Part 3: Battlefield Promotion
Act 1
“We cut with swords.
A battlefield death is the happy portion of the brave,
for he stands the foremost against the storm of weapons.
He, who flies from danger, often bewails his miserable life.
Yet how difficult is it to rouse up a coward to the play of arms?
The dastard feels no heart in his bosom.”
The Death Song of
Ragnarr Loðbrók
Oh, gather 'round me, comrades
And listen while I weep;
Of a war, a war, a war...
where hell is six feet deep.
Along the shore, the cannons roar.
Oh how can a soldier sleep?
The going's slow on Anzio
And hell is six feet deep.
Praise be to God for this captured sod
That's rich where blood does seep;
With yours and mine, like butchered swine;
And hell is six feet deep.
That death does wait
There's no debate;
No triumph will we reap
The crosses grow on Anzio,
Where hell is six feet deep.
- Audie Murphy
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19 January 1644 – Kristianstadt
Seargeant Brage Dalman inspected his 43 Men and 109 Horses on a ridge behind the siege lines. His personal commendation from the Old Man Field-Marshal Horn had ensured his promotion. The Malmö guns had collapsed one of the buildings their squadron had been torching on top of his old Seargeant. That wretched man had died slowly, legs crushed, burning and screaming. Brage was convinced he was still doing so. The Lord would never take a man so lacking in honour.
Eric, Brage was certain, was with the Lord.
"Horses well cared for, at ease, look after each other, you have all done me proud so far" Brage told his men. He turned to look at the dust and gunsmoke which had replaced morning mist wreathing the walls of Kristianstadt.
Brage and his men had brought the Lund and Malmö Burghers to the gates of the City and ensured their entrance – presenting it as a release of prisoners and gesture of good faith prior to negotiations. As ordered, once this had been achieved, they had delayed with protocol and formalities as long as practical before handing over the ultimatum offering terms then high tailed it back to the Swedish position. The offer of terms lasted until nightfall.
As soon as Brage and his men were out of range, the Swedish Guns had opened fire.
Mid-afternoon, the Danish Guns fell silent and Brage thought he could make out a white flag.
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23 January, Håre, Danish Command Post
“Feigned retreat, oldest trick in the book” King Christian told his officers, heartily laughing, showing no sign his laughter was forced and making it infectious.
As soon as he realised the Swedish landing was supported by their Navy he had begun pulling back his lighter Guns and ordered first an orderly withdrawal of the militia he had raised, then his professional soldiers, south in stages. The gunsmoke meant his own army didn't see this, let alone the enemy.
He had left the heavy guns to fire on the Swedish ships for as long as possible and personally assured their commanding officer surrender would be honourable so long as the Guns were destroyed first. He had sacrificed 1000 militia stiffened by 200 professionals. A rearguard ordered to run for Odense when the odds became overwhelming. The regulars set fire to Middlefart to cover the retreat.
The Swedish fleet would have moved to blockade Odense. Of course their fleet would stick together in case it made contact with His Own. No longer could their beachhead be supported by naval bombardment, they would be conducting the rest of the crossing in small boats.
Christian's scouts reported no sightings of the enemy naval fleet. That was the advantage Christian possessed. For now. Intelligence. He had 2000 elite cavalry. It was a difficult thing to transport horses by sea, and once landed it took time for them to be ready to be ridden without killing them within days. So half his cavalry had fanned out eliminating enemy scouts, keeping them blind and providing him unparalleled intelligence. The other half were gathering his infantry to make sure his feigned retreat did not become a real one.
Once his forces were gathered, they would advance on a blind enemy. Of course the Swedes would take the bait and pursue to Odense before all their forces were landed. Offence was the only combat doctrine they had. The Spirit of The Offensive, Shock and Momentum was the only strategy these barbarians knew.
Once his scouts reported the enemy had split their forces he would Go Unto this blind foe and give them a taste of their own medicine.
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23 January, Ruins of Middelfart, Swedish Command Post
Less than 1/6th of the town had escaped the flames. Here the Swedes had established their command post.
Charles Gustav forgot protocol and embraced his superior officer as if they were brothers. The old man returned the embrace warmly, Torstennson had more vitality than Charles had ever seen. Seeing such life in his mentor filled Charles with emotion.
“A glorious victory, Sir, Your name will live forever. The Danes are routed.”
“Indeed. A Rout must be pursued, a victory consolidated. Odense is where the enemy have retreated, it is unfortified and the largest concentration of food and other supplies on this island. You must take it.”
“Alas, for now, we lack cavalry. Nevertheless you will take our 4000 freshest infantry and march swiftly on Odense. I will coordinate landing the rest of our forces. We have less than 300 horses we can expect to survive two days if ridden now. After deducting those needed for the senior officers, I will give you the rest.”
Immediately and without thinking Charles saluted and went to carry out his orders. As he hastily gathered his forces from along the coast, he wondered for a moment why there were so few Danish guns given the fire they had taken while crossing and why all of them were successfully spiked, then he returned his full attention to the task at hand.
24 January, Funen, Odense Road
Colonel Johan Albrecht was nervous when singled out by a commander he did not trust. This whelp half his age had been promoted by nepotism and carried an arrogance Albrecht did not like. Albrecht felt the other gathered officers felt the same way.
"Colonel Albrecht, you are to take your regiment to Odense, the rest of you are to come with me back to Middelfart. Forced march, double time." Charles snapped. The General was agitated.
“With respect...” Albrecht began. Charles cut him off “The enemy have not fled this way in numbers. We have been drawn off, I expect a Danish attack on the landing." Albrecht hesitated, “You... know this how?”
Charles placed his hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword. “You will take Odense without serious resistance. If this is not the case, you have my permission to retreat and join the rest of us”. There was more steel in Charles eyes than his hand. The threat of accusations of cowardice hung in the air.
“You have your orders, carry them out! The rest of you with me!”
As tired men were resentfully chivvied on a forced march the way they had come, their officers gave Charles ugly looks. This abruptly changed when they heard gunfire.
“Hear that? Charles roared. Change tack, tripple time. Everyone follows the sound and heads for the cannons. Relay those orders to my officers” Charles told his Chief of Staff “I will exhort and inspire the enlisted men for the coming fight.”
Charles drew his sword and came to life.
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Exerpt from a pamphlet, mass printed in Copenhagen and Stockholm April 1643*
"The Scene was one of utter destruction. King Christian had arranged the complete destruction of the Swedish landing. Despite seeing so many of our comrades dead, dying and maimed we could not but admire the man.
We approached the roaring cannon which had broken all order in our forces. The Danish Cavalry had scattered, falling upon our broken men like wolves. Their infantry advanced in impeccable order slaughtering all before them. Two Squadrons of their cavalry – clearly their finest – had stuck together lead by their Gallant King, seeking our command staff and finding them.
Dismay gripped us but Charles was fearless. He gave his orders, for us that were mounted to charge the guns immediately and for the infantry to follow. He led from the front and dyed his sword in crimson. Two horses were shot from under him before their guns fell silent. But fall silent they did.
When the infantry joined us Charles gave his orders with calm and humour. Even at so dark an hour he had us laughing. Their own guns were trained on their infantry. One of our infantry regiments was to fire and defend the guns. The other two were to be sent forward to take them in the rear.
“Not so fast, Charles said”, laughter in his eyes. “Every man who can ride is to take one of the draft horses from the artillery and form up with our cavalry. I will not lie to men so gallant as yourselves”, he roared, “this is a dangerous duty. But I swear an oath on my honour as a soldier and my faith in Christ that every man – and the family of every man - who joins me will be richly rewarded.”
When this was done we charged to engage the Danish King."
Sworn testimony 107 Swedish Cavalrymen, 9 Officers
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"Torstennson and most of his staff were dead. We had pinned them in the ruins and none escaped. All the Swedish Staff with their field-marshal fought with courage and died with honour. None surrendered. The King in his wisdom sought disengagement with their commander dead and his body in our hands. But our blood was up and to our shame we would not withdraw while there were common soldiers and lesser officers to kill.
Then we were pinned as they had been. They charged us from the rear, had us on all sides. Once the melee began they used their pistols, ours were all spent. Some of them carried muskets. After the initial charge with their rapiers these dragoons fell back, dismounted and took cover in the ruined buildings. They fired and kept firing. Most of us had our horses shot from under us.
All was lost. King Charles was in the melee wherever it was thickest. Eventually he found a pause. When he beheld Torstensson impaled on our standard many of us saw tears in his eyes. He looked to the Old King Christian and began yelling for a ceasefire. The good old King reciprocated.
There we stood the new king and the old backing their forces down. Should the fight continue our defeat was certain.
“Your Majesty King Christian, I offer you these terms. Face me in single combat and I swear your men can withdraw with their lives and their honour.” He gestured to Torstensstons corpse and tears ran down his face. “I am the ranking officer, your men can withdraw now. Or if they wish to remain to ensure none of mine intervene in our duel they may leave when one of us falls.”
“None of my men will intervene. “That man was like a father to me” The New King roared, pointing to Torstensson's desecrated corpse. “I mean to kill you myself. I offer your men their lives and you the chance to kill me. These are my terms.”
“If you kill me it is my Order as ranking officer and my last will and testament that Your Majesty King Christian be permitted to withdraw with honour. You may trust that or not, but you can be sure of the rest.”
The Old King accepted. Both of them dismounted and drew their swords.
It was a duel for the ages. None of us had ever seen such swordsmanship nor such honourable courage. The Old King - aged and wounded - fought alone to buy the lives of Us his loyal men. The New King blazed with passion. He fought out of loyalty to the man who had been his superior officer and out of love for the man who had been his mentor.
'Vengeance is mine sayeth the lord' Romans 12.19 and “a prince and lord must remember that he is God’s minister and the servant of his wrath” sayeth Martin Luther. The New King fought for revenge as was the right due to his station.
In the weeks that followed we spoke of little else but the duel we had the enormous privilege of witnessing. What we all agreed upon was that the Old King was ice and precision while the New King was passion and fire.
Age had ravaged the Old King yet he burned with life. Age slowed him, but only to a pace that was no slower than the finest swordsman among those writing here. And his Age had given him so much experience..."
(there follows a detailed and dramatic blow-by-blow of the duel and how Charles Gustav ensured that the witnesses were permitted to withdraw with all the honours of war)
Sworn testimony 47 Danish Cavalrymen 12 Officers
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We did receive those men who tell the tale given above and heard it from them as it is written here in the week that followed the Battle of Middelfart and heard from them the tale they have written here.
Sworn testimony, the mayors of Håre, Assens and Faaborg
24 January, Swedish Command Post, West of Middlefart, Dusk
“The day is ours, the Danish Army has surrendered and their King is dead but the butchers bill is on the wrong side of hillarious” One Colonel ventured nervous and brittle. “If you hadn't returned General...” another Colonel ventured voice filled with awe.
“Indeed” Charles said calmly. “But we must look to the present and the future not the past.”
“First order of business, the death of Torstensson will be kept secret from the men for reasons of morale. His litter is to be carried prominently and you my Colonels will give the impression of speaking with him infront of the men. He never nomally campaigns in winter, his illness does not allow it. Torstensson is sick but as capable as ever, that is the official line. I as the ranking officer will issue orders in his name. A courier will of course be dispatched to inform General Wragnel. Does anyone have any reservations about this course of action?”
Silence.
“Very well.” Charles turned to his chief of staff. “Have a written order in Torstensson's name dispatched to the navy that our artillery is to be embarked on ships and taken to Odense by sea.” He turned to his colonels “We will complete the landing of men and horses, then move to Odense. Dispatch our two freshest regiments there now, and think at all times of morale.”
“Dismissed.”
After the Colonels had left Charles gathered the 6 most loyal cavalrymen in his personal retinue and handed them fat pouches of silver.
“That courier to Wragnel. Follow him, kill him quietly and destroy the message.” Charles paused and smiled. “There will be much more where that came from.”
As his loyal men left Charles realised he was starving and very much looking forward to dinner with Admiral Vind.
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* Authors note: Given that King Christian features so prominently in the Danish National Anthem, I felt that he deserved a hero's death. I leave it to the audience to determine how accurately this pamphlet tells of events.