiercely cutting down their enemy one after another. The Chagatai Mingghan would eventually crumble under pressure seeing the horsemen fleeing in all directions. As for the Ilkhanate, the personal guards that were trying to get their Noyan to Rangpur would encounter an unexpected delay when the small Song detachment that waited by the road let loose a volley of arrows that killed their horses. The personal guards, along with their wounded Noyan, would crash to the ground. The Song detachment then disappeared into the forest before the Ilkhanate horsemen could react. The personal guards gave order to not give chase and got on new horses as they rushed to get some medical aid for their wounded leader whose condition seemed to worsen following the fall.

Outcome

Erketu would later die from his wounds in Rangpur despite the efforts of the personal guards. The Ilkhanate casualties were minor compared to the losses of the Chagatai Mingghan that was isolated in the fight. The garrison in Rangpur was hesitant to head out with no knowledge of how the battle has went since the departure of the Ilkhanate. General Yi and Noyan Jelme would, following the battle, discover the carts filled with supplies and food. They went through all the carts and learned that the supplies there were enough to sustain a large army. This discovery solidified the rumors that the enemy was mounting a major attack which would be launched from Rangpur. The timely interception meant they could put a stop to the attack before it took place. The rain has stopped by then and, luckily for them, the supplies and food were kept dry. Song and Mongolian soldiers would spend the next hour or so lighting the carts on fire and waited a short while until they were sure the fire couldn't be put out. Then, the two armies would head back towards Mongolian territory to report their findings and the battle. Their contribution would be huge as their forces were tied up in the north and, had the enemy launched an attack in the south, the war might be lost. The destruction of food and supplies meant that attack could no longer commence. On the following day, the Rangpur garrison and the Ilkhanate Mingghan would return onto the scene to find corpses and the burnt wreck of their supply carts. Their enemy was long gone leaving them with only the options of returning back to town and sending messengers to alert the Khans.

Casualties and losses:
-2,373 // -2,018

 

[Michaelangelo]

Two updates in one day! You're really trying to push this thing out.

The one time I think that there has to be a turn of events, there isn't. Are you doing this on purpose?

 

[blklizard]

Two updates in one day! You're really trying to push this thing out.

The one time I think that there has to be a turn of events, there isn't. Are you doing this on purpose?

Two updates aren't that big of a surprise considering that I have done lengthier updates in the early stages of this AAR. Don't worry, I will take my time with the final battle which isn't due for two weeks or so. The next battle probably will take awhile as well considering how many men are involved.

And, no, I'm not doing it on purpose. Though, I do like to keep my readers slightly off balanced . Don't want to be too predictable in these battles (where's the fun in that?).

Mongolian-Chagatai War of 1296

Battle of Almaty (Part 1)

Location: Almaty, Chagatai
Date: 25 December 1301 - 12 February 1302 (1 month, 2 weeks and 4 days)

Belligerents:
-Ilkhanate (ILK)

//

-Mongolia (MGL)
-Song (SON)

Commanders and leaders:
-Badai Khan (ILK)

//

-Ogodei Khan (MGL)
-General Zhou Yi (SON)

Units involved:
-Supreme Ilkhanate Army (ILK)

//

-Mongolian Imperial Army (MGL)
-Song Imperial Army (SON)

Strength:
-20,332 // -19,484

 

[blklizard]

Mongolian-Chagatai War of 1296

Battle of Almaty (Part 2)

Background

After taking part in foiling the massive invasion in the south, General Yi would meet with Ogodei Khan in the north where they would launch a major offensive on Almaty. Almaty was a key Chagatai city that held a significant portion of the wealth in the Chagatai treasury. By attacking and looting Almaty, Chagatai would be near financial ruin thus speeding up the victory for Mongolia. The city of Almaty was poorly defended considering its importance in the war. Many able-bodied men were recruited in the Chagatai military leaving only a few to guard the city. Despite the light defenses, the city walls were strong and the defenders felt confident that they could repel any attacks until reinforcements came to their aid. When the Mongolian and Song army arrived outside the walls, the garrison prepared for a long siege after they sent two messenger hawks out of the city. One of the hawks would be shot down by Ogodei himself but the other managed to reach its destination. For the garrison, their strong defense proved to be useless against the Mongolian spies that infiltrated amidst them. The spies waited until nighttime when they burned open the gates from the inside seeing Mongolian and Song forces charging in. Against overwhelming numbers, the garrison stood little chance and they were slaughtered to the last men, except for those manning the inner walls. For the entire night, the attacking force looted the city and killed any that stood in their way. By morning, the attackers accomplished their looting and several carts of ducats and treasures were ready for the journey back into Mongolian soil.

The attackers didn't expect to see the Ilkhanate army that would arrive in the morning. The army was led by Badai himself and the city was completely surrounded. Initial estimates put the Ilkhanate army more numerous than the attackers placing the Mongolians and Chinese at a slight disadvantage. Apparently, Badai was leading his army in the vicinity when the hawk that wasn't shot down reached him. Upon learning that Almaty was sieged, Badai ordered his horsemen to ride swiftly to aid the garrison. When Badai arrived outside Almaty, he was surprised to see the gates burnt down and Song soldiers on the walls. He immediately ordered his men to encircle the city so that the enemy would be wiped out in Almaty. Ogodei and Yi were alerted of the Ilkhanate seeing them giving orders to their men. All Song infantry were assigned to one of the four gates to hold back the Ilkhanate horsemen who would no doubt be targeting the opened gates. A few Song skirmishers would be manning the walls but the majority would be atop the gatesMeanwhile, Ogodei, instead of splitting his forces into four group, split his army to the north and east gates with him leading the group in the north. He hoped to put more pressure on the two directions so there was a chance his horsemen could leave the city and attack in the open where they were much more effective. As for General Yi, he still had to assign a few detachments to watch their back. While the outer gates were broken through, the garrison in the inner sector managed to seal up their inner gates which effectively turned the gates into walls. It seemed unlikely that the garrison could launch a surprise attack in the rear but Yi didn't live this long without being cautious.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Nothing like a good siege to make things interesting. Good to see those Paint skills being put to more use.