Since Moncalm has failed to retake Quebec, unless the French try to go through New Orleans and all the way north to Great Lakes, which would be an exploit, a supply expedition seems hardly worth the risk; if that was gonna happen, that would be a great moment.
A Different Roll of the Dice
- Thread starter 0100010
- Start date
Edited some for clarity, it was really intended to be only a few small ships to find out what is going on over there.
Chapter 57: 1761 part 6
Siege of Mazagan
With the British and the Portuguese distracted with war, the Sultan of Morocco, Mohammed bin Abdallah, in loose ‘support’ of his French and Spanish allies, raised 3000 soldiers to lay siege of the Portuguese fortress of Mazagan located on the west coast of Morocco.
On July 10th, the Sultan forces arrived at Mazagan and engaged in a brief artillery dual with the defenders. Only a few dozen deaths were inflicted on both sides, before the Moroccans settled into a siege lasting for two months.
During the ordeal only one, small Portuguese merchant ship with meager supplies of foodstuffs arrived. They brought word of the Spanish and French invasion, and left with several citizens to inform the Portuguese and the British of the siege.
On September 12th, hungry and fearful that help would not arrive in time, the inhabitants surrendered Mazagan to the Moroccans under the promise of being fed and allowed to peacefully evacuate when assistance arrived. The Moroccans accepted this arrangement as the Sultan wanted the town to be intact.
Three ships, one Portuguese and two British arrived on September 23rd, originally with the intent to resupply and reinforce the fortress, only to find that they were too late. The Sultan kept his word and arrangements were made for the Portuguese citizens of Mazagan to be evacuated to Brazil with their belongings on British and Portuguese ships.
Organizing the evacuation allowed the British the opportunity to open diplomatic talks with the Sultan. The British attempted to get Morocco to switch sides and re-allow British ship trade and use of Moroccan ports for harbor and repair, by offering British support in the re-conquest of Ceuta from Spain.
The Sultan however refused. He thought the British would lose the war, and did not want to invoke the ire of both Spain and France. He also considered his current arrangement with France to be more profitable that what the British proposed.
Nevertheless, the British and the Sultan did come to a mutual agreement of rules of engagement that the British reluctantly accepted. During the war, British and Portuguese prisoners (and any prior Christian slaves) would be “inexpensively” ransomed back to Britain, after a work period of six months. British observers were allowed to bring food to pay for the care of prisoners, and verify that they were treated well. The work British sailors did was focused on road and lighthouse construction along the Atlantic coast. The British at least acknowledged that lighthouse construction and maintenance could be a benefit to future trade and navigation.
To increase the revenue from the British ransoms, Morocco offered to take many British and Portuguese prisoners off French and Spanish hands. This was frequently accepted as then they no longer had to endure the expense of guarding or caring for them. The prisoners when then be moved to the Atlantic coast, work for a while and then put back into British hands.
Britain, for its benefit, apart from an earlier repatriation of sailors than they might have gotten otherwise, the Sultan agreed to crack down on slave raids and piracy, and to cease the enslavement of Europeans altogether. (This was already becoming offset by trade on reopened trans-Saharan routes.) Britain also obtained an unofficial route of gathering intelligence on French and Spanish Mediterranean activates. By 1762, the Moroccans would generally cease their opportunistic attacks on British shipping, with the exception of two ‘seizures’ (for the sake of appearances) containing food and paychests, whose food cargo was redirected to the prisoner work camps, while the ships were later released filled with the ransomed prisoners.
With the British and the Portuguese distracted with war, the Sultan of Morocco, Mohammed bin Abdallah, in loose ‘support’ of his French and Spanish allies, raised 3000 soldiers to lay siege of the Portuguese fortress of Mazagan located on the west coast of Morocco.
On July 10th, the Sultan forces arrived at Mazagan and engaged in a brief artillery dual with the defenders. Only a few dozen deaths were inflicted on both sides, before the Moroccans settled into a siege lasting for two months.
During the ordeal only one, small Portuguese merchant ship with meager supplies of foodstuffs arrived. They brought word of the Spanish and French invasion, and left with several citizens to inform the Portuguese and the British of the siege.
On September 12th, hungry and fearful that help would not arrive in time, the inhabitants surrendered Mazagan to the Moroccans under the promise of being fed and allowed to peacefully evacuate when assistance arrived. The Moroccans accepted this arrangement as the Sultan wanted the town to be intact.
Three ships, one Portuguese and two British arrived on September 23rd, originally with the intent to resupply and reinforce the fortress, only to find that they were too late. The Sultan kept his word and arrangements were made for the Portuguese citizens of Mazagan to be evacuated to Brazil with their belongings on British and Portuguese ships.
Organizing the evacuation allowed the British the opportunity to open diplomatic talks with the Sultan. The British attempted to get Morocco to switch sides and re-allow British ship trade and use of Moroccan ports for harbor and repair, by offering British support in the re-conquest of Ceuta from Spain.
The Sultan however refused. He thought the British would lose the war, and did not want to invoke the ire of both Spain and France. He also considered his current arrangement with France to be more profitable that what the British proposed.
Nevertheless, the British and the Sultan did come to a mutual agreement of rules of engagement that the British reluctantly accepted. During the war, British and Portuguese prisoners (and any prior Christian slaves) would be “inexpensively” ransomed back to Britain, after a work period of six months. British observers were allowed to bring food to pay for the care of prisoners, and verify that they were treated well. The work British sailors did was focused on road and lighthouse construction along the Atlantic coast. The British at least acknowledged that lighthouse construction and maintenance could be a benefit to future trade and navigation.
To increase the revenue from the British ransoms, Morocco offered to take many British and Portuguese prisoners off French and Spanish hands. This was frequently accepted as then they no longer had to endure the expense of guarding or caring for them. The prisoners when then be moved to the Atlantic coast, work for a while and then put back into British hands.
Britain, for its benefit, apart from an earlier repatriation of sailors than they might have gotten otherwise, the Sultan agreed to crack down on slave raids and piracy, and to cease the enslavement of Europeans altogether. (This was already becoming offset by trade on reopened trans-Saharan routes.) Britain also obtained an unofficial route of gathering intelligence on French and Spanish Mediterranean activates. By 1762, the Moroccans would generally cease their opportunistic attacks on British shipping, with the exception of two ‘seizures’ (for the sake of appearances) containing food and paychests, whose food cargo was redirected to the prisoner work camps, while the ships were later released filled with the ransomed prisoners.
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Was just reminded of my one of my old questions which is now quite relavant to current events in my TL.
Frnace-Spain-Austria has effectively cut off Britain from Mediterranean trade. Since Sicily and Naples has also been pressured into throwing in against the British, their trade in particular is also curtailed.
This includes sulfur exports from Sicily (the #1 provider/producer in the world), is no longer available to the British. While there is potentially other sources in Iceland and elsewhere in the world I don't know how well developed they are.
Anyone have some opinions how this will impact British (and Prussian) powder supplies? (plus other things now cut off)
Frnace-Spain-Austria has effectively cut off Britain from Mediterranean trade. Since Sicily and Naples has also been pressured into throwing in against the British, their trade in particular is also curtailed.
This includes sulfur exports from Sicily (the #1 provider/producer in the world), is no longer available to the British. While there is potentially other sources in Iceland and elsewhere in the world I don't know how well developed they are.
Anyone have some opinions how this will impact British (and Prussian) powder supplies? (plus other things now cut off)
Chapter 58: 1761 part 7
Battle of Hanover
The Allied West German army, consisting of English, Hanover, Schaumburg-Lippe, and Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel troops and Led by the Duke of Brunswick and John Manner the Marquee of Granby; along with several hundred unorganized Hanoverian militia had stripped the lands bare of anything useful and harried the advance of the French-West German army led by Duc de Broglie toward Hanover. It only slowed de Broglie’s progress though not stopped it, as he had maintained a well-protected supply line for this second invasion into the heart of Hanover.
On March 15th, Brunswick had to make a stand outside Hanover to at least make an attempt to defeat the 71,000 strong French-German army with his combined 37,000 strong defending force. A victory would prevent the French from putting the city of Hanover to siege.
Though being outnumbered nearly 2 to 1, a victory was not to be. After a hard fought battle of several hours, Brunswick was forced into a well ordered retreat, as he could not risk a worse defeat and still hope for later victories. De Broglie, needing to get as early a start to a siege of the city could not pursue Brunswick at length.
Battle Results:
French-West German Forces: ~8000 casualties
Allied-West German Forces: ~2000 casualties
French Victory
While de Broglie settled into a siege of the capital city, Brunswick retreated northwest then veered toward allied Schumberg-Lippe to position himself strike hard at French supplies lines over and along the Weser river. If he could not defeat de Broglie openly he would have to bleed their army over a tortuous campaign.
Battle of Stathagen
Leaving a force to continue the siege of Hanover, De Broglie took 50,000 to take the city of Stathagen in Schumburg-Lippe which Brunswick was using to conduct raids in French supply lines. Brunswick was again forced to fight outnumbered against the French with his 35,000 strong army. While Brunswick tried to elude and maneuver as best he could, the forces finally clashed on May 19th.
Battle Results:
French-West German Forces: ~5000 casualties
Allied-West German Forces: ~3000 casualties, some guns captured.
French Victory
In another bloody battle that was mostly a draw; the Duke of Brunswick was again forced to retreat or face losing a battle of attrition against the French. Brunswick retreated northward to Verden with his army intact and send out orders for preparing new defenses along the lower Wesser and the Aller rivers.
Siege of Hanover
As soon as the Battle of Hanover was over Broglie had put the city to siege right away the next day on March 16th. The city was very well defended, and well supplied, and would prove difficult to take. Its defense was led by Count Nikolaus Luckner. Multiple rings of earth works had to be battered by artillery or stormed. It took a month of assault and maneuver though trenches to during which the French took an additional ~2000 casualties to properly surround the city with cannon in place for the long haul. All the while Brunswick made harrying attacks disrupting much needed supplies, especially of much needed shot and powder.
With victory at Stathagen, Broglie could refocus on taking the critical city of Hanover. The King and Choiseul believed it was vitally necessary for the Electorate of Hanover to fall for France to have a dominant position against Britain in peace talks. However the city, despite being battered all summer, proved extremely stubborn and well supplied. Even after Broglie had mopped up opposition and put the Counties of Schumburg-Lippe and the Hesse-Kessel county of Schaumberg under French control by the end of the summer, the city had still not fallen. Continuing skirmishes with English and Hanover forces as they withdrew northwards induced additional casualties and they destroyed or removed all foragable supplies as they left. Delays in resupply, the loss of much power and shot during Brunswick’s earlier raids, and resisting civilian militias significantly hampered the progress of the siege. As Broglie grew more desperate to take the city before winter, skirmishes happened occurred block by block.
A severely weakened Hanover garrison finally succumbed to an assault on November 18th and Luckner surrendered to the French and was taken prisoner, ending the siege.
Battle Results:
French-West German Forces: ~3000 casualties
Hanover Garrison: ~1000 casualties, 3000 captured. Count Nikolaus Luckner taken prisoner.
Civilians: at least ~2000 casualties of ‘civilian militia’ (as claimed by French records, though the number and combatant status is debated)
French Victory
While victorious, the battles to secure only the southern half of Hanover were far too costly. Broglie began the 1761 campaign in Hanover with 71,000 men, and ended it with only 55,000 men still in fighting condition. The Duke of Brunswick and his army though were still intact, and had shrunken from 41,000 to only 31,000.
Also disappointing Broglie was the refusal of the Hanover government to capitulate despite the loss of their capitol, under the stubborn orders of George II, and the fact that they had evacuated safely well before the fighting for the year had begun. Nor was William, the Count of Shaumberg-Lippe, who fought alongside the Duke of Brunswick, willing to concede or allow his remaining Shaumburg-Lippe forces to leave the service of the English and Hanover army despite the fact that their home county was presently under French occupation.
As winter set in over north Germany, it was clear it would require another campaign the next year to fully decide the fate of Hanover.
The Allied West German army, consisting of English, Hanover, Schaumburg-Lippe, and Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel troops and Led by the Duke of Brunswick and John Manner the Marquee of Granby; along with several hundred unorganized Hanoverian militia had stripped the lands bare of anything useful and harried the advance of the French-West German army led by Duc de Broglie toward Hanover. It only slowed de Broglie’s progress though not stopped it, as he had maintained a well-protected supply line for this second invasion into the heart of Hanover.
On March 15th, Brunswick had to make a stand outside Hanover to at least make an attempt to defeat the 71,000 strong French-German army with his combined 37,000 strong defending force. A victory would prevent the French from putting the city of Hanover to siege.
Though being outnumbered nearly 2 to 1, a victory was not to be. After a hard fought battle of several hours, Brunswick was forced into a well ordered retreat, as he could not risk a worse defeat and still hope for later victories. De Broglie, needing to get as early a start to a siege of the city could not pursue Brunswick at length.
Battle Results:
French-West German Forces: ~8000 casualties
Allied-West German Forces: ~2000 casualties
French Victory
While de Broglie settled into a siege of the capital city, Brunswick retreated northwest then veered toward allied Schumberg-Lippe to position himself strike hard at French supplies lines over and along the Weser river. If he could not defeat de Broglie openly he would have to bleed their army over a tortuous campaign.
Battle of Stathagen
Leaving a force to continue the siege of Hanover, De Broglie took 50,000 to take the city of Stathagen in Schumburg-Lippe which Brunswick was using to conduct raids in French supply lines. Brunswick was again forced to fight outnumbered against the French with his 35,000 strong army. While Brunswick tried to elude and maneuver as best he could, the forces finally clashed on May 19th.
Battle Results:
French-West German Forces: ~5000 casualties
Allied-West German Forces: ~3000 casualties, some guns captured.
French Victory
In another bloody battle that was mostly a draw; the Duke of Brunswick was again forced to retreat or face losing a battle of attrition against the French. Brunswick retreated northward to Verden with his army intact and send out orders for preparing new defenses along the lower Wesser and the Aller rivers.
Siege of Hanover
As soon as the Battle of Hanover was over Broglie had put the city to siege right away the next day on March 16th. The city was very well defended, and well supplied, and would prove difficult to take. Its defense was led by Count Nikolaus Luckner. Multiple rings of earth works had to be battered by artillery or stormed. It took a month of assault and maneuver though trenches to during which the French took an additional ~2000 casualties to properly surround the city with cannon in place for the long haul. All the while Brunswick made harrying attacks disrupting much needed supplies, especially of much needed shot and powder.
With victory at Stathagen, Broglie could refocus on taking the critical city of Hanover. The King and Choiseul believed it was vitally necessary for the Electorate of Hanover to fall for France to have a dominant position against Britain in peace talks. However the city, despite being battered all summer, proved extremely stubborn and well supplied. Even after Broglie had mopped up opposition and put the Counties of Schumburg-Lippe and the Hesse-Kessel county of Schaumberg under French control by the end of the summer, the city had still not fallen. Continuing skirmishes with English and Hanover forces as they withdrew northwards induced additional casualties and they destroyed or removed all foragable supplies as they left. Delays in resupply, the loss of much power and shot during Brunswick’s earlier raids, and resisting civilian militias significantly hampered the progress of the siege. As Broglie grew more desperate to take the city before winter, skirmishes happened occurred block by block.
A severely weakened Hanover garrison finally succumbed to an assault on November 18th and Luckner surrendered to the French and was taken prisoner, ending the siege.
Battle Results:
French-West German Forces: ~3000 casualties
Hanover Garrison: ~1000 casualties, 3000 captured. Count Nikolaus Luckner taken prisoner.
Civilians: at least ~2000 casualties of ‘civilian militia’ (as claimed by French records, though the number and combatant status is debated)
French Victory
While victorious, the battles to secure only the southern half of Hanover were far too costly. Broglie began the 1761 campaign in Hanover with 71,000 men, and ended it with only 55,000 men still in fighting condition. The Duke of Brunswick and his army though were still intact, and had shrunken from 41,000 to only 31,000.
Also disappointing Broglie was the refusal of the Hanover government to capitulate despite the loss of their capitol, under the stubborn orders of George II, and the fact that they had evacuated safely well before the fighting for the year had begun. Nor was William, the Count of Shaumberg-Lippe, who fought alongside the Duke of Brunswick, willing to concede or allow his remaining Shaumburg-Lippe forces to leave the service of the English and Hanover army despite the fact that their home county was presently under French occupation.
As winter set in over north Germany, it was clear it would require another campaign the next year to fully decide the fate of Hanover.
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Hecatee
Donor
It is back ? truly ? what a pleasure ! I'm surprised the british-german army does not suffer from higher attrition rate through desertion rate. Year after year they loose ground, they loose battles, they loose leaders. Now the very symbolic fall of the fortress-like Hannover after two battles : morale must be really low in this army...
The French army's morale may not be the best, but they did at least win two battles and capture vast tracts of lands, with probably a fair amount of pillaging to help the survivors forget the dead, so morale must still be tremendously better than the British's.
The French army's morale may not be the best, but they did at least win two battles and capture vast tracts of lands, with probably a fair amount of pillaging to help the survivors forget the dead, so morale must still be tremendously better than the British's.
All casualty numbers include desertions, on both sides. Anything that deprives a force of a solider that is fit to fight for the remaining campaign season: death, starvation, injury, sickness, desertion, mental breakdown, etc. I lump it into the casualty figure. I only make note of specific circumstance when they were especially bad. (starvation and desertion of Spanish in the Portugal invasion, plague during Russian initial march at the beginning of the war, etc.) I usually give back some small percentage as 'losses recovered' by the next spring. (mostly to represent injuries healed, the sick recovered, sometimes deserters recaptured/forced to fight, if the force is desperate for manpower)
It's the title drop, literally. Spreadsheets, arbitrary war game rules in my head, and a bag of dice on my desk determine a lot of outcomes. It isn't perfect, but makes things interesting.
It's the title drop, literally. Spreadsheets, arbitrary war game rules in my head, and a bag of dice on my desk determine a lot of outcomes. It isn't perfect, but makes things interesting.
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So are you telling us you are literally doing what your title implies?
It's been an evolving process. The unexpected Austrian rout by Fredrick the prior year was one example. The king of Portugal and Spain dying the same year was another weird case, as is the fact that King George II, and Empress Elizabeth are still alive. I will admit though that in the beginning it was more directed. King Louis XV death was planned as part of my internal what-ifs.
Chapter 59: 1761 part 8
The Battle for Montreal
After Montcalm’s failed attempt to retake Quebec City, the British soon put forth their plan to finish the conquest of New France. A fleet of ships and accompanying transports to land troops set sail down the St. Lawrence for Montreal. Likewise Amherst sent British land forces northward to assist in taking the city for a three pronged attack which included an advance from the Richelieu river, and down the St, Lawrence from Lake Ontario.
Before the Siege could commence, what was left of the defending French fleet had to be removed. Montcalm had only one ship of the line remaining, which had spent the winter double anchored downstream from the city trapped in ice. Although now mostly freed, it remained anchored to serve as a gun platform to face against the inevitable British assault.
The Last Stand of the Caribou
The Caribou (50) was one of the ships that King Louis XVI had ordered to have rebuilt in 1758. The job was done at the French shipyards in Quebec. Initial payments and imported materials had arrived prior to the full brunt of the British campaigns, and the job had been completed 1759. For the shipwrights, workers and crew, they had ceased to be expected to get paid once the British took Louisburg and Quebec City, but for them it had become a labor of love, pride and defiance against the British. The Caribou’s numerous survivals and escapes up to this last stand was a testament to her workmanship and the determination of her captain and crew. In preparation for the coming assault, additional guns had been brought aboard, and reinforced planking had been put in place for additional protection. Though presently incapable of going to sea, she had been turned into an effective floating battery. The Caribou and a few additional light support ships of less than 20 guns, were the remained of France naval defense of New France.
Battle of Ile Bouchard
On April 25th – May 1st, the Caribou, some of the smaller ships, and a hastily erected nearby island fort faced off against a fleet of British ships as the appeared downriver.
French Fleet: Caribou (50), a few small support ships, supported by manned wooden fort on the island.
British Fleet: HMS Bedford (64), Nottingham (60), Sutherland (50), Adventure (32), Squirrel (20), numerous smaller support ships.
Gascon Laman, a Caribou officer had been appointed captain by Montcalm after its previous captain who had been wounded in the battle for Quebec, had died over the winter from hunger and chill in his weakened state.
After being delayed and hampered by numerous felled trees tied by ropes to sunken rocks in the river, the British finally came in sight of the French forces. The partially catalogued Caribou, whose sails were down and bedecked by branches, launched a broadside at the Adventure, crippling it. The British pulled back while the Caribou pounded the Adventure until the current drifted it out of range.
Unable to find an easy way around the anchored ship, John Mordaunt was order to take marines and find an approach to cross the river to get to the island with guns to take the fort and the Caribou from the rear. Two separate attempts at this had failed as the Forts guns rained down on crossing attempts, sending rowboats to the bottom. The loss of Cook and Survey ships at the battle of Ile de Orleans previously had also hampered mapping efforts, leaving the British with incomplete knowledge of the channels. After losing a boat of men to rapids on a third attempt, and days of no progress, Mordaunt retreated and it was decided that the main ships would have to take on the Caribou and the small fort’s guns directly on May 1st.
The Adventure had already been lost sinking to the bottom or the river during the first night after the initial battle, but its crew had evacuated successfully. The HMS Bedford, Nottingham, and Sutherland, came into range with the rising sun behind them. The Caribou put up a fierce fight, damaging all three ships, and taking significant damage herself, until she stopped firing and caught ablaze. The British had thought the battle won, until the burning ship was suddenly cut free of her anchors and drifted directly towards the Nottingham. At first the British had though their cannon fire had set the ship alight and it had simply broken free of its moors, until they spotted a mad Gascon singing in French tied to the wheel. Evasive actions and additional cannon fire failed to stop the fire ship as it was deliberately steered into the Nottingham, setting it alight.
Once the Caribou had been dislodged the remaining ships made short work of the abandoned French fort. Several wounded French that were left behind in the fort surrender without resistance. The British learned that the rest had escaped in one of the light support ships during the fight.
Battle Results:
French Losses: Caribou (50), two light support ships deliberately burned to avoid capture. ~50 casualties, ~25 wounded taken prisoner.
British Losses: HMS Nottingham (60), Adventure (32), two rowing galleys.
~120 casualties. Damage to the Bedford and Sutherland
Clear British Victory
Battle of the Thousand Islands
Beginning May 2nd, the Amherst had gathered his forces to prepare to take Montreal, over a series on battles to capture the city. The first was against Fort Levis on Ile Royal against a 250 strong French garrison led by Pierre Pouchot which delayed Amherst’s advance 10,000 strong British force by 10 days and cost him 3 light warships. On when Pouchot ran out of ammunition on May 12th did he ask for terms and surrendered the fort to the British.
Battle Results:
French: ~250 casualties or captured.
British: ~100 casualties, 3 light warships of less than 20 guns
Clear British Victory
Siege of Montreal
Even after the fall of Fort Levis, foul weather, deliberately felled trees to create navigation hazards, incomplete surveys, and drownings to the rain soaked rapids delayed the British from setting up a proper siege of the city. The British had burned villages along the way to their approach to Montreal, and fought in light skirmishes that caused masses numbers of Quebec militia and native allies to desert in droves.
Still Montcalm put up a spirited defense of the city for 3 days until his (low quantities) of ammunition too was spent, and he surrendered Montreal to the British on August 4th.
French: ~200 casualties, ~300 were taken prisoner. Montcalm taken prisoner.
British: ~150 casualties (nearly half from drowning), 2 rowing galleys
Clear British Victory
With Montcalm and Montreal’s surrender, New France was effectively captured by the British. The remainder of the year was spent putting down minor pockets of resistance, and organizing the occupied territory.
After Montcalm’s failed attempt to retake Quebec City, the British soon put forth their plan to finish the conquest of New France. A fleet of ships and accompanying transports to land troops set sail down the St. Lawrence for Montreal. Likewise Amherst sent British land forces northward to assist in taking the city for a three pronged attack which included an advance from the Richelieu river, and down the St, Lawrence from Lake Ontario.
Before the Siege could commence, what was left of the defending French fleet had to be removed. Montcalm had only one ship of the line remaining, which had spent the winter double anchored downstream from the city trapped in ice. Although now mostly freed, it remained anchored to serve as a gun platform to face against the inevitable British assault.
The Last Stand of the Caribou
The Caribou (50) was one of the ships that King Louis XVI had ordered to have rebuilt in 1758. The job was done at the French shipyards in Quebec. Initial payments and imported materials had arrived prior to the full brunt of the British campaigns, and the job had been completed 1759. For the shipwrights, workers and crew, they had ceased to be expected to get paid once the British took Louisburg and Quebec City, but for them it had become a labor of love, pride and defiance against the British. The Caribou’s numerous survivals and escapes up to this last stand was a testament to her workmanship and the determination of her captain and crew. In preparation for the coming assault, additional guns had been brought aboard, and reinforced planking had been put in place for additional protection. Though presently incapable of going to sea, she had been turned into an effective floating battery. The Caribou and a few additional light support ships of less than 20 guns, were the remained of France naval defense of New France.
Battle of Ile Bouchard
On April 25th – May 1st, the Caribou, some of the smaller ships, and a hastily erected nearby island fort faced off against a fleet of British ships as the appeared downriver.
French Fleet: Caribou (50), a few small support ships, supported by manned wooden fort on the island.
British Fleet: HMS Bedford (64), Nottingham (60), Sutherland (50), Adventure (32), Squirrel (20), numerous smaller support ships.
Gascon Laman, a Caribou officer had been appointed captain by Montcalm after its previous captain who had been wounded in the battle for Quebec, had died over the winter from hunger and chill in his weakened state.
After being delayed and hampered by numerous felled trees tied by ropes to sunken rocks in the river, the British finally came in sight of the French forces. The partially catalogued Caribou, whose sails were down and bedecked by branches, launched a broadside at the Adventure, crippling it. The British pulled back while the Caribou pounded the Adventure until the current drifted it out of range.
Unable to find an easy way around the anchored ship, John Mordaunt was order to take marines and find an approach to cross the river to get to the island with guns to take the fort and the Caribou from the rear. Two separate attempts at this had failed as the Forts guns rained down on crossing attempts, sending rowboats to the bottom. The loss of Cook and Survey ships at the battle of Ile de Orleans previously had also hampered mapping efforts, leaving the British with incomplete knowledge of the channels. After losing a boat of men to rapids on a third attempt, and days of no progress, Mordaunt retreated and it was decided that the main ships would have to take on the Caribou and the small fort’s guns directly on May 1st.
The Adventure had already been lost sinking to the bottom or the river during the first night after the initial battle, but its crew had evacuated successfully. The HMS Bedford, Nottingham, and Sutherland, came into range with the rising sun behind them. The Caribou put up a fierce fight, damaging all three ships, and taking significant damage herself, until she stopped firing and caught ablaze. The British had thought the battle won, until the burning ship was suddenly cut free of her anchors and drifted directly towards the Nottingham. At first the British had though their cannon fire had set the ship alight and it had simply broken free of its moors, until they spotted a mad Gascon singing in French tied to the wheel. Evasive actions and additional cannon fire failed to stop the fire ship as it was deliberately steered into the Nottingham, setting it alight.
Once the Caribou had been dislodged the remaining ships made short work of the abandoned French fort. Several wounded French that were left behind in the fort surrender without resistance. The British learned that the rest had escaped in one of the light support ships during the fight.
Battle Results:
French Losses: Caribou (50), two light support ships deliberately burned to avoid capture. ~50 casualties, ~25 wounded taken prisoner.
British Losses: HMS Nottingham (60), Adventure (32), two rowing galleys.
~120 casualties. Damage to the Bedford and Sutherland
Clear British Victory
Battle of the Thousand Islands
Beginning May 2nd, the Amherst had gathered his forces to prepare to take Montreal, over a series on battles to capture the city. The first was against Fort Levis on Ile Royal against a 250 strong French garrison led by Pierre Pouchot which delayed Amherst’s advance 10,000 strong British force by 10 days and cost him 3 light warships. On when Pouchot ran out of ammunition on May 12th did he ask for terms and surrendered the fort to the British.
Battle Results:
French: ~250 casualties or captured.
British: ~100 casualties, 3 light warships of less than 20 guns
Clear British Victory
Siege of Montreal
Even after the fall of Fort Levis, foul weather, deliberately felled trees to create navigation hazards, incomplete surveys, and drownings to the rain soaked rapids delayed the British from setting up a proper siege of the city. The British had burned villages along the way to their approach to Montreal, and fought in light skirmishes that caused masses numbers of Quebec militia and native allies to desert in droves.
Still Montcalm put up a spirited defense of the city for 3 days until his (low quantities) of ammunition too was spent, and he surrendered Montreal to the British on August 4th.
French: ~200 casualties, ~300 were taken prisoner. Montcalm taken prisoner.
British: ~150 casualties (nearly half from drowning), 2 rowing galleys
Clear British Victory
With Montcalm and Montreal’s surrender, New France was effectively captured by the British. The remainder of the year was spent putting down minor pockets of resistance, and organizing the occupied territory.
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Chapter 60: 1761 part 9
The Renewed Contest for Silesia
Fredrick had been successful in pushing back the Austrians and what was left of the Saxon army last year, to the point that he had regain control of middle Silesia. The Austrians still held upper Silesia, and had never fully taken lower Silesia. He main obstacles though were a severe shortage of manpower, lengthening supply lines a limited line of credit from Great Britain that might only last until summer.
He had a truce presently with Sweden and Mecklenburg, momentarily securing his northern front, but there was no guarantee it would last.
The Russians were still occupying East Prussia, and so far his most recent attempts at diplomatic inquiry toward Peter III had not been responded to. If only Empress Catherine would hurry up and die he might be able to make peace with Peter III.
If that happens, and Russia withdraws, Austria might want to finally back out of the war after losing an ally, if the British can keep the French occupied in Hanover.
Presently though after so much fight for the last five years, Silisia was in bad shape and was stripped of much food, manpower and resources. Fredrick was having a hard time finding what he needed, and thus had supplies lines back to Brandenburg. The Austrians too though would face similar problems in and subsequent attempt to retake Silesia. In order to bolster his own supplies and hurt Austria, he need to raid and take as much as he could from Northern Bohemia and parts of Moravia, before the Austrian Army was fully rebuilt and marched north. Fredrick had planned for such excursions over the winter.
Battle of Jitschin
During the spring Fredrick had sent incursions into northern Bohemia raiding numerous towns for supplies even hard currency to help subsidize his war efforts. Reichenberg, Gablonz, Leitmeritz, Jungbunzlau had all been raided and the Austrians finally put up a resistance in the town of Jitschin.
On March 28th Fredrick’s 8000 strong raiding forces led by Paul von Werner fought against a forward Austrian contingent of 10000 led by Andreas Hadik
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~500 casualties
Austrian Forces: ~1500 casualties
Clear Prussian Victory
With advantageous terrain and greater mobility Werner hit Hadik’s’ forces quickly in a relatively short battle. This quick clashes the somewhat unprepared Austrian lines let to a Prussian victory as Hadik retreated from the field. However given that Werner was only there to harass and raid he did not pursue Hadik as he fled back toward the safety of the larger Franco-Austrian army to the south. His victory though allowed him to raid the town of Jitschin and move east and raid Koniggratz and Neustadt as well before retreating back to rejoin Fredrick in Silesia.
Siege of Glatz
While Werner was raiding northern Bohemia, Fredrick had wanted to retake the county of Glatz from the Austrian who had taken it early in the war. It would help him block Austrian movements in order to retake Upper Silesia. Fredrick began besieging the fortress of Glatz on March 26th.
The Franco-Austrian army however was well on march north, and Daun did not plan on letting Fredrick get his way.
Battle of Habelschwerdt
Daun led his forces north toward Glatz forcing Fredrick to take much of his army out to attempt to stop the Franco-Austrian army from lifting the siege.
On April 4th, the 45,000 strong Franco-Austrian Army led by Leopold von Daun met against Fredrick’s force of 38,000. An evenly matched battle left neither side with any clear advantage, and Fredrick wanting to preserve as much of his men as he could, stayed much more cautious than normal. This allow Daun to press a harder attack on his left flank, and Fredrick reinforced it from the center to prevent collapse on his left. While he was successful in repelling the Austrian attack, doing so revealed that he would not be able to hold his ground, and he began an orderly withdrawal from the field. Though Baron Laudon attempted to pursue the retreating Fredrick, he was repulsed by Lehwaldt.
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~2500 casualties
Franco-Austrian forces: ~4500 casualties
Austrian Victory
After Fredrick’s loss he was forced to lift the siege of Glatz, and retreat back toward Shweidnitz.
Battle of Reichenbach
Daun sought to continue to the pursuit of Fredrick in the hopes of finally putting an end to the war with one decisive battle. He pursued Fredrick to Reichenbach when Fredrick finally turned on April 10th and stood his ground field his 35000 strong forces against the Franco-Austrians 41,000.
Daun though in his haste had overreach a bit too far and did not have his full forces to bear, when he realized Fredrick had stopped because Von Warner had joined in with his victorious 7500 forces from Jitschin at his flank. Learning from his prior mistake Fredrick was less cautious this time in order to bring the Franco-Austrian forces to heel; he equally desired a decisive victory that would put Austria out of the war.
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~2000 casualties
Franco-Austrian Forces: ~5000 casualties
Clear Prussian Victory
Daun was hit hard by the two forces, in his over eagerness to put an end to the Prussian army had had overextended his forces and was forced to retreat back toward Glatz, and re-gather his army.
The Prussia’s had not pursued too far as Fredrick had been injured in the battle, and they had received word of more revolts against Prussian occupation in eastern Saxony.
Battle of Bautzen
On April 6th, after numerous unrest due to the war and lack of food in Prussian controlled eastern Saxony, ad-hoc Saxon forces team up with local militias and revolting citizen to besiege the weakened Prussian garrison in Bautzen. The militia forces ambush and attack forces attempting to deliver supplies to Prussian garrison.
When Fredrick got word of this, he dispatched Heinrich von Manteuffel with a force of 4000 force to quell the unrest and reinforce control over eastern Saxony. Even though Fredrick had previously concluded he would likely have to give up his occupation of Saxony in any peace, he still needed to occupy a significant portion of it in order to offer it for trade. The arrived on April 20th and fought against the Saxon militia forces, which soon retreated.
Battle Results:
Saxon Rebels: ~total casualties unknown, but in excess of 500.
Prussian Forces: ~120 casualties
Clear Prussian Victory
Daun too had gotten word of events in Saxony and desired to make sure it would remain a distraction for Fredrick. Ludwig Ernst von Benekendorff was sent with the last of the 3000 strong Saxon army back to Saxony to recruit more and continue attacks against Prussian held areas. Though they would arrive too late to assist or participate in the Battle of Bautzen.
Siege of Brieg and Munsterberg
Though Fredrick failed in taking Glatz as he hoped he still needed to retake upper Silesia, and move his army toward the Principalities of Munsterberg and Brieg as the area was less barren that the war wrecked Principalities and Duchies of middle Silesia. Without confirmed word of resumption of subsidies from the British, Fredrick was not sure he could afford another year of war, and wanted to restore as much of Upper Silesia to Prussian control as he could before considering peace.
He also hoped to draw the Franco-Austrian army out, since he knew it was not destroyed, into a better defensive battle of his choosing.
On April 15th the siege of Munsterberg began, and Breig was besieged the following day. Fredrick placed his army between where the Franco-Austrian army would have to go to relieve the assaults.
Battle of Frankenstein
Over a month would go by before Daun led the reformed Franco Austrian army against Fredrick’s forces near the town of Frankenstein. Daun forces were 43,000 strong against Fredrick’s 32,000 strong sole remaining offensive army.
Both sides were exhausted and low of morale and war-weary, and were forced to fight again after already facing three to four battle previously in the year. Despite picking the terrain no clear advantage presented itself to Fredrick other than wearing his enemy down, and perhaps too high a cost to his own men. On May 20th the two sides clashed.
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~3000 casualties
Franco-Austrian Forces: ~4000 casualties
Draw
Both sides broke under the strain as weary troops fled or deserted form the battle amid the carnage. Fredrick was forced to lift the siege of Munsterburg as he retreated north. He though the war over now, at this loss until he realized the Austrian did not pursue and had fled as well. When he reached Brieg a day later intending to lift the siege there as well and retreat west again, he was met with news that the city had fallen, though he had barely enough men to garrison it helped morale and was worth considering a victory.
Both sides would spend the rest of the spring and summer rebuilding their forces after the heavy toll the spring fighting had taken.
Fredrick had been successful in pushing back the Austrians and what was left of the Saxon army last year, to the point that he had regain control of middle Silesia. The Austrians still held upper Silesia, and had never fully taken lower Silesia. He main obstacles though were a severe shortage of manpower, lengthening supply lines a limited line of credit from Great Britain that might only last until summer.
He had a truce presently with Sweden and Mecklenburg, momentarily securing his northern front, but there was no guarantee it would last.
The Russians were still occupying East Prussia, and so far his most recent attempts at diplomatic inquiry toward Peter III had not been responded to. If only Empress Catherine would hurry up and die he might be able to make peace with Peter III.
If that happens, and Russia withdraws, Austria might want to finally back out of the war after losing an ally, if the British can keep the French occupied in Hanover.
Presently though after so much fight for the last five years, Silisia was in bad shape and was stripped of much food, manpower and resources. Fredrick was having a hard time finding what he needed, and thus had supplies lines back to Brandenburg. The Austrians too though would face similar problems in and subsequent attempt to retake Silesia. In order to bolster his own supplies and hurt Austria, he need to raid and take as much as he could from Northern Bohemia and parts of Moravia, before the Austrian Army was fully rebuilt and marched north. Fredrick had planned for such excursions over the winter.
Battle of Jitschin
During the spring Fredrick had sent incursions into northern Bohemia raiding numerous towns for supplies even hard currency to help subsidize his war efforts. Reichenberg, Gablonz, Leitmeritz, Jungbunzlau had all been raided and the Austrians finally put up a resistance in the town of Jitschin.
On March 28th Fredrick’s 8000 strong raiding forces led by Paul von Werner fought against a forward Austrian contingent of 10000 led by Andreas Hadik
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~500 casualties
Austrian Forces: ~1500 casualties
Clear Prussian Victory
With advantageous terrain and greater mobility Werner hit Hadik’s’ forces quickly in a relatively short battle. This quick clashes the somewhat unprepared Austrian lines let to a Prussian victory as Hadik retreated from the field. However given that Werner was only there to harass and raid he did not pursue Hadik as he fled back toward the safety of the larger Franco-Austrian army to the south. His victory though allowed him to raid the town of Jitschin and move east and raid Koniggratz and Neustadt as well before retreating back to rejoin Fredrick in Silesia.
Siege of Glatz
While Werner was raiding northern Bohemia, Fredrick had wanted to retake the county of Glatz from the Austrian who had taken it early in the war. It would help him block Austrian movements in order to retake Upper Silesia. Fredrick began besieging the fortress of Glatz on March 26th.
The Franco-Austrian army however was well on march north, and Daun did not plan on letting Fredrick get his way.
Battle of Habelschwerdt
Daun led his forces north toward Glatz forcing Fredrick to take much of his army out to attempt to stop the Franco-Austrian army from lifting the siege.
On April 4th, the 45,000 strong Franco-Austrian Army led by Leopold von Daun met against Fredrick’s force of 38,000. An evenly matched battle left neither side with any clear advantage, and Fredrick wanting to preserve as much of his men as he could, stayed much more cautious than normal. This allow Daun to press a harder attack on his left flank, and Fredrick reinforced it from the center to prevent collapse on his left. While he was successful in repelling the Austrian attack, doing so revealed that he would not be able to hold his ground, and he began an orderly withdrawal from the field. Though Baron Laudon attempted to pursue the retreating Fredrick, he was repulsed by Lehwaldt.
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~2500 casualties
Franco-Austrian forces: ~4500 casualties
Austrian Victory
After Fredrick’s loss he was forced to lift the siege of Glatz, and retreat back toward Shweidnitz.
Battle of Reichenbach
Daun sought to continue to the pursuit of Fredrick in the hopes of finally putting an end to the war with one decisive battle. He pursued Fredrick to Reichenbach when Fredrick finally turned on April 10th and stood his ground field his 35000 strong forces against the Franco-Austrians 41,000.
Daun though in his haste had overreach a bit too far and did not have his full forces to bear, when he realized Fredrick had stopped because Von Warner had joined in with his victorious 7500 forces from Jitschin at his flank. Learning from his prior mistake Fredrick was less cautious this time in order to bring the Franco-Austrian forces to heel; he equally desired a decisive victory that would put Austria out of the war.
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~2000 casualties
Franco-Austrian Forces: ~5000 casualties
Clear Prussian Victory
Daun was hit hard by the two forces, in his over eagerness to put an end to the Prussian army had had overextended his forces and was forced to retreat back toward Glatz, and re-gather his army.
The Prussia’s had not pursued too far as Fredrick had been injured in the battle, and they had received word of more revolts against Prussian occupation in eastern Saxony.
Battle of Bautzen
On April 6th, after numerous unrest due to the war and lack of food in Prussian controlled eastern Saxony, ad-hoc Saxon forces team up with local militias and revolting citizen to besiege the weakened Prussian garrison in Bautzen. The militia forces ambush and attack forces attempting to deliver supplies to Prussian garrison.
When Fredrick got word of this, he dispatched Heinrich von Manteuffel with a force of 4000 force to quell the unrest and reinforce control over eastern Saxony. Even though Fredrick had previously concluded he would likely have to give up his occupation of Saxony in any peace, he still needed to occupy a significant portion of it in order to offer it for trade. The arrived on April 20th and fought against the Saxon militia forces, which soon retreated.
Battle Results:
Saxon Rebels: ~total casualties unknown, but in excess of 500.
Prussian Forces: ~120 casualties
Clear Prussian Victory
Daun too had gotten word of events in Saxony and desired to make sure it would remain a distraction for Fredrick. Ludwig Ernst von Benekendorff was sent with the last of the 3000 strong Saxon army back to Saxony to recruit more and continue attacks against Prussian held areas. Though they would arrive too late to assist or participate in the Battle of Bautzen.
Siege of Brieg and Munsterberg
Though Fredrick failed in taking Glatz as he hoped he still needed to retake upper Silesia, and move his army toward the Principalities of Munsterberg and Brieg as the area was less barren that the war wrecked Principalities and Duchies of middle Silesia. Without confirmed word of resumption of subsidies from the British, Fredrick was not sure he could afford another year of war, and wanted to restore as much of Upper Silesia to Prussian control as he could before considering peace.
He also hoped to draw the Franco-Austrian army out, since he knew it was not destroyed, into a better defensive battle of his choosing.
On April 15th the siege of Munsterberg began, and Breig was besieged the following day. Fredrick placed his army between where the Franco-Austrian army would have to go to relieve the assaults.
Battle of Frankenstein
Over a month would go by before Daun led the reformed Franco Austrian army against Fredrick’s forces near the town of Frankenstein. Daun forces were 43,000 strong against Fredrick’s 32,000 strong sole remaining offensive army.
Both sides were exhausted and low of morale and war-weary, and were forced to fight again after already facing three to four battle previously in the year. Despite picking the terrain no clear advantage presented itself to Fredrick other than wearing his enemy down, and perhaps too high a cost to his own men. On May 20th the two sides clashed.
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~3000 casualties
Franco-Austrian Forces: ~4000 casualties
Draw
Both sides broke under the strain as weary troops fled or deserted form the battle amid the carnage. Fredrick was forced to lift the siege of Munsterburg as he retreated north. He though the war over now, at this loss until he realized the Austrian did not pursue and had fled as well. When he reached Brieg a day later intending to lift the siege there as well and retreat west again, he was met with news that the city had fallen, though he had barely enough men to garrison it helped morale and was worth considering a victory.
Both sides would spend the rest of the spring and summer rebuilding their forces after the heavy toll the spring fighting had taken.
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Chapter 61: 1761 part 10
Third Siege of Kolberg
By June, Vasily Lopukhin finally put the Russian army to march again, intending a two pronged attack to take Kolberg, Prussia’s last remaining Baltic port, and to go over land to link up with Austria and march on Berlin. Lopkhin first redeployed the Russia Navy along with numerous transport to land soldiers at Koslin to then march on and lay siege to Kolberg, while he took the rest of the army through Poland to march toward the heart of Prussia. Fredrick though, had supposedly receive word on the planned attacks from the treasonous actions of Gottlieb Heinrich Totleben, in late May which was part of the reasons Fredrick turned northward after his stalemate with Austria.
Alexander Borissovitch Buturlin landed an 8000 strong Russian force near Koslin and prepared for march on Kolberg. Fredrick, with his prewarning had already bolstered the city’s supplies and garrison.
Fredrick himself continued to rebuild and replenish his own army, occasionally being forced to thin the garrisons in Saxony and elsewhere to bolster his strength. He had to stay positioned near eastern Brandenberg and northern Silesia and remain mobile enough to prevent the Austrians and Russians from joining, or marching on Berlin.
Fredrick had also expanded on peace explorations with Sweden, and hoped their truce would hold so that Sweden would not lend assistance to Russia against Kolberg.
On July 11th, Buturlin finally marched to and began besieging Kolberg. Russian warships bombarded the city for over six weeks, though with peace negotiations underway, Sweden declined to assist, though also waited for the news of the outcome of the conflicts before coming to any agreements.
Battle of Kolberg
Fearing a fall of the city, Fredrick ordered Heinrich von Manteuffel with his 4000, and another 1000 thinned off the Saxony garrisons to reinforced Kolberg further and strike at the Russia besiegers. On September 9th they arrived and did battle with Buturlin’s forces.
Battle Results:
Russian Forces: ~1200 casualties
Prussian Forces: ~900 casualties
Prussian Victory
Manteuffel’s victory secured Kolberg further and forced the Russians to lift the siege and withdraw back toward Koslin and their ships. The Russian fleet however would continue to batter the defense of the town for another month through to October 9th when the weather would force them to finally leave.
Battle of Landsberg
Fredrick would have sent more than Manteuffel’s fore to Kolberg, but he had none to spare, because the 41,000 strong Russia army led by Vasily Lopukhin had marched from St. Petersburg to the borders of Brandenberg over the summer.
After numerous skirmishes in late August and early September preventing Russian attempts to reach the Franco-Austrian army to the south, Fredrick finally faced the Russians in battle on September 8th, only a day before Manteuffel’s unforeseen victory. The two armies faced off near the city of Landsberg after Lopukh decided to head straight toward Berlin.
Fredrick command an army of 34,000 which, despite containing many younger and inexperienced troops, also had a large core of veteran soldiers and numerous guns Fredrick disrupted and broke numerous Russian charges before strongly countering with his own attacks.
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~5500 casualties
Russian Forces: ~12,800 casualties or taken prisoner, numerous guns and supplies captured. Vasily Lopukhin killed in action.
Clear Prussian victory
In characteristic brilliance by the superb commander, along with artillery fire killing the Russian General Vasily Lopukhin the Russian army was routed from the field. Fredrick continued to chase the Russians all the way to Posen before turning southward upon receiving reports from events in Silesia and Saxony.
Fredrick’s victory over the Russian forces was a much needed boost to morale, and rippled across the diplomatic front. When word of the victory reached Sweden they became more inclined to settle for Prussia’s offer. The British too, upon hearing of the victories decided that they would at least release the remaining subsidies for 1761, and consider it against for next year.
Buturlin sailed his troops back to Konigsberg in occupied Eastern Prussia.
Count Aleksander Vasilievitch Suvorov, who was a staff officer under Lopukhin, re-gathered and reformed the retreating Russian army and also brought it back to Konigsberg.
Later, the accusations of treachery against Totleben would cause him to be imprisoned to the end of the war and subsequently exiled to Siberia.
Austro-Saxon Counter Push
Austria, though seeming down, was not out and even Saxony still had some cards left to play. While Fredrick was engaged with defending against the Russians, Ludwig Ernst von Benekendorff, after organizing the various Saxon militias and rebels pushed across the Elbe into eastern Saxony after Fredrick had been forced to thin the garrisons there.
Battle of Grossienhein
On August 26th, Benekendorff stormed the city of Grossienheim with a force of 4000 and fought off Prussian garrisons there.
Battle Results:
Saxon Forces: ~200 casualties
Prussian Garrison: ~600 casualties or captured. (not counted among Prussian’s main army numbers)
Clear Saxon Victory
Battle of Esterwelde
A few days later on August 31st, Benekendorff took Esterwelde in a similar manner from the lightened Prussian garrison.
Battle Results:
Saxon Forces: ~100 casualties
Prussian Garrison: ~1000 casualties or prisoners. (not counted among Prussian’s main army numbers)
Clear Saxon Victory
Benekendorff continued on his retaking territory in eastern Saxony but swung back south to link with the Franco-Austrian armies once he became aware of Fredrick’s victories over Russia.
Third Battle of Schweidnitz
Duan had once again re-gathered and rallied his army to once again enter the battlefields of Silesia. Originally hope had been to connect with the Russian armies, but it took too long for the Austro-Franco forces to recover over the summer. Now with Fredrick occupied, Austria aimed to retake the contested middle Silesia. The oft fought over Schweidnitz became a battle ground once again. On August 30th a 28000 strong Franco-Austrian forces led by Daun moved to take the strategic city and fortress.
Battle Results:
Austrian Forces: ~2000 casualties
French Forces: ~1000 casualties
Prussian Garrison Forces: ~1000 casualties
Franco-Austrian Victory
Battle of Brieg
While Daun took Schweidnitz, the recently captured Brieg was to change hands again as secondary Franco-Austrian forces led by Nádasdy auf Fogaras led a force of 9,000 to retake the city. The battle over the city was fought on September 2nd.
Battle Results:
French Forces: ~400 casualties
Austrian Forces: ~600 casualties
Prussian Garrison Forces: ~500 casualties or prisoners
Second Battle of Breslau
While Fredrick pursued the Russians, Duan and Nádasdy rejoined to descend on Breslau to retake the city on September 10th.
Middle Silesia, now heavily damaged, and sapped of strength from repeated battles during the war, did not put up as much resistance as it had in the earlier years of the war, but Breslau at least took longer than a day to fall, before what remained of the Prussian Garrison Forces retreated or fled on September 13th.
Battle Results:
Austrian Forces: ~1400
French Forces: ~600
Prussian Garrison Forces: ~800 casualties or prisoners
Franco-Austrian Victory
Second Siege of Liegnitz
Duan recalled Benekendorff and his Saxon forces again, much to his dismay because the Franco-Austrian army had taken too many losses in reconquering middle Silesia. He had at least succeeded in pushing the general Saxon front from the Elbe to the Black Elster
At a strength of 30,000 the Franco-Astrian army was now actually barely under matched with Fredricks own dwindling forces of 32,000 after the Russian defeat. Neverhteless, knowing Fredrick couldn’t have much left, Duan wanted to take as much of Silesia as he could before the rumors of peace overtures became a long sought reality.
Unlike the previous recapture, Liegnitz, being further off had been better supplied during the spring and summer. The Franco-Austrian army settled into a siege of the city on September 18th.
Fredrick though did not plan on letting the Austrian make further recaptures and after waiting for reinforcements and word regarding peace talks with Sweden and Mecklenburg, arrived with his forces on October 7th.
Battle of Leignitz
Fredrick though did not come alone in his march, only a day before arriving near Leignitz it had become apparent that smallpox had been picked up along the way or encountered on their arrival. On the eve before the battle nearly a thousand of his forces were quarantined in an attempt to prevent further spread.
Duan too saw the signs of sickness seeping into his forces after the first few initial scouting skirmishes, yet the two armies faced off against each other anyway.
The two armies fought only brief battles over four days, while the disease began to run though their camps.
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~500 general casualties, ~2000 from smallpox.
French Forces: ~200 general casualties, ~800 from smallpox
Saxon Forces: ~200 general casualties, ~500 from smallpox
Austrian forces: ~500 general casualties, ~1500 from smallpox
Prussian ‘Victory’ in the sense that the Franco-Austrian forces abandoned the siege.
Disease had taken too heavy a toll on both sides for any decisive battle to be had, but the Franco-Austrian army abandoned their siege to retreat or face a outbreak, and Fredrick made no attempt to pursue as he had to likewise prevent the healthy members of his army from succumbing.
Aftermath
Too devastated from the battles and sickness neither side would pursue further offensives during the remainder of the year. Fedricks retreats to take winter in Crossen, while the Franco-Austrian army retreats to winter in Glatz.
Second Treaty of Copenhagen
After the defeat of Russia at Kolberg and Landsberg and the seeming defeat or withdrawal of Austrian forces, Sweden was ready to take the peace the Fredrick had offered. Sweden’s performance had been utterly abysmal and feared their Russian allies would not be back to help the next year. At the time of the signing, it was also unknown if France would succeed against Hanover or not.
Sweden was in occupation of the strategic city of Stettin controlling the mouth of the Oder, and the Islands of Usedom and Wolin. Mecklenburg occupied the Prussian Hither Pomeranian exclave in Mecklenburg, lands at far western Brandenburg near the Elbe River and the Hanover and Mecklenburg borders, and a sliver of land in north central Brandenburg. Prussia occupied the major Mecklenberg exclaves within Brandenburg.
Peace with Mecklenburg was effectively Ute Possidetis, though the actual occupied areas on both sides were small. Peace with Sweden was finally obtained with Prussia agreeing to give up Hither Pomerania west of the Randow River and the Island of Usedom in exchange for Sweden withdrawing from Stettin and the Island of Wolin.
Although this was technically the second treaty of Copenhagen during the Nine Years War, the first (unrelated and between France and Hesse-Kassel), had mostly been undone at the insistence of Austria during the last treaty of Versailles.
The real goal of Mecklenburg in the war had been Sweden’s promise to give them Wismar and other Swedish exclaves in Mecklenburg in exchange for their support, should Sweden obtain the lands that they had lost in the Great Northern War under the Treaty of Stockholm in 1720. With the present peace this had partly been accomplished.
Although later historians would criticize Sweden for going to peace too early, their army had proven ineffective, they were running low on funds, morale was low and the populace was war-weary. Mecklenburg wanted peace, and threatened to make peace independently of Sweden if needed, which would mean a withdrawal of Mecklenburg troops from Swedish Pomerania, which currently represented 40% of the defending forces there.
As per Sweden’s previous treaty of alliance with Mecklenburg which brought them into the conflict, Wismar would be fully turned over in five years’ time after peace was obtained, which was now set to occur in October 1766.
It was argued that since the full return of all lands lost to Prussia previously had not been entirely complete, that the Wismar conditions should not hold. However, soon after the peace, the Treaty of Schleswig between Denmark and Mecklenburg was announced, and Sweden would choose not to press the issue when the time came to give up Wismar five year later.
Treaty of Schleswig
Once Mecklenburg had finalized its removal from the Nine Years War, a defensive treaty between Mecklenburg and Denmark was made which had been in the works for a while. Its primary purpose was Denmark securing allies in the event that Peter III of Russia made moves against them regarding Holstein, while Mecklenburg’s goal was to prevent Prussia from seeking revenge in case Austria was defeated. The treaty was signed in Schleswig on November 20th.
By June, Vasily Lopukhin finally put the Russian army to march again, intending a two pronged attack to take Kolberg, Prussia’s last remaining Baltic port, and to go over land to link up with Austria and march on Berlin. Lopkhin first redeployed the Russia Navy along with numerous transport to land soldiers at Koslin to then march on and lay siege to Kolberg, while he took the rest of the army through Poland to march toward the heart of Prussia. Fredrick though, had supposedly receive word on the planned attacks from the treasonous actions of Gottlieb Heinrich Totleben, in late May which was part of the reasons Fredrick turned northward after his stalemate with Austria.
Alexander Borissovitch Buturlin landed an 8000 strong Russian force near Koslin and prepared for march on Kolberg. Fredrick, with his prewarning had already bolstered the city’s supplies and garrison.
Fredrick himself continued to rebuild and replenish his own army, occasionally being forced to thin the garrisons in Saxony and elsewhere to bolster his strength. He had to stay positioned near eastern Brandenberg and northern Silesia and remain mobile enough to prevent the Austrians and Russians from joining, or marching on Berlin.
Fredrick had also expanded on peace explorations with Sweden, and hoped their truce would hold so that Sweden would not lend assistance to Russia against Kolberg.
On July 11th, Buturlin finally marched to and began besieging Kolberg. Russian warships bombarded the city for over six weeks, though with peace negotiations underway, Sweden declined to assist, though also waited for the news of the outcome of the conflicts before coming to any agreements.
Battle of Kolberg
Fearing a fall of the city, Fredrick ordered Heinrich von Manteuffel with his 4000, and another 1000 thinned off the Saxony garrisons to reinforced Kolberg further and strike at the Russia besiegers. On September 9th they arrived and did battle with Buturlin’s forces.
Battle Results:
Russian Forces: ~1200 casualties
Prussian Forces: ~900 casualties
Prussian Victory
Manteuffel’s victory secured Kolberg further and forced the Russians to lift the siege and withdraw back toward Koslin and their ships. The Russian fleet however would continue to batter the defense of the town for another month through to October 9th when the weather would force them to finally leave.
Battle of Landsberg
Fredrick would have sent more than Manteuffel’s fore to Kolberg, but he had none to spare, because the 41,000 strong Russia army led by Vasily Lopukhin had marched from St. Petersburg to the borders of Brandenberg over the summer.
After numerous skirmishes in late August and early September preventing Russian attempts to reach the Franco-Austrian army to the south, Fredrick finally faced the Russians in battle on September 8th, only a day before Manteuffel’s unforeseen victory. The two armies faced off near the city of Landsberg after Lopukh decided to head straight toward Berlin.
Fredrick command an army of 34,000 which, despite containing many younger and inexperienced troops, also had a large core of veteran soldiers and numerous guns Fredrick disrupted and broke numerous Russian charges before strongly countering with his own attacks.
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~5500 casualties
Russian Forces: ~12,800 casualties or taken prisoner, numerous guns and supplies captured. Vasily Lopukhin killed in action.
Clear Prussian victory
In characteristic brilliance by the superb commander, along with artillery fire killing the Russian General Vasily Lopukhin the Russian army was routed from the field. Fredrick continued to chase the Russians all the way to Posen before turning southward upon receiving reports from events in Silesia and Saxony.
Fredrick’s victory over the Russian forces was a much needed boost to morale, and rippled across the diplomatic front. When word of the victory reached Sweden they became more inclined to settle for Prussia’s offer. The British too, upon hearing of the victories decided that they would at least release the remaining subsidies for 1761, and consider it against for next year.
Buturlin sailed his troops back to Konigsberg in occupied Eastern Prussia.
Count Aleksander Vasilievitch Suvorov, who was a staff officer under Lopukhin, re-gathered and reformed the retreating Russian army and also brought it back to Konigsberg.
Later, the accusations of treachery against Totleben would cause him to be imprisoned to the end of the war and subsequently exiled to Siberia.
Austro-Saxon Counter Push
Austria, though seeming down, was not out and even Saxony still had some cards left to play. While Fredrick was engaged with defending against the Russians, Ludwig Ernst von Benekendorff, after organizing the various Saxon militias and rebels pushed across the Elbe into eastern Saxony after Fredrick had been forced to thin the garrisons there.
Battle of Grossienhein
On August 26th, Benekendorff stormed the city of Grossienheim with a force of 4000 and fought off Prussian garrisons there.
Battle Results:
Saxon Forces: ~200 casualties
Prussian Garrison: ~600 casualties or captured. (not counted among Prussian’s main army numbers)
Clear Saxon Victory
Battle of Esterwelde
A few days later on August 31st, Benekendorff took Esterwelde in a similar manner from the lightened Prussian garrison.
Battle Results:
Saxon Forces: ~100 casualties
Prussian Garrison: ~1000 casualties or prisoners. (not counted among Prussian’s main army numbers)
Clear Saxon Victory
Benekendorff continued on his retaking territory in eastern Saxony but swung back south to link with the Franco-Austrian armies once he became aware of Fredrick’s victories over Russia.
Third Battle of Schweidnitz
Duan had once again re-gathered and rallied his army to once again enter the battlefields of Silesia. Originally hope had been to connect with the Russian armies, but it took too long for the Austro-Franco forces to recover over the summer. Now with Fredrick occupied, Austria aimed to retake the contested middle Silesia. The oft fought over Schweidnitz became a battle ground once again. On August 30th a 28000 strong Franco-Austrian forces led by Daun moved to take the strategic city and fortress.
Battle Results:
Austrian Forces: ~2000 casualties
French Forces: ~1000 casualties
Prussian Garrison Forces: ~1000 casualties
Franco-Austrian Victory
Battle of Brieg
While Daun took Schweidnitz, the recently captured Brieg was to change hands again as secondary Franco-Austrian forces led by Nádasdy auf Fogaras led a force of 9,000 to retake the city. The battle over the city was fought on September 2nd.
Battle Results:
French Forces: ~400 casualties
Austrian Forces: ~600 casualties
Prussian Garrison Forces: ~500 casualties or prisoners
Second Battle of Breslau
While Fredrick pursued the Russians, Duan and Nádasdy rejoined to descend on Breslau to retake the city on September 10th.
Middle Silesia, now heavily damaged, and sapped of strength from repeated battles during the war, did not put up as much resistance as it had in the earlier years of the war, but Breslau at least took longer than a day to fall, before what remained of the Prussian Garrison Forces retreated or fled on September 13th.
Battle Results:
Austrian Forces: ~1400
French Forces: ~600
Prussian Garrison Forces: ~800 casualties or prisoners
Franco-Austrian Victory
Second Siege of Liegnitz
Duan recalled Benekendorff and his Saxon forces again, much to his dismay because the Franco-Austrian army had taken too many losses in reconquering middle Silesia. He had at least succeeded in pushing the general Saxon front from the Elbe to the Black Elster
At a strength of 30,000 the Franco-Astrian army was now actually barely under matched with Fredricks own dwindling forces of 32,000 after the Russian defeat. Neverhteless, knowing Fredrick couldn’t have much left, Duan wanted to take as much of Silesia as he could before the rumors of peace overtures became a long sought reality.
Unlike the previous recapture, Liegnitz, being further off had been better supplied during the spring and summer. The Franco-Austrian army settled into a siege of the city on September 18th.
Fredrick though did not plan on letting the Austrian make further recaptures and after waiting for reinforcements and word regarding peace talks with Sweden and Mecklenburg, arrived with his forces on October 7th.
Battle of Leignitz
Fredrick though did not come alone in his march, only a day before arriving near Leignitz it had become apparent that smallpox had been picked up along the way or encountered on their arrival. On the eve before the battle nearly a thousand of his forces were quarantined in an attempt to prevent further spread.
Duan too saw the signs of sickness seeping into his forces after the first few initial scouting skirmishes, yet the two armies faced off against each other anyway.
The two armies fought only brief battles over four days, while the disease began to run though their camps.
Battle Results:
Prussian Forces: ~500 general casualties, ~2000 from smallpox.
French Forces: ~200 general casualties, ~800 from smallpox
Saxon Forces: ~200 general casualties, ~500 from smallpox
Austrian forces: ~500 general casualties, ~1500 from smallpox
Prussian ‘Victory’ in the sense that the Franco-Austrian forces abandoned the siege.
Disease had taken too heavy a toll on both sides for any decisive battle to be had, but the Franco-Austrian army abandoned their siege to retreat or face a outbreak, and Fredrick made no attempt to pursue as he had to likewise prevent the healthy members of his army from succumbing.
Aftermath
Too devastated from the battles and sickness neither side would pursue further offensives during the remainder of the year. Fedricks retreats to take winter in Crossen, while the Franco-Austrian army retreats to winter in Glatz.
Second Treaty of Copenhagen
After the defeat of Russia at Kolberg and Landsberg and the seeming defeat or withdrawal of Austrian forces, Sweden was ready to take the peace the Fredrick had offered. Sweden’s performance had been utterly abysmal and feared their Russian allies would not be back to help the next year. At the time of the signing, it was also unknown if France would succeed against Hanover or not.
Sweden was in occupation of the strategic city of Stettin controlling the mouth of the Oder, and the Islands of Usedom and Wolin. Mecklenburg occupied the Prussian Hither Pomeranian exclave in Mecklenburg, lands at far western Brandenburg near the Elbe River and the Hanover and Mecklenburg borders, and a sliver of land in north central Brandenburg. Prussia occupied the major Mecklenberg exclaves within Brandenburg.
Peace with Mecklenburg was effectively Ute Possidetis, though the actual occupied areas on both sides were small. Peace with Sweden was finally obtained with Prussia agreeing to give up Hither Pomerania west of the Randow River and the Island of Usedom in exchange for Sweden withdrawing from Stettin and the Island of Wolin.
Although this was technically the second treaty of Copenhagen during the Nine Years War, the first (unrelated and between France and Hesse-Kassel), had mostly been undone at the insistence of Austria during the last treaty of Versailles.
The real goal of Mecklenburg in the war had been Sweden’s promise to give them Wismar and other Swedish exclaves in Mecklenburg in exchange for their support, should Sweden obtain the lands that they had lost in the Great Northern War under the Treaty of Stockholm in 1720. With the present peace this had partly been accomplished.
Although later historians would criticize Sweden for going to peace too early, their army had proven ineffective, they were running low on funds, morale was low and the populace was war-weary. Mecklenburg wanted peace, and threatened to make peace independently of Sweden if needed, which would mean a withdrawal of Mecklenburg troops from Swedish Pomerania, which currently represented 40% of the defending forces there.
As per Sweden’s previous treaty of alliance with Mecklenburg which brought them into the conflict, Wismar would be fully turned over in five years’ time after peace was obtained, which was now set to occur in October 1766.
It was argued that since the full return of all lands lost to Prussia previously had not been entirely complete, that the Wismar conditions should not hold. However, soon after the peace, the Treaty of Schleswig between Denmark and Mecklenburg was announced, and Sweden would choose not to press the issue when the time came to give up Wismar five year later.
Treaty of Schleswig
Once Mecklenburg had finalized its removal from the Nine Years War, a defensive treaty between Mecklenburg and Denmark was made which had been in the works for a while. Its primary purpose was Denmark securing allies in the event that Peter III of Russia made moves against them regarding Holstein, while Mecklenburg’s goal was to prevent Prussia from seeking revenge in case Austria was defeated. The treaty was signed in Schleswig on November 20th.
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Great update for this TL...
The motives of Sweden, are understandable for an objective observer ..but I doubt that the French and Austrians, are to be as understanding about it.
The Sweden request for terms of peace is the end of any future aspiration is to note their opinion in future political and territorial arrangements or readjustments in the Baltic.
The motives of Sweden, are understandable for an objective observer ..but I doubt that the French and Austrians, are to be as understanding about it.
The Sweden request for terms of peace is the end of any future aspiration is to note their opinion in future political and territorial arrangements or readjustments in the Baltic.
I do hope for shining Prussia in this Alt. They've gone against all the big guys in the club with determination as only Prussian (Germans) can. They deserve their well deserved Nation.
They deserve to be put down a notch or two OTLs mid -late 17s were a Prussia wank
Chapter 62: 1761 part 11
Indian Theatre
Afghan – Maratha War
Marathan conquests in 1758 had pushed the Afgans, under the Durrani Empire back out of northwest India. However political disruptions and revolts had weakened the Marathas hold over the area in the subsequent two years.
The prior year, the Durrani army had defeated the Marathan army at Barari Ghat, and the Marathan leader Dattaji Sindhia had nearly lost his life on the field. However Dattaji retreated with the Marathan army mostly intact and as a result of his care by Sikh physician, he came to an accord with the previously rebellious Sikh which brought about a tenuous but important Marathan-Sikh alliance. This resulted in Sikh forces reinforcing the Marathan army near Delhi as Durrani prepared for another battle over the control of Delhi near Panipat.
Ahmed Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani empire could not overlook his prior defeat seeking to take advantage of the unrest had sent forth another invasion into the northwest India for the fifth time.
Third Battle of Panipat
Najib-ud-Daula, tribal chief of Rohilkhand, had previously sided with Durrani and his influence in the region had prevented Dattaji from obtaining any additional allies from the region other than the Sikhs. In additional to troops, the Sikh’s had brought much needed supplies to help refresh and ward off the threat of starvation that was looming in the face of the Marathan retreat.
The Durrani forces number some 100,000 while the Marathan forces and Sikh allies numbers some 85,000. The armies came to clash near Panipet some 60 miles north of Delhi on January 21st.
Battle Results:
Durrani Forces: ~50,000 casualties
Marathan Forces: ~34,000 casualties. Sadashivarao Bhua killed in action.
Marathan victory.
Although Dattaji and Marathans were victorious, the amount of casualties they had suffered significantly weakened their army as a whole, and limited their ability to pursue significant offensives. To offset this loss of manpower, the Marathas recalled much of their forces off of their southern border with the Mysore.
Durrani would retreat his army back across northwest India, though not without further conflict.
Battle of Kasur
As Durrani retreated, he raided Punjab as needed to maintain what remained of his army, bringing him into increased conflict with the Sikhs of the region, who had now formally allied with the Maratha. On February 25th, a few weeks after the Durrani, defeat the Sikh’s would gather a 10,000 strong army to confront a 15,000 strong contingent of the Durrani army and further contest the control of the Punjab region of northwest India.
Battle Results:
Durrani Forces: ~5000 casualties
Sikh Forces: ~2000 casualties
Clear Sikh Victory.
With the losses at both Panipat and Kasur, the Durrani continued their retreat from northwest India. Although skirmishes between Sikh-Maratha forces and the Durrani would continue in the Punjab region, but by fall of the year the Durrani would have effectively fully retreated from the region.
The End of the Mughal Empire
Prince Ali Gauhar, the heir apparent of the Mughal Empire, had escaped Delhi in 1759 and his father, Alamgir II, was assassinated soon after in the same year. The Marathas had then placed usurping Shah Jahan III as the Mughal Emperor in Dehli under Marathan suzerainty. This coup along with rampant defacement and looting of Mosques and Mughal palaces, tombs, and shrines was additional reasons that Durrani had invaded India again. Even Shah Jahan II reign was short-lived as the Marathan Saders (nobles) soon deposed him in 1760.
The exiled prince had hoped to strengthen his positions and claim by captured the eastern provinces Bengal, Bishar and Odisha. His attempts to conquer the Bengal had brought him into conflict with the British East India Company.
Battle of Suan
The British East India Company, having for the moment been repulsed by the French at Pondicherry and Wandiwash the prior year, returned its attention to the western parts of Bengal and what remained of the Mughal Empire.
Mir Kasim Ali Khan, the Nawab of Bengal recently installed by the British, joined with the British East India Company against Prince Ali Gauhar.
The Mughal forces were supported by a dozen French officers and over 200 French soldiers led by Jean Law de Lauriston, the remains of the French forces that escaped Chandernagar which had been defeated by the British in 1757.
The Bengal European Regiment send a force of about 300 led by Major Carnac, accompanied by several hundred of the Nawab of Bengal’s Indian forces. On January 22nd, after chasing Prince Ali Gauhar forces (total number unrecorded) for some days, they met them in battle near Suan.
Opening rounds of artillery exchange by the British wounded several of the Emperor’s battle Elephants which then went rampaging across the field fleeing, causing significant disruption and chaos in his army. The British forces then advanced, and the Emperor was now only seeking to flee. French forces made a stand against the British long enough for the Emperor to re-gathered his forces and retreat, when by then the British had surrounded the French elements who then surrendered.
Battle Results:
British East Indian Company Forces: 12 casualties
Nawab of Bengal Forces: none
Mughal Forces: ~unknown
French Forces: 50 casualties, 162 prisoners taken.
British forces chased the Mughal forces for another week, until the Prince and his army learned of the Marathan victory at Panipat. The Emperor, whose treasury was mostly gone, saw much of his forces desert during his withdrawal. With few allies near, he took the offer of nearby chiefs to escort him to the Nawab of Oudh, Shuja-ud-Daula, with whom he took refuge.
The Last Mughal Emperor
The Mughal Empire had only a handful of loyal princely states remaining, Oudh, Rohilkhand (Rohilla), Kashmir, Punjab, Sind, and Bahawalpur in the north, and Mysore, Nizam, and the Carnatic in the south, and Bhopal in the midst of Maratha held lands.
While nominally beholden to the Mughal Empire, these states already had significant independence in their own right. Furthermore, Bhopal and the southern state, were separated from the northern Mughal states by the Maratha, who had recently assassinated the prior Emperor and even deposed their own puppet replacement soon after. The Mughal state itself and its capital Delhi was still in the hands of the Maratha after the battle at Panipat, and Punjab was falling to the influence of their Sikh allies. Sind, Bahawalpur and Kashmir border the Durrani and were likewise cut off from Rohilkhand and Oudh by Maratha occupation in Muhgal.
The gamble that the Nawab’s of Rohilkhand and Oudh had taken in preventing the Maratha from gaining allies in the hope of their defeat had failed. Dattaji Sindhia, leading the Marathan army in Delhi promised revenge against Rohilkhand and Oudh for siding with the Durrani.
Price Ali Gauhar, was named Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, but presently only Rohilkhand and Oudh had acknowledged such, and he was still in exile from his capital and throne in Dehli. In exchange for this and to supplement his meager army and treasury the new Emperor had promised the hand of his eldest daughter, born the prior year, the Nawab of Oudh, Shuja-ud-Daula’s heir, when she was old enough.[1]
Battle of Bareilly
On June 10th, Dattaji Sindhia led a Marathan army of 60,000 against the armies of Rohilkhand, Oudh, and the Mughal Emperor, led by Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech, Shah Alam II and Shuja-ud-Daula, which numbered over 50,000. Shah Alam II hoped to defeat the Maratha and move on to re-conquer Delhi and obtain his coronation.
Battle Results:
Maratha Forces: ~10000 casualties
Mughal Allied Forces: ~15000 casualties. Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech and Shah Alam II killed in action.
Marathan Victory.
The young Emperor’s death, disrupted the Mughal army, and send them running. Seeing no hope in recovering, Shuja-ud-Daula soon retreated his forces form the field and returned to Oudh, leaving Rohilkhand forces to be ravaged and defeated by the Marathan army, resulting in the death of Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech as well.
The Marathan’s however were heavily spent, the casualties from this battle and Panipat combined were too high, and the movement of forces to the north had left them weakened elsewhere. Rohilkhand was effectively conquered and brought into Marathan control. The Afghan Rohillas peoples were chased into the highlands.
Peace though was made between Shuja-ud-Daula and Dattaji Sindhia which would leave Oudh intact and free from invasion after an indemnity payment.
The death of Shah Alam II, which occurred before the other states had even had time to hear of or consider whether or not they would recognize him, and without an obvious male heir, resulted in the effective end of the Mughal Empire. Despite this, Shuja-ud-Duala would name himself as regent anyway and planned to propose his son or his grandson by Shah Alam II’s daughter as the next Emperor, though this would never come to pass, nor was ever recognized by any of the other former Mughal Empire princely states.
[1] In OTL, Akbar Shah II, was born April 22nd, 1760. He was the second son of Shah Alam II, and was the Mughal Emperor that succeeded him. In TTL a daughter was born instead near the same date. Furthermore, I could not find info on his first son, so I assume he may have died young, nor anything on his other children, though given Shah Alam II much earlier death TTL, most of those offspring (and no additional sons) were conceived.
Afghan – Maratha War
Marathan conquests in 1758 had pushed the Afgans, under the Durrani Empire back out of northwest India. However political disruptions and revolts had weakened the Marathas hold over the area in the subsequent two years.
The prior year, the Durrani army had defeated the Marathan army at Barari Ghat, and the Marathan leader Dattaji Sindhia had nearly lost his life on the field. However Dattaji retreated with the Marathan army mostly intact and as a result of his care by Sikh physician, he came to an accord with the previously rebellious Sikh which brought about a tenuous but important Marathan-Sikh alliance. This resulted in Sikh forces reinforcing the Marathan army near Delhi as Durrani prepared for another battle over the control of Delhi near Panipat.
Ahmed Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani empire could not overlook his prior defeat seeking to take advantage of the unrest had sent forth another invasion into the northwest India for the fifth time.
Third Battle of Panipat
Najib-ud-Daula, tribal chief of Rohilkhand, had previously sided with Durrani and his influence in the region had prevented Dattaji from obtaining any additional allies from the region other than the Sikhs. In additional to troops, the Sikh’s had brought much needed supplies to help refresh and ward off the threat of starvation that was looming in the face of the Marathan retreat.
The Durrani forces number some 100,000 while the Marathan forces and Sikh allies numbers some 85,000. The armies came to clash near Panipet some 60 miles north of Delhi on January 21st.
Battle Results:
Durrani Forces: ~50,000 casualties
Marathan Forces: ~34,000 casualties. Sadashivarao Bhua killed in action.
Marathan victory.
Although Dattaji and Marathans were victorious, the amount of casualties they had suffered significantly weakened their army as a whole, and limited their ability to pursue significant offensives. To offset this loss of manpower, the Marathas recalled much of their forces off of their southern border with the Mysore.
Durrani would retreat his army back across northwest India, though not without further conflict.
Battle of Kasur
As Durrani retreated, he raided Punjab as needed to maintain what remained of his army, bringing him into increased conflict with the Sikhs of the region, who had now formally allied with the Maratha. On February 25th, a few weeks after the Durrani, defeat the Sikh’s would gather a 10,000 strong army to confront a 15,000 strong contingent of the Durrani army and further contest the control of the Punjab region of northwest India.
Battle Results:
Durrani Forces: ~5000 casualties
Sikh Forces: ~2000 casualties
Clear Sikh Victory.
With the losses at both Panipat and Kasur, the Durrani continued their retreat from northwest India. Although skirmishes between Sikh-Maratha forces and the Durrani would continue in the Punjab region, but by fall of the year the Durrani would have effectively fully retreated from the region.
The End of the Mughal Empire
Prince Ali Gauhar, the heir apparent of the Mughal Empire, had escaped Delhi in 1759 and his father, Alamgir II, was assassinated soon after in the same year. The Marathas had then placed usurping Shah Jahan III as the Mughal Emperor in Dehli under Marathan suzerainty. This coup along with rampant defacement and looting of Mosques and Mughal palaces, tombs, and shrines was additional reasons that Durrani had invaded India again. Even Shah Jahan II reign was short-lived as the Marathan Saders (nobles) soon deposed him in 1760.
The exiled prince had hoped to strengthen his positions and claim by captured the eastern provinces Bengal, Bishar and Odisha. His attempts to conquer the Bengal had brought him into conflict with the British East India Company.
Battle of Suan
The British East India Company, having for the moment been repulsed by the French at Pondicherry and Wandiwash the prior year, returned its attention to the western parts of Bengal and what remained of the Mughal Empire.
Mir Kasim Ali Khan, the Nawab of Bengal recently installed by the British, joined with the British East India Company against Prince Ali Gauhar.
The Mughal forces were supported by a dozen French officers and over 200 French soldiers led by Jean Law de Lauriston, the remains of the French forces that escaped Chandernagar which had been defeated by the British in 1757.
The Bengal European Regiment send a force of about 300 led by Major Carnac, accompanied by several hundred of the Nawab of Bengal’s Indian forces. On January 22nd, after chasing Prince Ali Gauhar forces (total number unrecorded) for some days, they met them in battle near Suan.
Opening rounds of artillery exchange by the British wounded several of the Emperor’s battle Elephants which then went rampaging across the field fleeing, causing significant disruption and chaos in his army. The British forces then advanced, and the Emperor was now only seeking to flee. French forces made a stand against the British long enough for the Emperor to re-gathered his forces and retreat, when by then the British had surrounded the French elements who then surrendered.
Battle Results:
British East Indian Company Forces: 12 casualties
Nawab of Bengal Forces: none
Mughal Forces: ~unknown
French Forces: 50 casualties, 162 prisoners taken.
British forces chased the Mughal forces for another week, until the Prince and his army learned of the Marathan victory at Panipat. The Emperor, whose treasury was mostly gone, saw much of his forces desert during his withdrawal. With few allies near, he took the offer of nearby chiefs to escort him to the Nawab of Oudh, Shuja-ud-Daula, with whom he took refuge.
The Last Mughal Emperor
The Mughal Empire had only a handful of loyal princely states remaining, Oudh, Rohilkhand (Rohilla), Kashmir, Punjab, Sind, and Bahawalpur in the north, and Mysore, Nizam, and the Carnatic in the south, and Bhopal in the midst of Maratha held lands.
While nominally beholden to the Mughal Empire, these states already had significant independence in their own right. Furthermore, Bhopal and the southern state, were separated from the northern Mughal states by the Maratha, who had recently assassinated the prior Emperor and even deposed their own puppet replacement soon after. The Mughal state itself and its capital Delhi was still in the hands of the Maratha after the battle at Panipat, and Punjab was falling to the influence of their Sikh allies. Sind, Bahawalpur and Kashmir border the Durrani and were likewise cut off from Rohilkhand and Oudh by Maratha occupation in Muhgal.
The gamble that the Nawab’s of Rohilkhand and Oudh had taken in preventing the Maratha from gaining allies in the hope of their defeat had failed. Dattaji Sindhia, leading the Marathan army in Delhi promised revenge against Rohilkhand and Oudh for siding with the Durrani.
Price Ali Gauhar, was named Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, but presently only Rohilkhand and Oudh had acknowledged such, and he was still in exile from his capital and throne in Dehli. In exchange for this and to supplement his meager army and treasury the new Emperor had promised the hand of his eldest daughter, born the prior year, the Nawab of Oudh, Shuja-ud-Daula’s heir, when she was old enough.[1]
Battle of Bareilly
On June 10th, Dattaji Sindhia led a Marathan army of 60,000 against the armies of Rohilkhand, Oudh, and the Mughal Emperor, led by Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech, Shah Alam II and Shuja-ud-Daula, which numbered over 50,000. Shah Alam II hoped to defeat the Maratha and move on to re-conquer Delhi and obtain his coronation.
Battle Results:
Maratha Forces: ~10000 casualties
Mughal Allied Forces: ~15000 casualties. Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech and Shah Alam II killed in action.
Marathan Victory.
The young Emperor’s death, disrupted the Mughal army, and send them running. Seeing no hope in recovering, Shuja-ud-Daula soon retreated his forces form the field and returned to Oudh, leaving Rohilkhand forces to be ravaged and defeated by the Marathan army, resulting in the death of Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech as well.
The Marathan’s however were heavily spent, the casualties from this battle and Panipat combined were too high, and the movement of forces to the north had left them weakened elsewhere. Rohilkhand was effectively conquered and brought into Marathan control. The Afghan Rohillas peoples were chased into the highlands.
Peace though was made between Shuja-ud-Daula and Dattaji Sindhia which would leave Oudh intact and free from invasion after an indemnity payment.
The death of Shah Alam II, which occurred before the other states had even had time to hear of or consider whether or not they would recognize him, and without an obvious male heir, resulted in the effective end of the Mughal Empire. Despite this, Shuja-ud-Duala would name himself as regent anyway and planned to propose his son or his grandson by Shah Alam II’s daughter as the next Emperor, though this would never come to pass, nor was ever recognized by any of the other former Mughal Empire princely states.
[1] In OTL, Akbar Shah II, was born April 22nd, 1760. He was the second son of Shah Alam II, and was the Mughal Emperor that succeeded him. In TTL a daughter was born instead near the same date. Furthermore, I could not find info on his first son, so I assume he may have died young, nor anything on his other children, though given Shah Alam II much earlier death TTL, most of those offspring (and no additional sons) were conceived.
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