Battle of Drömtaßford

Part of the First Aeslandic War of Independence

## Casualties and losses

The **Battle of Drömtaßford** was a major battle during the First Aeslandic War of Independence where Aesland successfully fought Doge Wonderland for control of the cities of Drömrith and Qintaßford in Central Aesland. It was the largest, longest, and most decisive battle of the war, marked by the use of extremely heavy artillery, usage of infiltration and sabotage, and effective positioning of infantry and cavalry forces to achieve tactical and strategic aims. It was the deadliest battle to take place during the Aeslandic Wars of Independence and was the second-bloodiest battle to take place before the turn of the 20th century, with over 600,000 estimated casualties. It is regarded as the turning point of the First Aeslandic War of Independence, as it dealt a crippling blow to the Doge Wonderlandian Central Army, forced the Doge Imperial Command to withdraw considerable forces and assets from other areas to reinforce their deteriorating position in the west, and secured Aeslandic control over the Central Aeslandic Plains.

The Drömtaßford area was strategically important to both sides due to its large population, its status as a major industrial and manufacturing hub, the militarily important Junction Fortress and Drömrith Armory Complex within its borders, and its position at the junction of the Aesland and Ürebon Rivers. Control of Drömtaßford would allow superior transport and logistical support towards both the eastern and western fronts of the war, and access to a strategically important position in the Central Plains. Doge Wonderland, shocked by the rapid Aeslandic advances in the eastern front after the Spring Revolution, focused its efforts on advancing from the more sparsely-populated west, where it hoped to rely on its army's numbers to crush the rebellion. By early September 1815, the Doge Wonderlandian garrison in Drömtaßford, having put down an Aeslandic uprising at great cost during the Spring Revolution, received reinforcements in the form of the Central Army, 3rd Battalion and 11th Battalion.

In mid-October, the Aeslandic 1st and 4th Armies launched an ambitious two-pronged attack aiming to secure both the Drömrith Armory Complex and the Junction Fortress in a single campaign. The Doge Wonderlandian defensive lines were overrun by Aeslandic cavalry, while the arrival of extremely heavy artillery in the north enabled Aeslandic forces to mount a major offensive on the fortified troops surrounding the city. General Shibe Dawgson attempted a counteroffensive to break past Aeslandic lines and cut off their supply routes, but ultimately failed and the Central Army was forced to evacuate from the Drömrith Armory Complex. Across the Ürebon River, the Junction Fortress was cut off from any supply lines or evacuation routes and surrendered on 12 August 1816, after enduring a siege of 300 days.

## Background

The area known as Drömtaßford is the combined metro area of two cities, Drömrith and Qintaßford. The Drömtaßford area is the largest population in the central Aesland plains and is at the junction of two of Aesland’s largest and most vital rivers, the Aesland and Ürebon Rivers. This makes Drömtaßford a center for inland trade and industry and houses many factories and manufacturing centers. Drömtaßford is also a critical strategic location; besides its key location on the Ürebon and Aesland Rivers, it is home to the Drömrith Armory Complex—just west of downtown Drömrith—and the Junction Fortress—a stronghold on the shore of where the Aesland River splits to form the Ürebon. Both locations hold significant stockpiles of military arms as well as industrial equipment to the present day.

By the summer of 1815, Doge Wonderlandian planners had realized the speed and efficacy at which the Spring Revolution had rendered large swaths of eastern and central Aesland independent and out of their control. The Provisional Aeslandic Government held popular support and control over the eastern states of the former Confederation of the Aer, including the former Aerish capitol city of Aethian City and major economic and industrial centers including Letaisont, Avantegir and Caene. In the west, Aeslandic insurgency movements proved a major obstacle for Doge Wonderlandian forces, destroying supply lines and organizing worker's strikes to slow Doge Wonderlandian war production to a crawl. Nevertheless, Doge Wonderlandian leadership remained confident that the rebellion could be quashed using the superior numbers and resources that the empire could bring to bear against the Aeslandic independence movement.

Doge Wonderlandian leadership decided, after suppressing the Spring Revolution uprisings in their western Aeslandic possessions, that their summertime campaign would focus on advancing towards the eastern Aeslandic seaboard, using the recently-quelled metro of Drömtaßford as a staging ground for their planned eastwards push. Their objective was to build defensive fortifications surrounding the city in anticipation for the impending Aeslandic siege. A successful defense of Drömtaßford would greatly improve Doge Wonderlandian ability to control the Aesland and Ürebon Rivers, cutting off a major avenue for Aeslandic supply lines and logistical routes.

## First encounter and initial offensives

By September, the Central Army was able to mobilize despite local insurgencies. Its commanding officer, Doge Wonderlandian general Shibe Dawgson, was well aware of the strategic importance of the Drömtaßford area and its inevitable siege by Aeslandic forces. Extensive trench systems were constructed northeast of Drömtaßford in anticipation of the arrival of Aeslandic forces. The trenches were separated into two sections: the shorter northern section was centered around the town of Vinciti just north of the Ürebon and the longer southern section stretching from the Ürebon to Aesland River. Dawgson’s Central Army consisted of twelve Corps (1-12th), a massive force. His forces also consisted of two artillery brigades, the 25th in the north and the 28th in the south.

The Aeslandic forces consisted of the 1st Army, led by General Abama de Bástilleir, and the 4th Army, led by General Quinatimus Kalimus.

* Bástilleir’s army approached from the east with the strength of four corps (1st-4th). Their primary objective focused on Qintaßford and capturing the Junction Fortress. In addition to the 1st-4th Corps, the 1st Army was accompanied by the 51st, 52nd, 61st Cavalry Divisions and the 83rd Artillery Division.
* Kalimus’s army approached from the north of the Ürebon River with the strength of two Corps (9th-10th). The remaining Corps (11th-12th) were held back and recovering after the Battle of Letaisont. Their primary objective focused on Drömrith and capturing the Drömrith Armory Complex. The 4th Army was accompanied by the 59th Cavalry Division.

The remaining 2nd-4th Corps and 83rd Artillery Division entrenched themselves opposite of Dawgson’s forces outside of Montaf. The 10th Corps of Kalimus’ 4th Army quickly dug in and set up a counter-trench outside of Vinciti while the 9th Corps and 59th Cavalry spearheaded past the Doge Wonderlandian forces centered near Vinciti. Bástilleir’s 61st and 52nd Cavalry and 1st Corps correspondingly advanced along the southern bank of the Ürebon River, capturing a strategic bridge. The 54th Cavalry Division quickly exploited and underdefended section of the southern defending trench line, capturing and destroying a bridge crossing the Aesland River.

The Doge Wonderlandian 4th, 6th, and 8th Corps along with the 28th Artillery Division were well entrenched, focused outside of Montaf, with a similar arrangement in the north, outside of Vinciti. Dawsgon expected to block the Aeslandic offense head-on by concentrating troops in a well-defended line, stretching about 20 miles, but this strategy left his flanks particularly exposed.

The overarching strategic goal of Aeslandic command focused on outflanking and encircling static Doge Wonderlandian defensive lines. Although Doge Wonderland had more soldiers in Drömtaßford, the Aeslandic forces consisted of more cavalry units and were well trained in quick maneuvering and rapid repositioning.

## Order of battle

### Southern offensive and northern counteroffensive

The initial offensive was halted by November. The 61st and 59th Cavalry Divisions had made significant progress into Drömrith, setting up a line just outside of the city center. They were reinforced in the rear by the 9th Corps, but Dawgson planned a counteroffensive where the 7th Corps would advance to the Ürebon River, cutting off the Aeslandic 61st, 59th Cavalry and 9th Corps from northern supply routes and support from the Aeslandic 10th Corps outside of Vinciti.

The initial offensive in the south also saw significant Aeslandic victories. The Aeslandic 52nd Corps advanced well into Qintaßford, pushing back the Doge Wonderlandian 5th Corps. With the aid of the Aeslandic 1st Corps, they had also surrounded the Doge Wonderlandian 2nd Corps, cutting them off from support and resupply. The entire 2nd Corp would surrender on November 13, a crippling loss for Dawgson. By mid-November, Dawgson was reinforced by Colonel Fluffman’s 3rd Battalion, arriving from the south to aid particularly in the defense of the Drömrith Armory Complex.

### Wykmant offensive

The 7th Corps’ counteroffensive was successful in pushing to the banks of the Ürebon, but the Aeslandic forces in the Drömrith pocket were able to be resupplied from the south across the bridge and continue fighting. After the Doge Wonderlandian 2nd Corps’ surrender on November 13, Dawgson ordered a tactical retreat of his forces outside Qintaßfxord into a tighter defensive formation closer to the city center. As a result of this retreat, the Doge Wonderlandian forces were unable to encircle the Drömrith pocket and take advantage of the 7th Corps’ counteroffensive.

In late November, Colonel Wykmant arrived from the north with the remaining 11th and 12th Corps of the Aeslandic 4th Army in addition to the new 85th and 87th Artillery Divisions, using the new 360mm “Großbombadieren” howitzers. These Artillery Divisions provided much needed super-heavy artillery support against the numerically superior Doge Wonderlandians and the strong fortifications of the Drömrith Armory Complex. The Complex was also further reinforced by Colonel Fluffman’s 3rd Battalion which had arrived weeks earlier.

The arrival of Wykmant’s forces prompted the Doge Wonderlandian 1st Corps and 25th Artillery to retreat from and abandon their defenses at Vinciti in order to reinforce their rear and prevent themselves from being encircled. This left Doge Wonderlandian 7th Corps without support and overextended supply lines. The abandonment of Vinciti by Doge Wonderlandian forces also allowed the Aeslandic 10th Corps to capture the town without resistance which also placed them in a prime location to cut off the Doge Wonderlandian 7th Corps completely.

The Wykmant Offensive saw Wykmant’s 11th, 12th Corps and Kalimus’ 10th Corps from Vinciti would advance south, linking with the northward advancing 59th Cavalry and 9th Corps to completely encircle the Doge Wonderlandian 1st, 3rd, 7th Corps and 25th Artillery Division.

### Drömtaßford Line and the Big Push

Throughout the winter, General Dawgson’s forces had retreated and consolidated into a heavily fortified trench line, dubbed the “Drömtaßford Line”, spanning 72 miles from northwest of the Drömrith Armory Complex to the Aesland River, encircling the city centers of Drömrith and Qintaßford. The Doge Wonderlandian defenses stalled the Aeslandic advances throughout the winter.

Any Doge Wonderlandian counterattacks in the north were near impossible, due to the constant shelling from Wykmant’s super heavy Artillery Divisions. As a result, the Aeslandic lines in the south surrounding Qintaßford were a more appealing target, especially because Dawgson’s forces in Qintaßford outnumbered Bástilleir’s. Dawgson planned a major offensive push (the “Big Push”) using his 6th, 8th, and 10th Corps to drive a wedge between the Aeslandic forces outside Qintaßford, ideally aiming to capture the Aeslandic 83rd Artillery Division.

However, Aeslandic command also planned their own offensive to break the stalemate. General Kalimus and Bástilleir combined their 52nd, 54th, 59th, and 61st Cavalry Division into a flying column, with the goal of flanking the Drömrith defenders, forcing them to extend their lines or retreat into a tighter perimeter. The speed of the Cavalry Divisions would also allow them to capture and destroy a key bridge on the Aesland River that connected the south and the Drömrith Armory Complex and acted as a key supply route from the south.

Early January also saw the deployment of the new 101st and 102nd Infiltrator Brigades, elite amphibious covert sabotage units. They were the result of developments and improvements to the Submersible and Underwater Covert Conveyance (SUCC) units and tactics that were used to supply insurgencies in the far western states. The Infiltrator Brigades successfully penetrated Doge Wonderlandian lines and destroyed two bridges crossing the Ürebon and Aesland Rivers. The Drömtaßford Bridge, connecting the centers of the two cities, had been a major supply link to Colonel Fluffman and supplies in the Drömrith Armory Complex.

### Great Divide and Dawgson Dash

Dawgson’s Big Push was able to advance 8 miles into Aeslandic lines. However, with the destruction of the Drömtaßford Bridge, any further advance would be extremely risky. Despite these risks, Dawgson opted to continue the advance while he had the upper hand. Dubbed the “Dawgson Dash”, his 6th, 8th, and 10th Corps pushed as quickly as possible to the Ürebon River in an encircling movement to cut off the Aeslandic 1st and 2nd Corps from support and resupply in an effort to starve them out. This maneuver was similar to the one the Aeslandic forces executed in November that cost Dawgson his 2nd Corps.

As predicted, the Aeslandic Cavalry advance in the west forced Colonel Fluffman’s forces to collapse into a tight perimeter around the Drömrith Armory Complex. This completely separated him from Dawgson’s forces in Qintaßford and any further resupply. Although the Complex had plenty of stockpiled supplies to withstand an extended siege, heavy casualties and the constant bombardment by the super heavy howitzers crippled any counterattacks.

By the end of January, casualties had reached a point where Dawgson and Fluffman were forced to withdraw from the Drömrith Armory Complex. With the encirclement of Fluffman’s forces, an evacuation would be extremely difficult. Colonel Houndt would later arrive from the south, and his 305th Engineering Brigade hastily worked on the construction of a temporary bridge to evacuate as many troops as possible from the Complex.

### The DAC Evacuation and Bástilleir Gamble

Colonel Houndt’s Doge Wonderlandian 305th Engineering Brigade were able to construct a temporary bridge by the end of March. However, it could not support artillery pieces, cavalry, or heavy equipment. As a result, the complex's evacuation was slow and saw the loss of immense quantities of valuable military equipment. Houndt was also accompanied by the 74th Corps and 53rd Artillery Division which reinforced Dawgson’s defense of Qintaßford.

Bástilleir’s 1st Army in the east were split in two by the Dawgson Dash. Fortunately for Bástilleir, they were able to quickly reposition and suffered minimal casualties. Though at first glance it seemed the Doge Wonderlandian forces had the advantage, Dawgson’s forces had overextended and were attacked from both flanks, by the Aeslandic 1st and 2nd Corps from the west and 3rd Corps and 83rd Artillery Division from the east.

Bástilleir ordered his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Corps to force a wedge between Dawgson’s forces, exploiting the slower and poorly supplied Doge Wonderlandian forces. He also sent the 102nd Infiltrators to destroy Junction Bridge, the last bridge supplying Dawgson’s forces. This move also necessitated the Doge Wonderlandian 74th Corps to remain near the Junction Fortress in anticipation of subsequent sabotage efforts. Although the 102nd Infiltrators were successful, their entire unit was captured or killed in the process.

### Double Encirclement

The Aeslandic 9th Corps and 59th, 61st Cavalry Divisions swept along the banks of the Aesland River, completing the encirclement of the Drömrith Armory Complex and destroying the evacuation bridge. At this point, only two Doge Wonderlandian Corps—the 11th and 32nd—had been evacuated. The Doge Wonderlandian 1st, 3rd, 9th Corps, 25th Artillery, and 92nd Cavalry would soon surrender, and Colonel Fluffman was killed in action. Dawgson’s Doge Wonderlandian 6th, 8th, 10th Corps had also been encircled. Dawgson was unable to relieve these forces due to the destruction of the Junction Bridge and a lack of supplies. Despite the bridge undergoing repairs by the 305th Engineers, the encircled forces surrendered by 3 July. Due to the heavy losses suffered by the Doge Wonderlandian forces, Dawgson began focusing on salvaging the remaining strength of the Central Army and evacuating as many troops as possible from Qintaßford.

## End of the battle

### Kalimus's Relief

Following the capitulation of Doge Wonderlandian forces in Drömrith, General Kalimus repositioned his forces to aid in the capture of Qintaßford and the Junction Fortress. The 10th, 11th, and 12th Corps of Kalimus’ 4th Army would assist Bástilleir’s 1st Army in sieging from the east; in addition, the 85th and 87th Artillery Divisions were positioned across the river to provide bombardment support.

The Doge Wonderlandian forces remaining in Qintaßford resisted fiercely, especially following the repair of the Junction Bridge by the 305th Engineers. However, due to their deteriorating position and supply of materiel and morale, they were unable to break the siege and were forced to fight defensively; the onslaught of Aeslandic bombardment and numerically superior Aeslandic forces eventually pushed past their defenses.

### Fall of the Junction Fortress

With the arrival of Kalimus’ forces, the Doge Wonderlandians were outnumbered almost 3 to 1. Dawgson’s evacuation efforts only managed to evacuate the Doge Wonderlandian 5th and 12th Corps before the Junction Bridge was again destroyed, this time by artillery bombardment. The Doge Wonderlandian 4th Corps and 28th, 53rd Artillery Divisions were stranded in Qintaßford, mainly held up in the Junction Fortress.

### Aeslandic victory

On 28 July 1816, the commanding officer of the remaining Doge Wonderlandian troops in the Junction Fortress, Major Barkra Shepherd sent an envoy to Bástilleir’s army requesting a 'Surrender with Honor', requiring that the Aeslandic army advance no further west than Drömtaßford and set up a ceasefire with the Doge Wonderlandian government, effectively ending the war. These terms were denied, and Bástilleir demanded an unconditional surrender. Shepherd did not respond to Bástilleir's message, and continued fighting until 9 August when their materiel and ammunition stocks were totally depleted. On 12 August, Shepherd was killed in action by Aeslandic fire, and the next highest-ranking officer, First Lieutenant Franz Pinscher, accepted the Aeslandic terms of unconditional surrender.

## Casualties

Doge Wonderland suffered 337,808 combat casualties during the battle. 162,000 were killed or missing in action, while at least 155,808 were taken as prisoners-of-war after the successful capture of the Junction Fortress and Drömrith Armory Complex. In addition, at least 1,200 artillery pieces were also captured during the battle, greatly strengthening the Aeslandic war effort.

In comparison, Aesland suffered 160,953 casualties, with an extremely low proportion of these killed in action.

## Aftermath

At least 5,000 troops continued to resist after the official pronouncement of surrender. Led by Sergeant Daniel Boner, they fought to the last man against Aeslandic forces in a well-defensible section of the Junction Fortress, causing heavy Aeslandic casualties before the regiment was able to be defeated. The ultimately futile resistance of the remaining Doge Wonderlandian troops was immortalized in the national consciousness, and Doge Wonderlandian wartime and postwar propaganda heavily emphasized their bravery. According to diaries and letters discovered after the battle, almost every resisting soldier believed in Doge Wonderland's inevitable victory and were willing to die at Drömtaßford to contribute to it; many were also motivated by fears of harsh treatment by Aeslandic troops should they surrender.

The surrendering troops were described as being in dismal conditions due to the lack of food and medical supplies during the lengthy siege. According to Aeslandic records, of the nearly 156,000 soldiers taken as prisoners-of-war, over 120,000 were suffering from some state of starvation. Those able to walk were sent on foot marches to prisoner camps and labor camps repurposed from Doge Wonderland after the Spring Revolution; in all, only 10,000 returned to Doge Wonderland after the end of the war, most of the rest having perished as prisoners-of-war. Most died of existing wounds, diseases (particularly cholera and dysentery), cold, malnutrition or mistreatment. Most senior officers were deliberately kept alive and used in prisoner exchanges.

## Significance

Drömtaßford is seen as the largest and most significant defeat of the Doge Wonderlandian army during the Aeslandic Wars of Independence. It has been described as the turning point of the First Aeslandic War of Independence, as it forced Doge Wonderland to retreat farther west in an attempt to consolidate their holdings in the Aeslandic region, giving up on their campaign in the east except for a final push in late 1816. The Central Army was crippled, while the 3rd and 11th Battalions were nearly completely destroyed.

The near-destruction of the Doge Wonderlandian forces in central Aesland and the prevention of the planned push to the east made the battle extremely consequential for both the Aeslandic and Doge Wonderlandian sides. Even at the time, the significance of the battle for the Aeslandic independence movement was not in question. In a letter to a fellow colonel of the Beipao Republic, Colonel Wang Zhenwu, a military attaché to the Doge Wonderlandian army, reflected on the battle:

> The Spring Revolution gave great hope to my heart for the potential for our Republic to cast off the chains of the Dogeist masters, but I felt it simply an opportunity for us to supply a liberation movement among our enslaved brothers in ancient Hong while we campaigned against the main army. The Aeslanders, I had believed, were doomed to fall by the hated enemy's size and numbers, despite the impressive advancements in the east. Now! Drömtaßford! It has been taken! The Aeslandic war may not be as doomed as I thought...Aesland is making impressive gains in the center and even the west. There is a hope of clearing the hated enemy all the way to the Hartdons...
>
>

Doge Wonderland's defeat shattered its self-image as a near-unstoppable power after over two centuries of dominance as the sole existing great power of Forsenan. Otto von Longdawg the Inept gained his cognomen in large part due to the huge losses suffered by the Doge Wonderlandian military in this battle; despite concerted attempts to limit knowledge of the battle among civilians, the public mood was somber and fearful. Overall success in the war seemed far less likely to Doge Wonderlandian planners, and they began planning a defensive war in the western reaches of Aesland.

Conversely, the Aeslandic victory only bolstered patriotic sentiment and confidence across the nation. Spontaneous celebrations erupted in Aethian City and Letaisont upon receiving news of the battle's conclusion, with thousands taking to the streets in festivity. The Provisional Aeslandic Government awarded 7 soldiers, including Generals Amaba de Bástilleir and Quinatimus Kalimus with the Distinguished & Profound Service Medal, and each member of the 102nd Infiltrator Brigade was posthumously awarded the Order of the Aer and a Black Heart.

The battle had major international impact, enhancing Aeslandic prestige worldwide and shattering perceptions of Doge Wonderland as Forsenan's foremost military and economic power. Following the battle, the Kakavian Kingdom was the first to extend diplomatic recognition of Aeslandic sovereignty, and the Beipao Republic began covertly sending limited military aid and supplies.