Tipplebruder, phase 2, the Stagonian Push

Tipplebruder: Phase 2

The Fog Lifts!

After a while, a stiff, chilly breeze sweeps down the valley and, with the cold sun glaring down, drives the fog away. The composite Jaegers holding the convent of St. Mary Hildegaard Kunnegunde of the Holy Rose Water see themselves about to be surrounded and find many cannons almost touching the enclave’s walls! Without further ado, they sprint back to the main lines, where Brigadier v. Bruin rallies them on the flank of the Misthaufen musketeers, hoping to strengthen the gaping hole in the middle of the scattered Alliance forces.

With the annoyance of the Alliance Jaegers removed from the strong point, the Stagonian brigades quickly advance. Von Kroll eagerly sweeps west of the convent towards the river and the Tipplebruder bridge while Oppenkopf carefully reforms his brigade towards the Frank und Stein Inn.
(Tipplebruder and Alliance Forces xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Highlanders 11 Cavalry x
Bridge ========== G. Prinzessen == == 11 Turkenbold =x======= into the hills
Brigade Maurice: gun 11 Inn v. Bruin x
battery Schweeky xxxxx Grenadiers x
Jaegers Misthaufen /guns. / Lowenbrau x
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
11
11
IR-2 du Breiz IR-1 von Hirschbock IR-7 von Gruber IR-5 O'Duffy
Brigadier Heinrich von Kroll (ST. MARY’S) Brigadier Lothar Oppenkopf
IR-6 De Marmier IR-4 du Lepps IR-10 St. Cyr IR-9 von Krinkle

Brigadier Yves d'Amours Major General Karl von Drednoz
Stagonian DR-9 Dragoons CR-1 von Kirschstein Kuirassier
Stagonian DR-10 Dragoons (Crossing bridge)

Meanwhile the Stagonian Jaegers open a lively firefight in the hills against the Misthaufen Jaegers.
As the Stagonians press forward,,, the Alliance batteries begin to fire shells (considering the ground possibly too muddy to bounce the roundshot) and with some long range musketry inflict some casualties on the Stagonian front lines.

Warned already by his Jaegers, Count Hans Trunkenbold von Misthaufen strives to prepare his lines for the approaching onslaught. Brigade Maurice, the Fenwickians and Tipplebruder forces, hold a fleche and barricade guarding the Tipplebruder bridge. V. Bruin holds the strong point at the inn with the Freikorps and IR Lowenbrau on the barrricades, his artillery in his center, and the grenadiers in reserve. The retreating Jaegers attach themselves to his command providing a thin screen in the gap between the two strong points. At the same time, the supply column which had supported the camps on the east bank of the river is ordered to return to Tipplebruder.
At this point, however, Trunkenbold encounters a problem. He orders the cavalry under Pferdschnauzen to deploy behind the causeway in the center of his position, but its response is too sluggish. The language difficulties basically create two separate commands, and the Hussars do not respond. Pferschnauzen, happily, reports that the Saxe-Bearstein / IR v. Urquell can be seen marching rapidly down the valley to the battle site. When Col. Laurel is ordered to move his forces into the center gap, however, he responds by mustering his troops into an assault column and keeps them near their tents.

The Firefight

Now the battle enters a new phase, the Stagonian artillery pounds the Friekorps on the east and the battery under v. Schweeky. The Alliance artillery continues firing into the advancing Stagonian battalions. The effects of the Stagonian fire have convinced them, however, that ball shot is effective, and thus many of their shots carry into the second line of infantrry which the Stagonian brigadiers are pressing aggressively forward.

Seeing his infantry advance, Gen. Drednoz orders the cavalry to cross the stream behind him and deploy just out of the bounce range of the Alliance shot. He himself leads the von Kirschstein Kuirassier across the main bridge. While his attention is on this matter, though, the Alliance artillery proves deadly. Every volley inflicts casualties on both infantry lines. IR .v Gruber is the first to break, but Oppenkopf is able to rally it on IF St. Cyr while pushing v. Krinkle forward in its place.

Trunkenbold, however, has no sense of victory from the fluttering advance of the Stagonian line. McLaurel’s Highlanders seem to be moving forward sluggishly (McLaurel commands his pipers to play some tunes to rally them before throwing them into the fray). IR v. Urquell appears to have a bit of a straggling problem (they’ve been force marched for days). Then Hauptman Streiker, rushing to rejoin his command, delivers horrible news. The Croats have definitely seen a force of strang Hussars advancing down the valley opening onto the Alliance’s east flank!

Trunkenbold orders the Hit Man to hold his hussars in an ambush position covering the flank of the Inn position, and to send riders to rush the Wojskowo Piechota along. The Freikorps Jaegers and Croat are concentrated behind barriers of felled trees where the highway intersects with the mountain paths coming out of the valley.