JeffF.
May 1st,2009, 12:11 AM
Battle of Dagorlad
Sauron’s forces also are implied to have evolved. Earlier in the SA his forces refused to face the Numenorean armament and at Dagorlad they did. His forces must have gained confidence and strength. Sauron likely had been able to raise the largest orc armies since those that faced the Host of the Valar and reinforced these with men (Easterlings and Haradrim) including a few Black Numenoreans led by Herumor and Fuinor who also gained great power over the Haradrim. The Black Numenoreans must have added to the quality of the arms and armor of the Haradrim and would serve as a core around which the other men would rally. Sauron’s force would not be as powerful as that of Morgoth, even if you assume that it was close to it in size, because he lacked the Balrogs of whom the Nazgul were only pale imitations of (and also they were far fewer in number than Morgoth’s Balrogs). Sauron also lacked the numerous cold-drakes, fire-drakes and flying dragons that his master could control. The “All Living Things…” statement seems to imply that some of the surviving dragons must have fought that day, the description of the Breaking of Thangorodrim shows that most of these were destroyed (appendix of LOTR states that some survived in the far north of ME).
One might wonder why Gil-Galad and Elendil spent several years at Imladris preparing their army and speaking as a soldier I would submit ‘logistics’ as the reason. Tolkein states in one of his History of ME notes that there was never a great store of food in ME (which explains why there appears to be such a low population density in ME). The host of Gil-Galad and Elendil must have numbered nearly 100,000 when finally joined with the Silvan elves, Dwarves and Army of Gondor which with the horses of the army would have required hundreds of tons of food and fodder a day. Tolkein also states that the “Brown Lands” were named such because of Sauron’s ‘Scorched Earth’ policy as he razed the lands through which the Alliance would have to advance. The left (East) bank of Anduin River would therefore not be able to support (feed and water) an advancing army. Gil-Galad and Elendil would therefore have to make logistical preparations for their army, the largest fielded by the Free Peoples, since the host of the Valar. These preparations would have included (but not limited to) getting the Dwarves of Khazad-Dum to build barges to carry supplies down Anduin River, contracting with the men and elves along Anduin to provide food and fodder, and coordinating with the Anarion in Gondor for the provision of stores along the right (West) bank of the river up to Cair Andros. Anarion would have to undertake operations in North Ithilien to repair the road to the Black Gate, build and garrison forts which would serve as depots (for supplies) to support the advance when the Alliance Army would have to leave the river and make its way overland to Dagorlad. When one remembers that Tolkein stated that the distance between the Shire and Mordor is about the same distance between England and Bulgaria you get a better idea of the scope, scale and challenge that logistics for such a huge host faced.
Sauron would also have attempted to give himself as many advantages as possible, through collaborators and spies he would try to sew dissent or fear among the various armies, perhaps trying to get contingents to return home or prevent them from every mobilizing (like the Men of Dunharrow) or to get men to turn traitor in the midst of battle (as the Easterlings did at the Battle of Unnumbered Tears). Sauron would use spies and animal allies to scout out the strength of his enemies. He would prepare forces to surprise the Alliance by positioning them for flanking attacks and preparing tunnels through the Ash Mountains on either side of the Black Gate (which at this time did not have the Gondor built Towers of Teeth defenses) to enable him to make sudden sorties on either side of the gate and preventing his forces from being bottlenecked as they issue out of the Black Gate itself. Sauron’s forces would be most effective if he could get the men, elves and dwarves to break their mass formation (which like phalanxes would be all but impregnable), he would prepare some machination to entice contingents to burst forth in sudden wrath and break the integrity of their protective formations (as Morgoth did prior to the Battle of Unnumbered Tears) allowing his orcs and men to melee among the Alliance soldiers.
In my imagination (prepare yourself for Fan Fiction) I see the battle starting with the Alliance forces en masse before the Black Gate with the Dwarves and Noldor cavalry in reserve and Alliance horse archers on the Eastern Flank and to the rear to warn of any approaching Sauron forces. Sauron begins with seemingly great force before the gate with groups of heralds before them with hostages whom they kill within sight of the Alliance attempting to lure them into attacking. The High Elves and Dunedain are too disciplined and the High Elves are familiar with this strategm and hold fast but the Silvan elves and their Sindarin lords, though warned by Gil-Galad, are too fiery and cannot take seeing the murder of their captured loved ones and rush out to attack (as described in UT). The battle becomes general as Gil-Galad and Elendil must advance to support the Silvan hosts because they cannot stand aside as their allies are slaughtered. Sauron sorties his main force through the Black Gate and the tunnels on either side as well as launching a flank attack by Easterlings advancing against the Alliance Left and Rear. Sauron’s dwarf host and his Black Numenoreans, all driven forward by the Nazgul, are particularly effective due to their superb weapons and cause some dismay. The Easterlings are delayed by the horse archers of the host and then engaged by the Noldor cavalry who were also held back for just such an occurrence. Durin leading his folk out of reserve (“Barak Khazad Khazad Aimenu! – Axes of the Dwarves, the Dwarves are upon you!” – Gimli’s battle cry from TT) throw the dwarf allies of Sauron into confusion and they refuse to fight the dwarves of their eldest Father; some turn on their previous orc allies while others march off unmolested by either side in close formation. Sauron loosed his last reserves, Trolls and a few Drakes issue forth from the Black Gate, wargs and wolves from the tunnels, Evil birds fly overhead and are joined by the few flying dragons Sauron has persuaded to his cause. The sudden onslaught rocks the Alliance host. Evil birds and flying dragons overhead are engaged by the Eagles and a couple of dragons who fight for the Alliance (more for hatred of Sauron’s dragons than any love for the Alliance). The Ents, because of Sauron’s destruction of the Entwives lands (The Brown Lands), unknown to the Alliance, have positioned themselves to intervene when their hated rivals the Trolls appear (Sauron used them to raze the Brown Lands). Forces of both sides move aside as the Ents charge against the Trolls who crumble before the rage of their more powerful adversaries. Bears, friends of the Silvan elves, (perhaps shape shifters like Beorn leading them) check the advance of the wolves and wargs. Sauron’s forces fall back in dismay even the Nazgul flee before the power of Glorfindel who leads the few elves like him who have the power bestowed by the Light of Aman. Sauron’s Captain – the High Nazgul - attempts to defend the Black Gate to hold the narrow passage and might have succeeded when suddenly a band of rebel orcs with a few Trolls who have joined them sortie from a tunnel flanking the Black Gate. These orcs are survivors of the previously unknown orc tradition of infanticide for goblin imps who are born without classic orc physical characteristics, they have nothing to lose as they are hated by all sides but due to the leadership of some unknown orc chieftain among them they vent their own hatred and fear against their orc kin. The Dark Lord’s defense at the Gate is broken and his forces stream back along the road to Bard-dur while his beast and dragon allies abandon him and his cause. [My description attempts to account for all of the statements written by Tolkein regarding the Battle of Dagorlad]
The battle itself would be the second largest ever fought in ME, larger than the Battle of Unnumbered Tears and second only to the battle where the Host of the Valar vanquished Morgoth and his armies. The “All living things were divided that day…” statement implies that the battle was fought in a single day. Taken as fact and combined with the result that Sauron was driven into Mordor to suffer siege within Barad-dur indicates that this was a decisive victory for the Alliance albeit very costly (as UT describes the casualties of the Silvan elves and LOTR description of the Dead Marshes). This is not surprising given the quality and size of the Numenorean and High Elven armies and their allies.
The second greatest battle in ME was a decisive victory over Sauron but led to the indecision of the long siege, resolved only when Sauron himself issued forth in a last attempt to achieve victory by engaging his enemy leaders in personal combat.
Sauron’s forces also are implied to have evolved. Earlier in the SA his forces refused to face the Numenorean armament and at Dagorlad they did. His forces must have gained confidence and strength. Sauron likely had been able to raise the largest orc armies since those that faced the Host of the Valar and reinforced these with men (Easterlings and Haradrim) including a few Black Numenoreans led by Herumor and Fuinor who also gained great power over the Haradrim. The Black Numenoreans must have added to the quality of the arms and armor of the Haradrim and would serve as a core around which the other men would rally. Sauron’s force would not be as powerful as that of Morgoth, even if you assume that it was close to it in size, because he lacked the Balrogs of whom the Nazgul were only pale imitations of (and also they were far fewer in number than Morgoth’s Balrogs). Sauron also lacked the numerous cold-drakes, fire-drakes and flying dragons that his master could control. The “All Living Things…” statement seems to imply that some of the surviving dragons must have fought that day, the description of the Breaking of Thangorodrim shows that most of these were destroyed (appendix of LOTR states that some survived in the far north of ME).
One might wonder why Gil-Galad and Elendil spent several years at Imladris preparing their army and speaking as a soldier I would submit ‘logistics’ as the reason. Tolkein states in one of his History of ME notes that there was never a great store of food in ME (which explains why there appears to be such a low population density in ME). The host of Gil-Galad and Elendil must have numbered nearly 100,000 when finally joined with the Silvan elves, Dwarves and Army of Gondor which with the horses of the army would have required hundreds of tons of food and fodder a day. Tolkein also states that the “Brown Lands” were named such because of Sauron’s ‘Scorched Earth’ policy as he razed the lands through which the Alliance would have to advance. The left (East) bank of Anduin River would therefore not be able to support (feed and water) an advancing army. Gil-Galad and Elendil would therefore have to make logistical preparations for their army, the largest fielded by the Free Peoples, since the host of the Valar. These preparations would have included (but not limited to) getting the Dwarves of Khazad-Dum to build barges to carry supplies down Anduin River, contracting with the men and elves along Anduin to provide food and fodder, and coordinating with the Anarion in Gondor for the provision of stores along the right (West) bank of the river up to Cair Andros. Anarion would have to undertake operations in North Ithilien to repair the road to the Black Gate, build and garrison forts which would serve as depots (for supplies) to support the advance when the Alliance Army would have to leave the river and make its way overland to Dagorlad. When one remembers that Tolkein stated that the distance between the Shire and Mordor is about the same distance between England and Bulgaria you get a better idea of the scope, scale and challenge that logistics for such a huge host faced.
Sauron would also have attempted to give himself as many advantages as possible, through collaborators and spies he would try to sew dissent or fear among the various armies, perhaps trying to get contingents to return home or prevent them from every mobilizing (like the Men of Dunharrow) or to get men to turn traitor in the midst of battle (as the Easterlings did at the Battle of Unnumbered Tears). Sauron would use spies and animal allies to scout out the strength of his enemies. He would prepare forces to surprise the Alliance by positioning them for flanking attacks and preparing tunnels through the Ash Mountains on either side of the Black Gate (which at this time did not have the Gondor built Towers of Teeth defenses) to enable him to make sudden sorties on either side of the gate and preventing his forces from being bottlenecked as they issue out of the Black Gate itself. Sauron’s forces would be most effective if he could get the men, elves and dwarves to break their mass formation (which like phalanxes would be all but impregnable), he would prepare some machination to entice contingents to burst forth in sudden wrath and break the integrity of their protective formations (as Morgoth did prior to the Battle of Unnumbered Tears) allowing his orcs and men to melee among the Alliance soldiers.
In my imagination (prepare yourself for Fan Fiction) I see the battle starting with the Alliance forces en masse before the Black Gate with the Dwarves and Noldor cavalry in reserve and Alliance horse archers on the Eastern Flank and to the rear to warn of any approaching Sauron forces. Sauron begins with seemingly great force before the gate with groups of heralds before them with hostages whom they kill within sight of the Alliance attempting to lure them into attacking. The High Elves and Dunedain are too disciplined and the High Elves are familiar with this strategm and hold fast but the Silvan elves and their Sindarin lords, though warned by Gil-Galad, are too fiery and cannot take seeing the murder of their captured loved ones and rush out to attack (as described in UT). The battle becomes general as Gil-Galad and Elendil must advance to support the Silvan hosts because they cannot stand aside as their allies are slaughtered. Sauron sorties his main force through the Black Gate and the tunnels on either side as well as launching a flank attack by Easterlings advancing against the Alliance Left and Rear. Sauron’s dwarf host and his Black Numenoreans, all driven forward by the Nazgul, are particularly effective due to their superb weapons and cause some dismay. The Easterlings are delayed by the horse archers of the host and then engaged by the Noldor cavalry who were also held back for just such an occurrence. Durin leading his folk out of reserve (“Barak Khazad Khazad Aimenu! – Axes of the Dwarves, the Dwarves are upon you!” – Gimli’s battle cry from TT) throw the dwarf allies of Sauron into confusion and they refuse to fight the dwarves of their eldest Father; some turn on their previous orc allies while others march off unmolested by either side in close formation. Sauron loosed his last reserves, Trolls and a few Drakes issue forth from the Black Gate, wargs and wolves from the tunnels, Evil birds fly overhead and are joined by the few flying dragons Sauron has persuaded to his cause. The sudden onslaught rocks the Alliance host. Evil birds and flying dragons overhead are engaged by the Eagles and a couple of dragons who fight for the Alliance (more for hatred of Sauron’s dragons than any love for the Alliance). The Ents, because of Sauron’s destruction of the Entwives lands (The Brown Lands), unknown to the Alliance, have positioned themselves to intervene when their hated rivals the Trolls appear (Sauron used them to raze the Brown Lands). Forces of both sides move aside as the Ents charge against the Trolls who crumble before the rage of their more powerful adversaries. Bears, friends of the Silvan elves, (perhaps shape shifters like Beorn leading them) check the advance of the wolves and wargs. Sauron’s forces fall back in dismay even the Nazgul flee before the power of Glorfindel who leads the few elves like him who have the power bestowed by the Light of Aman. Sauron’s Captain – the High Nazgul - attempts to defend the Black Gate to hold the narrow passage and might have succeeded when suddenly a band of rebel orcs with a few Trolls who have joined them sortie from a tunnel flanking the Black Gate. These orcs are survivors of the previously unknown orc tradition of infanticide for goblin imps who are born without classic orc physical characteristics, they have nothing to lose as they are hated by all sides but due to the leadership of some unknown orc chieftain among them they vent their own hatred and fear against their orc kin. The Dark Lord’s defense at the Gate is broken and his forces stream back along the road to Bard-dur while his beast and dragon allies abandon him and his cause. [My description attempts to account for all of the statements written by Tolkein regarding the Battle of Dagorlad]
The battle itself would be the second largest ever fought in ME, larger than the Battle of Unnumbered Tears and second only to the battle where the Host of the Valar vanquished Morgoth and his armies. The “All living things were divided that day…” statement implies that the battle was fought in a single day. Taken as fact and combined with the result that Sauron was driven into Mordor to suffer siege within Barad-dur indicates that this was a decisive victory for the Alliance albeit very costly (as UT describes the casualties of the Silvan elves and LOTR description of the Dead Marshes). This is not surprising given the quality and size of the Numenorean and High Elven armies and their allies.
The second greatest battle in ME was a decisive victory over Sauron but led to the indecision of the long siege, resolved only when Sauron himself issued forth in a last attempt to achieve victory by engaging his enemy leaders in personal combat.