Legio XVII: Battle of Zama (33 page)

“Welcome back, Praetor.  Does it look like we can pull off an ambush?”

“Yes, the site is well chosen.  The terrain will squeeze the mercenaries into tight files between the lake and the hill.  I believe that our two Legions and the Raeti can do it.  I’m most anxious to hear about the rehearsals though.  Tell me how it went.”

“As with most things, the first time the troops manned the walls it was utter confusion.  Units overlapped each other and there was constant shifting.  Troops were moved right; then moved left.  Everyone got a work out, and it was a bit frustrating.  We had to put markers on the inside of the logs to delineate the boundaries between Maniples and Legions.  The third time we practiced, it was much more orderly.  The men even practiced pushing ladders away from the wall.  I think we need to practice getting up to the wall a few more times before it becomes routine for the men.”

“Let’s run another drill before the men disperse to their work parties tomorrow morning,” decided Manius, “and another when they come back.  It should go much quicker and not interfere with Tomaeus’ construction timetable.”

When Servilius returned to camp with Manius, he assembled the 30 man Signal Detachment led by a young energetic Centurion.  Servilius explained the mission to them and showed them a map of the 12 signaling stations he envisioned.  The Centurion was eager to be given a meaningful job and threw himself into the assignment.

The next day, Servilius had them practice sending messages until he was sure they could do it.  They used the standard Roman alphabet and flags to spell out words, letter by letter.  Each signaler carried the flag code.  The first flags displayed were for the numbers across the horizontal column and the second flags were for the numbers in the vertical column. The system was relatively simple and the men were experienced.  Three flags held up and lowered, and then two flags held up and lowered represent the letter H.  It was slow and required good eyesight especially for the distances over which they would be operating.  Two men would read the flags signals and one would record the message.  There was no room for error.

(Note: The letters J, U, and W were added to Latin at a later date, and used to write languages others than Latin.)

On the 26th, the Signal Detachment, along with their wagons, formed a column outside the west wall.  Servilius planned to drop them off at 10 different locations along the western side of the lake and two on the eastern side.  Each location was approximately two miles from the other.  He hoped the flags would be visible from one location to the next and planned to test it.  At Desenzano Del Garda, which was the first station in the system and closest to the fort, he dropped off three men and their supplies.  The idea was that after receiving a message, one man would ride the six miles to the fort and deliver it.

He dropped off two men at Padenghe sul Garde and had them send a simple message to Desenzano.  They acknowledged receipt.  He proceeded to Moniga del Garde, Solarolo, San Felice del Benaco, Gardone Riviera, Toscolano Maderno, Cecina, Bogliaco, and finally, the last station on the west side of the lake, Gargnano.  This last group of three men had to climb the nearby hill until they could see the station across the lake.  This was the one weak point in the system.  Each of the 10 stations on the west side of the lake could easily send and receive from the adjacent station down the line, but it all depended on getting the message from across the lake.

At Gargnano, Servilius put the remaining seven men into four boats and rowed across the lake to Castelletto.  They all climbed the hill until they could see Gargnano on the far side of the lake.  Two men were dropped off at Castelletto and sent a test message.  It worked!  The remaining five men climbed high into the mountains and began searching for a site that met three criteria.  It must be reasonably easy to establish a line-of-sight with Castelletto at the bottom of the hill.  It must have a full view of the main north-south road on the east side of the mountain, and third, it must be easily concealed.  After a few hours of searching, they found an ideal spot and the four men unloaded their gear.  The fifth man was their Centurion.   He was responsible for the overall mission and the welfare of his men.  His job was to visit all the stations and provide for his troops.

Gargnano and Castelletto
(Google Maps)

Servilius explained to the men on the top of the mountain, “The reason there are four of you here is for self-defense.  The enemy may send men up here to spy on our camp.  If you are discovered, fight your way out and return across the lake.  We will leave two boats on the lake’s edge by Castelletto.

“Now it’s time to send a test message to the Praetor back at camp.  Transmit the words ‘Praetor, signal flags operational.’”

*******

Canutus and the planners at the ambush site went right to work.  They estimated the length of a 10,000 man force and a 15,000 man force walking along the lake’s edge.  They then divided up the hill between the Legio XVII and I Raetorum to cover the length of the enemy column.  Room was left for the Suevi Legion who would rush down the hill to block the northern exit.

“Because we’re running out of time,” Canutus explained, “I’m going to send some riders back to camp to get enough men from the two Legions to properly prepare this site for an ambush.  We need to cut logs and loosen rocks to roll down the hill.  I’m going to ask your Legates to send 2,000 men each.  With 4,000 men, I believe we can have this place ready in two days.”

On June 28th, 4,000 men and their accompanying supply wagons marched into Maclino and were immediately put to work.  The Suevi also sent 1,000 from their position atop the cliff.  The work was grueling especially in the confined areas of the hillside, but two days later, the ambush was set.  It only awaited the Legions to execute it.

Each night a staff meeting was held where Tomaeus briefed Manius and the others on the status of the construction.  On June 28, he proudly announced that
all
the defenses were at last complete.  A hearty cheer went up in the tent.  The men had worked hard and nonstop for 19 days and had accomplished the seemingly impossible.

Before Manius could continue with the meeting, The Tribune in charge of the Guard entered the tent.  “Praetor, I have an urgent message.”

Everyone turned to toward the man to hear his report.  “Go on,” said Manius.  His brow furrowed.

“Sir, cavalry scouts just returned from Verona and are standing by to give you their report.”

“Show them in.”

Two young men entered the tent and were instantly cowed by the rank that was present.  Legates, Tribunes, and Centurions!  They were shaking with nervousness.  Noticing their obvious discomfort, Manius said, “Just relax and tell us what you’ve seen.”

“Sir, we saw mercenary cavalry approaching Verona from the east.  Not far behind them was an advance guard.  They stopped on the outskirts of the village and deployed in a line facing the village.  We then departed and rode back here to give our report.  Two of our men are still observing Verona.”

“Nicely done!  Rejoin your comrades in the field, and keep the reports coming.  I need to know how many mercenaries you can see when their entire army enters Verona.”

Manius looked around at his Commanders and staff. “Gentlemen, it appears that the mercenaries have arrived.  Verona is just a two days march away.  We could be crossing swords with them very shortly.  We will continue with our rehearsal tomorrow as scheduled.  Tell the Legionaries that the enemy has arrived, and begin posting guards across the river.  I want each of the five Legions to station two men in the tree line to watch for any enemy activity.”

*******

High atop the plateau bordering the cliffs Odo put his Suevi legion to work on the log wall.  The wall was constructed on the very crest of the hill to ensure the logs rolled easily down the hill when released.  First, the Roman engineers helped place the vertical stakes to retain the logs, while others began cutting timber, stripping off the branches, and laying the horizontal log.  Afterwards, the remaining branches were strewn in front of the wall to serve as an additional obstacle. 

Simultaneously, another group of men began digging holes for the foot traps beginning at the base of the hill and working their way back up to the base of the wall - a distance of about 60 feet.  Each trap consisted of a one foot hole with a sharpen four inch stake at the bottom.  The pits were placed about one foot apart and covered with twigs and grass to conceal them.  The intent was that the enemy would hit the traps as the Suevi threw their pila.  Eventually, the entire 1,600 foot expanse was covered.

With the work accomplished, the soldiers erected their tents, built wind breaks, and settled into camp life.  Over the next few days, each Maniple of the Suevi Legion was led across the plateau and down the hill to familiarize them with the route south should a withdrawal become necessary. Odo likewise posted his cavalry by the Sarca River to provide early warning.  A 10 foot wide safe route through the foot traps was marked on the western edge by the lake to allow the cavalry to safely come and go.  It was now a matter of waiting.

Chapter VII:  Battle of Lake Benacus 205 BC

On June 30th at 8:30 A.M., the Illyrian army of 20,000 men began moving west.  The cavalry and Advance Guard left an hour earlier and were about five miles ahead of the main body.  Flankers rode two to three miles on each side of the army to provide security.  Dindar did not expect a threat to materialize, but had learned long ago not to take anything for granted.  Verona had been a disappointment in terms of acquiring additional stores, but did yield some interesting information.  The village had not been totally abandoned as they initially thought.  They found several old people still living in their huts.

The soldiers plied them food and water to get them to talk.  They knew the elderly did not respond to threats as death held no fear.  Instead, they responded to kindness.  The army learned that the village had evacuated about two weeks ago after riders told them a large army was approaching from the east, and to pack up and go to Brixia.  The older villagers were unaware of the Romans or their blocking position at the Mincio.

About 4:00 P.M. the column halted and was setting up their nightly camp when Dindar’s cavalry scouts came riding back with urgent news.  They passed their report to their Commander, who told his Commander, and so forth.  Finally, one of Dindar’s aides personally delivered the news, “Sir, scouts have just returned and report seeing a wooden wall on the far side of the Mincio River that will block our advance.”

“Bring me the scouts,” ordered Dindar gruffly.

When the scouts entered his tent, he immediately demanded, “Tell me what you saw.”

“About five miles to the west is the Mincio River and Lake Benacus,” said the senior scout.  “We rode to within half a mile of the river when we saw a wooden wall rising up on the far side of the river blocking our way forward.”

“Did you see anyone on the wall?  Any soldiers?”

“No, we were too far away.”

“Did the wall just block the road or did it extend downstream?”

“It went down the river as far as we could see.”

Dindar turned to an aide.  “Get Mintho and my Commanders!  We’re going to take a look at this wall.”  Twenty minutes later, Dindar, Andis, Sali, Bujar, Landi, Malush, Vendim, and a host of aides and body guards galloped out of camp.  Dindar’s troops were setting up their tarps and gathering wood for the fires.  They saw the flurry of activity, but paid no particular attention.  Riders were always coming and going.

Fifteen minutes later, the wall came into view.  Dindar reined in his horse, and the others lined up alongside him.  “We need to get closer,” he decided.  The horses began an easy walk forward.  Dindar and the others scanned the surroundings for any sign of life, but saw none.

Unbeknownst to Dindar, the Roman signalers atop the mountain had already sent two messages.  The first was that a large army was encamping about three miles east of the Mincio.  The second described riders approaching the wall.  It took about one hour for the message to leave the mountaintop and arrive in the fort.  The men on the walls spotted had spotted the approaching riders before the second message even arrived.

Dindar walked his horse to within 300 yards of the wall.  Through the thinned out trees, he could see the wall, the towers, the river, the gates, and a few men with a mixture of bronze and iron helmets atop the parapet.  Manius had wisely adopted Legate Caile’s idea, so the wall was sparsely manned, not with Romans with their distinctive helmets and pila, but with Cenomani warriors native to the region.  Dindar could also see the mound in front of the wall, but not the ditch.  He noticed that the wall extended for an impressive distance south along the river, but he couldn’t determine how far it went.  The towers looked as if they could hold several men, but all he could see were a few men in each.

He turned to Mintho.  “Was this here when you came through in early April?”

“No.  When we came through, the only thing we saw were several fishing villages on both sides of the lake.  This wall must have been built sometime between April and June.”

“What do you make of it?”

“It smells to me like the Romans have beat us here and are trying to prevent us from joining Mago.”

“But how is this possible?” asked Dindar angrily perplexed. “You said there are seven Legions in Etruria and multiple Legions in southern Italy and Spain; where could they possibly get the men to build such an impressive structure so quickly?”

“I may be wrong,” Mintho allowed, “but it has the look of Roman construction.”

A scout rode over to Dindar and said, “Some of my men rode over to the lake and saw that there are islands in the cove at the mouth of the river, which are also fortified.”

Dindar looked at his six Commanders, “I’m not sure who built this or how many defenders are behind those walls, but it is blocking our way east.  Either we smash it down, or we find a way around it.  Tomorrow morning, I want the cavalry to ride south to determine how far this wall extends.  Perhaps, we can find a place to ford the river or cross a bridge.  Once we know more, we can talk about how best to circumvent this thing.”

“Let’s return to the camps; I now want you to fortify the camps and post guards.  Have your men set up a palisade around their camps with guards patrolling the walls.  Tomorrow, we will move the camps about a mile from the river on the left side of this road.”

When Manius was told that a group of horsemen were about 300 yards away studying the wall, he summoned his Legates and key planners.  They put on Cenomani helmets, removed their Roman armor, and climbed one the towers.

Once in the tower, Manius said, “Those men out there must be the Commanders. I think I can see a few Carthaginians with them.  I suspect their scouts will ride south tomorrow to find a ford or bridge.  They have two choices: fight through us or find a way to get around.  I think they’ll opt for the latter.  Rasce, put your men on alert for individuals trying to cross the swamp and for riders looking for a fording site or bridge. Be prepared to burn that bridge by Mantua.  I want your men to pace them in full view, so they will know we are watching them.  Wear Cenomani battle gear.  I don’t want them to know we are Romans.”

When Dindar returned to the encampment, he could see the men were eating and relaxing.  They were not going to be in a mood to build a palisade. “Commanders, I want you to inform the men of what we’ve seen.  Tell them we don’t yet know what we are facing, and that I am worried for their safety should we be attacked.  Tell them that I want each of the four camps to put up a palisade around their camp and post guards during the night.  Tell them to do it for themselves and for me.  Come back in an hour, so we can discuss what to do.”

The Illyrians were not happy with the change in plans, but they respected Dindar and began collecting branches and small trees from the surrounding woods.  The Illyrians did not dig a ditch or set up a rampart.  They simple dug holes about one foot deep, placed six-foot-long wooden poles in each, and lashed them together at the top.  It was easy to construct and not designed as a fighting position.  Once the men started, they quickly became motivated, eager to complete the work and settle back down.

Dindar sat in his tent with Mintho and his Commanders trying to make sense of this new development.  “I think we are facing Romans; this will not be easy,” grumbled Mintho.

Andis, a Commander of 10,000 men, impatiently asserted, “It’s a long river, surely the cavalry can find a place to ford or a bridge to cross. But if we do have to assault the walls, we have the troops and they have the necessary skills.  Besides, I didn’t see that many men on the walls.”

“With all due respect,” cautioned Mintho, “that could simply be a trick.  There could be eight Legions behind those walls. We could lose half the army if we attack it.”

“Tomorrow, I will send riders down the river to see what our options are,” said the Cavalry Commander.  “I will also send some men up those mountains alongside the lake to see if they can see what’s behind the wall.”

“Until we have more information, there’s nothing more we can do,” huffed Dindar resigned.  “Move the camps tomorrow morning to within a mile of the river.  Ensure the guards are posted tonight and properly supervised.”

*******

Bad Tolz

Alina hid in the fireplace until she was sure the mercenaries had gone.  She was famished, and her muscles were cramped from sitting motionless for such an extended time.  The last few hours had been spent staring at her husband lying lifeless on the floor.  Her tears, so abundant at first, had long since dried; she buried her emotions inside.  Her happy memories and love for Kuno could be revived later, she decided.  She had also ample time while hiding to fully realized that she, and not Kuno or her parents, had to make any and all decisions now.  She needed to survive and to think of herself and Kuno’s unborn - child without any help.

Alina crawled out and searched the hut for something to eat.  She found a small amount of grain at the bottom of the food bin that she quickly ground it to a powder, mixed with water, and ate it cold. Feeling stronger, she went to the doorway and peered cautiously outside.  The scene was shocking.  Bodies and body parts lay everywhere.  She walked out and began calling, quietly at first, and then yelling loudly for anyone still alive to come out.  She walked throughout the entire fort calling until her voice was hoarse.  Slowly, men, women, and children began to appear.  Many were bloody from wounds, but still able to walk.

Realizing that she was the only one healthy enough to lead, Alina took the 35 survivors to one of the large meeting halls.  She set aside her shock and grief, and drew strength from within she never knew she possessed.  Surprising even herself, she picked out those who seemed the strongest and calmly ordered, “You and you, go fetch water, and keep doing it until I tell you to stop.”  To others she said, “Go get grain, look in the barns, scrape up what’s left in the food bins, and bring it here; get pots also.  You two, make a fire.  You, go get clothing for bandages.  Hurry now!”

Soon buckets of water were arriving at the hall, along with the other items she had requested.  “Everyone, look at the person next to you,” urged Alina.  “Clean their wounds with the water and use the clothing to make bandages.  We have to help one another if we are going to survive.”  Approaching three of the women, she asked, “Are you strong enough to cook?”  They nodded.  “Grind the grain and make porridge.  No one has eaten in a long time.”  As the women went to work, the younger children gravitated to them finding the familiar routine a comforting presence.

Suddenly, a young boy called out, “This man is dead!”

Alina looked at her two strongest young men and said, “Carry him outside.”  As the men picked up the man by his arms and feet, Alina said, “Wait, stop, I want to look at him.”  She walked over to the man and looked at his face.  She knew him, and she knew his wife. 
This is dreadful.  Kuno, why did you leave me?

When everyone had eaten what little food they had found, some began asking Alina what they were going to do.  “The Queen has visited us several times in the past, and even sent 10,000 men to help us defend this place.  She is not going to forget us,” she reassured them.  “I’m sure people will come to check on us very soon.”

“Unless they’re all dead too,” shouted a man.

“That’s a possibility,” agreed Alina sadly.  “That’s why we have to fend for ourselves and take care of one another in the meantime.  Let’s all get some sleep, now that we’ve eaten, and talk about this tomorrow.”

As the sun rose, an almost sweet smell filled the air-one they soon realized was coming from the dead.  Those that were able continued searching for food, and fortunately, soon found a large untouched food bin in the barn.  Several loose chickens were also caught.  An hour later, a decent breakfast was served.

Following the meal, Alina stood before the group to present her plan. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”  She had lain awake most of the night reviewing their options.  “The only thing we know about the mercenaries is that they went south, back to the main east-west road.  From there, they may have gone west to Innsbruck or back where they came from, but I think they went to Innsbruck.  I say that because if they went back the way they came, they will find nothing to eat or steal.  I’m sure you’d agree that they’ve already looted everything on their way here.  Our only safe route is to go where they’ve been, and that means to follow them south.”

“I don’t want to go
north
to Munich because they may be heading there, and we could walk right into them.  I don’t want to go
east
because that area has been devastated, and east is where those murderers live.  We need to go to Innsbruck,” she said, her voice rising and gaining in intensity.  “That’s where we’ll find food and other people.  Does anyone disagree?”