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

[giorgio]

A NEW FAITH

Wana, a campfire in the outskirts.
“You see Ghilji, I would give all my new goats to know what the mighty Mulehead, may the only Ruler bless him, is thinking about the news arrived from North”
“from North only troubles come, but your new goats stolen to blasphemic Afridi, Azim. The news brought by the caravans are really concerning all of us. A new heresy Red and Silver, teached by fakiri dressed as Muezzin is contaminating all the north. They say that even Powinda’s ghazis are bending to embrace the new truth, may Osprey destroy them and leave their bones to the vultures”
 “Ghaffar bring here the fork to test this jezail balance, you lazy mule” Ghilji shouted to a third man, bringing a fork, his prayers carpet and his own musket, a brain new one with some cirillic inscription on it.


“This jezail is perfect” said a proud Azim aiming under their rocks “I would like use it against any faith enemy, or ferenghee either heretic”
“I have heard that new fanatics have dispatched a lot of Afridi south of Thal” Ghilji commented
“And many Waziri too” Ghaffar said with a strange smile
“You are right, old goat head, they believe in strange new rule, red as blood and silver as steel. Their pray is “10 is good, 6 is bad” and they kill whoever refuses to use 10 sides dice. Can you believe me? 10 side, I think that even 6 are too many. You should have 2 only sides, 6 for you and 1 for your enemy” Ghilji continued
“10 is foolish” Amir insisted
“Since Pashtunwali has been established all believers has used only 6 side dice. Even the blasphemic heretics” (stopping to split on the ground) “even those pigs use 6 side dices”

A chora reflects the sun rays in a sparkle of light, soon covered by a red surface of blood. Red and silver… Blood and steel … the infection is everywhere now!
The only survived Pashtun unwrapped his carpet to pray with deep voice: “10 is good, 6 is bad”

In the meantime many warriors, already contaminated (or enlighted?) by the new Rule are marching furiously against British defenses in Shewa and a new leader is driving his fanatics for the glory of the True Ruler: will d10 dominate the world?!?

[Skorda]

Cant wait to embrace the new faith.

[Rhingyll]

                                                                     


Constantin Poenaru was born in Bucharest. Poenaru attended the local officers’ school from 1859 to 1861, followed by the École Supérieure de Guerre in Paris. A second lieutenant from 1861, he rose to captain in 1867 and to major in 1872 and commanded the military engineers’ battalion from 1872 to 1877. When the Romanian War of Independence broke out in 1877, he saw action during the Siege of Plevna. In 1880, Poenaru was promoted to lieutenant colonel and he became inspector of military engineers. In 1882, he was made commander of the first engineers’ regiment in the Romanian Army and was sent with a Romanian infantry brigade to assist with the construction of the Trans-Caspian Railroad. The brigade worked on the railroad until 1888 at Samarkand. He had hoped to see the completion of the railroad in Tashkent at which point he would retire from active service and return to Romania. But such was not his luck The brigade was ordered to head in a general southeast direction towards British India. They were to construct bridges across any waterways they encountered. They would be re-supplied on a monthly basis along the route they had created. All went well until they reached Mastuj in the NWF. The brigade had completed a new wooden bridge, basically as an alternate to the existing rope bridge, but had not been re-supplied for two months now. He had sent a messenger back to Samarkand but as of yet had no reply. Poenaru’s only option was to halt and wait. A week or so ago, a British mapping expedition had camped within a few miles of the southside of his bridge. They posed no threat to Poenaru, and left the area after a few days, heading east along the Gilgit River valley. But the always cautious Poenaru decided to construct some defensive breastworks on the southside of the bridge. His men needed something to occupy their time as well and this little project would do. Poenaru’s Romanian Brigade consists of the 2nd Line Infantry, 1st Battalion of the 6th Dorobantsi Militia, and a detachment of the 3rd Chasseurs.



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Conflict at Mastuj, Northeast of the fort at Chitral

There are several postings on page 50 and 51 of this thread that provide the prelude to this battle.
Romanian scouts have informed Colonel Poenaru of a British force heading toward Mastuj along the Gilgit River. He has deployed his troops in a defensive manner in case the British attack. The ambitious Colonel Kelly, upon approaching Mastuj, has decided to halt his march to help relieve Chitral and instead gain some points by taking the town of Mastuj from the Romanians (whom he considers to be Russians) in the name of the Queen.

Colonel James Graves Kelly “Long Nose”
2 units of 32nd Punjab Pioneers
1 unit of 4th Kashmiri Rifles
1 band of Punjabi Levis 
1 section of 1st Kashmir Mountain Battery – Light Gun 
1 detachment of the 51st Kings Own Highland Light Infantry

Colonel Constantin Poenaru
1 unit 1st Battalion 2nd Infantry Line Regiment
1 unit 2nd  Battalion 2nd Infantry Line Regiment
1 unit 1st Battalion 6th Dorobantsi Regiment 
3rd Chasseur Battalion

The 51st Highland LI and Kashmiri Rifles clear the woods of the Chasseurs on the eastern flank but at a heavy cost to the Highlanders. The artillery keeps up a constant barrage on the 2nd Line defending the wall in front of the river. Meanwhile the right and left wing of the 32nd Pioneers advance forward in the center towards the wall and bridge. The Levis push rapidly forward on the western flank taking light casualties from the Romanian fire behind the wall.
Poenaru moves up from his reserve position with the remainder of the 2nd Line and crosses the bridge to oppose the advancing right wing of the 32nd Pioneers. Meanwhile a detachment of Chasseurs who had been out foraging arrive back at Mastuj. Kelly urges the Kashmiri Rifles forward and the attack and melee Poenaru and his 2nd Line. Poenaru was push backed slightly from his position but remained in good order. The Levis managed to work they way around the wall and attack the 2nd Line defending it. The defenders hold off the attack and the Levis back off to regroup. Poenaru pulls back off of the bridge and the newly arrived Chasseurs take up his previous position on the bridge. Fire from the 2nd Line behind the wall pushes the Levis back a little further and disorders them. The remnants of the 51st Highland LI fire out of the woods at the Romanian Chasseurs on the bridge inflicting light casualties. Kelly and his depleted Kashmiri Rifles take cover in the woods. The pressure of the battle has become to much for the engineer turned soldier Poenaru and he flees out of the town with his surviving unit. Things were looking up for the Romanians until this turn of events. The Romanian 6th Dorobantsi Regiment has finally decided to get into the action and is attempting to cross the rope bridge on the western side of the town. Accurate marksmanship from the Chasseurs on the main bridge drove the remaining Highland LI out of the woods and rendered them no longer effective. The 2nd Romanian line behind the wall continued to take casualties and eventually lost the position to the Punjabi Levis. Steady fire from the Kashmiri mountain gun drove the remaining Chasseurs off the main bridge, Seeing this, The Dorobantsi Militia realized that the day was lost, and as the only remaining fighting force left of the Romanian side, they decided to beat a hasty retreat back across the rope bridge and headed north to find Colonel Poenaru. Long Nose Kelly had taken more of a beating than expected and now had top halt his march towards Chitral in order to assess what was left of his victorious but battered force.

[JBaumal]

Bob, great AAR, the table and troops look awesome too!

[Umra Khan]

Great post, cool pictures of the battle, a bloody victory for "Long Nose"

[giorgio]

The Message

Cold winds are whispering among the rocks. Captain Arwin Torrished is splitting his orders to his Subedar Kamal Singh, but he doesn’t think they are so urgent. Nobody would be so crazy to stay outside with such a freezy weather.

Almost nothing is visible, at least at his eyes, but suddenly a Sikh sentinel shouts from his patrolling area “Stop there, stop or…” Crack, clear and sharp the noise of the rifle arrives amplified by the muffled silence all over around him.

“What’s that, what’s happening” Arwin shouted to his subedar, already running to the sentinel to understand what’s happening.
“Sir, a man sir, arrived left or lost this paper wrapped around a rock and disappeared unhurted, Sir, very unfair from him if you agree…”
“mmmh this is written in very poor English… all my… we have to alert immediately the colonel, my horse, bring him here immediately”

Few minutes later in the HQ…
“So Arwin, what’s the reason of this urgency! I had to interrupt an important political discussion to ride here!” Colonel Bartholomeus Furtinghs said, thinking to the sweet kisses of Lady Barrington, the young wife of the gallant tenant Barrington, whose pride was second only to his ingenuity.
“Sir, with your permission, I just intercepted this message, very urgent and very important!”
Furthings took the letter thinking “intercepted” if they did not want it, you could remain the whole night over there watching bare rocks”.

“Mmmh, this requires a prompt reaction, Bob!” Furthings shouted cantering quickly towards his HQ, followed by the faithful Robbie, the regimental mascot.
“Sir, yes sir” answered the young tenant Robert Caldwin, riding as fast as he could.
“Bob call immediately all the officer in my office! I M M E D I A T E L Y !!!” Colonel shouted while poor Tenant Caldwin galloped to alert all the officers.

What is the content of the message left by the mysterious Pashtun? A trap or a safe clue? And what about the new sect of B&S cultist? Are they going to be quickly squeezed or they will be the new rising stars? Many are the homemade modifications, as many as the stars which enlights north Waziristan (at least according Wana border maps). Everything changes in this strange land… all but the power of Mulehead!
To be continued…

[Umra Khan]

In one of the many Peshawar's alleys , a faithful servant approaches Zaman Khan...
 "Zaman, you can assure the Great Umra, may the Lord protect him, that his message has been delivered..."