Legio XVII: Battle of the Danube (20 page)

It was an unfortunate fact of life that approximately one of every 20 men in a Legion did not attend daily training.  Some were sick or injured while most other absentees were assigned rotating duties in the workshops, stables, barracks, or were on the walls as guards.  Latrines and barns had to be cleaned daily; barracks swept; equipment repaired or built; wood cut, carried, and ash disposed of.  Each Legion also traveled with skilled iron workers, tanners and leather craftsmen, administrators, and carpenters who did not participate in training.

Manius assigned experienced staff members and veteran Centurions to assist the four Suevi Legions to become an effective fighting force.  These advisors worked with the Suevi leaders to develop an organizational model and fighting style similar to that of the Romans.  They established a proper staff for each of the four Legions and qualified trainers to train their own men.

Additionally, Roman training detachments worked with each Suevi Legion to harden the men physically, to teach them to effectively wield their swords, pila, and shields, and to maneuver as a force in concert with other Legions.  Complicating this was the fact that new Suevi recruits were joining the force every day and each new man took about six weeks to train.

The Romans working with the Suevi noticed that they could not hold their shields for any length of time.  Their arm muscles were not strong enough to hoist and wield the 22 pounds (9.9kg) for more than a few minutes.  Similarly, the Roman gladius weights 1.7 pounds (.77kg), but feels much heavier the longer it is held.  Strengthening the hands, arms, and shoulders became the top priority.

Before departing Rome, the Expedition Staff Tribune in charge of Training visited Campus Martius to observe new recruit training.  He wanted to see firsthand the latest training techniques employed by the Recruit Training Center.  The Proconsul had tasked him to establish an Expedition Training Center at Bad Tolz consisting of 10 stations and to cycle each Legion through the Center for a two week period.

Once at Bad Tolz, the Tribune set about creating the Training Center modeled on the one at Campus Martius.  First, he identified the required space and reserved a large track of land about two miles (3.2km) north of the encampment.  Then he tasked the Legions to provide personnel for a permanent training cadre and soldiers to help build the Center, which was completed in 10 days.  A rotation schedule was developed to cycle the Legions through the Center.  Competition among units was integrated into everything.  The stations consisted of:

Sword attacks against a stationary target to build arm strength and endurance

One on one shield boxing to develop dexterity and confidence with the shield

Throwing the pilum at various distances to develop accuracy and strength

One on one mock combat with shield and wooden swords

Running an obstacles course while throwing the pilum and striking targets with the sword

Timed 20 miles (32km) marches in full battle gear

Rotating personnel among the files of the Hastati

Maniple on Maniple mock battles with wooden swords

Legion battle formation with horn signals

Individual testing and assessment of each soldier’s strengths and weaknesses

The Proconsul was on hand as the first Legion began its cycle through the Center.  As he watched, he realized that one more station needed to be added to the existing 10.  He called for the Tribune-in-Charge and said, “We’re missing a very important training station.  We know that the Teutons have about 5,000 archers and are armed with short throwing spears.  The men need to hear and feel the effects of an arrow storm and spears hitting their position.  Work with Snake on this.”

“I envision an initial demonstration for the men whereby some of your instructors are placed in a field about 200 yards (182.8m) from the archers.  They demonstrate how to properly crouch behind the shield for maximum protection, which means squat or sit otherwise Legionaries may take an arrow in the legs or foot.  Teach them not to kneel.  Once the men understand the principle, march them into the field.  Use only blunt arrows.  No sharp points.  The same for the spears; remove the points.  I want the men to hear and feel what it’s like when hundreds of arrows are striking the ground all around them and impacting their shields.  They must have confidence in their shields and learn to take this threat in stride.  Let me know when you plan to run the first group through this station.  I want to see it.”

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While the camp was still under construction, the Camp Commandant, Sergius, talked to Manius about the Legionaries’ Recreation Center, which he planned to build just outside the walls of the fort.  In a rapid fire staccato manner, Sergius said, “We plan to build a large meeting hall where the soldiers and the girls can sit and talk.  Behind the hall, there will be 200 individual rooms for personal use.  Behind the hall, but still within the walls of the complex, we will have 400 small huts to accommodate the girls when they are not working.  Each 10 huts will have a latrine close by.  One building will house the cooks and provide a place for the girls to eat.  The entire complex will be enclosed within a wall and located close to one of the many streams in the area for water and bathing.”

“I have already informed the Legions to provide a full Maniple on a rotating basis to provide guards, to cut fire wood for the complex, to maintain order, and to be prepared to fight any fires.  There will be only one gate, which will be manned at all times.”

“I have talked to Davenhardt about the girls.  We will pay the families a six months lump sum and the girls on a monthly basis.  The Legionaries will probably provide tips as well.”

“The word about our requirement is being spread in the settlements up and down the river.  The refugees appear to be the most interested.  They are being told to go to Jenbach to receive their pay.  A Suevi Paymaster is there with a heavy guard and Roman supervisors.  The Paymaster will stay until he gets 400 women. Wagons will transport the women to the camp as they sign up.  Suevi soldiers will accompany each wagon convoy of 50 girls to provide the necessary help for their four day trip to Bad Tolz.  The girls and families will be told that this is a six month commitment.”

“The gates of the Recreation Center will close at 9:00 P.M. and all troops must be in their 10-man huts by 10:00 P.M.  Centurions and above may spend the night with the girls if they so desire.”

“First call for the troops will be at 6:00 A.M. The duty day will run from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.  The watch towers out in the fields will be manned during daylight hours only and three Maniples will stand guard on the walls each night.  These men will be excused from training the following day.  Each Maniple will leave one man in the camp to guard the Maniples property.  Soldiers too sick to train will report to the hospital between 6:00 A.M. and 9:00.”

“Proconsul, do you have any questions?”

Manius simply said, “Proceed.”  It’s not that he disapproved of the way he ran the camp, he just couldn’t find anything to like about him.  Manius then chided himself; “I must be more appreciative of him; he is doing a very efficient job.”

“Sergius!” Manius called as Sergius was leaving his office.  “I appreciate the job you’re doing.  I’m glad you’re here.  By the way, I’d like you to set up a system to collect any letters the Legionaries want to send back to Rome.  As a suggestion, the individual Legions can collect the letters and give them to you for consolidation and eventual shipment back to Rome.  But note, nothing leaves this camp until we begin offensive operation in June.”

Feeding his troops was at the top of Manius’ to do list.  He was briefed daily on the status of the grain reserve.  Wagons came over the Alps with grain and other food items from the Roman fort at Patavium until the Pass was closed by the weather.  This food was supposedly for the refugees, but actually destined for Bad Tolz.  Bethica’s agreements with neighboring Tribes to the east and west to supply grain and other food stuff continued to roll in.  Suevi soldiers would meet the wagons at Jenbach and then drive them to Bad Tolz to maintain camp security.  Archers went out every day and hunted for game to add variety to the soldiers’ diet.  Food was a constant and never ending concern among the leaders and required their personal attention.  The Roman Pay Master who travelled with the Legions and brought with him boxes of coins paid the men every four months.  He also funded the Suevi and Raeti Legions as well as numerous other projects.

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The temperatures at Bad Tolz were not conducive for uninterrupted training, so the schedule was modified each day according to the weather:

In December the temperature hovered between -3C (26.6F) and 3C (37.4F).

January was particularly cold -4C (24.8F) to 3C (37.4F).

February was much like December -3C (26.6F) to 5C (41F).

In March the weather improved significantly 1C (33.8F) to 10C (50F).

April was much like northern Italy 4C (39.2F) to15C (59F).

Since Proconsul Tullus planned to begin operations in June, May was the last month to intensify training and, while wetter, the temperature was a perfect 9C (48.2F) to 20C (68F).

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During this constant activity, Elitovius, Proconsul Tullus’ spy master, had been busy collecting intelligence from numerous agents that he had sent north during November.  When the Legions turned eastward at Vipiteno in early November, he and his Raeti counterparts had continued over the Brenner Pass to Innsbruck.  There they linked up with their Suevi counterparts and began the critical task of recruiting Suevi refugees to return north to observe and report on Teuton activity.  They were paid in Suevi barter items, but it was Roman sesterces that funded these operations.

After one month of intensive searching, Elitovius felt he had identified about 90% of the men recruited as Teuton spies that were operating in and around Innsbruck.  The game now was to keep these men in the dark concerning the buildup of Roman troops and to feed them plausible reasons for what they were seeing.  These men were not trained spies so it was easy for Elitovius to keep tabs on them and provide them with believable yet false information.

The Suevi Army, for example, was recruiting intensely among the refugees so it was reasonable that the growing Army would need vast quantities of food and weapons and be confined to a specific training area.  It would have been thought unusual if they were not taking these self defense measures.

It took Elitovius another month to identify the one man to whom all the spies reported.  He was a refugee from Regensburg by the name of Milo.  He had been a prominent and wealthy merchant before the Teuton invasion.  He was in his early 40s and easily yielded to the Teutons’ threats and bribery.  His family was kept in Regensburg as hostages to ensure his cooperation and loyalty.  He was a reluctant spy, but a spy nonetheless.  Elitovius had him watched throughout the day and night, but still had a strong suspicion that he had not yet identified all the spies that reported to him.

Elitovius and his Suevi counterparts decided to help Milo establish himself as a merchant in Innsbruck and even provided him with relief supplies to help get him started.  He was told that it would be beneficial to the refugees and the people in Innsbruck to have a successful merchant available in the settlement.  He was provided with a hut and workers.  The workers, of course, were Suevi who reported to Elitovius.

The 100 mile (160.9km) route from Innsbruck to Munich was passable for most of the year.  The road north followed a series of valleys that passed between towering mountains and exited on the north side of the Alps.  The road passed within 5 miles (8km) of the training camp at Bad Tolz, but any view of it was blocked by the forest.  Suevi guards also blocked all roads leading to the Training Center.

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In late December, Milo knew he had to make the trip to Munich to report his finding to his Teuton handler.  Shortly after the Teutons took control of Regensburg, he was escorted out of Regensburg to Munich and shown where to meet with his Teuton contact.  He was required to make this trip quarterly under the ruse of buying and selling goods to the refugees who clogged the roads.  His Suevi workers accompanied him and his three wagons full of merchandise.

Once he arrived in Munich, he reported to his Teuton agent, without his workers.  Milo told him, “Innsbruck is humming with activity.  The refugees are being resettled all over the valley; land is being cleared and roads improved.  There are wagon loads of relief aid streaming over the Passes and the leaders are heavily recruiting among the refugees to build a New Suevi Army.  The Raeti King even made a visit and brought along wagons of aid and herds of cattle.”