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Discovery of Atlantis
First Empire-(1) to 261
Second Empire- (1) 361 - 409 |
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The wars of Ruthopheax I in detail 4. The War against State "C"
The war between Ruthopheax I and Tuondo, 1: 644
Rithopheax collected up to about 160000 men for his invasion. The forces were divided into three main groups in the south of Meistayieh, on the north bank of the Gestes. Each group contained about 50000 men, or 5 or 6 Armies ("Pueggisix"). Opposite him lay Tuondo's forces. These were split up between two armies of about 20000 at Tousiant and opposite Broding, in Jutieh and another army of 30000 east of the Gayvot river in Yall. Thiss. Tuondo had been fighting the Basquecs over the last couple of years and he had made some gains around Atlaniphis and Duccouth, with armies of 17000 in each place, plus another 20000 at Faiddir. There were also forces of 70000 in Manralia and further west. The Basquecs had armies opposite Atlaniphis and Duccouth and had also collected a new force in Vulcanieh, about 30000 strong, with which to help Ruthopheax by crossing into Yall. Thiss over the Vulcan south of Vulcanipand. Ruthopheax's navy, part of the old Republican fleet from Atlantis, was based at Helvris, where it was opposed by Tuondo's navy, at least as strong, in Noutems. In March, Ruthopheax's fleet from Giezuat moved out to distract and confront the Noutems fleet, while the smaller navy in Helvris slipped over and stood off Tousiant to block the entrance to the channel of the Gestes.This enabled Ruthopheax's armies to cross the Gestes in safety and begin the invasion. 1 on map: the army based near Vailat crossed the Gestes, supposedly at the same time as the Basquecs approached from the east: however, they did not turn up on time. Ruthopheax's army had then to cross a second river, the Vulcan, without any Basques assistance, and this proved impossible when the Basquec army to the west moved down on them and forced them back across from their bridgehead. However Ruthopheax had several strings to his bow… 2 on map: and now used the Broding army to cross the river into Iutieh. This area, like most of Iutieh was extremely mountainous, and the Atlanteans were soon trapped near the coastline by the Basquecs. 3 on map: however, Ruthopheax had foreseen this and assumed that now all the Basques forces in the centre would have been attracted away to the flanks. So now his third army crossed the Gestes and moved west to help out the Broding force. But Tuondo's army was too quick and with a quick offensive, forced this army back towards its starting-point. It was now May.
The junction of the rivers Gestes and Gayvot in Iutieh (from a painting of the ninth century) 4 on map: the Basquec army now finally moved up to the river Vulcan from Vulcanieh, but despite its fairly feeble attempts to cross, was unable to do so. 5 on map: In order to defeat this enemy army, Ruthopheax's force west of the Gayvot now left Iutieh, crossing the Gayvot, and moved against the rear of the enemy force facing Ruthopheax's army stuck on the Vulcan. In a successful battle, Tuondo's army was put to flight, and retreated south-west. Following this battle, the Basquec force in Vulcanieh had now finally got moving and crossing the river alongside Ruthopheax's original invading force. The Basquecs now separated from Ruthopheax's army and moved south towards Faiddir at the same time as another Basquec army threatened Tuondo's army here from across the Yallodairu. However, to anticipate a little, the Faiddir army struck first at the northern Basquec army while holding off the southern one (August). 6 on map: the two armies of Ruthopheax now followed the enemy south-west across Yall. Thiss. and seized the hills and town of Ophinoutho in August. Tuondo's army took up a position on the smaller heights to the south-west of this. Meanwhile, at sea, Tuondo's navy in Noutems had sortied and defeated Ruthopheax's fleet from Giezuat, which retired back westwards. This finished most of the action for 644, as both sides now made efforts to collect their armies together. This campaign shows a rather poor start by Ruthopheax, from a strategic point of view, from which he made a brilliant recovery. He relied too much on the Basqucs, who proved to be a broken reed. He also had, and would continue to have, considerable difficulties at sea, where he lost several battles before winning the final one later on. For the next part of this war, go to: Ruthopheax I's wars against State C- 2- 645 |
