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

[Umra Khan]

Somewhere on the Frontier an important character is awaited by some Emir...more to follow .

[Mad Guru]

Brother Umra Khan..........

MY INTEREST IS PIQUED!!!!

[giorgio]

The rescue

   
Bannu
“It is unbelievable!” and Gen Davenport could not avoid to erupt a series of comments that would not be appropriate in a ladies cabinet.
“Robbie send a message to that old inept of “mule speed” Fulisham. One thing, only one thing was his duty: avoiding any issue to the topographic expedition with Harald Singh, member of an influent Sick family  and the daughter in law of Lady Henrietta Bornsmith, a good friend of mine, if so we can say, so it is a must recovering the engineers and staff. And the young lady of course!” Davenport shouted almost breaking his port glass on the table and then going out of the office...
   

“Sir yes sir, immediately sir” And the brilliant young officer run to dispatch the message.

Shewa
   

Col Fulisham called immediately capt Allison.
“Logan, we must recover from last failed mission, take with you four of our best units including your Gordon and march immediately towards Thal to intercept those ruffians and rescue the Lady. And the engineers too of course. Start by tomorrow dawn!”
   

“Yes Sir, my boyz are always ready to give a lesson to those bandits and revenge their camerades! Sarge bring my respect to LT goosebad, Lone and Hunters  and ask them to join me tomorrow morning 3 a.m. ready for a quick operation”
“Sir, yes sir”

Thal
Sher Khan is laughing as the news of Spimwam battle results reached him.
“Very well, Habdul Haq Khan wanted to show he could free his province eliminating the Anglez, but now every Pashtun knows that only Sher Khan can be their salvation! Wali Khan!”
“Yes father!”
   

“You will patrol the area around Shewa to assure no movement will menace our flank while marching southward.”
“Bajaduz Khan”
“Yes father”
   
“You will rule Thal and assure that our hostages are safe and ready to be exchanged with Ferenghees’gold”
“And me?” Hasan Khan asked suspiciously
   

“You?” little piece of sheet, goat’s escrement… you stupid puppet, I know you’re Umra’s sneaky counsellor… “You my beloved friend will march with me towards Spimwam and from there down to Mirali and the Waziris’lands!” If there is a jackal, better if I can keep it under my control…

Wali is marching towards Shewa, where Allison is going to start his rescue mission, both unaware of the imminent clash…
   

[JBaumal]

Aha, a gallant rescue mission is required indeed. Just the perfect endeavor for steadfast British troops and their stalwart allies!!!

[Lord Raglan]

Love seeing your up-dates mate, you guys invest so much time and effort into your campaigns

[giorgio]

Very kind of you, Lord Raglan, very kind indeed, but I don not think it is a great effort if the reward will be to be the only Amir and the heads of Mad Guru and Umra for my Buzkashi games...

[Lord Raglan]

Great attitude 👍🏻

[CPT Shanks]

Very kind of you, Lord Raglan, very kind indeed, but I don not think it is a great effort if the reward will be to be the only Amir and the heads of Mad Guru and Umra for my Buzkashi games...

A case where two heads are better than one.

[Umra Khan]

A case where two heads are better than one.

 

[giorgio]

The rescue: the day before the day

Allison took a big breath and turned to Fulisham, who had just mounted his horse:
   
“Sir, there's something I should like to say, if I may.”
“Please go on”
“Last time we were surprised by hundreds of ruffians arriving suddenly from everywhere. May I ask to have a cavalry support for scouting and detecting any ambush?”
“I agree, I had already taken the decision to give you Terence’s devils. They will be a perfect screen and probably will be able to reach and free the hostages in the shortest time”
   

Allison thought mmmh not so easy, for my experience, and furthermore they have only old carbine models. “Thank you Sir, I will send him immediately to the old bridge close to the ravine, to seize the land and ensure a safe transit to my men”
   

In that same moment Wali Khan was speaking to a couple of Khans, the leaders of his cavalry.
   

“We must be sure that no surprises are coming from Shewa and give them a blow on the nose if they dare entering into our land. “
The two Pashtun seemed indifferent to his orders, but nodded in agreement without commenting  except:
“As you order, Wali Khan”
Wali stared both of them hiding his disgust, Angar Khan, his brother’s friend and puppet, and Zgard Khan the friend of nobody: during next battle many things will happen and, with Ruler’s help, two new martyrs will be created and many problems solved…
Angar Khan was thinking “You stupid inept, I should lead these tribes not you, inept son of your father. Your brother should be in command with me beside him, but in the fog of a battle a Khyber knife between shoulders can solve many problems.”
   

“You will go to patrol and assure the control of the goat bridge, close to the ravine. From there we will go close the Anglez’s trenches, ready to exploit any opportunity! Zgard Khan you will follow Angar’s suggestions, his men are much more experienced, real veterans.”
“Sure, I’ll do” Zgard answered and then hissed “I’m a much better warrior and I should be in charge of the whole cavalry… but let’s give time to time, in the fog of a battle a couple of stray bullets can solve many problems”
   

The fatal clash is arriving... as always in Genoa Garibaldi wargamers club, probably replied at Empoli wargame convention at the end of October...

[CPT Shanks]

A heated cavalry battle vying for control of a strategic chokepoint. Intrigues of men's egos vying for power in a deadly blood feud. Two more cogs tic off on the wheel of time on the frontier.

[giorgio]

The rescue: the battle

“Phil, Terence should be ahead but is still in the rearguard, everything seems quiet but my experience is trying to tell me something…”
“Sir look, it seems that Daniel is encountering some resistance…”
“ok let’s go to support him, send a message to Arnold to cover our right flank with his guides  and follow me with your Baluchi.”

In the mean time Wali Khan is surprised to encounter the Raj column but quickly reacts ordering to hiss flanks to advance to envelope the Ferenghees.

 “Rashid go to Angar Khan and tell him to advance” Then changing the volume of his voice “and do what I ordered you”

Northumberlands get the first victim hitting Yah Khan's unit, and soon the first disgrace: Wali Khan’s irregulars start firing on the Brits and kill Lt Hunters, the unit shocked by the loss is pined. 

While the lancers remain frozen in the rear the guides move out the cover to intercept Abhisheck Khan’s unit.

Guides are attacked and wiped out, Wali Khan’s irregulars get 3 hits on the Gordons and Narinder Khan attacks and destroys the English unit killing 8 figures versus 4 tribal Ghazi, and then butchers all of them.

At this very moment Lt Terence Hallen charges and destroys Angar Khan’s cavalry. In the fog of the battle Angar falls down with a knife between his shoulders.



While Rashid disappears far from the river bed, Gobind Khan attacks and kills Lt Hallen, but is repulsed by the remaining Skinners, who reach a safe route behind the afridis.


Allison regroups both his unit and Baluchis and orders a general retreat. Wali is triumphing: his name will be sung even to Umra Khan’s court, the road to Shewa entrenchments is clear, his brother’s friend is no more a problem.
But in Shewa Col. Fulisham rallies his men,, leaves Baluchi in Shewa with remaining Skinners, rallying, and march with artillery, Madras and Hodson ‘s units plus Raj infantry including gourkha to revenge the humiliation. Allison’s Gordons are with him to vindicate their camerades. Wali Khan will soon taste how bitter can be the Raj retaliation!

The Raj rallies in Shewa while Afridis return to the hills joined by many warriors from all the province, including an old gun manned by undrilled volunteers. If Fulisham wants to bite they are ready to bite him back: when the wolf gets red, he becomes an ugly customer! But leave the problems for tomorrow, today Wali Khan and his men can enjoy the sweet taste of victory

Oh, Waziristan is Waziristan, and Chitral is Chitral,
and never the twain shall meet in peace!
Poem by R.Winkie (later copied by Kipling) from “Peshawar  barracks ballads”

[CPT Shanks]

The Roof of the World

.



Once again the Black Mountain tribes, in particular the Akazai, have violated their promises to the Raj and taken up the sports of cutting telegraph lines, sniping at ferenghees, and otherwise molesting subjects of her majesty.
 In Abbottabad, General McQueen orders a punitive column north along the Indus to nip this belligerence in the bud. 
Leading the column are the 5th Ghurkas, freshly arrived from action in East India along the Burmese frontier.

Advancing north of Ghazikot in skirmish order, the battalion meets no resistance crossing the Shal Nala and establishing a bivouac at Bakrai.  The 15th Lancers followed in good order finding the roads still in good repair from the previous year's improvements.

The gatling guns and 4th Hazara mountain battery are next in the line of march,  followed by the 4th Sikhs and a company of the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers  securing the rear of the formation.
At Bakrai, the 4th Hazara mountain battery, supported by the 1st Bn Northumberland Fusiliers  crossed the Indus and occupied positions in the vicinity of Palosi. At first light the battery will begin firing on the village of Diliarai in support of a direct assault against the heights.
 The condition are set to bring these belligerents to task, and back to the jirga. Once again bringing peace to the Black Mountain frontier.

[Umra Khan]

Cooooool !
great post CPT Shanks

[giorgio]

No peace on the Black Mountain: just a long never ending fight with few seldom breaks ...