Battles of the Third Age: Part Three

 The Battle of Helm's Deep

During the War of the Ring, Sauron focused his assault on Rohan and Gondor, two kingdoms of Men. Since Gondor was between Rohan and Mordor, the Dark Lord left the destruction of Rohan to his servant, Saruman the White. The White Wizard did two things to achieve this. First, he built an army of Uruk-Hai, selectively bred Orcs that were stronger and unharmed by sunlight. From his fortress at Isengard, Saruman created and armed thousands of Uruk-Hai that would serve no one other than himself. In addition to the army, Saruman also sought to weaken Rohan's king, Theoden. He did this by sending his servant, Gríma, to be the king's advisor. Gríma, otherwise known as Wormtongue, banished Theoden's nephew, Éomer, so that he couls not get in the way of his mission. But Saruman's nefarious plan was interrupted when four strangers came to the king's halls in Edoras, Rohan's capital. These visitors were Gandalf the White, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, and they forced Wormtongue out of Rohan. Because of this, Saruman deployed his army, which numbered at about three thousand strong. He also sent wild men from the hills of Dunland, who he had allied with. This army begun by attacking the Westfold, which was being defended by Erkenbrand. Theoden met with Éomer, mustered his army, and rushed to halt the invasion. But Erkenbrand's forces was no match for the invading Uruk-Hai, and were left broken and scattered before help could arrive. Learning this, Theoden brought his army to Helm's Deep, a gorge in the mountains which held the fortress known as the Hornburg. The Uruk-Hai found out and moved to attack the coomb. Gandalf did not take part in the defense, as he had to leave on an urgent errand. The attacking army soon reached the fortress, and the battle began. The Orcs attacked with ladders and battering rams, and the defenders returned with arrows and stones. The fight dragged on for hours until one point when a drainage gate was attacked. It had been previously fortified with heavy stones, as it was the Hornburg's only weakness. But the Uruk-Hai broke through with magic fires created by Saruman. The Orcs and wild men poured through the breach, and combined with the onslaught of ladders and grapples, beat back the men of Rohan into the fortress's keep. As dawn approached, defeat seemed imminent. Because of this, Theoden and Aragorn launched a bold counterattack; to kill as many enemies as possible in a blaze of glory. All of the remaining defenders mounted horses and poured out from the keep. The Uruk-Hai, who expected a desperate last stand, had readied their swords rather than their spears. Because of this, the invaders were woefully unprepared, and the calvary swept through the enemy hordes virtually unchallenged. At the same time, Gandalf attacked from the east with Erkenbrand and his force, so that the Orcs could not retreat there. The south was blocked by Huorns (a kind of Ent, that were more tree-like) from the Fangorn Forest. With no means of escape, Saruman's army was slaughtered, excluding a few wild men that surrendered. This victory, along with the destruction of Isengard at the hands of the Ents, meant that Saruman could no longer make war, and the forces of Men from both Rohan and Gondor could focus on the fight against Sauron and Mordor.