Stories of Byzantine Empire

[Kaiser Kirk]

OTL
Armenian genocide is near, 1915
Turks are not tender, are proud and have a dirty character.

;)

Technically, you didn't want Byzantine conquered by the Turks, so there shouldn't be a large Turkish presence. As I recall, the storyline worked up was a Turkish incursion into Eastern Byzantine/Northern Parthia, which we alternately launched wars of reconquest against. It was almost like we were cooperating... as I recall.

[Walter]

Technically, you didn't want Byzantine conquered by the Turks, so there shouldn't be a large Turkish presence. As I recall, the storyline worked up was a Turkish incursion into Eastern Byzantine/Northern Parthia, which we alternately launched wars of reconquest against. It was almost like we were cooperating... as I recall.

It only takes a few and their ideas and enough people (and they don't have to be Turkish) to listen to their ideas and believe them.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Granted, but I was reminding Jefgte that he hadn't wanted Byzantine to fall, so he defeated the Arabs and the later Turks.
Now, "not tender, are proud and have a dirty character" probably does sum up how the Parthians may describe the Byzantines, but it's fun to hear them use it. 

[Walter]

Oh no! That means that the Arabs and the Turks not only managed to brainwash the population of Byzantine but Jefgte as well! :o The horror! The horror!

[Jefgte]

Bekatra Battle

Finally, on July 1, The army invaded Ambila village, 10km north of Manakara.
Scouting Spahis in distant reconnaissance reported that Bekatra village was occupied by many Malagasy troops.

Sultan Omar IV, leader of Malagasy coalition, chose Bekatra region to fight the Byzantines. Out of range of marine guns and where the configuration of rocky terrain and groves facilitates the concealment of troops and where Byzantine infantry artillery (Infantry QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss - 47mm) will be less effective.

It is therefore in Bekatra that will be played the conquest of southern Madagascar.
General Prems gave his orders: "The fleet will position itself in front of Manakara and demand the capitulation of the city under threat of being destroyed. The army will be on Bekatra. The Inner Column will have to take the village. The Central Column will be ready to move. The Coastal Column will be held in reserve. The columns will be 2km apart each.

Forces on the battlefield
Sultan Omar IV placed in the fortified village, 400 soldiers of Zafisoro Kingdom.
Bara's Sultane Guard, 1500 soldiers, was placed south-east of the city to block the Byzantine advance. To the west of Bekatra, well hidden in the rocky terrain and groves were thousands of soldiers from the other allied kingdoms, from south to north, Antanosy, Antadroy, Mahafaly, Antaisaka, Tanala and militiamen, hastily recruited and poorly armed villagers. This represented more than 20,000 men. Sultan OmarIV himself with the 200 Lancers of the Bara's Guard was just south of Bekatra and formed the link between the Sultan Bara's Guard and the thousands soldiers from the west.

General Prems had 8300 soldiers and 320 Spahis, well armed and trained to maneuver together. He reinforced
the Inner Column, 16 companies (2800 soldiers + 16x47mm guns + 110 spahis)
The Central Column, 20 companies (3500 soldiers + 18x47mm guns + 150 spahis) was located 2km east of the Inner Column.
The Coastal Column, 12 companies, (2000 soldiers + 10x47mm guns + 60 Spahis), further east, would stand in reserve.

On the morning of July 4th, Armies are in position, ready to fight. General Prems ordered the Inner Column to take Bekatra...

Welcome in HELL !

Around 9am, 4x47mm guns opened fire, then 4 companies (700 men + 4 guns of 47) started and invest the first houses. Immediately, Zafisoro soldiers opened fire.
The battle was fierce. Zafisoro soldiers defended their positions with determination and began to roll back in good order under the blows of the 47mm guns.
Arriving south of the village, they maintained their positions. At that time, scouting spahis saw hundreds and hundreds of Malagasy soldiers coming from the western groves to attack Byzantine flank .
"We must warn the Inner Column & Prems General, the column can not resist such an assault"

At 10 o'clock, in Bekatra, caught between two fires, submerged by Antanosy and  Antadroy bataillons, the Byzantines fought a fierce battle, often in hand-to-hand combat, and returned to the east with very heavy losses.
The Malagasy who were now several thousand on the battlefield then attacked the 12 companies of the Inner Column formed in line hedgehog. Caught short, the 47mm guns fired only a few shots. The Byzantine Column of more than 2,000 men was shaken by the onslaught of thousands of Malagasy soldiers.
"Hold your position! Howled the officers.
The good organization & the rapid rolling fire provided by the first Byzantine lines wreaked havoc on the Malagasy ranks. The Antanosy and Antadroy shock brigades were decimated.

Nevertheless, Byzantine soldiers could not contain the rebels, the Byzantines often struggled in hand-to-hand combat, they retreated and weakened.
Scouting spahis of the Central Column assisted by far the massive attack of the Malagasy.
They quickly reported to General Prems that the Inner Column was threatened with encirclement and annihilation by thousands of rebels.
"Report to the Coastal Column to immediately move towards the Inner Column".
"For the Central Column, align the companies in line hedgehog formation. Forward quickly to battle to west. »
Gather all Spahis immediately in Cavalry Section for a clearing charge on the north of the line.
The Byzantines of the Central Column forced the step to quickly reach the Inner Column.

Around 10:20, first elements began to engage Sultan Bara's Guard in the south.
However the 160 spahis available relieved the north of the Inner Column
by several charges on the militiamen.

Around 10:50, the Central Column was fully engaged. In this gigantic mélée, the noise was appalling, the soldiers were falling by hundred!
The Byzantines, well organized in a rolling fire, lost many men in the first contact lines but the assaults of Malagasy battalions were disordered and their losses immense ...
Scouting spahis reported that the Coastal Column would be on the battlefield around 11:20.
"Order to the Coastal Column an attack by the center, to cut the enemy in half, as in Marengo in 1800. Ordered the
Prems General.
Bara Sultana Guard, in the south, forced the Byzantines to retreat while under strong pressure from Mahafaly soldiers, the Byzantine center faltered.

Around 11:15, the center of the Byzantine line opened and let appear 12x47mm guns aligned, which poured 6 fast rounds of shrapnel shells at the rebels. Byzantine guns had opened a bloody trench in the Malagasy troops who momentarily stopped fighting.
Guns disengaged and 9 companies (1500 soldiers) of the Coastal Column engaged in this bloody trench.
North of the line, a charge of 140 spahis put the militiamen in retreat.
It was poor villagers, with a derisory armemennt and little inclined to die for their leaders.
Antaisaka and Tanala Batalions are now isolated but maintain the position.

Around 11:40, The Sultan of Bara seeing that the battle was indecisive decided to charge with his 200 Lancers of the Guard for the victory.
The Byzantine south wing flexed and absorbed the shock with the addition of the last 3 reserve companies of the Coastal Column (500 soldiers)
The General Prems decided to personally charge with its officers and its 60 available spahis, 2 sections, to relieve the south wing.
Battle with spear, sword and pistol was fierce.
The Coastal Column had now cut off the Malagasy army in 2 parts.
To the north, militians fled, pursued by the spahis.
The center of the Malagasy army was pierced. To the north, the battalions of Antaisaka and Tanala engaged in front and flank retreated.
In the south, the fight was still undecided against the Sultan Bara's Guard and the Bara Lancers.

Mooving now to the south, 3 Byzantine reserve companies poured a steady and constant fire on the Bara's army, finally, these weakened then began to retreat.
The Sultan Bara's Guard, with the Sultan, start to retreated in their turn.
12h- The Malagasy line now, in an unfavorable position, was beaten by 14 infantry 47mm guns that opened fire on the south of the line. This time, the Malagasy soldiers are coming back and starting to flee.
12:05 The rolling fire of the guns trigger panic, the Malagasy flee, pursued by the spahis.
12:10 General Prems orders to march on Bekatra.
12:30 Bekatra, gunned and in ruins, is invested by the Byzantines. To the west, the Malagasy are routed ...
13h is the ceasefire.
The afternoon is devoted to healing the wounded and burning the dead
At the end of the day, the camp is organized east of the battlefield.
The next day, the Byzantines, on 2 columns return to Manakara who, under the threat of the Fleet guns, surrendered.

The toll of this battle is very heavy,
The 4 companies that invested Bekatra at 9am, had 75 to 80% of losses were 549 dead or wounded on a workforce of 700 men.
The Interior Column having suffered the Malagasy surge to lost 1350 men out of 2800
The Central column which contains the Malagasy has lost 748 out of 3500
The Coastal Column that broke the Malagasy has lost 356 soldiers in 2000.
The Spahis share their multiple charges lost 180 riders.
The toll of the wounded, 2814, is also very heavy.

Malagasy side, more than a thousand prisoners and thousands of soldiers strew the battlefield, The 400 soldiers of Zafisoro only has a few survivors, Those of Antanosy, Antadroy, Mahafaly, and Sultan Bara's Guard and the Bara's Lancers have had nearly 70% losses. Antaisaka, Tanala Antanosy and Antadroy more than 35%.

The General Prems decides to suspend the conquest of the south of Madagascar because its army is too diminished ...
The commander of the cruiser Arkoudi also gave him a message from Byzantium.
«... You are asked to join as soon as possible Byzance ...»
(It will appear that the Salehi Massacre incommoded foreign chanceleries) ...

In the end, for the Byzantines, it will be more than 4600 dead because numbers of wounded, treated on hospital ships, will not survive their injuries.
The Malagasy will leave in this battle more than 10000 dead and a few thousand wounded.

[Jefgte]

General Prems makes the necessary arrangements for his army entrenched in Manakara.
On July 7, TGB49 leaves Manakara with General Prems on board, heading north to Byzantium...

[Desertfox]

More than 50% dead on both sides... That was one brutal battle.

[The Rock Doctor]

In the Grim Darkness of the Future Madagascar, There is Only War.

[Jefgte]

Byzantium on August 7, 1911.

Byzantine Admiralty regrets to announce the total loss of TGB49.
Submarine SS23 had recovered the remains of calcined wood from the TGB 220 miles north of the Seychelles.
The ship was probably the victim of an explosion that led to its loss.
TGB49 and all his crew are declared in total loss.

[Jefgte]

Byzantium, August 14, 1911

The Byzantine Imperial Navy wishes to make a courtesy call on its neighbors Roman Empire & Iberian Empire.
The Fleet will leave Byzantium on August 20th and will stop in Taranto from August 22nd to 25th and Bizerte from August 26th to 29th, then will reach Alexandria on August 30th.
The squadron will be composed of the new 16350t Armored Cruisers Damas & Darea and the TGBM 61-62-63 & 64. The squadron will be accompanied by 2 Tenders.

[Jefgte]

The visits to the ports of Taranto and Bizerte went perfectly well.
On the afternoon of their arrival, the Admiralty's military authorities visit the flagship.
The following 2 days, the visit of the ships is open to the population.
On the evening of the 2nd day, the Byzantin staff is invited to a gala dinner in the Admiralty rooms. The next day, after refueling, the squadron leaves the port.

On 30th august, the squadron call to Alexandria. They joined an impressive fleet of troop & material transport.
A great expedition is preparing ...

[The Rock Doctor]

...uh oh.

[Jefgte]

On September 1st, the fleet leaves Alexandria.
On the 7th of September it refuels itself at Aden, then, on the 9th, leaves Aden Gulf and heads south.
Are present in this fleet:
The 2 cruisers Damas (flag) and Darea
The 5850t AGB of the 1st & 2nd Division, Sanaa & Cairo, Amman & Baghdad
The TGBM 61 - 62 - 63 - 64
The 15th division of destroyers; D25 - D26 - D27 - D28
Troop Transports: TTR1 - TTR2 - TTR3 - TTR4
Tenders: TEN3 - TEN4
Transport: TRA3 - TRA4 - TRA5 - TRA6
Hospital Ships: HOS3 - HOS4 - HOS5
Colliers: COL1 - COL2
On September 16th, the fleet enters Diego Suarez Bay.
The following days are busy unloading the hundreds of tons of materials needed to build a naval base and a fort. 600 soldiers and 100 Spahis are assigned to the defense of the base.
The ships refuel.
On the 21st, transports accompanied by the Sanaa and the Cairo sail towards Manakara.
On the 22nd, landing of 3400 soldiers, 600 spahis with their equipment, begins. General Keles takes command of the Manakara Army.
Manakara Army has 7100 soldiers & 740 spahis, 38 x 47mm guns & 114 mg x 7.7mm

[Jefgte]

Waiting new troops, General Keles orders to carry out  « offensive patrols »  inland & to the south. These patrols are carried out by sections of cavalry (30 Spahis).
He also orders the TGB51 & 52 to carry out reconnaissance on the southern coast of Madagascar.

After a round trip to Alexandria, the 4 Transports, escorted by the cruisers Damas and Darea, are back in Manakara with 4200 soldiers and 400 spahis.The landing of troops and equipment takes place from October 26 to 28.

Cavalry patrol sections to the south were up to the Manampatrana River. Patrols from the east to the mountains.No retreating troops of the Sultan were encountered and no resistance in the villages crossed.
Where's the Sultan's Army?...

[Jefgte]

After some troop maneuvers, General Keles orders to "go to south" before the rainy season.
November 4th, Byzantine army start to go to the south in 3 columns, many sections of Spahis always in scout positions.
Cities of Ankarimbelo, Maroteza, Karianga, Maropaika & finaly, 12 november, Farafangana were invested without difficulties.
"South March" continues & November 20, Matanga & Vodivola were occupied like much other village in the sector.
General Kelles order to prepar the camp for the rainy season...

Cruisers Damas & Darea, TGB51 & 52 are back to Diego Suarez.