Many kudos for keeping track of all that.
Since a ICA infantry battalion has some 1071 troops when full, the 26 battalions total almost 28,000 men before adding their artillery and support.
Figuring 3 attached FA battalions for the 3 brigades plus a FA regiment or equivalent for the division plus more for the corps means something at least around 4000 men if not nearer to 5000 for the artillery, plus the quartermasters with the supply trains [not a few] and transport units with all the snow lizard wranglers etc, and its no small force.
Nybar has less than 11,000 me at Fairkyn, with essentially nothing but 24 12 pounders in his artillery park, while BGV ought to have at least 10 times that many tubes, many firing much heavier shells, before adding all his mortars.
From what I'm reading Nybar has no chance at all.
Even if the expected reinforcements began marching now, in March, it's too late for Wyrshym, but it will be interesting as to when he gets the word Fairkyn etc has fallen.
Trying to get past BGV with all his firepower, NTM the SNARC's etc, with most of his remaining army [less 11+4.5K is ~45K] about 200 miles away at the old front moving at maybe 10-20 miles per day in April when BGV is doing twice that means if BGV leaves Fairkyn a 5day ahead of Wyrshym getting the news, BGV could still trap most of Wyrshym's army, and since Wyrshym knows he can't retreat without his army BGV might bag them all, or more than enough to eliminate the AoG's AoS from the Go4's OoB.
Will that be in the snippets or will we have until October to read the book?
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
L
[quote="JRM"][quote="Louis R"]Unfortunately for those - and I freely admit to being one of them - optimistic about the humanity of man to man, not only has Kynt been whistling The Pikes of Kolstyr, the last time we saw him at the end of chIV, he closed it off with the following rumination:
"If he’d ever entertained any doubts on that subject, the SNARC imagery of the Army of God’s outposts would have put them to rest. Very few of those half-frozen men, shivering in inadequate clothing as they crouched around fires in whatever structures they’d found or whatever huts they’d been able to piece together, had any interest in going anywhere else. Nor would they survive if their shelters were destroyed, Green Valley reflected, his expression bleak under the two layers of snow mask — what would have been called balaclavas back on Old Earth — and the ski goggles he and every other man in the column wore. Freezing to death was a very unpleasant way to die, and the baron took no pleasure in the thought of inflicting that particular death even on his enemies.
Which wouldn’t stop him from doing it for a moment."
[quote="n7axw"]
IIRC, playing "The Pikes of Kolstyr" is a Siddarmarkan tradition rather than a EOC one even if BGV was humming the tune.
I don't think that the feeding and care of prisoners is BGV's concern. I believe that provision for dealing with that has been made even if it was done off stage. Green Valley and his advanced corp will be on their way to Fairkyn not long after the battle at Esthyr's Abbey and whatever provision that has been made for handling prisoners will be taken care of.
After all everyone involved in setting up and supporting the op would have understood that there would be prisoners if BGV is successful and factored that into the overall planning.
Don[/quote][/quote]
Hi Louis,
I have started putting the maps up on my PC monitors when I read a Weber book, and sometimes I even list the forces so that I can keep track of who is doing what. Here is the list for the first corp.
Army of Midhold...General Kynt Clareyk, Baron of Green Valley
.1st Corp.........General Ahntaln Makrohry
..4th Mtn Div.....General Eystavyo Gardynyr
...7th Brigade....Brigadier Ahdryn Krystyphyr
....13th Regiment
......1st Battalion......................................Sit it out
......2nd Battalion......................................Sit it out
......3rd Battalion......................................Sit it out
......4th Battalion......................................Sit it out
....14th Regiment
......1st Battalion......................................Sit it out
......2nd Battalion......................................Sit it out
......3rd Battalion......................................Sit it out
......4th Battalion......................................Sit it out
...8th Brigade Brigadier Sutyls
....15th Regiment...Colonel Symohr Hyndryks
......1st Battalion..............................................South guard
......2nd Battalion.............................................South RESERVE
......3rd Battalion.............................................South RESERVE
......4th Battalion..............................................South guard
....16th Regiment...Colonel Ahlfryd Maiyrz
......1st Battalion...Major Tohmys Mahkylhin.....East Primary Assault
......2nd Battalion..Major Brygham Tahlyvyr......East Primary Assault
......3rd Battalion...Major Rahnyld Gahdarhd.....East RESERVE
......4th Battalion...Major Samyl Hylmyn............East Primary Assault
.3rd Mounted Brigade of the 2nd Division
..3rd Brigade
....5th Regiment..Colonel Gairwyl
......1st Battalion.....................................North guard
......2nd Battalion.....................................North guard
......3rd Battalion.....................................North guard
......4th Battalion.....................................North guard
....6th Regiment..Colonel Uhlstyn Yarith
......1st Battalion.....................................West guard
......2nd Battalion.....................................West guard
......3rd Battalion.....................................West guard
......4th Battalion.....................................West guard
.2 Battalions of 1st Scout Sniper Regiment
....1st Regiment
......? Battalion......................................West guard
......? Battalion......................................West guard
Notice that BGV has 26 battalions, he has assigned 3 battalions primary assault, and one battalion as reserve to the primary assault. He assigns 4 battalions to the Southern approaches, but two battalions are reserve. He assigns 4 mounted battalions to the North, and we don't know whether any are reserve. He assigns 6 battalions to the West, and again we don't know whether any are reserve. That is over 18,000 troops to take care of 5,000 enemy. If BGV wasn't trying to make sure that there was no communication going back to Wyrshym, do you think he would use so many troops to surround Esthyr's Abbey. BGV has plenty of troops available to guard POWs.
Either BGV achieves surprise at Fairken, or he doesn’t. Surprise would mean a more devastating victory over Bishop Nybar, but Nybar’s army won’t survive a retreat to Guarnak as an effective unit. BGV won’t have to waste as many troops to surround Fairken. Wyrshym’s only hope is that he is reinforced before BGV gets to Guarnak.
James[/quote]