Official HFQ Snippet #10

Wyrshym might also find himself in the embarrassing circumstance that he discovers that there is a Charisian army *in* Guarnak, and he must attack Guarnak in order to have any supplies.

The two junior folks who go out to check on their AoG sentries are perhaps significant characters for that reason. The attack might not be quite total surprise, only almost total.

Tonto Silerheels wrote:Annachie wrote:

I'm not good with the maps, but if those two channels wedt of Guarnak are blocked/destroyed and BGV can fortify accross the roads, then the rest of his army could squeze the AoG.

I'm not sure what you're referring to. There are two gaps in the mountains we've been discussing. They are the Ohlarn Gap, and the gap between the Ice Ash Mountains and the Kalgaran Mountains, but they are northeast of Guarnak. I see two roads west of Guarnak. They are the road to Sylmyn and the road to Five Forks. Also there is the Guarnak-Sylmahn canal.

I do recall that Baron Green Valley expressed a desire to throw cavalry and artillery across Wyrshym's rear, and one place that is possible for that to happen is the roads immediately west of Guarnak.

In my opinion if Baron Green Valley is successful in interrupting Wyrshym's communications then the gaps become moot. Wyrshym must either break through the blocking force in order to re-open his supply lines or must defend Guarnak hoping for relief. In the former case Wyrshym's losses will be heavy. In the latter case they will be heavier.

Finally, if Wyrshym detects the attempt to block and withdraws, then he has to abandon or destroy all of the supplies in Guarnak, and he'll be making unprepared movements in winter, which will also give him heavy losses.

~Tonto

Thank you RFC, have a nice trip. (Glad you both are up for it!)

I think BGV will want some word to reach back to Zion so the AoG can be ordered to engage. Forcing them out of their winter barraks, such as they are.

Seawolf509 wrote:Thank you RFC, have a nice trip. (Glad you both are up for it!)

I think BGV will want some word to reach back to Zion so the AoG can be ordered to engage. Forcing them out of their winter barraks, such as they are.

I don't think that Wyrshyam can avoid engaging in BGV wants to engage. He has never had any reason to fort up his rear and it is probably too late for him to do so now.

Don

n7axw wrote:

Seawolf509 wrote:Thank you RFC, have a nice trip. (Glad you both are up for it!)

I think BGV will want some word to reach back to Zion so the AoG can be ordered to engage. Forcing them out of their winter barraks, such as they are.

I don't think that Wyrshyam can avoid engaging in BGV wants to engage. He has never had any reason to fort up his rear and it is probably too late for him to do so now.

Don

Well he Could "fort up". While not the best option it would reduce the weather impact on his troops. Now if he is forced to march into the weather that is something totally different.

I'm getting the feeling a lot of folks are thinking BGV's attack will roll over the AOG in the Northland Gap and places further west with barely a hiccup (hiccough?). It may not be quite so easy. Textev puts Nybar and his Langhorne division in the gap. These are well-trained and disciplined troops who're unlikely to crumple at the sight of the ICA troops. And as BGV( LAMA Oct 896 Chapter III ) puts it, "They’d also developed a love affair with the shovel. …. There wasn’t much they could do about the fact that they were stuck with muzzleloaders—yet, at least—but they’d discovered the beauty of entrenchments and breastworks.”
And, “But the survivors did learn, and they did it fast. Worse, they made sure they passed the lessons on to their people who hadn’t run into us yet. So they’re smart, they’re not afraid to learn, and they’re willing to admit it to their superiors—in the Army, at least—when they screw up. That’s a bad combination, and if Nahrmahn’s right about this new rifle of theirs, things’re going to get worse.”

So we should expect them to be in fortified positions with overhead cover for firing positions, overlapping fields of fire and communication trenches, at a minimum. And I might point out they've also had all winter to take those leaky and damaged houses apart to use in large, dry sleeping bunkers with very good overhead cover. They might even have enough wood left over to have stayed warm. They probably won't be patrolling out in the snow but they will have manned observation posts with the soldiers in them actually watching.

Wyrshyms's musings in chaper VI of the same month tell us he has received 4 complete batteries of the new angle guns modeled after the Dohlarans' but firing a much larger 25 lb exploding round with improved fuses. Nybar may not have all 4 batteries but will have at least one and it will be well protected,from direct fire and probably have some overhead protection for the crews. There is a small possibility he will receive St Khylmahns “in useful numbers” in March.

Let's not forget BGV does not have a lotta infantry with him. The mounted infantry may well prove to be the decisive element by being able to attack from the flank or rear. But here again, he doesn't have a lotta them either. We know he has mortars but we know nothing about anything heavier. Hopefully RFC just forgot to mention the several batteries of heavier guns being dragged along by those lovely caribou.

The mortars we do have are very effective against targets in the the open and unfortified positions. Unfortunately, the Temple Boys' new found love for the shovel indicates there will not be many of this type target for the boys in the support platoons to fire on.

I'm hoping BGV uses the infantry and the mortars to get Gen Nybar and his troops' full attention while moving the dragoons around to come in from a direction(s) with few if any fortified positions.

Sorry for the little black clouds but expectations seemed to be getting a little too sunny for this redhead.

EdThomas wrote:

Sorry for the little black clouds but expectations seemed to be getting a little too sunny for this redhead.

You make a good point; however, Baron Green Valley, at least, anticipates little trouble with his enemy in the gap, and his intelligence on his enemy is, erm, would supernatural be too inflated to claim?

~Tonto

Humm... Shovels are not all that effective against six foot of frost...

Don

EdThomas wrote:I'm getting the feeling a lot of folks are thinking BGV's attack will roll over the AOG in the Northland Gap and places further west with barely a hiccup (hiccough?). It may not be quite so easy. (snip)
Sorry for the little black clouds but expectations seemed to be getting a little too sunny for this redhead.

I agree it won't be a walkover. But: Does BGV know he has to go through the defensive positions prepared by Nybar? If the Northland gap is somewhat wider than the Sylmahn gap (which seems likely) and if terrain, snow and frost allow for it, he might just go around Nybar and successfully cut off Nybar's lines of communication while pinning him down in this trenches with a second group. If BGV finds suitable spots for his artillery, rather more evident to him than anyone else, Nybar is not that much of a problem.
Moreover, I don't see RFC spending that much time with Nybar and even Guarnak, because he should tell the story of the Mighty Host as well. And I hope he hasn't shifted that to the next installment...

Yes the question is, what are the defensive positions of the AOG? A good bet, one which we will eventually learn the validity of, is that the AOG will assume supplies will move along the 'high road' and deploy accordingly. Another unknown factor is the tactical and operational mobility of the AOG, just how bad is it?

The best case for BGV is that he can mask the positions with a holding attack, launch his main attacks after flankings maneuver encircling the AOG positions. I suppose we will learn sometime in 2015.

n7axw wrote:Humm... Shovels are not all that effective against six foot of frost...

Don

Hi Don,
Unfortunately, they were sent in Sept.
"After you do that, instruct Bishop Gorthyk , Bishop Adulfo, and Bishop Harys to prepare their divisions for movement. I want them fully supplied with food, ammunition, winter clothing, and artillery support. Find the wagons and dragons wherever you have to, and make their rifle regiments up to full strength even if that means drafting men from other divisions." So we know they got there, let's say, mid-October, and they were equipped with winter gear, food and artillery.
BGV knows exactly where the three divisions, and whatever else Wyrshym could scrape up, are in the Gap and further west. He also seems confident his Scout Snipers will "confirm" this intel on their own. It'll be interesting to see how far in RFC has them get (at night of course where that high albedo'd moon may be a pain) to provide their fearless leader with accurate intel on the fortifications.