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| | image_size = | | | image_size = |
| | alt = | | | alt = |
| | caption = Remnants of the Cananganamese 7th and 8th Brigade reorganizing after the battle's conclusion | | | caption = Members of the Cananganamese 14th Platoons marching |
| | date = February 15, 1879 - February 16, 1879 | | | date = June 9, 1891 |
| | place = [[Ardghate]], [[Cananganam]] | | | place = [[Ardghate]], [[Cananganam]] |
| | coordinates = <!--Use the {{coord}} template --> | | | coordinates = |
| | map_type = | | | map_type = |
| | map_relief = | | | map_relief = |
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| | map_label = | | | map_label = |
| | territory = | | | territory = |
| | result = Cananganamese Strategic Victory | | | result = Cananganamese Victory |
| | status = | | | status = |
| | combatants_header = | | | combatants_header = |
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| | combatant2 = {{flag|Mujansa}} | | | combatant2 = {{flag|Mujansa}} |
| | combatant3 = | | | combatant3 = |
| | commander1 = {{flagicon|Cananganam}} [[Bichri|Bichrī́]]<br>{{flagicon|Cananganam}} [[Saniya|Sanī́yā]]<br>{{flagicon|Cananganam}} [[Roocha|Rṓcā]]<br>{{flagicon|Cananganam}}[[Arhasa|Ārhā́sā]] | | | commander1 = {{flagicon|Cananganam}} Lieutenant [[Hakhanya|Hakhā́ñā]]<br>{{flagicon|Cananganam}} Lieutenant [[Gardha|Gā́ḍhā]] |
| | commander2 = {{flagicon|Mujansa}} [[Sa Drang Bong|Sã Ḍaŋ Boŋ]]<br>{{flagicon|Mujansa}} [[Ranh Nu Tri|Ṛañ Nũ Ṭi]] †<br>{{flagicon|Mujansa}} [[Afākā]]<br>{{flagicon|Mujansa}} [[Pinusra|Pinuṣā]] | | | commander2 = {{flagicon|Mujansa}} Captain [[Sinyatse|Siñátse]] |
| | commander3 = | | | commander3 = |
| | units1 = * [[Army of the Kaja]] | | | units1 = {{flagicon|Cananganam}} [[Armed Forces of Cananganam|Army of Cananganam]] |
| | units2 = * [[Army of the Calsean Kingdom]] | | *3rd Platoon |
| | *14th Platoon |
| | | units2 = {{flagicon|Mujansa}} [[Armed Forces of Mujansa|Army of Mujansa]] |
| | *1st Ardhade Militia |
| | units3 = | | | units3 = |
| | strength1 = 116,672 | | | strength1 = 208 |
| | strength2 = 124,928 | | | strength2 = 421 |
| | strength3 = | | | strength3 = |
| | casualties1 = 16,721+ KIA/DOW<br>38,217+ WIA<br>7,482+ MIA<br>'''Total 62,420+ casualties''' | | | casualties1 = 8 wounded<br>4 dead |
| | casualties2 = 23,281+ KIA/DOW<br>46,198+ WIA <br>9,818+ MIA<br>'''Total 79,297+ casualties''' | | | casualties2 = 19 wounded<br>21 dead<br>182 captured |
| | casualties3 = | | | casualties3 = |
| | notes = | | | notes = |
| | campaignbox = {{Cananganamese-Mujansan Border Wars}} | | | campaignbox = {{Cananganamese-Mujansan Border Wars}} |
| }} | | }} |
| '''The Third Battle of Ardghate''' was the second to final battle of the [[Calsean War]]. It was both the largest and the bloodiest battle of the war and since that time, in Nagu. It was fought from February 7, 1879 until February 16, 1879. Of the major battles of the war, the third battle of Ardghate saw the costliest of military actions until that point for both armies. Although the result of the battle was still undecided, the Mujansan withdrawl had broken their morale and the Cananganamese were free to secure a much-needed objective for securing an end to the war. While the battle itself was a political victory, both nations' casualties were grossly reported on around the world and especially in both countries, causing much political distress in as calls for an end to the war grew louder.
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| ==Background== | | ==Background== |
| ===Military Situation===
| | ''See [[Calsean War]]'' |
| Generals Bichri and Saniyah tried to [[Second Battle of Ardghate|secure a quick victory at Ardghate]], but this had resulted in a deflection action from General Lysadem's divisions and a prolonged siege of the countryside. These extensive fortifications stretched over 30 km as both sides dug-in to secure their sections of the battlefield. A lull in the fighting had begun after the main fighting had turned focus towards the [[Siege of A|siege of Port A]] throughout the early dry season. Both nations were growing weary of the war, and both seeking a decisive end to the conflict, started to begin further focus in the Ardghate countryside. The fortifications were made almost semi-permanent in some sectors, with intentions for both parties to stay entrenched as they began engineering efforts to disrupt the other's lines. In November of 1878, the fighting had re-ignited east of the city in the [[Second Battle of Aghatsa|city of Aghatsa]]. The Mujansans had successfully defeated the attack and protected their lines, only prolonging the siege of the region.
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| General Saniyah was commanded to raise yet another series of divisions for preparation of an offensive to remove the Mujansans from the city while General Bichri was to remain in control of the entire front at Ardghate, multi-tasking both the siege and the conflict at Calse. Taking advantage the Mujansans' reluctance to leave their fortifications, he had effectively free reign West and South of the city where his lines were secured. This build up in supply allowed Bichri's engineering brigades to focus on a new option to the siege. Utilizing his men's boredom, he permitted the engineer brigades to begin mining beneath the Mujansan lines much to their lack of awareness. Trench warfare had been existent as a tactical form since the start of the Siege at A, but with the consistent monsoon seasons, many soldiers suffered from disease and infection from the waterlogged conditions, though many soldiers saw it as a better alternative to being shot at by opposing sharpshooters.
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| While Bichri eventually grew less fond of actually intending to blow up the entire Mujansan lines from beneath, the engineering corps took matters into their own hands to finish completion of the project despite being denied access to further resources for the endeavour. After finally reaching beneath the main batteries of the Mujansan line, Bichri finally relented after ones of his close staff were shot by a Mujansan sniper and granted the engineers access to a sizable sum of gunpowder for their project, with a total of 4 metric tonnes of explosive being supplied. Once the preparations were completed in late January, Bichri and the arrival of Saniyah's newly created divisions set the plans in motion for an assault on the defenders by February 16.
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| ==Battle== | | ==Battle== |
| ===February 15===
| | The Mujansan contingent of militiamen was organized to match to the city of [[Ardghate]] where they would restore control back to [[Mujansa]]. Despite the intent, two [[Cananganam|Cananganamese]] platoons guarded the settlement with a pre-arranged defensive position. The Mujansans were effectively ambushed by sudden artillery and rifle fire, resulting in a disorganized retreat eastward. Many of these men were captured over the next few days as Cananganamese troops under the 14th platoon gave chase. While many of the militia were captured, this had no overall effect on the entire campaign as many of these men were undrilled and had lacked combat experience. |
| The morning of February 15 had much of the Cananganamese troops were riddled with anxiety. Both armies were significant in size compared to previous battles and to calm the men, a sizable supply of mezcal was distributed to the men in the early pre-dawn hours. The mines were to be detonated by the engineers but the fuses had gotten wet from a rainstorm the night before and had to be redone which took precious time away and risked the men from being spotted by the defenders. The recently organized divisions of Saniyah had grown impatient and disorganized into a mess of command with several soldiers going back to sleep despite threats of reprimand from officers. This, combined with misplacement of trench-ladders had wasted considerable time with organizing the assault. | |
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| {{quote|We had planned for days the mode of attack. Many of the younger officers didn't understand the importance of the drills, the method of equipment usage, or their behavior. Those young boys had blown the one opportunity to win this battle with as little injury as possible, and now we must all pay the consequences.|3rd Off. Sunt Khasama Jakkha|Memoirs of Ardghate}}
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| ====The Mines are Detonated====
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| At 4:35 AM, the mines were detonated beneath the Mujansan lines. The resulting explosion destroyed almost 45 meters of the line, with a hail of Mujansan men, cannon, and entrenchment material falling across the sector. Many of the men were awe-struck by this sheer display of destruction before bugles played calling forth the charge. The Mujansan men under officer Sã Ḍaŋ Boŋ quickly realized the situation and organized a counter-attack against the impending charge, as members of the Cananganamese 3rd, 14th, and 9th brigades funneled into the crater that was once the residence of the defenders. The soldiers were originally ordered to bypass the crater itself and make their way through the opening created by the shock of the explosion, but the idea of natural cover was too tempting and many of the officers inadvertently led their men into a death trap.
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| As the Mujansans began to re-organize, the Cananganamese brigades were stuck within the crater and the defenders quickly assessing the situation started to take advantage the moment of disarray among the attackers. The first volleys from the defenders struck true and dozens of men were immediately cut down by the defenders' fire as they attempted to scramble out of the pit. The numbers soon mounted but with new units entering the crater it became a funnel of death. General Bichri seeing the situation unfolding before him almost called off the entire offensive, but General Saniyah, taking initiative, ordered the 17th and 19th Brigades to flank the Mujansan defenders on the South side of the crater. This fight too turned into a struggle as the brigades entered into hand-to-hand combat for half an hour before they pushed back the Mujansans. Already by this point, several hundred Cananganamese soldiers lie dead in the pit with many more wounded.
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| Along the entire front, the explosion had awoken the defenders and attackers alike with both armies' artillery opening fire on one another. With daylight only just breaking, much of the battlefield was still covered in darkness as the Cananganamese assaulted the defenders' trenches. While the Mujansans had not committed their reserves, the lackadaisical approach of the newly risen Cananganamese brigades resulted in almost their immediate rout. After the initial shock of the explosion and following charge, many positions along the front were secured by the Cananganamese troops after brutal hand-to-hand combat. The Mujansans, now evicted from their positions, fell back further up the hillside as the momentum of the Cananganamese assault faltered.
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| ====Noon Phase====
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| By noon, much of the assault had come to small skirmishes once more as the Mujansans took up their rear defensive positions. The first Mujansan counter attack was brought out on the far right flank by General [[Afaka]]'s Kiliwian Volunteers who descended down the mountain on the Cananganamese 6th and 8th brigades under General Arhasah. The 6th and 8th brigades refused to relent and held onto to their positions, forcing Afaka to commit his 28th brigade into the fray as the Cananganamese 7th brigade came to fill the breach in the line. The gunfire had become so intense in this sector that the smoke from both parties' rifles had come to conceal much of both sides. Disoriented, the approaching 4th Cananganamese Brigade that was coming to reinforce and relieve the 6th brigade was suddenly fell upon by the Mujansan 1st Brigade who brought great slaughter to the unsuspecting 4th brigade. Within the first volley, both the flagbearer and commanding officer of the 4th brigade was cut down and the 4th turned into an instantaneous rout as the Mujansans continued their assault down the hill. This had a cascading effect as members of the Mujansan army saw this action and, despite orders; the 6th, 9th, 11th, 12th, and 18th Mujansan brigades committed themselves to pressure the center and right flanks.
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| The charge had a disastrous consequences for both the Mujansans and the Cananganamese as the Cananganamese were forced to rout on their left flank while the Mujansans suffered serious casualties and loss of their officers from the Cananganamese defenders. The Mujansan 9th Brigade was almost entirely wiped out from their ill-fated assault but despite this, they drove the Cananganamese from their key position between the left and center. With the Cananganamese left flank disoriented and routing, the 2nd, 19th, and 23rd brigades were sent to prevent a complete collapse of the left flank despite the Mujansan momentum. The entire front was starting to shift with both armies consolidating their flanks towards this single point of the battlefield. Counterbattery fire struck both lines with intense destruction, making the typical rank and file almost redundant. General [[Ranh Nu Tri|Ṛañ Nũ Ṭi]] had tried to reorganize the 1st and 3rd Brigades when messages from Sã Ḍaŋ Boŋ reported the situation on the Mujansan right and requesting aid. Ṛañ Nũ Ṭi was reported to have sent his last message to the envoy; "I have dreamt this an entire week. I will die in this charge, but know I will fulfill my duty as others have before me. You will get your reinforcements, Sã Ḍaŋ Boŋ." Not long after the 1st and 3rd Brigades had begun their advance, he was struck in the temple resulting in his almost instantaneous death. Despite this, 1st and 3rd Brigades battled valiantly against the 1st and 5th Cananganamese Brigades, diverting important brigades from the Cananganamese Left.
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| The Cananganamese started to push back the momentum of the Mujansan left but the speedily arrival of the 10th and 14th Brigades provided far too much pressure and the now depleted left flank had to retreat. The fall back order was almost mistaken for a rout if it weren't for the presence of General Roca who came upon the battlefield riding a horse, an absolute rarity in Cananganam, shouting at the men; "Pick yourselves up, you sons of mine! If you flee, who is to protect your brothers in the good 17th Brigade?" His efforts and his visibility encouraged many officers to recollect their men and attempt to rebuild the line and counter advance despite the odds. The Mujansans weary from the heavy fighting and having been exhausted, started to fall back to their positions up the mountain.
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| ====Evening Phase====
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| As the evening approached, both sides started to consolidate their positions. The trench was in mixed hands, with some segments being controlled by the Mujansan defenders and some the Cananganamese. This situation led to practically overnight on-off fighting as some soldiers wandered or raided the other side's trenches. Much of the evening, however, was very uneventful aside from the actions of the Cananganamese 20th Brigade's raid on the Mujansan 7th's position. The raid itself resulted in confusion on both sides and casualties were heavy as both sides' artillery opened fire on the position. It was referred to the "bloody trough" by contemporaries, as many of the wounded left inside of the trench were unable to be rescued without risking attack from the other side. Both brigades suffered nearly 60% of their casualties in this engagement.
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| ===February 16===
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| ====Collecting of the Dead====
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| In the dark morning hours, a sort of informal truce had formed between both sides, with several soldiers from both sides searching for the wounded in the no-man's-land. Those mortally wounded were receiving prayers and blessings from priests of the armies. When light had broke out, several of these priests and soldiers sifting through the carnage still remained. The sight was remarked by Qonklese military observer Eim Bri as "One of the few times in the war where there were no sides, only victims". By this point of the battle, over 17,000 soldiers lay strewn across the battlefield. For many, the sight had sickened them. The day before they had not even realized to the extent the carnage had caused but now with the guns silent and the dust cleared, the destruction they had caused had left a lasting impression on the soldiers.
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| A short-lived storm had rolled in and washed much of the blood from the field, forcing the humanitarians from the field as the mud started to fill the small valley. As the morning was burning towards noon, the officers, granting the soldiers their reprieve, prepared to make another advancing action. The artillery were once again ordered to fire on the opposing positions and the battle reignited.
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| ====Noon Phase====
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| The Mujansans on the mountain were reorganizing their positions when a stray explosive shell from a Cananganamese cannon hit the ground above the mountain. The storm from earlier had weakened the ground and suddenly a torrent of mud, rock, and water started to slide down the mountain almost completely consuming the path from the Mujansan right from its reserves. Seeing the opening, the Cananganamese 24th, 31st, 29th, 38th, 26th, and 27th brigades soon advanced on the now isolated Mujansan 28th, 9th, 12th, 6th, and 11th brigades. The fighting was deadly as the soldiers swarmed the hill under cannonade fire.
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| The 29th Brigade, armed with newly imported Balakian bolt-action rifles. The sheer firepower overwhelmed the Mujansan defenders and many of the men, demoralized and exhausted, either surrendered or began to flee the battlefield leaving their weapons behind them as they struggled to leave their trenches. Meanwhile, the Mujansans were attempting to make a serious effort to clear the rubble but with the carnage below, many of the staff officers knew the writing on the wall had shown itself, as the sound for a general retreat was called. With the Mujansan right completely exposed and the morale of the army at an all-time low, General Lȳ Sá Dem made plans to cross the Mujansan border and guard the only road in the South into Mujansa. Cananganamese artillery harassed the Mujansan retreat but no intent to pursue was shown by the Cananganamese leadership. Instead, the Cananganamese prepared burials for the men of both sides, identifying who they could.
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| ==Aftermath== | | ==Aftermath== |
| The battle was one of the bloodiest battles of the war, with the greatest number of casualties on both sides. The second bloodiest battle, the [[Fifth Battle of Marapa|fifth battle of Marapa]], had only a quarter of the casualties. The result of the battle was a Cananganamese victory, but many observers believe the Mujansan position was not actually in a threatened state, but rather the leadership of the Mujansan army could not stomach the casualties that had been brought about that day and that rather than risk more manpower fighting near Ardghate, that they should simply fall back and prepare a better defensive position. The battle itself signaled the end of the war, however, and a [[Armistice at Gipri|mutual truce was signed]] at [[Gipri]] before a later peace treaty was formalized by both nations. The battle would have implications and both countries lost almost 3% of their respective male population in this single conflict.
| | While the results of the battle had no impact strategically, they were a significant hit to Mujansa's prestige in [[Nagu]], isolating her potential ally [[Haboya]] resulting in a more contained conflict. Ardghate would be given up without a fight the next month following the advance of the Mujansan 1st Army through the region on their way to secure the [[A (Cananganam)|vital port of A]]. |
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| [[Category:Battles]] [[Category:History of Cananganam]] [[Category:History of Mujansa]] | | [[Category:Battles]] [[Category:History of Cananganam]] [[Category:History of Mujansa]] |
