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***Gilthalion*** · 01-30-2001, 11:34 AM

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Re: the Picture

I tend to think (as I mentioned before) that the siege was more strategic than tactical.

Siege engines would have an easier time from the TOP of a cliff, than from the BOTTOM of a valley. Hence, the importance of keeping the location of the valley itself secret. Elrond evidently had power enough to make discovery difficult beyond the happy circumstances of geography. (Witness Gandalf's difficulties in THE HOBBIT...)

Nevertheless, Sauron could be expected to make a good guess, good enough to besiege/blockade the region and prevent such strength as Elrond had from leaving the area. A strategic siege rather than a tactical one.

It might take a Gandalf (or a Sauron) to pierce the Girdle of Elrond (!) and certainly Sauron could not divert attention away from the main battle for that sort of thing.

I can, however, recall an episode of war with some topographical similarity.

During the stalemated trench warfare of WWI, England sent a small fleet of obsolete craft through the Dardanelles, a narrow straight of water held by Turkish gunners in fortifications high atop the overlooking cliffs.

Despite the advantage of height, the Turks did not have firepower enough to shoot the vessels as they passed in the center of the straight (valley). The ships however, had firepower enough to utterly demolish the Turkish fortifications, which they did.

(The plan would have worked, had the Admiral and the General on the scene stuck with the gameplan, but instead, they turned tail at the first mine, dug new trenches, and recreated the stalemate at Galipoli...)

If there were a real live rootin' tootin' shootin' seige, perhaps superior skills in the arts of war could have held Rivendell long against the second string team (numerous as they undoubtedly were) that Sauron sent against them.

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01-30-2001, 11:34 AM	#29
*Gilthalion* Hobbitus Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: South Farthing Posts: 635	<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Pile o' Bones Posts: 18</TD><TD><img src=http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000/gilspin.gif WIDTH=60 HEIGHT=60></TD></TR></TABLE> Re: the Picture I tend to think (as I mentioned before) that the siege was more strategic than tactical. Siege engines would have an easier time from the TOP of a cliff, than from the BOTTOM of a valley. Hence, the importance of keeping the location of the valley itself secret. Elrond evidently had power enough to make discovery difficult beyond the happy circumstances of geography. (Witness Gandalf's difficulties in THE HOBBIT...) Nevertheless, Sauron could be expected to make a good guess, good enough to besiege/blockade the region and prevent such strength as Elrond had from leaving the area. A strategic siege rather than a tactical one. It might take a Gandalf (or a Sauron) to pierce the Girdle of Elrond (!) and certainly Sauron could not divert attention away from the main battle for that sort of thing. I can, however, recall an episode of war with some topographical similarity. During the stalemated trench warfare of WWI, England sent a small fleet of obsolete craft through the Dardanelles, a narrow straight of water held by Turkish gunners in fortifications high atop the overlooking cliffs. Despite the advantage of height, the Turks did not have firepower enough to shoot the vessels as they passed in the center of the straight (valley). The ships however, had firepower enough to utterly demolish the Turkish fortifications, which they did. (The plan would have worked, had the Admiral and the General on the scene stuck with the gameplan, but instead, they turned tail at the first mine, dug new trenches, and recreated the stalemate at Galipoli...) If there were a real live rootin' tootin' shootin' seige, perhaps superior skills in the arts of war could have held Rivendell long against the second string team (numerous as they undoubtedly were) that Sauron sent against them. <center> *~~~http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000My Bare Bones Webpage</a>~~~* </center></p> __________________ Please read my fan fiction novel THE HOBBITS. Wanna hear me read Tolkien? Gilthalion's Grand Adventures!