Yesterday afternoon four of the lads from the club (John Maguire, Dave Lowe, Greg Blake and myself) got together and played a nice little Sudan game.
The scenario was for an Egyptian column to make their way to the garrisoned village, just on the Nile and deliver a number of supplies. However unbeknown to them, there was a largish Mahdist force waiting in ambush.
The battleground for the afternoon. In the foreground is the small Egyptian garrison, just outside the village. In the far ground is the approaching column of troops and supplies.
General Blake inspecting the garrison
A British steamship arrives and a shore party disembarks to gather more wood.
The supply column
General!!! I can see the supply column.
Parade!….Fall Out!
Major! I can see some dust to our north shall we deploy the troops?
Gentlemen! I will take two platoons of infantry to gather some wood. You, Sir! can remain with your shore party and gather some fresh supplies from the market.
Why does the Navy always get to go shopping?
Platoon form line and advance.
Mahdi forces hid on the flanks of the column and charge out from their ambushing positions.
The Cairo Battalion deploys to defend the rear of the column.
Mounted Bashi Bazouks fan out to scout the flanks
Sudanese irregulars though a little nervous from a regular line
Just as soon as they form line a hidden unit of Mahdist troops charge them
Egyptian artillery deploys
The Egyptian commander is undeterred by the waves of enemy troops charging but his flanks and calmly deploys his troops
But wait the villagers have seen the Mahdist forces charging the Egyptian troops and soon they also rise up and throw their lot in for the Mahdi
Waves of warriors charge the isolated Egyptian column, but they put up a sterling defence and fight hard
The Cairo Battalion is repeatedly charged from two different directions fights on to the last man. Their sacrifice saves allows the supplies to get through to the garrison.
The final Egyptian troops with the column are driven back and eventually over run also
With the near by village up in arms the enemy troops try and also destroy the Egyptian garrison
But the Bashi Bazouks and Egyptian regulars soon shoot them down scores
Bugger the wood and the shopping get that gun firing now for gods sake!!!!
Enemy warriors counter charge the Egyptian Cuirassiers
The remaining Sudanese irregulars form a half square and fight to the last round
The artillery guns are soon captured
But the garrison fights on and defeats the enemy each time the come close enough to enage
The enemy withdraws from around the garrison as news from the Amir tells them that the Egyptian column has been defeated and the village has been recaptured by the enemy. Both sides claim victory on this day.
