Save the General's daughter - 25 February 1891, NWF Afghanistan

 

25 February 1891, NWF Afghanistan, General McGuinness is pushing his forces hard to reach the beleaguered garrison of Chitral Fort. The General has made many enemies as he cut his way through tribal territories. Chitrali spies in Peshawar have alerted the local mullah that the General's daughter was soon leaving Nowshera and will be accompanying a resupply column to an outpost protecting the Lowari Pass. Thus the Chitrali tribes have joined forces with Bunerwal tribesmen to set a trap for the invading infidels. General McGuinness' daughter, like many other Victorian ladies, lusted to see and experience the Frontier after hearing stories in the Officers Mess of gallant daring do and jingoistic heroics of her majesty's imperial troops. General McGuinness finally relented and let his daughter accompany the strong force marching to the Lowari Pass. On the 2nd day of the journey the force was tricked into thinking a friendly village was under attack. The troops in the overnight bivouac stood to and sent a recon force to the burning village. The Indian troops found no villagers present, alas they were attacked by hidden tribesmen in the perceived abandoned and burning village. After a fierce close quarters engagement the imperial troops forced the ambushers back, both sides suffering heavy losses. During this exchange the astute senior NCO RSM Hadji Singh sent a messenger to alert GHQ of the encounter and to send reinforcements! He then ordered the remaining troops to proceed to and garrison the small village, prepare defensive positions, and unpack the MG that had been brought with the force.

Captain Barrington Hawthorne Smyth, Queens 2nd Dragoon Guards, can you relieve the makeshift garrison and save General Horatio McGuinness' daughter Margaret Fitzpatrick McGuinness?

General McGuinness at GHQ Nowshera, NWF, Afghanistan. 

This scenario was unapologetically borrowed from my friend Andrew who'd sent it me many a year ago. I was setting up a scenario for our ongoing NWF Campaign and this fit the bill perfectly for the intrigue and drama I was looking for. I had to alter it of course, to suit the needs of our campaign and the current situation in my AO. 

Once I run the game this month the full scenario specs will be provided and posted here, I dare not post them pregame as the Afridi and Chitrali spies are EVERYWHERE! We cannot let down our guard or diligence for one moment lest the spies put a Choora in our backs or ambush a column of stalwart imperial troops. Never Trust Anyone on the Frontier, No one is safe on the Grim.

German Seebattalion Gun Crew - 28mm 1890-1915

I use these troops for German colonial actions up through World War One. The gun crew figures are from Tiger Miniatures USA purchased from Recreational Conflict USA and the mountain gun is from Askari Miniatures. I use 1/2" x 1/2" inch magnetized bases purchased from my buddy Bill Moreno at Good Ground LLC.

I start my figs by removing mold lines, burrs, and left over spruce, then wash them with dish soap and water, leave to dry for 24hrs. I glue the figs with white glue on strips of cardboard which allows me hold the figs while I paint them. I painted these in my standard method of cheap black spray paint primer and left to dry for 24hrs. I followed this with a light white dry brush of the entire figs, then block painted Ceramcoat Cloudberry Tan for the uniforms, Ceramcoat black for the boots and web gear, with Vallejo "Off White" for the pith helmets. I used a Vallejo grey to highlight the web gear and boots and Vallejo Brass for the pith helmet emblem. For the flesh tones I used Vallejo "Burnt Umber" as the base then the Foundry Anglo flesh tones in succession. This is left to dry for 24hrs. The bases are then done with artist gesso/resin mixed with various small ballast rocks, sand, and Ceramcoat "Burnt Umber" to tint the mixture. This is left to dry for 24 hours and then dry brushed with Ceramcoat Clouberry Tan, and highlighted with Ceramcoat Trail Tan. After 24 hours of drying time I paint on my shading dip of Min-Wax Polly Shades Tudor Brown. The Min-Wax both shades and protects the paint jobs. This is left to dry, yes you guessed it, for 24 hours before I sprayed Testors Dullcoat over them to complete the sealing and protection which also dulls the shine of the Min-Wax floor stain. 

The gun is cleaned and primed the same way. I used a Home Depot sample pot of Glidden,Warm Caramel #GLN01 … watered down a little bit. The barrel is painted with Vallejo Brass based on my research and input from my friend Dr Roy Jones, a well known and respected gamer and historian of African military conflicts.

Here is a separate post already done for this gun for anyone interested: https://sgtguinness.blogspot.com/search/label/German%20Colonial?m=0

 

Equipment Data from Askari Minis website:

 This very versatile gun was manufactured by Krupp for export beginning in 1895, ironically not being bought (initially) by the German government. It was widely used until as late as 1939. Kitchener had them at Omdurman (being purchased by the Egyptian Army); they were also used by the Afghan army, the Spanish Army in the Spanish-American War and others. The German Army "requisitioned" some intended for export for use in the Boxer Rebellion.

One Krupp 75mm Mountain Gun per package.

This little gem comes in eight parts: gun barrel, barrel platform, carriage, two wheels, two handles for the rear of the carriage, and an optional spade.

Tiger Miniatures UK

Tiger Miniatures USA - Recreational Conflict

Askari Minis - 28mm Artillery

“Never Trust Anyone on the Frontier - an … Epic NWF Campaign"

CHAMLA VALLEY

 

Afghanistan, NWF, Chamla Valley, Winter  1891, with the Russians having split their forces to attack the Chitral territory and the Mastuj, the Russian supply lines have been overextended and even cut in some places. 

Captain Kucherov of the Susdal Line commanding a platoon of infantry and Lieutenant Novoseletsky commanding a troop of Cossacks with an attached machine gun have been tasked with a foraging mission to acquire much needed food. 

This classic scenario from the 20th Anniversary Edition of The Sword And The Flame rules book was adapted to suit the needs of forces maneuvering in our ongoing NWF Campaign.

7 February 1891, 05:30

Capt. Kucherov checks his map and prepares the troops to move out.  The order of march will have the Cossacks taking point, followed by the MG, with the infantry taking up the rear guard.

After a hard days march with a couple of hours of daylight left the foraging party advances to the objective, a local chieftain’s tower enclosed by a stone wall filled with a large flock of sheep. It’s a small, seemingly quiet village.

The troops deploy to advance upon the tower.  LT. Novoseletsky orders his Cossacks off the road to the their left flank to reconnoiter the rough ground in front of the vill as the infantry move off the road to their right flank. 

Capt. Kucherov nods to Sgt. Smirnoff, as if giving him orders without saying a word. Instantly the Sgt. barks the command “Scouts Forward”! The scouts double time ahead of the column to reconnoiter as the infantry begin to move into open order skirmish formation advancing towards the broken ground to the right of the column looking for any threats.

Subaltern Sobieski observing the deployment of the scouts and the maneuvering of the infantry to his front unlimbers his Gatling MG and posts his crew served weapon at the rear of the column to protect their six. Johnny Pathan makes a habit of falling upon an unsuspecting rear guard. His Russian Sailors will not be caught unawares.

LT. Novoseletsky leads his Cossacks on the Russian left flank towards the rough ground in front of the vill. 

Corporal Viseli walks his mount towards the rough ground, eyes peeled, his senses alert. The vill is just too quiet, there are no birds to be seen, and the sheep look distressed. Being a farmer from the Ural before he was conscripted he knows something is upsetting the sheep and stops his mount 100 meters in front of the terrain as he disengages the safety on his rifle. 

On the other Russian flank:

As Infantry Sgt. Smirnoff scans the rough ground to his right he sees movement as the rocks seem to come alive. The Pathans spring from the rocks as if they were grapeshot fired from a cannon with the shrill war cry’s of Allah Akbar. 

The infantry scouts did their job as they uncovered a group of tribesmen hiding in the rough ground ready to attack. The Russian infantry rolls their critical morale roll allowing them to form a close order firing line to properly defend themselves!

Corporal Viseli, one of the Cossack scouts raises his hand, dismounts, and takes a knee. LT. Novoseletsky then orders his troop to dismount, form a firing line, and prepare for action. 

Just as he thought would happen, his scouts uncovered Johnny Pathan sitting in the rocks waiting for his men. Luckily his squadron practiced sound tactics and sent out scouts, otherwise his unit may have been shot up in the saddle without putting any rounds down range.

As the Cossacks dismount the Pathans rise from their hidden positions in the rough ground and open fire. An additional unit stands up from their ambush positions behind the wall of the compound. Corporal Viseli mumbles to himself, “I don’t know who’s more clueless, our officers or the sheep we desperately seek.”

Russian right flank:

The Afghans in the vill fired on the Russians who formed a close order single line formation as their fellow tribesmen charged the northern ferenghi. The Russians themselves fired defiantly at the onrushing Afghans dwindling their numbers decisively which put them at a disadvantage for the upcoming melee. Despite the high Afghan losses the tribesmen still charged home. 

On the opposite flank:

The telling musketry from the hidden Pathans forced the dismounted Cossacks back with substantial casualties.

 LT. Novoseletsky orders his troopers to mount up and retreat to the cover of the small hills south of the vill.

Subaltern Sobieski seeing the Cossacks mount up and retreat orders his crew to man handle their Gorlov MG forwards in support to cover the Cossacks retreat, putting rounds into the village and into the tribesmen in the rocky ground on their left flank. 

With the Cossacks retreating under the withering musketry from the vill as well as from the broken ground the Russian left flank weakens allowing the tribesmen to move to their left towards the Russian infantry who are locked in melee. The Pathans in the vill providing accurate long rage covering fire to the maneuvering element to their front. 

The Russian Gorlov MG had a very difficult time hitting targets in the vill behind the stone and mud brick walls. The tribesmen on their left flank were moving quickly and safely towards them behind the protective screen of low hills and rough ground. 

Russian right flank:

Sgt. Smirnoff and his platoon of Susdel Line Infantry defeated the Afghan tribesmen in melee and put them to flight. 

However, with the Cossack retreat, the growing numbers of casualties, and the unknown numbers of tribesmen in the surrounding hills Capt. Kucherov orders his recon force to disengage from the enemy and exit the Chamla Valley. Colonel Stolichnaya will be none too pleased with his failure!  

This game was run at the HMGS-South’s Convention Recon-23 as a demo game for new players to our beloved The Sword And The Flame rules set. We based the game on the Chamla Valley scenario from TSATF 25th Anniversary rule book and tied it into our ongoing NWF Campaign on the Lead Adventure Forum, started in June of 2021. Many games have been run from this ongoing campaign for the past few years from several parts of Italy, California, Texas, Kansas, Arizona, and Florida.

Miniatures: 

Afghan Tribesmen / Pathans: Cast Away Arts Miniatures, Wargames Foundry Askari Miniatures, Old Glory 25's, Perry Miniatures

Russian Infantry, Guns, Crews, & Cossacks: Askari Miniatures, Naval Gun & Crew

Terrain: 

Rough Ground: Bills Gamer Garage, Wall locally produced by Mr. Jeckel and Dr Hyde, 

Tower: Colonial Steamboat Company, House: CTMM - Chris the Model Maker