The Duranabad Campaign(3)

Year 1563, Within the Duranabad county

The prince army is currently on the high ground location with 3 companies of musketeers set as vanguard lime with a 2 company of pikemen. Each companies of pikemen is divided and placed such that there are musketeers on the both their flank. Behind the vanguard line is crossbowmen who will provide support to the vanguard when it is in melee combat with enemy. A company of musketeer is held in reserve in the rear to use wherever the line buckles under pressure. As the prince looked in the distant at the advancing count's army he saw that the count has brought muzzle loading bronze cannons with him probably got from Bengal sultanate. He thought this could be problem but it will also test the mettle and morale of his army under artillery bombardment. Colonel Virendra has placed companies in loose formation due to artillery fire, he will tighten it when it comes to melee.

On the enemy side. Count Almar Durani from the rear of his army saw the prince army which is less then half of his army he looked at it with disdain and anger. When he received the prince letter he was furious and want to strangle the little brat with his own hand. He also wrote to the king about the unlawful action of the prince. He got a simple reply from the king that "You reap what you sow Count, but don't worry I will not interfere within this matter, since the prince has challenged you for open battle and has labeled accusation of treason at you, you are free to respond". Today he is going kill this brat of a prince and rescue his son if he is still alive and declare himself no longer part of this retched khafir kingdom rather a part of Bengal sultanate. He looked at his army commander and ordered him to start preparing for cannon fire on the enemy position and prepare the vanguard of his forces to move forward to engage the enemy in melee combat. What he cannot comprehend is how did the forces he send to kill or capture this brat failed, probably the information of the prince travelling only with his private army was wrong, the royal army must have intervened to protect this brat.

On the Prince Viraja side as the prince saw the enemy forces advance in slow pace and the canons being placed to start bombardment of his position. He signaled to commander Suresh of his royal guard to tie the Rayan on a horse and sent the horse towards the enemy position and ordered colonel Virendra to use the best marksmen in army to shoot the count son when he reaches half way to his father's positon. He said "I want the count to see his son killed by me in-front of his eyes. This will make him loose his cool, and attack my position in haste and anger instead of playing the wait game and use canon to thin out my ranks.Do you understand colonel and commander what i want".Both of them nodded and went to fulfill the task. 

As the count saw a single horseman coming towards his position he had a frown on his face but soon his confusion cleared as he saw the horse carried his son well and alive. He was about to laugh at the prince foolishness when he heard the rang of a shot and his son falling from the horse dead and his body being dragged by the horse as he was still tied to the horse with a rope.This just set the count over the edge and he ordered his entire army to attack en-massed in anger.

The prince saw the effect of the Count son's death, the entire vanguard infantry of Count Durani started running towards his positon en-mass to engage his forces in melee and the cavalry of the Count forces is trying to flank him. As the bombardment continued on the prince position and in reply his missile troops bombardment on the enemy positon first with Varshastra and then with Vajrastra as the enemy entered into each ones range . As the cannon balls hit the prince position it caused casualty but his missiles was more devastating. Soon the enemy vanguard entered the musket range and the volley fire began which whittle down the enemy vanguard even more. The death and havoc caused by his missiles and musket was severe. By the time the vanguard entered into melee with his pikemen and bayonet fixed musketeer their morale has already been shaken as crossbowmen behind his vanguard line kept firing on the enemy the death toll increased. This time though his troops also faced casualty to some extent but it was not enough to make any kind of dent in his ranks, infact the prince was quite pleased with discipline shown by his troops under this battle conditions.

Seeing the enemy cavalry flanking his army in wedge formation, colonel Virendra ordered the reserved musketeer company divided and moved towards the flanks including some of the Varshastra which has been hold back is turned towards the flanks too. The combination of both resulted in creating a death trap for the advancing enemy cavalry whose number whittle down first with missiles and then musket fire and finally when the cavalry entered into melee combat with the square formation of musketeers their morale was already shaken and it completely shattered when royal elite cavalry guard attacked them which result in enemy cavalry rout. Seeing the cavalry routed the enemy infantry whose morale already was shaken due to having high death toll within their ranks also turned their back and started routing.

The prince has previously instructed commander Suresh and colonel Virendra two objective that need to be achieved at all cost, one is to capture the muzzle loading bronze canons of the enemy intact and another is to capture or kill the Count. The elite cavalry guard surged forward to achieve this objectives supported by the companies of musketeers under colonel Virendra's command.

As the Count's army is routed which is more then double the size of the prince army he couldn't believe it. All his ambitions turned to ashes and his son dead, he was in shock as his bodyguard begged him to retreat and save himself. He saw the prince elite royal cavalry guard coming toward his position By the time he came to his senses from shock of losing the battle the enemy cavalry was already upon him. He tried to fight his way out but commander Suresh of the prince royal guard spotted him as he charged toward the Count and a fight ensued between him and the Count. As the commander fought with the count more royal guards joined him and overwhelmed the Count and finally commander Suresh landed the fatal blow and killed the Count.