Immediately after the Battle of Satan's Gate (see earlier post), the 14th Brigade stayed near the gate. Brigadier Temple placed an excellent screen of picquets on the ridge and mesas overseeing the river crossing and encamping on the plain before the gate. The height of the rock formations gave the British sentries excellent visibility of the surrounding area and the valley ahead.
Throwing a cavalry screen out even further, Brigadier Temple received reports that the Missuds –Pathan Tribesmen had retired up the valley, leaving a trail of dead warriors as they retreated.
Knowing the Pathan casualties would quickly be replaced as other Pathan tribes and religious fanatics joined their cause, Brigadier Temple was determined to break the Missuds will to fight by inflicting another defeat on them as quickly as possible.
Three days of rest for his brigade was all he could afford.
After having as many of his walking wounded patched up as possible by his medical staff. The Brigadier dispatched the seriously injured soldiers back down the road to Kohat. Escorting the wagons on their return journey were two companies of the 35th Sikh Infantry.
The following morning, the 14th Brigade broke camp and resumed their march up the valley in pursuit of the Pathans.
By one o'clock in the afternoon, the Brigadier's cavalry screen reported that a large contingent of the Missuds army was camped in a smaller valley to the left side of the central passage into their tribal lands. A hilltop tower that overlooked a broad plain before the wretched hillmen would observe and alert the warrior's camp.
Intent on following his plan to bloody the Missuds yet again, Temple drew up his forces into a line of battle and moved confidently toward the enemy.
He deployed his brigade as follows, four companies of the 2/14th Regiment of Foot on the right and four companies of the 35th Sikh on the left. Temple decided to detach two guns (a section) from the rest of D Battery of the 6th Sikh Mountain Guns to increase the firepower of the 35th Infantry. The four other guns remained as the hinge between the two infantry battalions in the center of the line.
A Squadron of the 5th Sikh Cavalry acted as an advanced guard for the brigade, with B Squadron trailing the formation. The baggage train was left unattended a few hundred yards down the valley well behind the formed troops – off the board.
The plain before the British was reasonably comprehensive, which narrowed to a pass that concealed the Missud camp – off the board. On the left shoulder of the pass stood a Pathan hillfort/tower of log and mud brick construction. The fort/tower gave the Pathans a good view of the plain and its approaches.
On the right side of the plain, small rocky outcrops would hinder the advance of the 2/14th.
On the left side of the plain was lined with some small rock outcrops and a field under cultivation. The grain field was hemmed with trees and was adjacent to a village that would play no part in the battle –also off the board.
A small muddy track winding through the middle of the plain led directly to the pass behind which the Pathan camp lay. A small mudbrick hut and hand-drawn well sat almost in the valley's center.
The British advance was steady and measured up the valley and onto the plain.
From the hilltop fort/tower the British commander could see flags being waved to alert the tribesmen beyond.
From the pass the Pathans erupted like angry ants streaming out of a kicked nest. At first, the number was small, but over the following turns, the numbers grew and grew into a fast-moving mass.
Small boils of warriors also streaked out from the rock barrier. The rock wall that stopped the valley appeared to have numerous fissures, allowing the Pathans other avenues to the plain before it.
The British line continued to advance, hoping to put some breathing space between them and their form-up point (edge of the table) if the brigade needed to conduct a fighting withdrawal.
The tribesmen horde swelled around the well and its mudbrick hut. One wing hurdled towards the 35th Sikhs and the other towards the hinge of the Britsh line stood in the form of the two sections of guns of D Battery, 6th Sikh Mountain Guns.
Out front of the British formed line, A Squadron, 5th Sikh Cavalry, drove forward towards a Warband of Pathan warriors who were sniping away at them from the protection of rock and sand outcrops. The Sikhs charged forward and smashed into the warriors, shattering them entirely and routing them off the field.
But the charge had now left A Squadron far ahead of friendly support; their Risaldar was the same "hot head" from the Battle at Satan's Gate only days before. Pathan Warbands were swirling around their left flank, and more Pathans lurked in the rocks outcrops before them. The Risaldar wheeled his troopers around and fled back towards the ridge with the Pathans in hot pursuit. Over the following turns, the cavalry maneuvered themselves to the extreme right of the British line, but still on the ridge and reorganised themselves.
On the left flank of the British line, the 35th Sikhs halted and, in highly British "thin red line" style, presented, aimed, and fired at the oncoming Pathan horde. The fire was deadly, halting the Pathan's mad charge. While the infantry poured deadly fire into the Pathans, the section of mountain guns attached to the 35th Sikhs hurriedly took this time to assemble their screw guns.
In the center, the Pathans chased the Sikh cavalry back to the ridge. They were intent on reaching the top of the hill before the British infantry of the 2/14th Foot could. The Pathans knew the British infantry would struggle with the climb up the reverse slope of the rise, moving slower than their tribal adversaries, and they would be disorganised once they got there. The Pathan's best chance of harming their hated foe was in that small moment where sword, shield, and numbers would count for more than a rifle, bayonet, and European discipline.
Down on the plain over the next few turns, the 35th Sikhs continued to deliver death volleys into the Pathans in front of them. First, rifle and then gunfire cut giant holes in the Pathan's ranks and they could not advance against the brutal hail. The Pathans brought up more warbands in a vain attempt to find a weakness in the Sikh line. The Pathans prayed to Allah, hoping he would grant them a blessing (a bad die roll on the British player's part) that they could take advantage of.
The soldiers of A Company, 2/14 Foot managed to climb the reverse side of the rise; first. They had just reached the center of the ridge when Ghazan's Warband struck them. Ghazan was a favoured warrior of the Pathan tribal chieftain and was called "The Warrior of God." Ghazan had almost overwhelmed Major White's, A Company days before at Satan's Gate.
It is funny how the same two antagonists were to meet again. I love how a wargame can take on its own character, bringing depth to the gameplay. Clearly, the Gods of War have decided both White and Ghazan have unfinished business that needs to be played out in the valleys of the Northwest Frontier.
Umpire's note: Either player had prearranged this; it just worked out this way. The melee was intense, but Ghazan's numbers counted, driving White and A Company back off the ridge just as B Company clambered up onto the ridge. Although they were disorganised, B Company grit their teeth, grasped their Martine-Henrys and prepared to meet Ghazan's warriors with cold steel and rifle butts.
More companies from 2/14 were also climbing up the rocks to support their comrades.
On the British left flank, the rifle and artillery fire destroyed Pathan Warband after Warband. The Pathan flood had reached its high point.
A Warband trailing Ghazan's, attempted to menace the four guns at the center of the British battle line, they were met with intense canister fire, which destroyed the unit and forced the survivors to rout.
On the ridge, Ghazan encouraged his men forward against B Company. They did manage to drive the disorganised B Company from the ridge, but the Ghazan's warriors were losing too many men. At this point, A Squadron 5th Sikh reenters the fray, smashing into Ghazan's exposed left flank. The cavalry sabers flashed, and Ghazan's Warband was no longer. Their leader and other survivors fled down the ridge into the line of fire from the guns of 6th Sikh Mountain. The guns spat fire, and the "Warrior of God" and the last of his men perished here.
The battle was over, and the Pathans withdrew—another victory for the Queen-Empress' soldiers.
It was a good game. Some rule twigging worked wonders, and different fire tables were employed. Otherwise, the rules stayed the same.
I need to paint up Pathan tribal horsemen and a few tribal cannons. Of course, a few more Pathan Warbands wouldn't hurt, either.
This battle actually took place two actual days after the Battle of Satan’s Gate, but it took me six months before I wrote it up.
I hope you enjoy reading it and the pictures.
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April 25, 2024, 04:55:36 AM
May 06, 2011, 05:02:25 AM
