Chariot Scenario Two

Background

The pharaoh Rameses II of the 19^th dynasty of the Egyptian New Kingdom ascended the throne in 1304 BC after the death of his father Sethos I (Seti I). After minor campaigns in the first years of his reign against the Nubians and Libyans, Rameses turned his attention to Canaan and Syria. Canaan and Syria were key economic and strategic regions of the time, and the city-states there had been vassals of the major powers in the region for many years.

Rameses was determined to regain the vassal state of Qadesh, on the Orontes River in Syria. Qadesh had been an Egyptian vassal in the times of his great ancestor Tuthmosis III, and was recaptured briefly by his father, Sethos I. In recent years, Qadesh had come under the control of the kings of Hatti once again, and Rameses’ aim was to recapture the strategically important citadel from the Hittite king, Muwatallis.

The Campaign

Rameses led his army north through Canaan and Syria from Egypt, receiving homage from various Canaanite vassal cities en-route. The army travelled in four divisions, each of around 5,000 men. These were the divisions of Amun, P’Re, Sutekh, and Ptah, named for the patron gods of their home cities (Thebes, Memphis, Pi-Rameses and Heliopolis respectively). Each division was a self-contained army corps consisting of about 4,000 infantry and 1,000 chariot-crew in 500 chariots. The divisions marched as distinct bodies along different routes for ease of travel and supply. They were spaced some eight hours normal march apart, and were to meet at Qadesh to join battle with the Hittites.

Muwatallis did not take the threat to the Hittite’s power in their own neighbourhood lightly. Upon finding out about Rameses’ plans, he ‘stripped his kingdom of silver’ and raised the largest army the Hittites and their vassals and allies had ever fielded. It consisted of some 18-19,000 infantry and 3,500 chariots. These marched south to Qadesh to meet the Egyptians.

The Hittite kings had in the past proven themselves to be masters of strategy, and Muwatallis was no different. He reached Qadesh before the Egyptian army and deployed his army behind the treeline of the Orontes river and the mound of the citadel of Qadesh. His main chariot force of some 2,500 chariots was positioned at fords on the river ready to emerge from concealment and assault the marching Egyptians.

Rameses intelligence proved to be somewhat lacking, leading him to suspect nothing of the Hittite’s intentions. His own scouts failed to locate the Hittites behind Qadesh and two Hittite mercenary Bedoin scouts were captured, giving Rameses the false information that the Hittites were several days march to the north. Lulled into false complacency, Rameses did not hasten to concentrate his army, but instead allowed them to continue with their current rate of march.

The Battle

The Division of Amun, with Rameses leading the order of march arrived at Qadesh, and proceeded to encamp below the city. Next in the order of march was the P’Re division followed by the Ptah and finally Sutekh divisions. As P’Re were conducting their crossing of the River, the Egyptian scouts finally brought Pharaoh information about the presence of the Hittite army. A furious Rameses sent fast messengers to the most distant of his remaining two divisions to hasten their march to Qadesh.

At this stage, Muwatallis sprung his trap. His massive chariot force charged out of hiding, smashing into the strung out P’Re division, routing the infantry and forcing the chariotry to flee and join up with Pharoah and Amun division at their camp. The tiring Hittite chariotry pursued and were met by Amun defending the camp and the combined chariotry of the Amun and P’re divisions personally led by Rameses. Rameses called upon the god (his father!) Amun for victory and fought like a man possesed, halting the Hittite onslaught. When the Hittite attack faltered, Muwatallis committed his chariot reserve in an effort to force the Egyptians to break.

At this stage, a force of allied Canaanite chariotry called the Ne’arin arrived from the north and with Pharaoh’s remaining force caused the Hittites to flee back to their reserve and infantry main body with Muwatallis across the river. The Hittites had suffered terrible casualties, including a large number of nobility, and including relatives of the King.

The battered Egyptians retired to their camp and were reinforced by the Ptah division which had force marched to the battlefield. Rameses led his army out the following morning to fight the Hittites, who sent envoys for peace, which Rameses’ generals urged him to accept. Both armies retired from the field, with the Hittites still in possession of Qadesh. Both armies had suffered crippling losses. Rameses returned to Egypt able to claim a ‘victory’ in the battle itself, despite the fact that the Hittites followed the retreating Egyptians and captured more Canaanite cities before a treaty was agreed several years later and sealed with Rameses marriage to a Hittite princess.

The Wargames Scenario:

The scenario starts at the point of the Hittite initial assault. Rameses and the Amun division are encamped near Qadesh. The P’re division has just crossed the river and the Hittites launch their assault. The Divisions of Sutekh and Ptah are absent from the field, as are the Ne’arin force. The Hittite Chariot reserve and infantry are in reserve across the river. The battlefield layout and dispositions are as shown below. The map is simplified to allow the battlefield to fit into an 8’ x 6’ area which is required for 25mm figures. As the battle occurred on the western side of the river, only that side is shown. The citadel of Qadesh is to the east of the river approximately between the two Hittite deployment areas. The two arrows from the Hittite deployment zones are the chariot fords. The Citadel of Qadesh is on the eastern side of the river approximately between the two Hittite forces.

EGYPTIAN ORDER OF BATTLE

Pharaoh and Royal Guard: set up in encampment                                          610pts