1636:The Kremlin games

Chapter 54

Rshev, on the Volga River

“It is a beautiful sight,” Tim said. “Banners flying…” He paused a moment, then sighed. “A beautiful sight, noble and glorious. But at the Kremlin in the war games they treated pike units as fortified. Not easy to overrun. Colonel Khilkov didn’t think much of the war games.” In a way, this was like one of those war games, an eagle’s eye view. Tim had played a lot of them, and suddenly, as he watched, he could see the little model units on the field below. He remembered one of the games-an unofficial game-when one of his fellow students had had a bit too much to drink and ordered cavalry to attack undispersed pike units. You were supposed to hit them with cannon first, to break up their formation. And he remembered those cavalry pieces being removed from the board. Ivan had stood, held up one arm, wobbled a bit, lifted the arm again and proclaimed “But, I died bravely!” They had all laughed. Suddenly it didn’t seem funny at all.

“Colonel Khilkov thinks the Poles will break when faced with a cavalry charge… and General Izmailov didn’t seem to agree.”

“You’re sounding a bit, ah, concerned there, Tim.” Nick peered though his telescope toward the Polish forces.

Tim nodded. “Colonel Khilkov is… a bit difficult.”

The Polish forces didn’t flee. Three thousand Russian cavalry faced a wall of about two thousand Polish infantry, armed with pikes and muskets, as well as the Polish cavalry. The infantry stood in ranks and waited. Then they lowered their pikes and the Russian cavalry charge ran headlong into a porcupine made of men. Then the Poles fired. It was unlikely that the volley killed many men, but it was enough to shatter the Russian formation.

Then it was the Polish cavalry’s turn. They were outnumbered but they were fighting a scattered unit. Colonel Khilkov tried to rally his men and almost managed it. But the Polish infantry had slowly-as infantry must-advanced while the Polish cavalry had been cutting its way through the Russians. Once their own cavalry was mostly clear, the Polish infantry opened fire again.

“It’s all over, mostly,” Nick said. There was, it seemed to Tim, a coldness in Nick’s voice he had not noticed before. “We’d better head back to General Izmailov and tell him.”

Tim nodded, tears blurring his sight. He kept seeing little cavalry units being picked up off a playing board while he looked at the clumps of bodies on the field. It was too far to distinguish individuals but he knew some of the cavalrymen whose bodies made up those clumps. “The general’s not going to be happy.”

The little boyars with their fine horses had left the field, those that still could. Routed by soldiers who worked for pay, not glory.

By the time they got back to the column, it was crossing the Volga at Staritsa and Tim had himself well under control. He made his report and the general discussed the way the battle had gone. Whoever had commanded the Poles had kept his Cossacks in reserve. Which was a bit of a surprise; since probably the greatest Russian weakness was in tactical mobility. Of course, a Russian army that was mostly cavalry was unusual, too.

“I am concerned about the loss of the cavalry,” General Izmailov echoed Tim’s thoughts. “The cavalry units were most of what tactical mobility we had. We can’t afford to be caught away from the Volga. We’ll need it for supply. It’s a hundred miles along the Volga from Tver to Rzhev. I am going to take the main force straight to Rzhev. But I am sending Captain Boyce and his people along the river to grab up every boat they can find.”

Tim said, “But the supplies are coming up by steam barge, aren’t they?”

“They’re supposed to be,” General Izmailov said. “But the latest steam barge is overdue. The steam barges don’t work that consistently yet. So I want regular boats to fill in the gaps. I also want to deny them to the Poles. So, you’re going with Captain Boyce and his troops, Tim. I don’t really think they’ll run again, but better safe than sorry.”

“Yes, sir. What do I do if they do run?”

“They won’t. That’s why you’re going. I’m sending a squad of Streltzi with you, but they are just to keep you safe. Captain Boyce knows that if his company fails in its mission, you’ll take the Streltzi and come tell me about it. Then he and his people won’t get paid.”

“Yes, sir,” Tim said. “I’m sure the steam barge will arrive soon.”