Our Draw in the first round put us slap in the middle of the pack, 14 VPs ranking us 2nd Equal with 2 other teams (so effectively just in the top half of the table), and resulting in Philip Abela & Andrew Hunter (who were similarly ranked 2nd equal) being our afternoon opponents. (If I recall correctly) Caesennius found himself defending Rome’s Eastern environs’ from encroaching invaders this battle! And the dastardly fiends had decided to attack along a River, no less! However this soon suited Caesennius, who found the edge of a suitable plain to encamp on, forcing the Egyptians to deploy in an area thick with Marshes and an Orchard, with the River running through their deployment area, and Vineyard on their flank next to the River. Continue reading “BC’08 Round 2: Kushite Egyptians 700BC”
BC’08 Round 1: Early German Cimbri & Tigurini Gallic Allies 102BC
On the first morning we drew Ivan Truong & Andrew Fergus for our initial game. The morning actually got off to a slow start with some fluffing around, and all 4 games being played in the first round probably lost about 20-30 minutes of game time, plus took excessively long to do terrain placement and deploy. Once underway Caesennius, the Roman C-in-C, soon managed to invade Germany for whatever reasons, we presume in the South-East perhaps? Anyhow, Caesennius managed to encamp on the edge of a German plain forcing the Cimbri to pitch tents in an area of poor terrain that was mostly Marsh (3 features of such in the German deployment area), while the Roman’s deployed on the adjacent open plain – but perhaps the Germans preferred being amongst the wet boggy muck and the joke was on Caesennius?! Continue reading “BC’08 Round 1: Early German Cimbri & Tigurini Gallic Allies 102BC”
BattleCry 2008 Introduction
Well another successful BattleCry has gone by and congratulations to Karen & the AMERICA team for organising a great event, and providing the usual copious amounts of “loot” for people to take home! Also thanks to Benny (Andrew Bennetts) for organising and umpiring the New Zealand 25mm DBMM Doubles – it’s always a trade off and occasionally a thankless task. The DBMM competition was thoroughly enjoyable and went really well in my opinion. Several players were reasonably new to DBMM but picked up things pretty well from what I saw, and the overall standard of army presentation was very good to excellent, and made all the games visually appealing to the greater extent. Continue reading “BattleCry 2008 Introduction”
Colonial & 19th Century Wars & Battles
The following is a brief list of all the main wars and conflicts in the 19th Century after the end of the Napoleonic Wars…While the earlier ones were fought little differently to the Napoleonic Wars, from around 1850 or so onwards they steadily changed as modern technology intervened in the form of Rifled & Breech loading guns, improved artillery, machine-guns, railways, the telegraph, steam powered ships, armoured ships, early torpedoes, battleships with centralised rotating guns instead of broadsides, and so on… By the end of the century the new rifles, machine-guns, indirect quick-fire fire artillery, dreadnought battleships with rotating armoured gun turrets, early motor vehicles, and more were in use, or about to enter production, and would eventually be the mainstay of the armies involved in the First World War 14 years later…
Fire & Sword in the Sudan: Epilogue
The campaign was concluded at this point. Although the Mahdists still hold a few towns in the west and south, their spirit and manpower is broken. On the other hand, the serious casualties suffered by Graham will limit his offensive capabilities until Herbert Stewart and John McNeill are able to bring their forces to bear on Kassala and the Western Sudan. By then, a General Election and growing Russian pressure on Afghanistan will justify the withdrawal of British forces from the region.
Fire & Sword in the Sudan: April 1884
April 1884: A Damn Close Run Thing!
The capture of Abu Hamed by the Berber Field Force (commanded by Baker and Hicks) was something on an anti-climax. Most of the rebels fled the town as the expeditionary force approached. Less than 1000 desperate fanatics, lacking rifles or artillery support, sallied out to engage the Egyptians and were routed without delay. Imperial casualties were less than 30 men killed and wounded. The Northern District can now be considered at peace, and the threat of an attack on Egypt lifted.
Fire & Sword in the Sudan: February-March 1884
February 1884: “Graham Saves the Day”
The combined Anglo-Egyptian relief expedition, numbering approximately 7700 regulars and supported by another 800 native levies, and now under the command of General Wolseley advanced south from Wad Hamed following the banks of the Nile upstream towards Khartoum. On the 21st February, with their objective in sight on the far horizon, the army decamped from its defensive zeriba at dawn, intending to be at the city in time for tiffin.
Continue reading “Fire & Sword in the Sudan: February-March 1884”
Fire & Sword in the Sudan: January-February 1884
January 1884: “There will be an awful fuss about this at home”
Baker’s relief column advanced up-river in an open square to break the siege of Khartoum, with its open flank guarded by Egyptian cavalry. For several hours Gordon, anxiously watching for the relief column from the roof of the Residency, was unconvinced that the troops advancing towards him through the dust clouds were friendly – the presence of local scouts alongside the European police persuading him that this might be an enemy ruse. As a result, Hicks was ordered not to advance beyond the fortifications, which they held with some success throughout the battle, despite repeated assaults by fierce Hadendowa tribesmen.
Continue reading “Fire & Sword in the Sudan: January-February 1884”
Fire & Sword in the Sudan: December 1883-January 1884
December 1883: “Chinese Gordon” Pulls it Off!
General Baker advanced upriver from Atbara, encountering little resistance from the local tribes until a determined effort was made by about 1500 insurgents to contest his traversing of the 6th cataract north of Wad Hamed. The enemy position was carried with only minor casualties and the town occupied shortly thereafter. Baker’s Abyssinian scouts pushed forward to reconnoitre the situation at Khartoum, returning to report a fierce battle, taking place around the northeast gate of the city.
Continue reading “Fire & Sword in the Sudan: December 1883-January 1884”
Fire & Sword in the Sudan: September-November 1883
September 1883: Baker Advances
As predicted, General Baker has advanced from Trinkitat to subdue the rebellious Hadendowa tribes of the Eastern Sudan. His expedition, some 4000 strong and well provided with artillery, met with no opposition as it advanced across the salt marshes that surround the town, the enemy melting away into the hills as they came on. Scouts sent out to reconnoitre the ‘road’ to Sinkat by Lieutenant Commander Moncrief, British Consul at Suakin, report that the enemy also appears to have withdrawn from here as well.
Continue reading “Fire & Sword in the Sudan: September-November 1883”
Fire & Sword in the Sudan: June-August 1883
June 1883: Unrest in the Sudan
Our correspondent reports that the tribes of the Southern Sudan have risen in response to the call by the so-called Mahdi and Prophet, Mohammed Ahmed, a carpenter originally from Dongola, for a jihad against the Egyptian occupation of the Sudan. The towns of El Dueim, Jebelein and Fashoda in the far south of the country are believed to have fallen to rebel forces, their garrisons massacred or gone over to swell the ranks of the enemy.
Continue reading “Fire & Sword in the Sudan: June-August 1883”
Fire & Sword in the Sudan: Player Briefings
Colonel (Brevet General) William Hicks Pasha
Aged 53, you retired from the Indian army in 1880 after a largely uneventful career, despite being mentioned in despatches for good conduct at the action of Sitka Ghaut during the mutiny and acting as brigade major in the Abyssinian expedition. Life in Brighton was rather more expensive than you anticipated (Mrs Hicks having expensive tastes) and the damp weather made your arthritis worse, so you took the opportunity to enter the Khedive’s service after the Egyptian war of 1882.
Continue reading “Fire & Sword in the Sudan: Player Briefings”