[LoGH] Bittenfeld, Black Lancers, + Black Cuirassiers at battle of Breitenfeld
Walter Amos (amos@sedl.org)
Sun, 27 May 2001 14:42:38 -0500 (CDT)
To take a break form the Pearl Harbor debate and get a little more back
on-topic while still retaining the "LoGH in real history" theme, here
is a very interesting historical reference which may serve as the basis
for some of the characterization of everyone's favorite red-headed
hothead on Reinhard's staff, Fritz Bittenfeld. Forwarded by my buddy,
LoGH fan and history buff, Robert Fenelon (whom I have unsuccessfully
urged to join this list several times...)
NOTE: Some spoilers for episode 15, "Battle at Amlitzer Starzone"
follow...
- - - - - - -
RE: Bitenfeld, Black Lancers, + Black Cuirassiers at battle of Breitenfeld
After watching LoGH a decade or so ago, I habitually
mispronounced the name of the red-haired, impulsive
commander of the Imperial Black Lancer Fleet. Instead
of "Bittenfeld" I used to mistakenly call him
"Breitenfeld" (After one of the most famous battle of
the Thirty Year's War).
I was recently reminded of this slip of the tongue
whilst reading an alternate-history SF novel set
during that most horrible of religious wars, "1632"
written by Eric Flint (Co-author of the popular
"Belisarius" series of alternate history SF novels,
and a first contact novel titled "Mother of Demons.")
RE: LoGH... Remember Bittenfeld's actions in the
battle at the end of the Alliance's failed invasion of
Imperial Space - the one where Reinhard's forces had
Yang's back to a star? (With Background music from
Dvorak's New World Symphony.) Bitenfeld thought he
saw a weakness in Yang's lines. Without calling his
boss, Bittenfeld abandoned Reinhard's battle plan and
attacked, moving his forces out of position...which
allowed Yang an opening to escape (Using a clever
variant of Reinhard's tactic on Planet Legmiza in the
pilot film).
I have spotted an incident in history which just might
have been an inspiration not only for that phase of
that battle, but might have also inspired that
impulsive Admiral's name.
Here goes...
A possible tie-in `tween LoGH and history occurred
while reading Eric Flint's alternate-history novel,
"1632".
The book contains a description of the battle of
Breitenfeld - a major turning point in World History -
where Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus's victory over
Count Tilly's Bohemian forces saved the Protestant
cause in Europe from the Hapsburg Emperor's Edict of
Restitution and the tender mercies of the Holy Office
of the Inquisition.
One of the reasons Count Tilly lost the battle of
Breitenfeld was that the impulsive commander of the
elite "Black Cuirassiers" cavalry unit precieved a
weakness in the Swedish lines and (without consulting
his boss) ordered a cavalry charge, ignoring Tilly's
battle plan. This left Tilly's left flank exposed and
that is precisely the opening Gustav II Adolf
exploited. The Swedish King's cavalry charge split
the Imperial Army, captured its artillery and turned
those cannons upon their own troops.
This reminds me of the climax of the Battle of
Amlitzer in LoGH, where the "Black Lancers" admiral
Bittenfeld diverged from Reinhard's plan to attack
Yang, giving "Miracle Yang" the opening he needed to
escape the siege.
- Robert Fenelon
PS:
- The Swedes went on to win the battle of Breitenfeld
which is now commemorated by a statue of the "Lion of
the North" bearing an inscription; "FREEDOM OF BELIEF
FOR THE WHOLE WORLD".
PPS:
- A few generations after Gustavus Adolphus, Sweden
produced another brilliant young warrior king who
might have made an excellent anime character, Charles
XII, the "Swedish Thunderbolt", the main adversary of
Russia's Tsar Peter(The Great) Romanoff.
- Charles XII's army was savaged by an exceptionally
brutal Russian winter (funny how they always seem to
coincide with foreign invasions - wonder if the god of
Winter dwells in Russia and disapproves of foreign
invaders?), and the remnants were crushed at the
battle of Poltava. The wounded Swedish monarch was
carried into the nearby Ottoman Empire where that
Christian king became a prisoner of the Islamic
Sultan.
Charles XII emerged as the third most powerful man in
the Empire, and constantly tried to get the Turks to
declare war on Russia. He was resented by the Grand
Vizier and some Imperial Generals, who plotted against
him.
Kind of reminded me a bit of Desslok of Gamilon at the
court of the Comet Empire with Princess Invidia and
Generals Dyre and Gorse conspiring against Leader D.
Dat's all for now.
Robert Fenelon
