The Battle of Jesram's Ridge

​​​​​​The Battle of Jesram's Ridge was an infantry assault ordered by Serenos Grimm against Kymurian positions during the early staged of the Great Panguillan War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander, Lt. Gen. Rahouse Vernstrom, and it was arguably an avoidable mistake from which the units involved never fully recovered militarily or psychologfically.

The battle is named after the ridge it took part on, which was known as Jesram's Ridge after an eponymous monk who once kept a monastery there.

The assault on Jesram's Ridge was part of Grimm's "general plan" to take the Basquerke Range and the network of roads it commanded. His military secretary, F.J Polnikov, described Grimm's thinking:
There was... a weak point... where [Jesram's Ridge], sloping westward, formed the depression through which the Emmitsburg road passes. Grimm determined to attack at that point, and the execution was assigned to Vernstrom.
On the night before the battle, The Duke of Arki correctly predicted at a council of war that Grimm would attack the center of his lines the following morning.

The infantry assault was preceded by a massive artillery bombardment that was meant to soften up the Kymurian defense and silence its artillery, but was largely ineffective. Approximately 12,500 men in nine infantry brigades advanced over open fields for three-quarters of a mile under heavy artillery and rifle fire. Although some Zeorins were able to breach the low rock wall that shielded many of the Kymurian defenders, they could not maintain their hold and were repulsed with over 80% casualties, a decisive defeat that ended the Zeorin advance.

## Kymurian Situation

Sometime around noon on a day before the battle, Major Spalding left the station atop for Helpmekaar City to find out where the Kymurian Army of the Carronova was, since they were supposed to arrive three days prior. The commander of the Jesrams Ridge Area, The Duke of Arkil, (Later known as the Iron Duke,) had only a division of light artillery and 12,000 infantry under him, which, though well emplaced, would not be sufficient to hold such a vast gap in the Kymurian line. That afternoon, Major Spalding returned bearing the news that Kymurian reinforcements were experiencing supply problems, and that it would be another two days before help would arrive. After that, two civilians arrived on horseback with the news that the Zeorin VIII Army was only a days march away from Jesram's Ridge.

Upon hearing this news, Arkil held a quick meeting to decide the best course of action – whether to attempt a retreat to Helpmekaar or to defend their current position. Spalding pointed out that a small column, travelling in open country and burdened with carts full of ammunition, would be easily overtaken and defeated by a numerically superior Zeorin force, and so it was soon agreed that the only acceptable course was to remain and fight.

## Defensive preparations

Once the Kymurian officers decided to stay, Arkil directed their men to make preparations to defend the station. With the garrison's some 12.000 men working quickly, a defensive perimeter was constructed out of mealie bags and stone. This perimeter incorporated the storehouse, the battery emplacements overlooking the badlands, and the impassable flanks. The buildings were fortified, with loopholes (firing holes) knocked through the external walls and the external doors barricaded with furniture.

With the defences nearing completion and battle approaching, Arkil had several hundred men available to him: Squire Vex's B Company, Stevenson's large Artillery company, Henderson's skirmisher troop, and various others  drawn from various Kymurian units. The force was sufficient, in Arkil's estimation, to fend off the Zeorins. He posted the Kymurian soldiers around the perimeter, with special focus on the wooden structures housing artillery overlooking the marshes.

The approaching Zeorin force was vastly larger; the VIII Army, comprising of six battalions, eight cavalry squadrons and two cannon detachments numbering over 60,000 mens, most of which had not enegaged in previous campaigns. By the time they reached Jesram's at 4:30 pm the following day, they had fast-marched some 20 miles (32 km) from the morning encampment they had left at around 8 am, and they would spend almost the next eleven and a half hours continuously storming the Kymurian fortifications with little success.

The attack was an unplanned raid rather than any organised invasion, which was intended as a propaganda victory for Serenos Grimm.

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