As the chariots built up speed, the warriors cheered watching as they began to race forward arching in at an angle towards the middle of the approaching shield wall. A trumpet sounded from somewhere to their rear and the soldiers stopped as one bringing their shields up. The chariots now at full speed bounced along their drivers skilfully avoiding the tree stumps left in the ground. Each carried at least two others warriors, some three who were armed with spears. As they got to within range they hurled their weapons skyward to great cheers of approval of their kinsmen watching as the first volley of battle was launched.
The Roman front lines threw their javelins in return but most missed the fast moving chariots or were out of range as they raced past the ranks landing harmlessly. The Romans packed in their tight lines began to take casualties as the men covered up the best they could behind their large four foot shields, looking out from beneath their helmets. Caratacus had known the chariots would prove difficult targets and he was right.
As the first wave of chariots had nearly cleared the enemy front line he waved for the left side to advance sweeping his sword forward. These chariots gained speed quickly keen to show what they could achieve and by the time they were within range of the front line of shields their passengers, armed with bows unleashed their arrows, not at the front row of legionaries but at those behind. Caratacus could see from his elevated position that helmets fell backward as men died or were injured by the success of the arrows finding flesh and bone through narrow gaps as victims unexpectedly received missiles. Another trumpet sounded and all the squares moved covering themselves from above with their large shields except those at the front. The enemy were now wrapped in shields to the front, side and above and were stationary as the chariots stormed by firing arrows into them.
As the first wave of chariots returned to their own line and slowed, more spears were passed to those on board, they gratefully accepted them grinning manically, shouting in their joy at killing the men who had come to take their land. The warriors on foot cheered again knowing that the great machine that had come to kill them was at last vulnerable and bleeding.
Chapter Fifteen
Aulus Plautius watched from his vantage point on the raised platform, even from his position the roar of the enemy was like that of a huge beast as it yelled for the blood of his soldiers. He signalled to the senior centurion again and gave the order for cavalry on the wings to advance. The Cornicen sounded the charge which was repeated by other trumpeters strategically placed amongst the infantry and the cavalry bolted forward, their target the men and horses of the chariots.
He watched as the leading cavalrymen drew their large swords, dust obscured the view clearly, already thrown up by the barbarian’s chariots and the fastest riders disappeared into the murk in no time. Swords colliding and shouts drowned the screams of the enemy previously heard encouraging their warriors as a trumpet cut the air sounding the infantry to advance once more.
Plautius was confident of his Legions ability especially on open ground where the enemy had chosen to meet his men. Initially frustrated that the Britons had not come to within range of his ballista, he now smiled looking down as he saw Vespasian draw his sword and start shouting to this men. Plautius felt the blood rush through his veins as he watched them advance wishing he could take to the field.
The Britons weren’t the only ones to receive reinforcements overnight as the Second Augusta had now been joined by two other legions, the Fourteenth Gemina and Twentieth legions flanked either side of the Vespasian’s Second Augusta as they marched forward. The General felt the hairs rise on the back on his neck and he wondered what it must be like to face this enormous wall of shields, swords and javelins.
Caratacus looked on through the dust kicked up by the chariots and signalled for them to retreat back to his lines. Rumbling made the ground tremor as the first of them returned closely followed by the pursuing Roman cavalry. He gave a signal and slingers launched their shot as rounded stones flew high into the air. Some of the missiles were naturally rounded rock, others hardened baked clay made for war.
He saw one of the mounted soldiers hit squarely in the face, blood splattered from his crushed nose and he fell off the back of his horse and hit the ground hard tumbling. He was hit by another horse and then another before he lay still unconscious and no doubt badly wounded. He lost sight of him amongst others horses as other missiles started to land. Horses reared and tried to swerve and turn panicked by the accuracy of the stones as they hit their heads and bodies as well as their riders. Pelting them like rain some animals actually began to turn, those not hit realising the danger as the noise of the speeding stones flew passed them or thudded into the ground or hit those nearby.
Arrows now joined the avalanche launched by the slingers and more of the enemy fell. One man was pierced through a gap of his chain mail armour near his shoulder and fell backward but somehow managed to stay on his horse as it veered, kicked and turned its eyes wild in panic, nostrils flaring. Britons now ran forward and attacked the cavalrymen who had been knocked from their mounts, they were butchered and their weapons taken, a few soldiers ran back towards their own lines vanishing into the clouds of dust. The cavalry turned and retreated, battered and bruised to tumultuous cheers behind them.
For a short time a quiet descended over the battlefield but it didn’t last long. As the Roman infantry advanced through the dust the banging of swords on shields became the resounding noise that took over from all other sounds. The blare of trumpets somewhere in the distance was the only other thing that pierced the drumming as orders were given by the unseen ranks.
The enemy looked like something unearthly as they marched out of the settling dust. Caratacus could see Roman Eagles dispersed at regular intervals behind the rows and gave a signal for his chariots to charge again. Now he knew that they didn’t face just one Roman Legion but his forces were already committed and to retreat would mean certain destruction.
This time it was the turn of the Dobunni as they rode their chariots as they had been ordered and headed straight into the enemy lines, two thirds along their front on the left. The slingers pebbles rattled off shields as arrows dug into them. Horses smashed into the shield wall and chariots ran over legionaries as more joined them. The men aboard the small two wheeled chariots lashed out with spears at the now stationary startled men trying to deflect blows with their large shields, others leapt clear and individual fights broke out all around.
Caratacus ordered his infantry forward and the men and women ran howling like banshees as they sprinted to join the battle. The entire Roman line now paused as more trumpets sounded somewhere in the distance. The Britons hit the flat line but didn’t all push into it as they had done before, Caratacus had learned a bitter lesson the previous day. As they tried to hold their ground a column of charging warriors punched into the wall where the chariots had already created a large gap in the previously solid row of shields.
On the extremities of the main battle the Roman cavalry charged again trying to outflank the Britons and come at them from the rear but were hampered by the sheer numbers and the tree line which abruptly halted their advance. Unable to attack from the back, the cavalry fell onto the sides of the Britons but were hit again by the slingers who targeted them with deadly accurate fire. Man and horse were hit with the projectiles again and again as the lethal missiles took their toll.