Battle of Alpinowpz

The **Battle of Alpinowpz** was fought on December 30-31, 1772 in the village of Alpinowpz, on the southern outskirts of Racilia. The Rictuvian army, commanded by Lieutenant James Vandelheim, successfully defeated a larger Verdictine Army under Colonel Edlissen Harrows and Colonel Herrac Thlandiers.

## Prelude

> "*On the eve of December, my detachment are escaping away from the enemy pursuers. The cold winter is also approaching. After 5 encounters with the enemy, the Verdicts, we successfully evaded their pursuit. We stopped in a nearby village to find shelter in the snow. Several soldiers died because of the cold and to make the conditions worse, the supplies, weapons and ammunition of our detachment are running low. But we have plans to move to the Racilian border, right in the front to get to more supplies. We must move fast, because the enemy is just one step behind.*"
> ― James Vandelheim
>
>

At the outbreak of the revolution, many Rictuvians joined the National army to fight the Verdicts. On early December 1772, General Winshelm Oddovitz led a 2000 strong army to the Battle of Skagansków, but was pushed back by the strong Verdictine defenders. Oddovitz had to retreat or to face a larger Verdictine army en route to reinforce Skagansków. Oddovitz split his remaining 1,753 men to several smaller detachments to escape back to Racilia. One of the several detachments was commanded by Lieutenant James Vandelheim.

Hindered by a cold winter and supplies running low, the insurgents marched for nearly two weeks to reach Racilia. In Skagansków, Colonel Herrac Thlandiers pursued the retreating Rictuvian army. The Verdictine reinforcements were garrisoned in Skagansków and did not join the battle.

## Armies

The Rictuvian forces in the Battle of Skagansków had a total of 2300, consisting of 2000 National Army regulars and 300 insurgents.The majority of the National Army were composed of fresh, poorly trained and ill-equipped volunteers. However, the core of the National Army was composed of veterans from the previous wars. Apart from the National Army, insurgents also joined the Battle of Skagansków, which numbered 300 men.

The Verdictine Army had an initial strength of 600 in Skagansków and increased to 1200 when the reinforcements arrived. Skagansków had 2 cavalry units but was did not join the pursuit. Colonel Edlissen Harrows, commander of Skagansków garrison, knew that the Rictuvians had to retreat back to their headquarters in Racilia and prepared 1000 men in pursuit of the retreating army. Harrows planned to defeat or capture the retreating armies and Oddovitz. Once successful, he will gather more men to attack Racilia in the south.

## Battle

The Battle of Skagansków did not go well and Oddovitz had to retreat. While retreating in the road of Grusmielek-Lyrgwinska, Oddovitz was ambushed by Verdictine pursuers under Colonel Wielisław Lidzbarski and was dragged to a 5-hour gunfight which ended in Oddovitz's surrender.

Meanwhile, Vandelheim's forces were also ambushed by Verdictine troops near the woods and the road of Głacaweski-Chaykozovsky. After a night-long battle with the Verdictine troops, Vandelheim ordered a retreat, heading for Alpinowpz. His army again exchanged fire with the enemy 4 more times before reaching Alpinowpz in December 29. Vandelheim and his army was welcomed and protected by the residents of Alpinowpz and the next day, the pursuers, led by Colonel Herrac Thlandiers arrived in the woods just outside Alpinowpz.

In the early morning of December 30, Thlandiers began his advance. Vandelheim's army took positions inside the town. The Verdictine attack was fiercely done but the Rictuvians held. The sound of the nearby battle made Colonel Harrows to march towards Alpinowpz, leading 400 men. Another night-long battle exhausted the defenders. The Verdictine Army halted their attacks, having already 29 casualties. The next morning Harrows arrived with his reinforcements and resumed the attacks. The Rictuvians fought for 4 hours and after running out of ammunition, retreated back to Alpinowpz.

Verdictine Army suffered casualties much larger than the insurgents and had to halt the pursuit due to the army being exhausted as well from the 2-day battle.

## Aftermath

In the course of a 2-day battle the Verdictine forces lost 87 men and a few more wounded, and were forced to abandon the plan to attack Racilia and thus ending the Rictuvian revolution. Rictuvian losses were slightly fewer, but had 32 killed or wounded.

Vandelheim successfully reached Racilia after 4 days and out of the 8 detachments of 2300 men from the Battle of Skagansków, only 4 successfully returned back. Winshelm Oddovitz was captured and was brought to the city of Radołęka where he was imprisoned in its fort.