Ghuam Khan Kalay Battle
Muletail and his friend had been instruments of fate or, if you prefer, the True Ruler had established since the beginning that he had to start his long journey from Khost to be in Kajeray just in time to free Mullah Powanda (see link
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=131610.420 Powanda “the goat”).
While Muletail and his friend are continuing their journey towards Mir Zakah, Mullah Powanda takes the leadership of tribesmen rallied under his flag for a great jihad and the army increases with Waziris and allies joining his column directed from North West to the Tochi Valley.
After a long quick journey through the waziris subtribes in Khost, Powanda warriors reach the North Waziristan, green hills alternate with rocky arid dusts
Different is the perception of the British officers and Lt Wootsy is not exception. He is a real Hero, the only valuable officer that Stockfish has under his command. He is scouting the area north of Ghuam Khan Kalay to intercept and escort an artillery mule train sent by Gen Davenport just before the fateful end of Fullerton advancing towards Spinwam and his defeats and units annihilation.(see link
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=131610.435 the battle of Mir Ali Mirali)
A unit of 1st Bombay mountain battery is escorting the train and cpt Riley Sikhs and LT Firestone are marching to meet them and to support and prevent any coup de man of Waziris.
A lot of ruffians’ movements and rumours of the riot have been detected and Stockfish wants to regroup all his unit to entrench and wait for Fullerton’s return with the Poona cavalry sent to support his advance in Afridis’s lands. (see link
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=131610.435 the battle of Mir Ali Mirali)
Opposite to Wootsy, the other officers are not at sufficient standard: Cpt Riley can be defined a yellow belled, but anyway better than the drunkard LT Firestone or the coward nervous LT Tameron, whom Gen Davenport was very keen to send out of his HQ and who got his rank thanks the good offices of his uncle Br Gen Marmaduke Tameron, who anyway didn’t take him in his highlander regiment.
Suddenly a dusty cloud behind the hills is announcing an incoming danger: Cpt Riley must be informed immediately to accelerate the march to support Tameron and assure the safe arrival of the train with the necessary guns and ammunitions. They are already here, much before the expected arrival time!
“Crazy mountain artillerymen, they well deserve their reputation!” Wootsy said turning his horse “Better we accelerate, RInsaldar at the double, quick! But before send a Sowar to Captain Riley to inform him!”.
An happy, melodic, rhythming tune is song in the valley by the bold artillerymen of the 1st Bombay mountain artillery:
For you all love the screw-guns — the screw-guns they all love you!
So when we call round with a few guns, o’ course you will know what to do.
Jest send in Powanda an’ surrender — it’s worse if you fights or you runs:
You can go where you please, you can skid up the trees, but you don’t get away from the guns.“Tenant tenant” the halvidar shouted running “Sir many pathans are behind those hills aiming at our mules”
“Well they will enjoy the knowledge of our lead, Havildar be ready to repulse the attack and let us gain time to be rescued” answer the Tenant while his nerves started to collapse after fighting with his mind generously helped by a robust liquor to pass the hours of this interminable journey. But he feels a presence, an oppression on his breast cutting the breath, as an evil curse, a prophecy of dead…
“The mountain gunners’ boast is that we can go anywhere, where a man and a mule could put a foot.we have kept up a steady clip of up to four and a half mile per hour, mile after mile and day after day and now we are here unexpected to keep this area under strict control.”
For Lt Wootsy it was a remarkable sight to see a good mountain battery coming into ‘crash’ action. What would appear to the uninitiated eye to be a disorderly assembly of mules and soldiers would suddenly stream into position, there would be a brief pause with much exertion and the heaving of lumps of metal and in a minute or two, the animals would be led off at a run leaving six or four sturdy guns with their detachments kneeling smartly round them.
Powanda looked at the column, surprised that they were already arrived, just before all the trap settings were completed. He had many inexperienced khans, but the view of the mules and guns boosted the warriors enthusiasm. Powanda spoke to his men:
“Glory to True Ruler generosity! Here our award, the prize of our faith is coming before than expected!
On the poor dusty road, utter carnage awaits you and I see what they will be in few hours: Maimed bodies will be rotting where they had been thrown. Shards of broken weapons and pieces of guns have been scattered across the highway like autumn leaves. The carriage is lying on its side, wood split open like a rotten pumpkin. With those guns we will free all Tochi Valley. Raise your tulwars sons and give the due bloody sacrifice to the True Ruler!”
“Glory to the True Rule” the waziris roared and when Mullah Powanda lowered his arms they exit in the main valley and run towards the train.
But LT Tameron feels a presence, an oppression on his breast cutting the breath, as an evil curse, a prophecy of dead, someone as a sort of supernatural power, looking over him and he trembles…
At Powanda's signal all the tribesmen advance running like wolfes, all but Khostwal cavalry which, under the inexpert leadership of Mursalin Khan, stay under the rocks where Powanda made his speech, until he, exasperated, push them to charging thanks also the stones and rocks he threw on them, so that they fear more him than the artillery fire...
Tameron Bombay artillerymen keep high their reputation, they first missed at long distance fire on foot Pashtun but replied with a devasting volley on Mursalin’s cavalry. In the meantime Wootsie appears and is activated.
Tameron guns hit other 2 waziri but they undeterred are not pinned and contact killing all the Bombay artillerymen and Tameron himself, his bad omen of doom materialized in the tulwar of a fine swordsman such as Sobha Khan. Glorious is the meaning of his name, and glory fell upon his turban when he butchered LT Tameron and left all Bombay crew dead without the time to spike the guns.
While all the pastun advance, but Kaashif Khan and his irregular who has been left well behind under the furious sight of Powanda, Wootsy attacks gallantly and destroy all the cavalry including Musalin Khan, a not very regretted Khan.
Sobha attacks Wootsy but is repulsed with heavy losses and pinned; while also Kabir must retreat but Wootsy unit is now only half of his original strenght.
Riley fire hits 2 Poya’s warriors but the elite troops doesn’t wave under the fire,
At this point Wootsie rallies his lancers and charge Kabir’s fanatics.
He wins the first fight, but they feint to rout and under the strong command of Kabir attend the lancers charge, losing a lot of men but succeeding in killing all the chargers, Wootsie included.
Poya contacts Riley and kills half of the British but Riley succeeds in rallying them while Firestone Sikhs hit 2 Ghazi and pin Kabir before he can contact Riley.
Poya insists attacking Riley butchering half of the British, but he is able to not be pinned and fires back.
In the moment to strike the fatal blow the fierce waziris of Jammas do not close and Poya’s ones are beaten even if 3 time more numerous than Riley’s, and Poya Khan himself is killed; but no time to breath and the fanatics Ghazi close on Riley and butcher all the Brits and for Kabir is the first personal triumph and cpt Riley’s head a nice present for Uncle Powanda. The first and the last…
Firestone with a devasting volley destroy the unit of Sobha Khan who routs. Kabir’s Ghazi are tigers and in 5 kill 4 Sikhs but these are lions and roll 5 “6” on 12 dice. Kabir Khan is killed, a great loss for Powanda’s army, a step forward for civilization!
The depleted Sikhs pin Poya Khan elite warriors but are hit by fierce waziris of Jammas Khan and all killed in a ferocious carnage taking with them 3 waziris.
The battle math says 3 Khans KIA and a total of 10 cavalry and 37 tribesmen versus 24 infantry and 4 artilleryman including all 4 officers.
Now guns are taken, Powanda is happy because his nephew is in the Heaven of True Rule martyrs and Tochi Valley soon will be free, but the losing of Kiber Khan have depleted the strength of his force. Time to go North and recruit new warriors for his jihad, before pointing to Tank and South Waziristan. And perhaps to meet again the young son of Mulehead that he recognized on the way to Mir Zakah, but that of Muletail is a different story…