Back of Beyond - Autumn 1921

 

Having mopped up the last of the Bolshviks, the 14th Allied Eastern Expeditionary Army and The Illustrious Arm of the Nine Illuminated Terrestrial Immortals took well-deserved breaks. The Chinese remained in Kubassa to solidify their hold on the region, while the Canadians of Allied  Expeditionary Force marched back to Canuckand. 

There remained one final battle this Autumn... 

Pursuit to Gura

The Red Horde did not relent, they pursued the Russian East Asia Cavalry Division to the very gates of Gura, where the Russians made their last stand... 

Desperately short of supplies (especially ammunition) the last gasp of Russian Imperialism in the East was to ride out of Gura and attack the Chinese camp, hoping to capture or destroy the supplies of the army investing the city. 

The attack was prefaced by a short preparatory barrage by the 77th Imperial Artillery Regiment. But, lacking ammunition for their guns, the bombardment was light and insufficient to seriously hamper the Chinese defence... 

The Imperial Russian 38th Hussars and Mongolian cavalry galloped off to the west to try and maneuver around the Chinese left flank. 

The 337th Infantry Regiment held their position, hoping either the artillery would be able to soften up the Chinese defences, or the flanking cavalry might create enough chaos and diversion, that they might be able to advance without being cut to pieces. 

Unfortunately a devastating barrage from the Chinese artillery finished off what remained of the 77th Imperial Artillery Regiment... The rest of the Russian assault would have to proceed without artillery support. 

Luckily, for the infantry, the flanking maneuver DID distract one of the Chinese battaliosn which reversed in their trenches to bring fire on the cavalry now galloping to their rear. 

The 337th Infantry Regiment and Mongolian infantry began firing on the entrenched Chinese infantry, slowly whittling away at their number, while the 38th Hussars fired on the Chinese Artillery (and very nearly caused them to flee!) 

Once the Chinese in the trenches had reoriented their battalion, however, it was all over for the Russian cavalry. The last of the Imperial Russian 38th Hussars, and their commander, Hedwig Markus von Eggenberg, Margrave of Grosswardein, went down in a hail of rifle and machine-gun fire... 

Then the rest of the Chinese force arrived to reinforce the position. 

While the fire from the Mongolian Cavalry and 337th Infantry Regiment did force the Chinese infantry to give up their position, they were unable to capitalize on this minor success. 

A furious charge from the Chinese cavalry drove off the last of the Mongolian Cavalry. 

And the last of the Imperial Russian 337th Infantry Regiment we cut to pieces in the open by the Chinese artillery.

After the battle von Eggenberg's corpse was recovered by the Chinese. His head was removed and placed on a spike above the gateway at the main entrance to Gura - to remind those that might stand against the one true Kahn of the fate that awaited them. 

Situation at the end of 1921.

And with that I think we'll call it done... 

I may or may not get around to posting some thoughts and reflections on the campaign.... If I do, I think I might leave it for a bit to allow some thoughts to percolate... We shall see. 

Thanks to those that participated. 

ORANGE

• Commander of the Field Army: Lieutenant General Sir Percy Arbuthnot-Worcester-Gruntfuttock-Smythe
• Faction: Western Interventionists
• Army: 14th Allied Eastern Expeditionary Army
• Base of Operations: Canadar 
• Other Cities: Canuckand, Molsensk, Stlojia, Borschka, Baboushka, Vlodkask
• Resource Points: 18
• Field Army:
• 3rd Battalion, Winnipeg Grenadiers (7)
• 5th Battalion, Cape Breton Highlanders  (8)
• 2nd Battalion, Regina Rifles - Heavy Infantry Battalion (8)
• 105th Canadian Fusiliers - Heavy Infantry Battalion (8)
• 7th Battalion, South Saskatchewan Regiment (7) 
• 8th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles - Cavalry (8)
• 37th Field Artillery (4)
• 38th Field Artillery (10) 
• 69th Armoured Regiment (10) 

GREEN

• Commander of the Field Army: Altan Baatar Kahn
• Faction: Warlord Chinese
• Army: The Red Horde
• Base of Operations: Lung-Hu
• Other Cities: Wurumchi, Sui-Pei, Bashkent 
• Resource Points: 42
• Field Army:15
• Heavy Infantry Battalion (8)
• Heavy Infantry Battalion (9)
• Infantry Battalion (12)
• Infantry Battalion (12)
• Cavalry (8)
• Artillery (10)
• Tank (11) 

LIGHT BLUE

• Commander of the Field Army: Win-Cao Lo-Fat, The Most Illustrious Beacon of Celestial Light and Commander of the Arm of Earthly Might
• Faction: Warlord Chinese
• Army: The Illustrious Arm of the Nine Illuminated Terrestrial Immortals 
• Base of Operations: Wei-Li
• Other Cities: Ching-Ho, Ulaan-Goom, Pyrohy, Holopchi, Kubassa
• Resource Points: 11
• Field Army:
• 1st Heavy Infantry Battalion (12)
• 2nd Heavy Infantry Battalion (13) 
• 3rd Infantry Battalion (12)
• 4th Infantry Battalion (13)
• Cavalry Regiment (13)
• Artillery Regiment (14)
• Tank Regiment (11)