Raid on Tantoone Station – Great War East Africa

Last night marked the Seventh Annual Wargaming Birthday Bash. In attendance were John, Christian, Dave, Patrick, Rick, Jackson, and Gary.

SEVEN players…!? I had originally thought I’d have eight, but the other John didn’t show up… Before people committed, I thought I’d run a game set in East Africa, but when I found out I might have eight players coming I was worried I wouldn’t be able to come up with a scenario to involve them all!? I abandoned the Zulus I’d been painting and tried to finish up rebasing my Bolsheviks… Which I did finish, but then decided not to run an RCW scenario… then I considered a 1939 battle between Russian and Japanese in the Far East… but eventually gave up on that plan and wandered back to The Great War in East Africa…

It worked out that the other John didn’t show as I had seven German units, which each of the other participants controlled, and I played the British!

I made a few adjustments to the rules since our last play and am now calling them Ever Black Contemptible Victorious Little Powder Armies…. (John suggested it should be Black Contemptible Victorious Little Powder Armies of Doom…) either way.. a bit of a mouthful… I may need to think of something else.

German East Africa, 1915

SITUATION

After the allied debacle at Boongobe, the German Field Force decided to press it’s advantage and carry on into British East Africa and raid the Uganda Railway station at Tantoone.

SCENARIO

All the players command a single German unit. The player of the first German unit to contact the train is the winner!

The Train won’t be staying there forever. After turn eight 2d6/d12? will be rolled if the dice score + Turn # = 20+ then the train has, finished loading, got up steam and rolled out of town.

FORCES

Germans

C-in-C Hauptman Patrice von Hun

4 Zug Shutztruppe Askaris (15 ea) M4 (Patrick, Jackson, Rick, Dave)

1 group Settler Volunteers (8) M5 Marksmen (Crhistian)

1 unit of Ruga Ruga (9) Irr M3 Single Shot Rifles (Gary)

1 unit of Watusi Tribesmen (15) Irr M4 Ferocious, Spears only (John)


British

C-in-C Major Percival Smythe-Brown

2 Platoons Kings African Rifles (15 ea) M4

1 British Army MG detachement M4


THE GAME


(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


It was a frosty day in Saskatoon


Looking at the weather on Environment Canada's Weather Office in the morning I wondered if anyone might show up…


Made some cup cakes…

Anyway... the game...


The British preparing to defend Tantoone Station


More of the same – with the British MG detachment and some local kids out to encourage them.


The players setting up their forces.


Patrick, playing the commandant (in the white helmet, of course), giving Jackson some sound tactical advise…


… and they’re off.. On the far edge of the table from left to right are John’s Watusi tribesmen (top left, barely visible amongst the bush), Jackson’s Schutztruppe Askaris (in column behind the scrub), Patrick’s Schutztruppe Askaris (also in colum in the center), Christian’s German settler volunteers (in the tall grass behind Patricks Askaris), and Dave’s Schutztruppe Askaris (over on the right).

Gary and Ricks units were off to the right hugging the table edge as is their regular M.O. - I had actually placed a few bad going pieces right along the edge originally, to twart such shenanigans, but then moved them away because trees and such right at the edge always seem to get caught on shirts and sleeves and ultimately end up distributed about the table and floor…


There… you can almost make out Gary and Ricks forces – in the far corner behind the stand of trees…


Over on The British left I had the Watusi and Jackson’s Schutztruppe Askaris advancing…


On the right were Dave and Rick’s Schutztruppe Askaris as well as Gary’s Ruga Ruga. It was over on the right that I first had to redeploy some of my KAR Askaris to counter the table-edge-huggers…


In the center Patrick and Jackson had advanced their Schutztruppe Askaris into some tall grass and then sat there trying to engage the KAR Askaris in a long-range firefight. Not something to do when the clock is ticking and you have a train to catch!

My KAR and MGs seemed to be having better luck than they and whittled them down over a number of turns.

Christian also deployed his German big game hunters in the center and started sniping at the MG – which WAS a little more worrisome… but the Stalwart British hung on for some time plinking away at Patrick’s askaris.


Getting closer…. At this point I started exchanging shots with Dave’s Askaris.


John’s Watusi Tribesmen slowly making their way through the bush.


The KAR getting a little anxious with three units breathing down their neck…


In the top left you can see Patrick’s askaris – now whittled down to half their original strength - at the furthest point their would advance in the game… for the remaining turns they sat at the edge of the tall grass exchanging fire with the British MG.


Rick’s Askaris were the first to take a run at the KAR defending that end of town. Dave’s had tried to get in there but just couldn’t make it. Due to some good shooting as they came in – combined with me rolling well on the combat and Rick rolling poorly – his askaris scarpered with their tails between their legs, short a few men and with a pair of moral failure tokens for their troubles.


Jackson’s Askaris making their move at the other end of town. Unfortunately at this point they were already at 2/3 their original strength and had a moral failure token and no one around to rally them.


Another shot of the action on the British right.


John’s Watusi Tribesmen hiding in the bush waiting to make their assault on the town.


Rick’s askaris having cleared away it was time for Dave’s Askaris to make their play. Unfortunately they lost four to withering fire from the KAR Askaris and lost another four in the close combat – they made their mark however causing four casualties among the KAR askaris. Both units failed two morale tests – unfortunately for Dave his unit had started the turn with one and so their fled the field…


The next turn (I think we were at about turn eleven or twelve and I was hoping for a high number on the Game End Roll – didn’t happen) – Gary’s Ruga Ruga made it in. Major Percival Smythe-Brown desperately trying to get to his troops to rally them… failed in doing so and the shaken KAR askaris fled before the Ruga Ruga.


Jackson’s Schutztruppe Askaris took a beating when they emerged from their cover lost four and failed another morale test – they would be doing nothing for the balance of the game. John’s Watusi Tribesmen emerged from their cover and, had there been another turn or two, would have caused the British much trouble over on their left!!


As it turned out the train did not leave the next turn (all I needed was an 8+ on d12…) and Gary’s Ruga Ruga rushed the train winning the game! Huzzah!! (can’t really blame him for cherry-picking – he had the WORST unit in the whole game…)

Anyway – good fun. Despite the number of players and units involved the game took only a little over an hour…? Definitely liking these rules with the current tweaks. We’ll have to try addind some artillery and cavalry… then some airplanes and tanks, etc.

I had actually meant to come up with some random events – some from the CLA East Africa book (mostly involving natural hazards – cloudbursts, wild animals, dysentery…) but also some random reinforcements (british armoured car shows up, pygmy archers hiding the bushes join one random side or the other…), but just didn’t end up having time to do so… Ah, well… next time…

Now I have to sit down and read the rules to Warrior Knights, which we are playing this afternoon!! And then figure out what we are doing for Savage Saturday Night (tonight!)

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Pics of the Warrior Knight game… then maybe some ZULUS!!

Retreat from Boongobe - CLA East Africa

My friend John Bertolini popped by this evening to have a go at Ever Contemptible Armies (a combination of Ever Victorious Armies and Contemptible Little Armies – I like a lot of EVA and ECA just updates it a bit and brings it into the 20th Century with a few rules pilfered from CLA… and a few additions of my own…).

German East Africa, 1915

SITUATION

A small group of British and Belgians have been on a raid into German East Africa at Boongobi. The raid did not go so well. They met a German Shutztrupe Feldkomagnie they weren’t expecting to find and are now retiring back to their own base of operations with a large number of German askaris in hot pursuit!

SCENARIO

British and allied forces must attempt to retire their forces in good order off the far end of the table.

Allied forces must set up at least 4’ away from their escape edge (the green line). German forces set up at least 6’ from the edge (the blue line). Three German units were to remain off table and enter from their table edge on the 2nd turn.

Victory will be determined by how many units the British and allies can get off the table edge. (for this purpose the teams of porters each count as a “unit”, as does the MG detachement).

6 units – British Stunning Victory
5 units – British Major Victory
4 units – British Minor victory
3 units – German Minor Victory
2 units – German Major Victory
1 unit or less German Stunning Victory

For every two German units lost, however, the number of British units required to escape off the edge for each level of victory is reduced by one.

FORCES

Germans

C-in-C Hauptman von Braun

4 Zug Shutztruppe Askaris (15 ea) T5 M4

1 group Settler Volunteers (8) T5 M5 Marksmen

1 unit of Ruga Ruga (9) Irr M3 Single Shot Rifles

1 unit of Tribal Allies (15) Irr M4 Ferocious, Spears only

1 Machine-gun detachment T5 M5


British/Belgians

C-in-C Major Burton-Liddy

2 Platoons Kings African Rifles (15 ea) T4 M4

1 Platoon Belgian Askaris (15) T3 M4 Single Shot Rifles

1 British Army MG detachement T4 M4

2 units of Native Porters


THE GAME


(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


The Table. In the foreground are the forces available. In the background you can see the green and blue lines marking the British and German deployment zones.


Initial deployment. Two of the Allied units started the game in columns, ready to make a run for the table edge. The entire baggage train was centrally located – where they could disappear behind a hill on the first turn (not that that mattered – they couldn’t be shot at only captured by contacting them). One platoon was held back deployed in skirmish order to try and stem the tide of advancing German forces.


Major Burton-Liddy MC


Turn one – RUN AWAY! The columns made some progress but the two Baggage groups only made it 1” and 2” respectively…


Hauptman von Braun


The Belgians and the British MG detachment making for the border – their baggage train slowly making their way over the hill.


More of the same.

On that first turn some shots were exchanged between the KAR platoon left to delay the German forces and the German volunteer marksmen – both units lost one casualty. A unit of Shutztruppe shot up the other KAR platoon taking two off the end of their column.


Hearing the shots whizzing past their head the baggae carriers picked up the pace (moving 5” and 6”, respectively). The KAR platon that had been in column quickly reformed into a skirmish line – realizing that in column they just weren’t going to get far enough, fast enough.


The rest of the German forces arrived – the regulars in column to make a speedy advance to the front.


Two KAR platoons holding their ground and trying to shoot up the advancing German forces.


Fire had not a lot of effect. Skirmishers firing at skimishers…


The German MG detachment got one turn of firing in all game and, I think, took out one or two KAR askaris.


The German allied tribal warriors charge into the KAR platoon – though the KAR took a few out on the way in, they were overwhelmed and wiped out.


The other KAR platoon executing a fighting retreat with Shutztruppe askaris in hot pursuit – slowly they were picking away at each other.


Then the Schutztruppe blundered into the field of fire of the British MG detachment and they were just murdered!!


The rest of the German force making their way up.


With the KAR platoon knocked out the tribal warriors pursued the slower baggage porters, while the rest of the force tried to catch up.


The next turn the porters moved a bit faster, but it wasn’t enough…


The remaining platoon of KAR, having suffered already heavy casualties, continues to cover the retreat of the other group of porters. They are exchanging fire with the second line of German Shutztruppe, while the German Allied tribesmen ravage the other group of porters. The british MG took out a few as they charged in…


The Belgians did happen to exit the table having suffered no losses.


The end is nigh.


The German forces second line moves forward.


While the Tribesmen looted the Baggage, the British MG detachment turned to face another threat – more Schutztruppe askaris advacnign around the other side of the stand of trees. The MG took out three of the advancing Schutstruppe and managed to hold their ground and fight two rounds of close combat, but they too were eventually overwhelmed and lost.


The scene when we called it.

The Belgians were actually already off. John called it at this point. If he’d done enough damage to one more unit of Germans to make them route, and gotten the remaining platoon of KAR and the section of porters off he could have squeaked out a minor victory. He figured the fresh second line of German troops were a bit too close for that to possibly happen so we didn’t play it out.


It was a VERY tough scenario for the British and allied troops. I have to fiddle with the morale system – units stayed on the field far too long (which has always been a problem with CLA..). Also if fully half of the German force had started off table and not arrived until the Third turn – I think he might have had more of a chance… I think we both had fun just the same.

I realized after the game I'd totally forgotten to use the random events I'd been planning on trying out... doh...

I'd be interesting to try it again using a modified version of Black Powder...

We’ll probably be playing something similar again next week at the 7th Annual Wargaming Birthday Bash!

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

ZULUS!!

King’s African Rifles Askaris

As promised some KAR Askaris to oppose The Germans

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


The Askaris are some more of my own figures, the British sergeants are from Battle Honors.

This handful finishes off two units of fifteen (the officers are from Copplestone Castings):


I have another 30 primed and ready to paint to finish off another two units (well… 28 primed and ready, actually, the officers are already done). Hopefully I’ll have them done for next’s week 7th Annual Wargaming Birthday Bash.

I do also have a couple units of British regulars – so there’s no real rush on the askaris… What I DO need is some Indian troops… (Did I mention I have a birthday coming up…?)

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

More KAR Askaris and sundry Africans and other Colonial/Great War soldiers….