Battle Report - Expedition deep into Mahdist territory in the Sudan

For some time now the Fuzzy-Wuzzies in the surrounding hills have been causing trouble for the men of the Fort Djeli-Belli. Sick of losing cattle, scouts and face, Captain Barkingly-Madd decides to lead a patrol of Naval ratings and a Gardner Gun into the hills to try and flush the enemy out.

Remember to click for larger images.

Turn 1
Captain Barkingly-Madd leads his column into the valley, Royal Navy ratings marching in an orderly column with Lieutenant Shipley in command. The Gardner Gun is advanced as cover on the left flank. Scouts are sent out to try and flush the enemy from cover but without success.

Turn 2
Native tribesmen reveal their ambush and advance from both sides of the valley. Rifles emerge from the scrub at the head of the valley and also advance. Barkingly-Madd has some tough choices to make. The Gardner Gun is faced about and delivers a devastating salvo into the charging natives on the right flank. The Naval Brigade immediately wheel right also and deliver a further volley at which point the tribesmen run.

Turn 3
The danger of ignoring the charging tribesmen on the left flank becomes immediately obvious as they also charge. Fortunately Lieutenant Donnington-Smyth-Gibbon III, commanding the Gardner Gun, is able to about face his troops in time to deliver a burst of fire before the natives contact. Unfortunately it
only slows them down and they crash into the gun and a melee ensues. The combat desperate and bloody and sees the gun crew killed to a man, staunchly defending their piece to the last. They do their country proud and eliminate all but a handful of tribesmen in the process who turn tail and flee. There will be no Donnington-Smyth-Gibbon IV it seems...

Turn 4

Caught in the flank by the advancing native rifles, the Naval Brigade infantry are badly shot up losing half their men and worse still, their NCO wounded and Lieutenant Shipley killed outright. Staunchly British and not wishing to discredit the Widow at Windsor, they stand firm but count the cost.

Curses! NCO wounded and officer killed!

 

Turn 5
Spurred on by their earlier success the native rifles fire again and kill or wound all of the remaining Naval Brigade with the exception of Private Dawkins who can hardly believe his luck. With the threat of the Naval Brigade now removed, the remaining tribesmen charge Barkingly-Madd... And pay the ultimate price! They don't like it up em!

Oh no!

Oh yes!

Turn 6
All alone but for Private Dawkins and driven half-insane by shame and anger, Captain Barkingly-Madd charges into a ravine. Dawkins hears the crack of two pistol shots in quick succession followed immediately by a strangled scream and then the rising cries of the tribesmen. Who knows if Barkingly-Madd will return and if he does, would he ever be given another command?

Weeks later...
Dawkins, now completely alone high tails it into the hills. After two weeks drinking from brackish pools and eating nothing but termites and the occasional lizard he eventually crawls back to camp and reports the utter failure of their mission.

Cheers,

Millsy the Mahdist and Russ Barkingly-Madd Esq.