The other side of the hill (2)

It turned out that Jens’ appearance was the result of a debate with General Wurst and Jens’ challenge that sailors could shift heavy guns where landlubbers failed. As a result General Wurst challenged him to move 4 siege guns to the top of the Landsberg. The first part was easy, just river transport upriver from Pappenheim to Sonnenbad. The move through the old streets was easy, but then the slope steepened for a long way.

The rational for Jens’ assertion was the regular use of winches and pulleys by sailors to move heavy objects carefully at minimal effort. His approach had been to establish winching points high up the slopes and move the guns up slowly using a pulley system, then repeat the same progressively higher. However, he had not expected this level of continual effort, but at least the road was already levelled. He had debated leaving two guns behind and continuing with only two, but decided that it was all or nothing.

Ilse listened to Jens’ story and decided that for her too, it was all or nothing and resolved to return to the battle.

On the French side of the hill Colonel Anjou had arrived with his 17ieme Demi-Brigade Légère and saw the problem even before Colonel Letort pointed it out. He deployed both of his first two battalions in skirmish order and kept the third back in reserve and sent them forward to clear the hedgerows.