1898 Liberation of Amaransk
The 1898 Liberation of Amaransk was a battle that took place on the morning of 14/12/1898 between the armies of Corstaea and Grenneria for control of the city of Amaransk, with Corstaea on the offensive, that ultimately led to Corstaea’s victory in reclaiming the entire Tolred region. It saw the first usage of strategically positioned snipers by the Corstaean army, which proved to be the key to Corstaean victory in this battle and pioneered the adoption of snipers around the world.
Prelude¶
The region of Tolred had been under Grennerian control for 14 uncontested years prior to this battle. The combination of this long period of relative peace and the difficulty of managing a supply chain in difficult terrain across the Himlavård mountain range led to the Grennerian army slowly but consistently reducing their presence in the area, eventually consolidating themselves entirely within key cities with small numbers of well trained units.
Battle¶
The Corstaean army positioned eight sharpshooters on snowy hills facing the southeast entrance to the city at distances between 1,800 and 3,200 meters, with the intention of having them provide covering fire for the main force, a 982 man infantry battalion.
The Grennerian army defense consisted of approximately 300 riflemen, eight mounted machine guns, and three cannons behind a network of trenches.
The battle commenced shortly after sunrise with the Corstaean battalion utilizing charge tactics.
Aftermath¶
While the battle was ultimately a complete victory for Corstaea and saw all Grennerian forces wiped out, 714 Corstaean soldiers were lost, mostly in the initial charge. The survivors were all allowed to return home as soon as reinforcements arrived due to the trauma, and this marked the final time charge tactics would be utilized by the Corstaean army.
The use of snipers in this battle quickly gained great cultural significance among Corstaeans after the battle’s outcome reached newspapers due to the accomplishments of Sekondløitnant Øyvind Krag, who single handedly suppressed the utilization of cannons and mounted guns by claiming 14 kills from over 2,000 meters, the furthest of which being confirmed as 2,174 meters. Many Corstaean soldiers that survived the battle praised Krag as the sole reason they were able to return home alive, and he took on the role of a folk hero among Corstaean people both for his achievements, and for a popular story that credits the ending of charge tactics to Krag for getting into a fistfight with his commanding officer after seeing the outcome of this battle.