The Battle On The Ice - Lake Peipus April 5, 1242

05/28/20 • 87 min

2 Listeners

Let's go back to the time of the Mongols, Lord Novgorod The Great, and the Teutonic Knights. To the frozen landscape and icy lakes fo a medieval spring. To a time when the Pope in Rome wanted nothing more than to force the known world to follow the Latin Creed. To a time when Russia was nothing more than a dream, far in the distant future. In this episode of Cauldron, let's go back to the Battle On The Ice April 5th, 1242.

This has been one of the more exciting battles I have covered in Cauldron to date. The high drama of Teutonic Knights crashing into the brave Russian peasantry suddenly crashing, man and horse alike, into the icy waters of Lake Peipus, is so cinematic it belongs on the bog screen (likely the only place it has ever existed.) The real battle was so unimportant at the time that one contemporary chronicler noted of the year 1242, "Nothing happened." The real fight was a brutal, deadly little melee on the side of the lake that ended abruptly when the Crusaders broke under heavy flanking horse-archery. There was a chase on the ice, and some horses and men may have broken through the ice, but Esientsien's vision is not likely to have been the result.

Producer's Note: This episode was recorded without a script in an attempt to speed up the production process. Working just from notes and ideas was a new and stressful experience, but scriptwriting takes days, this episode took days from record compiling to release. Not sure how I like it yet, any constructive feedback is appreciated - [email protected] or DM in on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook. Thank you for listening and for your help!

Maine Source - Lake Peipus 1242: Battle of the Ice (Osprey Military Campaign Series, #46) by David Nicolle

Artwork by terrybogard392 on Fiverr

Music - from Youtube's Free Library

Check the show out on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook just search Cauldron

Listen on Spotify here and Apple here

Maine Source - Lake Peipus 1242: Battle of the Ice (Osprey Military Campaign Series, #46) by David Nicolle

Artwork by terrybogard392 on Fiverr

Music - from Youtube's Free Library

Check the show out on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook just search Cauldron

Listen on Spotify here and Apple here

Previous Episode

Cameron Stewart Baird, VC, MG (7 June 1981 – 22 June 2013)

This episode is in honor of ANZAC Day and serves as a salute to Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations". This week I'm sharing an extraordinary story requested by Patreon Producer and friend Tim from Australia. This was the first of the Patron Producer episodes, and it covers the life and heroics of Cameron Stewart Baird, VC, MG (7 June 1981 – 22 June 2013).

An excerpt from his VC citation reads as follows "For the most conspicuous acts of valour, extreme devotion to duty and ultimate self-sacrifice at Ghawchak village, Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, as a Commando Team Commander in Special Operations Task Group on Operation SLIPPER.

On 22 June 2013, a commando platoon of the Special Operations Task Group, with partners from the Afghan National Security Forces, conducted a helicopter assault into Ghawchak village, Uruzgan province, in order to attack an insurgent network deep within enemy-held territory. Shortly after insertion, Corporal Baird’s team was engaged by small arms fire from several enemy positions. Corporal Baird quickly seized the initiative, leading his team to neutralise the positions, killing six enemy combatants and enabling the assault to continue.

Soon afterwards, an adjacent Special Operations Task Group team came under heavy enemy fire, resulting in its commander being seriously wounded. Without hesitation, Corporal Baird led his team to provide support. En route, he and his team were engaged by rifle and machine gun fire from prepared enemy positions. With complete disregard for his own safety, Corporal Baird charged towards the enemy positions, supported by his team. On nearing the positions, he and his team were engaged by additional enemy on their flank. Instinctively, Corporal Baird neutralised the new threat with grenades and rifle fire, enabling his team to close with the prepared position. With the prepared position now isolated, Corporal Baird maneuvered and was engaged by enemy machine gun fire, the bullets striking the ground around him..."

Next Episode

Interview - Matthew Parker Author of Monte Cassino - The Hardest-Fought Battle of World War II

This past Sunday, Matthew Parker, author of Monte Cassino - The Hardest-Fought Battle of World War II, and I talked about his excellent history of one of WWII's least talked about battles. I had told him the whole thing would run about 45 minutes, and he was patient and gracious enough to give me over an hour of his time. Our chat ranged from his early days as a ghostwriter to the most exciting moments of Monte Cassino and beyond. Matthew has a natural, conversational way of delivering facts and history that comes through in his writing just as much as it does in this interview.

The book is fantastic. I'm not just saying it to please the author (although he's a great guy, and I'm not above such things!). I came to Monte Cassino with little knowledge of the battle other than the monastery was destroyed, and it was something of a fiasco on the part of the Allies. The stories Matthew tells - of Italian peasants having little but still giving food and sustenance to weary soldiers on both sides, of Gurkhas from half a world away fighting in the icy Italian mountains, of brave but exhausted German infantrymen writing letters to fathers on the Eastern Front, of men (with women in support roles) fighting on the very precipice of human endurance. From start to finish, this book is jammed with fascinating details, first-person accounts, and the kinds of stories of battle that can only be true. If you are looking for an introduction to the "Hardest-Fought Battle of World War II," look no further.

Click the link to buy the book

http://www.matthewparker.co.uk/buyonlineoptions.php

Click the link to visit the website

http://www.matthewparker.co.uk