Kambula.

Today is the 145th anniversary of this famous battle,involving over 20,000 Zulus against an entrenched British force consisting of the 90th and 13th regiments,plus auxiliaries and RHA,it was the battle which broke the spirit of the Zulu nation,and I decided to re-fight it using my 15mm figures this morning.

Accepted terrain map,and my interpretation.The right horn was "goaded" into attacking before the chest and left horn were in position.................

The Zulus rushed forward onto my infantry in the main laager and redoubt,the RHA inflicting as many casualties as the Martini-Henrie rifles-would raw courage see them get to grips??

You bet they did!!-despite horrendous casualties,hand to hand fighting took place,the British getting the better of the Zulus,who had to retire(it's good being retired!)

The right horn falls back to the protection of a rocky ledge-but what of the chest and left horn??

Here they come!-the approach they had to make was rocky and boggy,which slowed them down,allowing the defenders time to turn a gun around and allow the infantry time to face this new threat.

The left horn attack develops,even the cattle kraal is being attacked-this looks serious-serious enough to launch a bayonet charge against the leading Zulus(yes it really happened!)

A quick volley and then "CHARGE"-the Zulus fought back and it looked a though the Bayonet charge was a big mistake-time will tell!-to add insult to injury the Zulu chest is making its way around the camp aiming at the central gap and cattle kraal!-this is going to be "nip and tuck".

The chest is moving, forcing the British to move their own troops from their initial dispositions to face the new threat.

A general view of the table,although the Zulus are taking really heavy casualties,they look as though they are about to "swamp" the camp-but never say never-come on boys!!!!

With typical British "pluck" the infantry have reversed their fortune and the left horn is beaten,and sent packing-hurrah!! however the chest is doing well against the cattle kraal and the redoubt-a shift of troops is required again!

The centre realised that they could not win,and retired,leaving the British bashed and bruised,but victorious-the figures on the edge of the table are Zulu casualties from the left and centre.

Once again this was a great game and proved to me that my solo rules give a balanced and historical result.

A most excellent game.

As per my last blog,I played the Battle of the Sambre,using my newly completed Romans and Gauls,and what an absorbing game it turned out to be.

The game begins-the Nervii facing the 7th and 12th legions on the Roman right,the Viromandui facing the 8th and 11th in the centre and the Atrebartes facing the 9th and 10th legions on the Roman left.-as can be seen in the bottom photo, the legions were still trying to organise themselves as the Gauls were just about to hit them!!

Top photo shows the "clash" along the whole Roman line,bottom photo shows a cohort of the 7th legion on the verge of being wiped out!!-The Romans have thrown their pila inflicting a pom pom on each tribe that has contacted,putting them at a minus one from, the dice ,but despite that the Gauls threw magnificent dice,and more than held their own.

Top photo shows the hard fought melee on the Roman right,the 7th are fighting for their lives,but the 12th(boo hiss!!) refused to move to help their comrades,the bottom photo shows the 8th and 11th having a real tussle!

On the Roman left the 9th and 10th are being hard pressed,but gallic casualties are mounting and soon gaps in their lines would appear!!

A general view of the table-the Romans are now getting their act together,and one or two Gallic warbands have had enough and are streaming back over the river.

Same general view from the bottom end of the table-look at the 12th Legion-still refusing to move from their hill-top!!!

The "rot" begins-the 9th and 10th have sent the Atrebates packing,and the 8th and 11th have done the same to the Viromandui in the centre,however the 7th is still being roughly handled by the Nervii,and still the bloody 12th won't go their help!!-decimation looms!!!!

A general view showing the tribes flowing back,in numbers, to the river-too many casualties! The Legions are also suffering casualties-the 7th has been wiped out to a man,but the 8th is moving onto the Nervii flank and they to must see the end is in sight!

The Roman legions are now totally re-organised and the chase begins(look at those lines!)

Oh,now the 12th moves down the hill to join in the "fun"-too late my friends-I feel a nasty shock awaits you in Rome- the figures at the back are the Roman casualties-7 units,against the Gallic casualties of 17 units(plus the whole army!!)

An absolutely cracking game,and an historically correct outcome-roll on more games like this.

 

The Sambre 57BC

I have at last finished my 15mm Imperial Roman army,and have added some more Gauls to face them!-I intend refighting the battle of the Sambre (57BC) using the new armies instead of the Caesarian legions as per history..................

Top photo shows my "inspiration" from the book by Charles Grant,The Ancient Wargame,bottom photo shows the terrain and table layout I will be using-the Roman forts were under construction when the battle began.

This shows the Legions in a dispersed manner,constructing the forts.

The signal for the tribes to attack has been given-the game will begin,probably tonight,and a full report(move by move?) will follow.I will,of course, be using my Globally acclaimed "Red Pom-Pom Rules!"-really looking forward to it.

 

Zulu game based on Khambula,

Last night we had a full house(except Brian who is still poorly) playing a fast and furious colonial game pitting British troops against a vast Zulu army.

Top photo shows the British position,bottom two show the Zulu army on the move,Dave was in charge of the British,Graham commanded the left horn,I commanded the centre and Paul commanded the right horn,of the Zulu army.

Top photo shows Graham's attack(doomed to failure!),bottom photo shows my attack(doomed to failure!!!)-where's Paul and his right horn??

Oh,there it is-a bit "tardy" lad!!

As we wait for mister "tardy",Graham and his left horn is making contact with the British defenders,but taking awful casualties,and my centre regiments are doing the same!!

I'm into the barricade,but have had to use my "reserve" regiments as my initial first two line have been shot to "s..t"-come on Paul!!!

Ah,there he is-a magnificent attack on three sides of the position,however it too was doomed to failure,and a British win was declared!!

A relaxed Dave surveying the damage he has done!!-This was a good game pointing out various things we need to take care of before we decide to fight the battle of Khambula on a national stage(read into that what you will!!)

Everyone at the club is painting like mad(I think we are anyway!) in particular,Graham is bashing away at his Napoleonics,Paul is bashing away at his 7YW Prussians,Dave is bashing away at Romans,and I am bashing away at my 15mm Romans and Gauls-we might just see the results of our "bashings" very soon.

 

Grand Skedaddle at Legendary Wargames

 Treated myself last month to a couple of days off work to go raise a Rebel Yell in West Yorkshire!

https://legendarywargames.com/

This was a whatif game based close to the Battle of the Wilderness, 1864. The Confederate forces need to keep the area secure for General Lee to retire through whilst the Union forces seek to close the door.

The rules are a work in progress based on the Napoleonic set In the Grand Manner.

There are three tactical objectives:

A crossroads, a sizeable plateau and a railhead. As you can see, the railhead was immediately full of Union troops. Dagnabit!

A division under my command heads towards the crossroads whilst lead elements of Jerry’s troops march hard towards the plateau.

I roll a double one with my opening shot of counter battery fire. Rubbish, thinks I. No! That destroys a Union gun lol

Instead of rushing to the crossroads I send a large brigade towards a gap between two Union corps. Of course Union troops are also rushing all over the table. 

There’s a brigade facing the Union corp controlling the railhead. They’re only really a screening force. Meanwhile half the Rebel world and his dog are taking up positions on the plateau. My boys are getting ready to receive a whole heap of Union infantry. On my left flank the terrain is hilly and wooded. Here Richard has a small division (almost half the size of my large brigade, which has 11 battalions). He’s facing at least a corp!

There’s some fierce fighting all along the table. I get the morale rules wrong; never helps! Results in one of my small brigades getting pushed back and back through the woods. Things are better elsewhere thankfully! Richard has repulsed a Union charge against a farm he’s holding.

The end of the first day’s gaming. The Union troops are making slow progress against our left, it’s a right mess around the crossroads (John is out-generalling me!), the plateau is firmly in Confederate hands, whilst the railhead is beyond Confederate hands! The Union side are moving reinforcements towards the centre. They’re not having it that we hold the plateau!

Some close up shots. I do love the look of ACW and the Grand Manner style of the rules means some very large units and lots and lots of them there units!

In to the second day. Union forces continue to amass on our left, but to what end? The nearest objective is the crossroads. My troops have been reinforced and I’m pushing forward on one side of the crossroads. But! I’m being pushed back to the right of the crossroads. I’ve put too much of my strength into that gap thinking I could then swing left and take the Union troops in the flank.

The situation either side of the plateau, the Confederate brigade getting severely punished in front of the railhead and bottom photo my reinforcements pushing forward.

Over on our right, Confederate troops look very thin on the ground. They’re facing masses of Union infantry! The enemy forces in control of the railhead are beginning to edge towards the plateau.

Fortunately the plateau is still held by every Rebel and his dog lol

Rudely the Union troops have routed Johnson’s brigade leaving a nasty hole in my line.

Confederate cavalry arrive to deny the Union any further freedom of movement on our right.

I’ve cleared the Union troops from the left of the crossroads, but I’m repulsed to the right of the crossroads. Richard has caused all sorts of confusion with one battalion on my left. They’ve chased off one brigade of Union infantry which has disordered the brigade behind. 

And there it ends. The crossroads is disputed. The plateau is held by the Confederates and the railhead is held by the Union.

It’s that wargames oddity: a draw! Hurray for everyone lol

Great stuff. A real treat to take part in such a spectacular game.

Photos above show some of the many, many trays the figures are stored in. Fortunately we were not expected to put them away. Phew!

Thanks for reading!

Chris