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

[CPT Shanks]

Peace is merely the illusion of security, and it only extends to the range of a finely crafted jezzail in the expert hands of a pathan warrior. Or in Umra's case, the length of his chora as he sinks it into the back of his friends and foes alike.

[Mad Guru]

Gul Akbar Khan (I use the term of honored rank under protest),

Only Ferenghees or Heretics hurl insults at the Chosen and Elect of the Prophet, Blessed be His Name, and as it is well known to all -- your scandalous self included -- that Umra Khan was born in the heart of the Hindu Kush and suckled milk from the bosom of a powder flask...

Therefore & henceforth it must be clear to one and all that you, Gul Akbar Khan (so-called), are indeed a Heretic and once and future iconoclast and apostate.

So let it be written, so let it be known
From Peshawar to your Black Mountain home!

Gaze today, ponder tomorrow, and know it as Proven Truth yesterday...

If not by my testimony alone, then by these stout evidences submitted for approval to the LAF Jirga:

[Umra Khan]

Gul Akbar Khan (I use the term of honored rank under protest),

Only Ferenghees or Heretics hurl insults at the Chosen and Elect of the Prophet, Blessed be His Name, and as it is well known to all -- your scandalous self included -- that Umra Khan was born in the heart of the Hindu Kush and suckled milk from the bosom of a powder flask...

Therefore & henceforth it must be clear to one and all that you, Gul Akbar Khan (so-called), are indeed a Heretic and once and future iconoclast and apostate.

So let it be written, so let it be known
From Peshawar to your Black Mountain home!

Gaze today, ponder tomorrow, and know it as Proven Truth yesterday...

If not by my testimony alone, then by these stout evidences submitted for approval to the LAF Jirga:

Oh chosen among the elect oh pure among the pure, Great Mad Guru
Umra Khan approved

[giorgio]

Mad Guru, aka the scum of the Frontier, his damnation is justified and deserved because he was never truly adopted among the elect. I know it very well becuase I'm the Khan of the elect, the Great and Unvincible Mulehead. Persecutor of the heretics and safe haven for widows, children and all the faithful followers of the True Rule!

[CPT Shanks]

BEHOLD!

BEHOLD! The Mad Guru, icon of Swat, befuddled purveyor of lies, the Bedbug of Mogala, home of harlots and ferenghees.  Witness how he has the Peshawar Tribune read to him, blind to all but his own ambition.

He sits like a beggar, well squats, having the words fed to him like child being fed dates. Is this how he learned the false rules he espouses to know forwards and back as though he'd delivered them to Brom himself.  Now he but squats, his mind clouded with age and infirmity,  believing any proclamations he puts forth would be adhered to by followers of the Truth.

Even now the laskar of Ghul Akbar prepares to descend like lions on the ferenghi, while the Mad Guru hides behind the walls of Mogala, begging for scraps and protection from "the great" Umra Khan. Neither of whom have led warriors into battle, both of whom sit sipping chai and gossiping like old women. Patting each other on the back for issuing weightless proclamations., while betraying the believers to the hated ferenghees.

[Mad Guru]

Gul Akbar Khan,

Know this today, make a note of it for tomorrow and remember it yesterday:

I was not betraying believers to the hated ferengees........

I was merely comparing notes with regard to your illustrious and multilingual sister -- Blessings be upon her, her children, her husband and that fetid pustule of a village where he reigns supreme...



Oops, I nearly forgot how said village was wiped off the face of Allah -- the Beneficent and Merciful's -- earth, after which he and your beloved (by all) sister were made guests of the Queen Empress, lo, close to two years ago...



Surely you recall when that happened, since it was soon after that you led your own ill-fated attack on the ferengee's fortified camp at Dargai...







Where most of your men were martyred and you yourself were badly wounded...



Only to somehow be rescued by your beloved half-Infidel retainer, Rambo Ali:





What a pity you left so many of your men dead on the field on all sides of the Queen Empress's camp...



And the flag of our Infidel Foes flying high... in the sky... beneath the heights of Dargai...



Tho' I did hear the vultures sent you a golden feather as thanks for the bumper feeding of Pashtun flesh the results of your generalship provided unto them...

[CPT Shanks]

Colonel Reginald Banks had been tasked with securing the lines of communication north of Darband to the village of Bokrai. His primary mission was road improvement and establishing  telegraph lines.  The Akazai who controlled everything north of the established frontier had other plans. Once the task force crossed the border they came under continous sniping action. Though the fire was mostly ineffective the command still lost three mules, two labourers, and a bhasti. This insolence would not stand.
Colonel Banks, gin in hand, tasked his aide de camp with finding out where the Pathans were organizing from, clearly nothing on the frontier happened without some Khan or an other's say so, and develop a course of action to deal with them, preferably peaceably but forcibly if necessary.

[Mad Guru]

The aforementioned Colonel Reginald Banks, pictured while on holiday in British Somaliland:

[CPT Shanks]

And here he is at the indoor range in Abbottabad receiving a backbrief from his political officers and ADC , his ubiquitous London Dry G&T temporarily replaced with his Webley, a rare sight indeed.

[CPT Shanks]

Major H. Carruthers, ADC, listened to the briefing from his political officers. In light of the recent attacks on the telegraph lines and against the pioneers consructing the road, Colonel Banks had ordered  the root of the attacks be sorted. MAJ Carruthers dispatched them to gather what information they could to  determine if these were random actions by a few individuals or a coordinated attack against the Raj.


A jirga had been held north of Ghazikot with many of the local khans pledging to fight the Raj troops behind every rock.  The ADC and his chief of operations developed a plan to envelop the village, Diliarai, where the jirga had taken place and with any luck round up the belligerents and hold them accountable.


The plan was to move a column north from Darband through Ghazikot and on to Bokrai. There 1 Mountain Battery, Royal Artillery would cross the Indus by barge and set up on the Palosi Plain. At 0500 they would commence firing barrage on Diliarai. Upon flare signals from Col Banks, they would cease fire, and the main element would assault the village, capturing any belligerents,  equipment, and capturing or destroying any supplies.

[CPT Shanks]

Maj Carruthers continued his briefing to the Colonel.  Sir the mountain battery will commence firing at 0500 during this time the assault elements will move from Bakrai into their assault positions as indicated on the map.  Once you are in position HQ will send up a red flare to signal the battery to cease fire and the fusiliers, Sikhs, and Gurkhas to initiate  their attacks.  Your HQ will be with the main element, Fusiliers, and concentrate the attack along the main trail and assault through the village The Gurkhas will maneuver along the river and assault from the southern flank and secure the southern edge of the village. The Sikhs will assault along the eastern flank and secure the eastern edge of the village.  The gatling section will establish a support position and secure the southern and eastern approaches.


BACK TO THE BLACK MOUNTAINS

The predawn stillness is broken by the 2.5 inch rifled guns of Number 1 Mountain Battery, Royal Artillery. Having conducted a night crossing of the Indus River and man handling their guns into position on the Palosi Plain in the early morning darkness, they stood ready and opened up a relentless barrage on the village of Diliarai directly at 0500.


Once the fires commenced Col Banks, already three Lond Dry G&Ts into his morning ordered his elements from Bakrai into their company assault positions. Company runners came into the manuever HQ section reporting that both CPT Gupta and CPT Sadik were in position. COL Banks took a long pull from his flask, "Hadley, initiate the signal." On order Major Carruthers drew his flare pistol and fired a red flare into the coming dawn. It was 0545.

[giorgio]

What an amazing and intriguing introduction to the battle! I cannot stand waiting for next post, congratulation Captain!!!

[CPT Shanks]

THE ATTACK ON DILIARAI!

All three companies converged on the village at the double in order to establish a foot hold before the Pathans could recover and mount a defense.

The Sikhs' attack on the right flank was hampered  by an escarpment according to Subadar Sadik's after action report, but Halvidar Singh's back brief to the RSM told a different story. A story of a subadar who thought himself lucky, but in reality was overly caution and a company demoralized by a man who they deemed a weak commander, willing to risk their lives but unwilling to risk his own.

Colonel Banks, his flask secured in his breast pocket and webley in hand shouted "Tally Ho!" and took off up the trail to the burning village, much to the exasperation of the RSM and delight of the Fusiliers.

"Jaya Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali!” the Ghurkas cried out in unison and advanced along the river before wheel right towards the village. Suddenly from the underbrush along the river a mass of Pathans came screaming at the Ghurkas.






Kukris glistened in the morning sun, clashing against chora and tulwar. The fierce Ghurkas, their backs to the sun, made short work of the attacking Pathans driving them back into the underbrush, following up with an hail of fire driving them into the river.


With the right flank still stalled and the left decisively engaged, Colonel Banks led the Fusilier through the destroyed gate into the village propper. This was met with a direct assault from the village center, but the villagers and farmers were no match for the cold steel of the Fusiliers and they driven back towards the burning buildings. Not allowing the initiative to go to waste, the Fusiliers poured fire into the pathans driving them dangerously close to the inferno.
On the right flank Subadar Sadik ordered his Sikhs to fire on the pathans approaching from the east, killing a small number of them, pinning them before they realized how little a threat was posed by the Sikhs and rallied their effort to defend the village.

The Fusiliers continued to fire into the villagers driving them further back and around the burning buildings. The Sikhs, their range now found, again fired into the pathans this time driving them back down the eastern slope.
To the east the Ghurkas, not one for missing a fight, advanced at the double, gaining the crumbled walls.



Their timing could not have been more impeccable as two hordes advanced into the fight, one advancing into the village center and another going to ground in the underbrush along the river.


The Fusliers and Ghurkas opened fire on the new threat. Unable to withstand the hail of fire they routed and broke for the cover of the burning buildings.  The Sikhs, finding their way up the escarpment, finally advanced on the village and secured their sector.
As the Britishers attempted to clear the village, the bold pathans regrouped and mounted a final attack against the Fusiliers but were driven back into the village.




The village secured, Colonel Banks holsterred his webley and unholsterred his flask,  "Not a bad morning's work.", it was 0947.  The pathans continued to take potshots to no effect while the troops searched the remaining village and collected up what weapons and supplies they could find and burned them.   The total butchers bill amounted to thirty-one pathans killed, including one khan, and well over one-hundred driven back into the mountains and river. There were only eleven losses to the command, the hardest hit being the Fusiliers. By 1400 the command descended back the trail to reassemble at Bakrai for the march back to Darband.

[Mad Guru]

Drunk as a skunk or not, that's some bloody fine work by Colonel Banks & Co. 

[giorgio]

You can win the whole army but not the Gordons!
Dear viewers, please pay attention to be not mesmerized by the battles in the deep North . Let’s return to our old friend in Waziri borders.
Fulisham himself leaded the rescue army, a power one. Two lancers’ units (Madras and Hodson, the latter leaded by Lt Davenport, the young brilliant Gen Davenport’s nephew) supported by Gordon, Gurkha and Northumberland plus an artillery unit. Suddenly it was clear it was not to be an easy stuff: Wali Khan himself leaded hordes of warriors rallied after last triumphs, or at least that is what his propaganda said.
The battle was fought at Empoli’s wargames exhibition and organized by Genoa Wargame Garibaldi, the only club for the discerning Khan..

On Fulisham’s right lot of warriors are approaching,

but brilliantly charged back ny Hodson’s lancers and repulsed

In the centre Northumberland fires on advancing units trying to delay their advance

On the left a clash between tribal and Madras’ ended with the victory of the former, also due to supporting fire by approaching Pashtuns’ units



in the centre right Ghurkha fire tells his credits pinning advancing warriors

Wali understands he cannot win the fire exchange with Brits and Scottish units



On the right Hodson’s gallant boys continue the charge destroying another unit

At 4th turn Tribal units charge the Brits while Madras poor performance on the left allows Tribal cavalry to envelope the left flank passing back the houses and menacing the artillery

Ghurkha continue to hit the tribals, worried by the lancers outflanking menace, but they have a better goal: Afridi’s artillery

The tribal units attack the hill and their number allows the British retreat



In the center the artillery is wiped out by survived tribal cavalry charging straight from the left

And the retreating Northumberlands risk to be encircled, but for Gordons protecting their back

In the meantime, Afridi artillery too is destroyed by another gallant charge by Lt Ten Davenport ‘s lancers

The Afridi cavalry charges the Scottish, while tribal warriors charges the brits, but is completely repulsed by Logan’s Gordon with an outstanding performance: their comrades are vindicated at last!

This last victory allows the retreat of the last Raj troops which return ordinately to safe Shewa entrenches.
Safe? Wali Khan appetite is increasing after the last victories and he asks his father for reinforcement to retake Shewa or at least their boundaries. But is Sher Khan happy for his victories? He is becoming too popular, isn’t he? And anyway, in Spinwam Nicholson is ready to advance, is it wise to divide his troops?
Fulisham column is still a nasty nut to crack, and now is reinforced with units left in Shewa to rest.
And Umra Khan? Good if Wali Khan rise is affecting his father’s power but…could he become an enemy himself? Sometime the bad weed must be eradicated before becoming too strong. Poison? Chora? Jezail? Too many opportunities to choose within…
And Bajaduz? His jelosy for his brother’s successes are too much to stand with…
Too many unknown factors and events, too many for a slice piece of land, a grim one: the Frontier!