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The rise of Yuri Hou, who showed his presence during the 15th Crusade in 2018, raised concerns explicitly for Epitaph Palazzo. Epitaph Palazzo aimed at the internal collapse of the Shaalta Kingdom and triggered the Black Rain Incident [link]. This coup event led to the establishment of the Carya regime led by witches within the Shaalta Kingdom [Shan version], but thanks to the swift action of Yuri Hou, who escaped assassination, the Carya regime was quickly overthrown.

Afterwards, Yuri Hou defeated the weak generals within the country and pacified the nation with the fall of Oregano on May 11, and began to reorganize his forces to confront the Crusaders. However, the majority of the absorbed forces lacked morale and were poorly trained soldiers, and Yuri Hou had little time.

Initially, the Crusaders intended to directly land in the capital Sibyaku after the successful coup, but due to the failure of the assassination and Yuri Hou’s capture of Sibyaku, it became impossible. On June 10, 2020, the Battle of Hot Bridge was triggered [Shan version]. Yuri Hou chose not to fight at the border but implemented a scorched earth strategy, drawing the Crusaders deep into the country while destroying their supplies with Royal Eagle bombers, and challenged them to a decisive battle in the capital, Sibyaku.

Both Armies

Shaalta Kingdom Army: 63,201 personnel [Source 1]

Infantry: 52,349 (with 1,392 rifles)

Cavalry: 10,852

Crusaders: Approximately 90,000 to 100,000 personnel [Note 2]

Infantry: Approximately 80,000 to 90,000 [Note 3] (with over 35,000 rifles [Source2])

Cavalry: Approximately 7,100 [Note 4]

Strategy and Formation

Arrangement

Battlefield

The battle took place in the wilderness to the north of present-day Sibyaku. At that time, the northern region of Sibyaku had been extensively deforested to meet the fuel needs of the inhabitants, resulting in vast expanses of flat wilderness.

Strategy and Formation of the Shaalta National Army

Yuri Hou’s strategy was a right-flank maneuver designed to draw the enemy’s attention to the center. Therefore, the central part of the formation was deliberately kept thin, with combat chariots and elite Hou family units positioned there to provide the thinnest but most robust defense. Yuri Hou’s intention in doing so was to lure the enemy into attempting a breakthrough in the center, concentrating enemy forces, and leaving the right and left wings vulnerable to attack.

To appear as the main force of the cavalry unit, the left flank was manned by the Rube Household cavalry unit, while the right flank was manned by the independent light cavalry unit of Soim Hao. Soim Hao’s independent light cavalry unit consisted of approximately 400 riders, while the main cavalry force of 7,300 riders was hidden within the city of Sibyaku.

Strategy and Formation of the Crusaders

While intending to attempt a breakthrough in the center, they also intended a flanking attack from the left flank (the right flank of the Shaalta Kingdom) with their cavalry strength. To defend against the attack of the enemy cavalry’s main force (Rube Household cavalry) on the right flank (the left flank of the Shaalta Kingdom), they stationed the Galilia Union, experienced in cavalry combat, on the right flank and further intended to deal with it by deploying 1,000 cavalries. To counter the aerial reconnaissance of the Shaalta Kingdom, the main combined cavalry unit was hidden in the forest behind, with precautions taken to prevent its full extent and numbers from being ascertained.

Early Stage of the Battle

The Crusader forces, which had arrived near Sibyaku the previous day, expelled all their rations the next day and fed the entire army, sent out reconnaissance near Sibyaku, observed the formation of the Shaalta Kingdom’s army, and held a meeting. Although the minutes of this meeting have not been transmitted, several nobles who participated in this meeting left records, revealing the intentions of the Crusaders at that time.

While the Crusaders intended to break through the center, some, led by Angelica Sacramenta, opposed it. The deliberate thinning of the center was perceived to have some intention behind it. In other words, there was opposition to the idea that aiming for a breakthrough in the center meant falling into Yuri Hou’s trap.

At that time, the Crusaders were physically weakened by the outbreak of plague (smallpox) and supply destruction, and they only used muzzle-loading smoothbore rifles. Muzzle-loading smoothbore rifles had a slow rate of fire, and the bullets and loud noise they emitted could intimidate and demoralize the enemy, but it was impossible to break through the enemy lines with gunfire alone, and ultimately, melee combat through assault was necessary. Considering this, even in a battle of a large army against a small one, there was concern whether the large army, weakened in physical strength, could confront and break through the elite small army. Additionally, unidentified wagon units were visible in the enemy lines, further deepening the concern that this was also a trap set by Yuri Hou.

In the meeting, the focus was on whether to use the cavalry for a breakthrough in the center or for a flanking attack, and ultimately, the presence of the wagon units became the deciding factor, leading to the decision to use them for a flanking attack.

Angelica Sacrament and several other officers’ efforts ensured that only the cavalry remained strictly isolated and maintained their effectiveness. However, this did not mean they completely gave up on the idea of a breakthrough in the center. Alfred Sacrament, a proponent of the central breakthrough, strongly advocated for attacking the center, and the Tyrellme God-Protected Empire army, which had the best infantry force, was assigned to the center.

Combat Carriages

Around 10:30, the first to open fire were the combat carriages led by Gin Toga. These carriages were the brainchild of Yuri Hou and were produced by the Hou Company under the supervision of Lily Amian, who was then the head of the company’s technical department. While the five remaining combat chariots bear intense bullet marks, none of them have penetrated the armor, demonstrating the technological prowess of the Hou Company at the time.

Gun Ports

These combat chariots were equipped with slits for gun ports on all sides. From the surviving production materials of Lily Amian, it can be inferred that the width of the slits was adjusted to prevent the insertion of any hand grenades used by grenadiers worldwide at the time, attempting to hinder the throwing of explosive grenades by grenadiers.

 Ventilation Fans

Due to the large amount of white smoke produced by black powder at the time of firing, ventilation fans were installed on the combat chariots. The power was manual, and the aerodynamically superior wooden five-blade propeller, connected to a manual handle by a leather belt, served as a kind of gearbox. The propeller rotated nineteen times for each turn of the handle, making it the first product to use ball bearings. The ventilation propeller was located on the ceiling at the front right, considering the possibility of being pushed down by multiple people. [Note 5]

Practicality

All internal fixtures were made with the consideration of being knocked down. Once locked in, the crew could not open it from the inside, so if they were trapped in enemy territory, they had no choice but to continue fighting to survive. Due to this, the crew criticized the combat chariot as an inhumane weapon after the war. The ceiling and floor were reinforced with thick wood, making it difficult to break even with an axe.

The armor of the combat chariot was applied to the left side and rear, and in actual combat, it was parked at a 45-degree angle to the enemy camp, showing its back. By being at an angle, the bullet avoidance effect could be expected, and by shielding one’s own camp with the diagonal of the square, the bulletproof area could be increased by an average of about 25%.

This combat chariot proved to be a useful defensive weapon, and the Tyrellme God-Protected Empire army led by Alfred Sacrament struggled to capture it. Elite Tyrellme soldiers were deployed, and in places where they were partially pushed back, they became defensive strongholds that continued to resist like islands, firing relentlessly even if the chariots were pushed down or spears were thrust in.

Therefore, complaints were received from the crew, such as “I don’t want to ride anymore,” “When we were swallowed up by the enemy forces, it felt like being put into the furnace of hell,” and “After the ventilation fan was shot and broken, the smoke was so intense that I thought we would be smoked like meat.” [Discussion]

The Battle on the Left Flank

On the left flank, the Rube Household army was pressing forward. While the Rube Household army intended a flanking attack by sending their cavalry, the Galilia Union army, which had deployed to deal with the cavalry seen in advance, countered it, thwarting the flanking assault.

The Peninsula Kingdom army, which faced the Rube Household army head-on, was the weakest group in the Crusader’s battle line. The actual force of 4,000 participants consisted mostly of hastily assembled mercenary units brought together just to make up numbers, with many untrained peasants included.

Due to harsh marching conditions, their morale had already collapsed by the time the battle began, and when the Rube Household infantry attack commenced, they quickly fell into a state of near-collapse. The Papal States army, deployed as a reserve, was hastily sent in and saved the left wing from collapsing.

The Battle on the Right Flank

Yuri Hou’s strategy was simple and that is to flank the enemy’s position with cavalry hidden on the right flank. Creating a weakness (or what appeared to be one) in the center was merely to draw the enemy in or perhaps provoke a central breakthrough, aiming only to reduce the burden on the right and left flanks.

While the Tyrellme God-Protected Empire struggled against the combat chariots and elite Hou family units, on the right flank, the main Crusader cavalry force of 6,100 led by Quertz Wellingen of the Flusha Kingdom launched a daring assault. Initially, they attempted to eliminate the independent light cavalry unit of Soim Hao, which was on the right wing of the Shaalta Kingdom army.

However, the seasoned veteran Soim Hao avoided their charge, utilizing the speed advantage of his mounted bird riders to evade direct confrontation and, while inflicting minor attacks, led them away from the battlefield to the southeast.

“The outcome of the battle depends on this blow. Charge, everyone!” [Discussion]

Due to the diversion tactics of the independent light cavalry unit, the Crusader’s left wing lacked maneuverable forces. Yuri Hou issued the command to attack with the main cavalry forces, namely the Hou Household cavalry and the Dawn Cavalry, which had been concealed within the city of Sibyaku, adding, “The outcome hinges on this one blow. All troops, charge!” [Note 6]

The main cavalry forces bypassed the left wing of the Crusaders and launched a fierce assault on the rear of the Tyrellme God-Protected Empire located in the center. The Tyrellme God-Protected Empire, assigned to the center, quickly collapsed, and the elite Hou Household unit led by Dimitri Daz, which had been engaged in combat, took advantage of the opportunity to launch a vigorous assault.

The reserve forces, prepared to support the collapse of the central formation, also joined the assault. Around 12:20pPM, the central formation of the Crusader’s forces was completely breached, and the entire Crusader formation collapsed.

Casualties

Shaalta Kingdom Army:

– Killed in action: 2,002 [Source 3]

– Wounded: 4,193

Crusaders:

– Killed or wounded: 35,000 to 40,000 [Note 7]

– Captured: 52,952 [Source 4]

Aftermath and Evaluation

Discussions regarding the cause of the Crusaders’ defeat in the Battle of Sibyaku were plentiful in the aftermath.

One frequently debated hypothetical scenario was whether they could have breached the center of the Shaalta Kingdom’s army if they had deployed their cavalry in the center instead of on the flanks. In terms of the use of combat carriages, chains were equipped on the carriages to allow them to be connected to adjacent chariots at an appropriate length. Many military historians argue that this would have neutralized the impact force of the heavy cavalry charge and effectively defended against it.

According to records from the Tyrellme God-Protected Empire’s army, they had prepared over 18,000 rifled guns for this battle. At that time, the central formation of the Shaalta Kingdom’s army, led by Gin, had only 1,112 rifled guns, resulting in a firepower difference of more than tenfold. However, the casualties of the elite Hou Household unit, led by Dimitri Daz, amounted to only 592, including 93 combat carriages crew members, indicating that they still had sufficient reserves.

Therefore, it can be inferred from this that the combat carriages were highly effective in the central formation battle, as they managed to withstand a charge conducted with over ten times the firepower and more than three times the numerical superiority. While there are limitations to analysis, it would be a mistake to assert confidently that the Crusaders could have broken through if they had charged with their main cavalry forces.

So, what responsibility did the main combined cavalry unit of the Crusaders bear for being drawn into Soim Hao’s independent light cavalry unit’s diversion? After the war, Quertz Wellingen, who made fatal judgments, was largely blamed, and his responsibility was seen as the root cause of Yuri Hou’s rise, which continued to be criticized for a long time [Source 5]. The individual himself, having become a prisoner of war, committed suicide seven years later.

However, Quertz Wellingen himself served in the Fourteenth Crusade and achieved remarkable success in the Battle of Helbera during the Fifteenth Crusade [link]. He was recognized as an outstanding military commander.

What if Quertz Wellingen had ignored Soim Hao’s independent light cavalry unit and launched a frontal assault on the Shaalta Kingdom’s army? Many of the surviving letters from that time suggest that if such a decision had been made, the Shaalta Kingdom’s army would have collapsed. Thus, many tend to blame Quertz Wellingen for not making this decision [Source 6]. However, this overlooks the presence of the main cavalry unit hidden within the city. According to Yuri Hou’s plan, if such an action had been taken, the main cavalry unit would have immediately set out to eliminate it [Source 7].

The reason why they couldn’t pursue the main cavalry unit of the Shaalta Kingdom’s army was partly due to the considerable distance between them, but it was mainly because the horses became sluggish due to the heavy charge of the fully armored knights of the Crusaders. One contributing factor to this was the decision to deploy from the forest in the rear, a decision made not solely by Quertz Wellingen but collectively in the Crusaders’ council. Additionally, Soim Hao’s light cavalry unit was equipped with specially made spears to attack the heavily armored cavalry, and if they had been ignored, they would have been relentlessly pursued, harassed, and attacked until the moment of charge, disrupting the formation and preventing a coordinated assault.

However, while not solely responsible, it is undeniable that Quertz Wellingen’s command, which deeply pursued Soim Hao’s light cavalry and slowed down the horses like they were sinking in mud, was a mistake. [Discussion]

Regarding the optimal solution the Crusaders should have taken, it would have been to deploy the main combined cavalry unit not in the weakest central formation but on the left wing commanded by Tigris Hamon. The army led by Tigris Hamon was largely composed of forces absorbed from the Noza Household, trained in the Hou Household’s rigorous methods for only about a month, making it the weakest part of the entire formation. However, determining this before the decisive battle was difficult, and using the same logic, it would be argued that instead of bypassing the Crusaders’ right wing, the Rube Household should have sent cavalry to the Peninsula Kingdom and broken through there. [Original Research]

Utilization of Smallpox

There is a theory that the spread of smallpox during the Sixteenth Crusade was the result of biological warfare orchestrated by Yuri Hou. However, neither Yuri Hou nor the Shaalta Kingdom officially acknowledged such a tactic, and there is no definitive evidence.

The basis for this theory lies in the fact that the Shaalta Kingdom’s army, before engaging in battle, administered variolation using cowpox, a method known only in the Shaalta Kingdom at the time.

Regardless, at that time, there were no international treaties prohibiting the use of biological weapons, and in siege warfare, every country aimed to spread infection by launching tactics such as catapulting the bodies of plague victims. Therefore, primitive biological warfare aimed at spreading disease was commonplace.

Notes

[1] Additionally, there are battles such as the Battle of Sibyaku (1425) between the Orsau Household and the Sibyaku Royal Family [Shan language version], the Battle of Sibyaku (1818) between the Moulan Household and the Sibyaku Royal Family, and the Battle of Sibyaku (2020) between the Carya regime and the Hou Household.

[2] The total strength of the Crusaders varies depending on the source. This is due to the large number of deaths from smallpox and starvation before the Battle of Sibyaku.

[3] There are various estimates for the total number of infantries:

    – Battle in the Northern Wilderness of Sibyaku, p. 296: 80,000

    – Summary of the Sixteenth Crusade, p. 952: 90,000

[4] Regarding the total number of cavalries, Angelica Sacrament’s description, supposedly surveyed before the battle, is the most accurate.

[5] If the carriages are overturned, the exhaust port comes to the lower right wall, allowing continued exhaust.

[6] There is a strong possibility that this is a later creation by the novelist Piña Colada.

[7] There are various estimates for the total number of casualties. Many missing persons disappeared into the forest after escaping from the battlefield, and some ended their lives in primitive hunting lifestyles in the mountainous areas of the White Wolf Peninsula. Traces of their lives have been discovered. [Source: Battle in the Northern Wilderness of Sibyaku, p. 300]

Source:

[1] “Sibyaku Kingdom War Chronicles Vol. 1,” p. 92

[2] “Sibyaku Peninsula War,” p. 289

[3] “Sibyaku Kingdom War Chronicles Vol. 1,” p. 239

[4] “Sibyaku Kingdom War Chronicles Vol. 1,” p. 662

[5] “Quertz Werlingen,” p. 113

[6] “Quertz Werlingen,” p. 433

[7] “Sibyaku Kingdom War Chronicles Vol. 1,” p. 773

References

[1] Sibyaku Kingdom War Chronicles Vol. 1, Sibyaku Kingdom War Editing Office, Hou Company Publishing Department

[2] War History 2, Noel Wichita

[3] Battle in the Northern Wilderness of Sibyaku by Dread Stone

[4] Summary of the Sixteenth Crusade, Pettsie Publishing Office War History Editing Office

[5] Quertz Wellingen by Dread Stone