"Never trust anyone on the Frontier" an ...epic NWF Campaign

[Umra Khan]

Great photos Mad Guru, your posts are always inspirational.

[JBaumal]

Great report and pics MG!

Beware of false prophets and propaganda…

[giorgio]

Gul Akbar Khan will report the true about the fights in Shakot Valley. True Rule pious followers will be reinforced and fortified in their belief! May El Osprey provide good "6" to all who follow the path of 12 minis for unit and no card deck allowed...

[Umra Khan]

[giorgio]

Battle of Bannu Miran shah rd Prologue
On the road connecting Bannu and Mir Ali Mirali, Major Vousden is in secret discussion with Political officer colonel John Nicholson.
 
And Nicholson continues riding towards Mir Ali Mirali with an important gift for Colonel Fullerton: reinforcements, just arrived from Peshawar, will arrive soon through Bannu to refuel the depleted forces and restart the fights towards Spinwam.
 
Colonel John Nicholson rides back to join Captain Charles Frederick Watson Hughes of the 15th Ludhiana, and a new unit of Bombay Grenadiers  and, last but not least, a Gordon Highlanders unit. Capt Hughes was famous in Calcutta clubs to be terribly ugly also due to a scarface created by a sharp tulwar, but no other treat  (good or bad) was recorded:

Lt Alexander Craig was the black sheep of his family, a sort of Flashman without his luck, the worst man a soldier could ever serve under:
 
On the contrary the young Rudolph Forrier was an inspiring officer, well obeyed by his grenadiers:


In the meantime in a little house out of Machi Khel a group of Afridi khans is listening Abu Zar’s instructions-

“Our sentinels have detected a column coming from Bannu, arriving to Mir Ali Mirali in next hours. We must act immediately! Prepare your warriors and we must intercept the reinforcements to cut last hopes of Anglez. I know they have defeated a Waziri attack, but now they are even more depleted.

All the khans jump out of the house to regroup their tribesmen and set up the trap, they are all veterans of the victorious fight at Mir Ali Mirali, just Abdul Shakor Khan has been replaced by an old uncle of Abu Zar’s. He is not an inept like his predecessor but years of heavy opium abuse have taken their toll and he is not more willing/able to attack at the double, bad choice for a cavalry unit leader…

Wali Khan grimaced and spoke in coarse heavy afridis tongue “And after winning, covered with glory and gold of Anglez, I will settle the score with my brother Badajoz and perhaps with my father Sher Khan too!”

Arrived at a crossroads Forrest suggested to turn right , a longer road but safer, avoiding the hill on the left, who could hide an ambush. But Hughes was adamant in continuing for the main road up to Mir Ali Mirali, "because every second counts"! Craig obeyed silently and unwishful as usual.

Few minutes later, with the crossroads left well behind, the Raj units saw hundreds of tribesmen running towards them to close before the arrival into the safe defenses prepared by Colonel Fullerton.

[CPT Shanks]

The ferhenghi reinforcements sound weak and too piecemeal to accomplish saving their own skins let alone relieving Fullerton's besieged outpost.
Mersey shines on Abu Zar and his gathered clans with the gift of a great  victory for them, and bleed the Britishers white.

[Umra Khan]

"POSTCARDS FROM THE FRONTIER"
A new column in the Peshawar Tribune edited by Harry "CreatorShanks" Kimball

[Umra Khan]

Meanwhile in the South a new column from DIK is on the road to Tank....









There is also a new group of officers and non-commissioned officers ready to become Heroes or cowards, to die for Glory.

[CPT Shanks]

The war rages within man's soul. There can but one rule to follow and for two large battles the rules that delivered my forces from the Raj have been the foul tome of heretics and kafirs. For today, I Gul Akbar break from supporting the One True Rule, and embrace TSATF, may the sun set on a new dacoit.

[CPT Shanks]

On a high plateau in the village of Baio, overlooking the Indus River, a massive pyre burns in the night sky. Visible from the heights of Diliarai, it signifies the return of Ghul Akbar Khan,  Flower of the Akazai, Defender of the Torghar, razor sharp tulwar in the side of the ferenghi devils, from the defiled lands of the Bunerwhals. He has fought multiple battles against Britisher, Punjabi, Sikhs, and even a few Yusafzai and Bunerwhals. He survived assassins and bandits in the Swat Valley and now regales his assembled tribes with the seeds that will grow into his legend.
"My fellow Akazai I have returned by the will of Al Osprey and the guidance of Mersey.  By now you know of the Battle of Dargai and how we rescued our family from the clutches of the ferhengi jackals. Many of our brothers were martyred in this fight, and their families will be provided for until they join them.  What followed this battle was the ire of the ferenghi Ruff-Husband Sahib, stirred up like a nest of hornets. Tonight I will tell the story of bravery in the Valley of Shakot along the hathi dara. Of false idols held sacred by the Yusufzais there and the price they paid for such idolatries. Of being hounded by the Britishers and their lackey dogs, the backwards Sikhs, the betraying Punjabis, and the hated Goorkhas. All poured over the pass like so many djinn within a haboob, and all fell short, their wind depleted, as dust to the valley floor."

[Umra Khan]

Beautiful post  CPT Shanks 👏👏👏👏👏
Gul Akbar could became a legend on the Frontier, expecially if he embrace TSATF...may the sun never sets on his conversion !

[giorgio]

Well done Ghul Akbar Khan! Your fake conversion already fooled heretics and you will be able to spread your poison from inside and soon we'll pick the fruits of your stratagem Glory to the only one True Rule!!! Glory to the only one next future True Amir, Mulehead, khan of all Waziris and pillar of Faith, shelter for the Pilgrims and Torch of holy martyrs!!!

[giorgio]

Battle of Bannu Miran shah rd
See the prologue in this topic at following link: https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=131610.555

Few minutes later, with the crossroads left well behind, the Raj units saw hundreds of tribesmen running towards them to close before the arrival into the safe defenses prepared by Colonel Fullerton.
Hughes sent immediately orders to Sikh and Grenadiers to fire to closest units to pin them and avoid contacts,  stopping the cavalry with highlander fire.. A though choice not running towards Mir Ali Mirali,  because it meant that or the fire breaks the tribesmen either they will remain all on the ground.
 
The fire pins all 3 units and only 2 rally the following turn.

Wali khan irregulars fire on the highlander with only 1 hit, but with an outstanding 11 Lt Craig overcome his haplessness and the highlanders don’t pin! On the contrary the other two units fails the command to double and stop impressed by Kalindi Khan retreat. A key turn point of the battle?
 
The fire of Raj units is devasting but with a 12 and 11 Abu Zar and Wali control their depleted units,

only cavalry is pinned.

Naag khan attacks and wins against Ludhiana Sikhs and Abu Zar does the same against Bombay Grenadier even if with less men and they cannot rally in the following turn. Wali Khan succeeds in pinning Craig’s highlanders which then rally.

Forrier’s grenadiers win the test and not pin and release a devasting volley: 7 5/6 out of 8 dice! Abu Zar should die but use his lucky for a re roll who hits 4 men, but one of this is him (double 1)!!! Destiny is destiny! Kismet is kismet! While he dies his tribesmen run away and the tide changes again.

But the surprises are just begun: Wali kills 2 other Gordon but with an outstanding double 6 they do not pin again, ignoring hapless Craig hysterical commands. Hughes siks still pinned are attacked by Abdul Haq’s fierce warriors and routes. Same destiny for Forrier’s Bombay grenadiers, while Javad’cavalry decides to not charging the rallied Gordons.

 Without losing his control Craig’s men who crying the Gordon motto “Bydand!” hit other 3 Naag’s tribesmen and Naag Khan, shocked also by Abu Zar’s death, routs.   

At this point Wali’s irregulars fire pins the Scottish, even if they toss a 10 but Craig’s hapless command jeopardize it all and Abdul Haq’s fierce warriors butcher them all, included poor LT Craig. The sound of the piper with the notes of cock o’North are soon covered by the cries of the winning Afridis.

Afridis got a great victory and despatched 31 Raj soldiers out of 36! They lost 29 tribesmen only, but including Abu Zar. This death jeopardizes the victory because also if without all reinforcements, now Fullerton can concentrate on Powinda only. Abdul Haq and Wali raise as new leaders for the lands south of Spinwam. Wali power is growing and soon he will be able to challenge Sher Khan and his brother Rustam Bahadur to lead Umra’s forces in north Waziristan, or south Tirah as Umra says…but he is not a Kuki Khel Afridi, while the hero Abdul Haq is and Kuki Khel don’t like obeying to different subtribe Afridis. And Rustam Bahadur‘s gold will make very popular this concern to stop his brother rising. But new different problems are rising for Bahadur…

Who will decide the new Khan in Spinwam district? Tribesmen blood will? Sher Khan heritage? A ferenghee’s bullet? A sharp tulwar in the breast?

Now in Bannu Major Vousden, informed by his Kyber rifles afridis about Sher Khan moving deeper southwards into Mumand Khel,  is preparing a new attack northward to win Bajaduz Khan.

 Then he will reach Thal from a different road and his army this time will be based on fresh unit, that he denied to Nicholson to keep a good force based on ruthless invincible warriors, as Vousden explained to Capt. Marmaduke “Tiffin” Gonnister:

"You see Tiffin, if you require a position held against impossible odds, use an English or Welsh Regiment, Should you require a position captured  against impossible odds, use a Scottish or Irish one, but if we require both at once, well, that's why God created Gurkhas and to complete the perfection we’ll add a bunch of my 22nd Sam Browne’s sabres and a machine gun! We’ll boost our morale marching under the tone of the artillery."
 
“And when the gun jams exhausted” Tiffin replied “still you can hear the Ghurkas cry , the Warcry of the Gurkhas: 'Ayo Gurkhali' = 'Here come the Gurkhas! ', Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gurkhali' = 'Hail Goddess Kali. The Gurkhas are upon you! ' And no mercy for the rebels who meet Johnny Ghurkha’s kukri”



In the rattle of the battle
In the fog of fusillade
There are Gurkhas’ kukris,
Ready for Afridis to kiss
And stalwart fiercely stand,
Rifle on shoulder and kukri in hand
And when the battles over
No fear if ther’s no cover
You forget those bloody miles
And those gentle Gurkha smiles.
You can thank your Gods, even Kali
And shout 'Ayo Gurkhali! '
Death to Khans Bahadur and Wali
Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gurkhali'

'Johnny Gurkha' Poem by R.Winkle (which inspired Res John Burman’s one)

[Mad Guru]

HEAR YEA, HEAR YEA.......

Let the cry go out to Faithful and Infidels alike...





To the Holy Believers... and their red and khaki coated foes...

Use all manner of machinery to hasten its spread across the land and sea, for such events are indeed of profound nature...

CAPT SHANKS AKA: Gul Akbar Khan has seen the light!!!



The curtain of Darkness -- the Veil of Lies -- is lifted from before his eyes... and there is much rejoicing!!!





Welcome, CAPTAIN, to the Assembly of the Select, the Gathering of the Blessed!!!

Yea, the rejoicing spreads even from the Living unto the Dead...

SO LET IT BE WRITTEN... SO LET IT BE DONE... BANG THE GONG... GET IT ON!!!

[Umra Khan]

Awesome post Mad Guru 👏👏👏
Brother Shanks aka Gul Akbar has seen the light!

He sees the light 🎼🎶🎸
He sees the light 🎸🎶🎼
He sees the light 🎶🎸🎼
Oh Yea 🎼🎼🎼