Battle of Sardinia: Oct 23rd, 1797
Ottomans: 50,000+
Russians: 18,000
On the island of Sardinia, near the ruined abbey of
Il Cacciatore...
(Explosion)
the slow rumble of musket and cannon fire are heard in the distance...as
the white puff like smoke clears, a thin man mounted on a
rather dark horse looks on into the distance...A
short odd man holding his
horse's reins looks on...
General Emmanuel:
Damn. I knew they would hit us
before winter. Here I
am, deserted on this miserable island with only 18,000
wretches.
Aide(holding reins) Sire, if only they had taken
the Ottoman seriously. Our
position appears untenable and we must withdraw
into the city.
General: If
only I had not upset the Tsarina, I would be at court
entertaining Countess Rufflov. Instead, I am surrounded by imbeciles and
dirty sheets...
A lone rider approaches. The sweat breaking through his cotton white
uniform with a sweet demeanor.
Rider:
Sire, General Buxhowden requests
that he be excused. The Turks
have succeeded in disembarking and are pressing his
position with
overwhelming strength.
General:
Tell that Commoner to hold his ground.
How dare he suggested a
strategy to me.(Adjusting his collar and looking
directly at rider) just who
would Buxhowden like to take control?
Rider: Your
Aide De Camp, General Longonov...(timidly)He suggests that he
be removed so that he may be able to prepare our
escape.
Aide: (to
General quietly) It may be in our best interest sire to relocate
our positions behind walls. It is rather odd that we do not possess any
horse or cannon on the field.
A cannon ball whizzes overhead...
General: (Grunting) Humm...Cough...Well, (to rider
sarcastically) Tell your
liege that he will not be excused and that he must
enjoy the dance. Now
return to you master and await new order from
me. (To Aide) Issue the
order to Withdraw into the city.
Aide:
Ahem...sire, the city can only hold 10,000 men.
General:
So...
Aide: That
will leave 8,000 to be captured
General: So...
Aide: As
you wish Sire.
Later that evening within the city walls, General
Emmanuel sits in an overly
decorated chair in what used to be the mayor's
house. Several overly
dressed aides stand about looking somewhat
impressive and making idol
chatter...
BAMM...The loud sound of a large wooden door kicked
open permeates the room
decorated with 17th century frescos...
General Emmanuel:
What is the meaning of this...This is a council of war.
Who...(Surprised as several colorful men wearing
silks and thick mustaches
enter and quickly disarm the alarmed popinjays.
Ottoman:
You are prisoners of the Sultan, servant of Muhammad, blessings be
upon him, and are ordered to report to his
excellency.
It appears that the Russians, in all their hurry to
enter the city, had
forgotten the rear gate open and the city fell
without a casualty.
Sardinia is lost and all those souls including the
general staff, are in
prisons just outside of Tripoli.
Official Russian Report on the Battle of Sardinia,
Oct 23 1797
The Russian Sardinia command has been quickly
dispatched from the field.
As the
daylight rose upon the sleepy Mediteranion island of Sardinia the
Battle
field was muddy due to a previous nights rain. The Russian units formed
in column across the stream awaiting
the Turkish onslaught.
Day 1:
08:00 hrs.
Nothing
10:00 hrs.
Nothing. Where Are Those Turks?
12:00 hrs.
Nothing. A scouts reports that the Turks are still on the beach
assembling.
We can't get an exact count but they outnumber us by at least
3 to 1.
14:00 hrs.
Nothing. Still no Turks.
16:00 hrs.
Nothing. The men are getting restless. They've been standing in
the mud for
the past day getting trench foot.
As night
falls the Russian Army commander decides to withdraw 10 of his 18
companies
into the fortress.
As morning
breaks, the Turkish army marches onto the field. The Turks in
Fact out
number the Russian's 5 to 1. The
fortress walls are breached and
Everyone is
captured.
Russian
Captured:
Generals: 4
ADC: 1
Infantry:
18 Veteran Units.
The Austrian army stormed into Bavaria like a raging flood. The heavily outnumbered Bavarian army hastily retreated into the city of Regensburg, but the Austrians stormed the walls and seized the city in a matter of days.
Oct 24th, 1797
Near the Sanitarium known an Kwackburg, the
Palatine forces withdrew to
Palatinate under cover of night as the Prussians
advanced accross the damp,
muddy fields.
General Von Picknose was so disturbed by his inability to
bring the pro-Palatines to heel that he soiled his
breeches...
The Sack of Estonia, Fall 1797
The British Expeditionary Force to Russia has completed the sack of Estonia in preparation for a possible assault upon St. Petersburg, where the Russian 6th Army under general Luckitov digs in. Britain, still incensed by Russia’s efforts to send Ireland into revolt, has vowed to punish the Tsar for his actions.
3,000 Russian Cossacks and 10,000 Turks maneuvered for advantage in the heavily forested Western Ukrainian countryside before the Russians withdrew from the province, and retreated back to Lublin.