Forcing the River

Along the wide, lazy Pilica River the sleepy town of Warta was awoken to the sound of creaking wagon wheels and the hammering of construction.  Turning out the town militia they first looked to see if pioneers were attempting to span the broken bridge, a memento of the last time Latveria invaded.  Nothing there, so where were they?

A farm. sheltering a militia battalion during the night.

The town of Warta and the broken bridge.

Looking down river, they could see the Latverian barges already in the water awaiting troops and wagons full of pontoons being unloaded.  A line of skirmishers were along the river and two medium cannons were being manhandled into position to support the drive.

Dawn shows the barges already in the water.

The 200' general view as the sun rises.

In game terms the barges loaded, moved to midstream and on the third turn landed their men, who could do nothing else that turn.  The pontoons were allowed to deploy faster than is probably realistic.  Each pontoon went out, then anchored while the next one rowed by.  So basically by turn nine it would be ready to be marched over.

The Latverian Border Foxes lead the way.

By the time the militia moves from the village and town to engage,
their numbers have been reduced by artillery and musketry.

Turn six the Litharusian Dainava Forest Jagers who have been
"scouting" Rondovian territory, arrive.  A militia battalion routs by.

The beleaguered Rondovian forces received reinforcements of a squadron of hussars that rode to the sound of the guns and a Litharusian jager battalion that had been hiding out nearby.

Now regulars begin to cross as the pontoon bridge nears completion.

The Border Foxes fall back on the regulars to organize the advance.

Rondovian hussars charge, but cannot catch the Foxes.

The jagers, keeping an element in close order, don't like what
they see.

More regulars are marching unopposed across the bridge.  Still
others await, out of frame.

Nearly surrounded and cut off, the hussars endure the indignity
of a "sauve qui peut."

Time to go.

So the invasion is in full swing after the second action of our mini-campaign based on Charles S. Grant's book "The Annexation of Chiraz."  The Litharus Army is marching to the relief of their beleaguered neighbor.  While we aren't using map moves, each commander has had to split their army to accomplish the assorted campaign objectives, so who knows what we will find in the next few actions?