"Go Strong Into The Desert" A Colonial Game in the Sudan

 A big Sunday game with lots of picture's features in this post. Played at Barrys place by eight of us, I believe, this was based on a historical action whose name I failed to record. Three British squares, supported by three units of cavalry, had to advance across the barren Sudanese desert, traverse a dried-up wadi, negotiate an area of broken, hilly terrain and destroy a Mahdist village. I provided virtually all the British troops and Barry supplied the Dervishes. As it turned out, like most of the British actions against the Mahdi, this was a rather one-sided affair, and playing the indigenous population wasn't a lot of fun for Rick, Julian and the two Johns. Mark, Nick, Paul and I, on the other hand, had great fun rolling buckets full of dice and littering the ground with vanquished fuzzy wuzzies!

I will add occasional subtitles to the images - they are not necessary for every picture, I don't think!

The target of the British action

The three British squares, a long, long way away

British commanders (all figures are Old Glory - mix of NW Frontier, Zulu War and Boer War ranges)

One of the indigenous leaders

Mark commanded the three cavalry regiments

Paul commanded the central square and had to lead off two or three moves ahead of Nick, and then I started a couple of moves after that

Rick commanded Dervish cavalry that randomly appeared on either table edge as we advanced, based on die rolls by our umpire, Barry

Paul's square leads the way, with Nick just starting to move

Nicks square consisted of red uniformed troops. I am not sure of the exact timing, but it was in the Sudan that the British last fought in the traditional red jackets at the Battle of Gennis on 30 December 1885.

My square, comprising Indian troops and sailors, finally got moving on about turn six!

Dervish horsemen evade our cavalry screen and advance towards a square

They were given short shrift by combined fire of both my MG's and the leading Indian battalions riflemen, 13 D6 needing 3 or better to hit with cavalry saving on 5 or 6 - I think you can guess the rest!

As we advanced down the table, Dervish cavalry kept appearing, left and right, sometimes in front of a square, sometimes behind it. The British cavalry were kept busy engaging and chasing them off - and not always too successfully, as Mark was having a rather poor day with the dice!

The trusty MG's, two on each square, gave us confidence!

The squares slowly edge towards the wadi - still no enemy in sight...

More Dervish cavalry appear from out of the desert

And then, our cavalry breasted the high ground above the wadi - and all was revealed....Dervishes, sah, fousands of 'em! (well, maybe not quite.....!)

And it was time to break for tiffin - nice big bottle of beer that I shared with Barry and Rick (figures included for scale :))

Dervish defenders in the wadi

Julian decided to go for it and launched a charge against the corner of Nicks square - the MG and rifles crashed out, with many hits scored - and Julian saved all bar one - the Fuzzies were in!

But the stoic British Tommies were up to the task and drove the enemy back - that was a bit too close for comfort!

After seeing their charge fail, the rest of the Dervish army lost heart and decided to pull back to the hilly passes leading to their village

The squares had to test for cohesion when going down into the wadi - each unit rolled 2 D6 and any double could cause issues - I managed to leave my rear unit behind...

My infantry still in square advancing across the wadi as Paul's units to my right reform into line to assault the high ground

The combined rifle fire of three battalions caused mass slaughter amongst Johns spear and sword armed Beja

We called the game at this point as the poor old Dervishes really did not have any answer to the British fire power - bit like real life, really. A game that Nick, Paul and I enjoyed - Mark a bit less so as he isn't as horrible as us and felt sorry for our enemy's hopeless situation, I think! 

I enjoyed the game for two reasons - it's always nice to have a game you win with no casualties - and it was great to get some of my large Colonial collection on the table!

And, as if this post hasn't already been long enough, I decided to add this Kipling poem most will be familiar with!

Fuzzy-Wuzzy

We've fought with many men acrost the seas,
 An' some of 'em was brave an' some was not:
The Paythan an' the Zulu an' Burmese;
 But the Fuzzy was the finest o' the lot.
We never got a ha'porth's change of 'im:
 'E squatted in the scrub an' 'ocked our 'orses,
'E cut our sentries up at Sua~kim~,
 An' 'e played the cat an' banjo with our forces.
   So 'ere's ~to~ you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, at your 'ome in the Soudan;
   You're a pore benighted 'eathen but a first-class fightin' man;
   We gives you your certificate, an' if you want it signed
   We'll come an' 'ave a romp with you whenever you're inclined.

We took our chanst among the Khyber 'ills,
 The Boers knocked us silly at a mile,
The Burman give us Irriwaddy chills,
 An' a Zulu ~impi~ dished us up in style:
But all we ever got from such as they
 Was pop to what the Fuzzy made us swaller;
We 'eld our bloomin' own, the papers say,
 But man for man the Fuzzy knocked us 'oller.
   Then 'ere's ~to~ you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, an' the missis and the kid;
   Our orders was to break you, an' of course we went an' did.
   We sloshed you with Martinis, an' it wasn't 'ardly fair;
   But for all the odds agin' you, Fuzzy-Wuz, you broke the square.

'E 'asn't got no papers of 'is own,
 'E 'asn't got no medals nor rewards,
So we must certify the skill 'e's shown
 In usin' of 'is long two-'anded swords:
When 'e's 'oppin' in an' out among the bush
 With 'is coffin-'eaded shield an' shovel-spear,
An 'appy day with Fuzzy on the rush
 Will last an 'ealthy Tommy for a year.
   So 'ere's ~to~ you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, an' your friends which are no more,
   If we 'adn't lost some messmates we would 'elp you to deplore;
   But give an' take's the gospel, an' we'll call the bargain fair,
   For if you 'ave lost more than us, you crumpled up the square!

'E rushes at the smoke when we let drive,
 An', before we know, 'e's 'ackin' at our 'ead;
'E's all 'ot sand an' ginger when alive,
 An' 'e's generally shammin' when 'e's dead.
'E's a daisy, 'e's a ducky, 'e's a lamb!
 'E's a injia-rubber idiot on the spree,
'E's the on'y thing that doesn't give a damn
 For a Regiment o' British Infantree!
   So 'ere's ~to~ you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, at your 'ome in the Soudan;
   You're a pore benighted 'eathen but a first-class fightin' man;
   An' 'ere's ~to~ you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, with your 'ayrick 'ead of 'air 

You big black boundin' beggar — for you broke a British square!