Trouble in Troublistan, my BoB setting

[Arrigo]

Ok, I have decided to move forward... let see how that will land me   

Here is the introduction:

Troubles in Troublistan


Introduction

192? While the world was slowly and unsteadily recovering from the Great War and Russia winding down, but not yet ending, its civil war, central Asia is again, or still,  a trouble spot.

From the collapse of the Tsarist empire the region as become a battleground. On the of the most troubled spot is a vast  region largely unknown to the western public where the once proud empire of the Romanov, the outposts of the  British Raij, the Persian empire, the once powerful Ottoman empire  and the old Manchu empire practically bordered each other. Even if ?practically? in central Asia has not the same meaning than in central Europe. 
For long time the area has flourished with trade between east and west, from the great navigable Chinese river to the dirty paths of the silk road, but recently rails and fast ocean going ships have reduced the mercantile interests in the region. Still caravans and river boats are part of the daily life and now even oil has been discovered. That vast area in not without attractive and a lot of people had cast their eyes on it.


A young high commissar has been displaced from Moscow with the order to organize a Bolshevik stronghold in central Asia and then use it as springboard to bring the capitalist British Empire to its knees.

At the same time the reports of the demise of Enver Pasha  have been proved a bit premature. He seems very well and active and busy in organizing and training a new Turkish army with the aim to create a pan-Turkish state in central asia and then rebuild the Ottoman empire, maybe.

General Baron Pastempsky despite the state of collapse on which  the White cause seems to be is preparing in north Persia supplied and Trained by a joint Anglo-French mission to at least carve a buffer state to protect India and Persia from the red  menace.

 Farther East warlord Chow Low Fat is trying to resist the winds of change (and the collapse of the weak central republic in China) and consolidate his holdings in the hope to carve a semiautonomous state for himself if that upstart Jiang will really unite China again in the furure or, even better be in position to claim Beijing and maybe a throne.

 On top of that is rumoured that German ?advisors, archeologists and adventures? are operating in the area under the famous Oberst  Graf Von Rebess training the Turks and the Chinese in the hope to cause trouble and maybe reinstate the Kaiser in Germany with the proceeding or the results of their adventures.

Countless  unorganized bandits gangs are ravaging  the region.  According to the Foreign Office this is intolerable. "Law and order have to be imposed again in the region that some newspapers now  calls ?troublistan?. Especially if that region had to be handed  to Baron Pastempsky and his forces.  In accordance to that CinC India has been ordered to form and dispatch an Expeditionary force to secure key points in the region. The decision, it has been announced, has been taken after due consultation with all legitimate governments with interests  in the area, France, Unites States, the Republic of China, The Empire of Japan, the Kingdom of Italy and  the empire of Persia. Some allies had even promised troops for the endeavour. 
The decision has evidently angered   Moscow where Lenin has ordered Commissar Josif Stalin to accelerate preparations ?to reassert the rightful law of the proletariat over the lawless area and farther the cause of the bolshevism?.

Enver Pasha has vowed to resist any infidel encroachment in the land of the Turk.   

Soon as the first troops left India and started their march troubles were already on the horizon.

[Ignatieff]

Fantastic - Good luck!

Where abouts in Italy are you from by the way?  I lived in Torino for three years between 2002-05.  That's where I first caught the BoB bug!

[Arrigo]

Of course this is a work in progress, feel free to comment, offer suggestions, criticize... everything you want   more the talk more this project will move forward! (ok government support will make this one giuong really forward... I can see full terrain boards made by Oshiro Model Terrain, giant size armies, a lot of vehciels and ships...but I suppose I can't present  the project to the college board for financial support    so moral support, requests and chat will have it at least alive and in expansion... otherwise I fear it will slide to oblivion again     next step will be to persuade one of my stalwart usual opponent to participate)

Italy: I hail from a small and unknown town near Bologna. But at the moment I pass more time doing my student stuff in London...

[Ignatieff]

Excellent!!!!  Keep us all uptodate.  Worth trawling through this site to see previous games, there's a lot of smart people out there.  You never know with the college, its worth a try.  Government departments are the only enterprises who still have money in this country!

All the best

 

[Arrigo]

The british are coming...

Expeditionary force T

Activated by order of CinC India the Expeditionary force T is supposed to quickly move in the region secure key transit points and start to sweep the area from the bandits. IT is also hoped that it will deter Bolos, Turks and Chinese irregular (or more regular) forces to enter the region before Baron Pastempsky is ready to move there. At this point Force T will revert to a garrison and support role and supervise the complete passage of power in the region and partly withdraw. Future plans for the permanence of the residual part of the force or its disbandment altogether are still discussed at White Hall and Delhi.

Expeditionary Force T is supposed to be composed of three infantry and one cavalry brigade drawn from the British Indian Army. Man units are composed of world War One veterans others have been recently reformed for service on the North West Frontier and assorted Imperial Duty. It also included some Dominion and Allied units who have been volunteered by their respective governments to support the expedition. The force is under the command of General Sir John Crumble-Wall.

Expeditionary force T order of battle:

35th  Field Brigade
Commander Brigadier General Wapshare
?   1st Btn Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
?   37th Dogras
?   102nd Grenadiers
?   2/4th Gurkha Rifles

53rd Mobile Brigade (Also indicated as  Mobile Force T)
Commander Brigadier General Archibald H.  Weareintroubles
?   1/9th Btn Middlesex Regiment
?   89th Punjabis
?   3rd Gurkha Rifles
?   Composite Australian Mobile Regiment (2 company of Infantry, one of Light Horse, one Machine Gun Company)
?   Provisional  Squadron Royal Navy (Armored Cars)
?   2 Squadrons 10th Lancers
?   123rd Field Battery RFA

9th Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade
Commander Brigadier General Wadeson
?   7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards
?   20th Deccan Horse
?   34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse

37th  Composite Brigade
Commander Colonel Jean Marc Borowski
?   2nd Btn King's Shropshire Light Infantry
?   39th Garhwal Rifles
?   Provisional Expeditionary Unit  USMC (1 company)
?   2me Battalion de Marche d?Asie Centrale Legion Etrangere (French)
?   Colonna Mobile Asia Centrale ( 1 company Italian)

Artillery
?   13th Brigade Royal Field Artillery (usually detached to the various brigades)
?   C/69th Howitzer battery
   

 Despite the strong commitment of the british government and its allies the logistical and budgetary realities have imposed some delays in its organization. At the moment only the vanguard of the Mobile Force T (Middlesex, 123rd Battery RFA and a company of Australian infantry) has entered the ?Troublistan? area. The rest of the force is still organizing.

General Crumble Wall has complained about the lack of cavalry and mobile forces for scouting. Yet the CinC India is still assembling the rest of the force and the allied contingents are still in transit.



a shot (repost) of the advence force.  You can see Colonel J.Q Higgins with his command group, two infantry companies, the battalion HMG company and the RFA battery.

The australian company has been detached when the picutre has been taken... (read: I have still to paint it)


Note: I will use Red Actiona and to the last man as rules (depending on the size of the clahses), but for the write ups each infantry unit will be indicated as "company" even if they are only 10+ miniatures...

[Mr.J]

I really like the sound of this!
I look forward to reading more

[Spooner6wa]

Awsome!!!   

So do you have any uniform information on; 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse?  I like the unit name.


I think you need to get some Pathan's from Old Glory (I say this because they are cheap) and paint those up next.  What self respecting Emir would allow a foreign power to stomp through his kingdom.  I would give you some good initial clashes for force T.

Chris

[argsilverson]

Very nice setting and ambitious one.

Wish you good luck!

[Plynkes]

So do you have any uniform information on; 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse?  I like the unit name.

The chap not on the horse is from that very unit, as far as I can tell. The other fella is from the Deccan Horse. This is them on the Somme, though. Would no doubt have had some Khaki Drill togs to wear when they went east to warmer climes in 1918.

While looking for that I also found this cool (if somewhat small) photo of the Deccan Horse in France:

[Driscoles]

This sounds like a very cool campaign. Looking forward on your reports !
Bj?rn

[Doomhippie]

I second that. I love these semi-fictional affairs. A real inspiration. Time for me to paint up my WWI Germans.