With a nod to Paul for the inspiration on the place names I present for your delectation and delight a Ripping Yarn of the Battle of Dhoub-el-Decka in the region of Khandibar, S E Sudan. This was gamed last Monday evening by our club in windswept Skeggy.
As usual I presented the combatants with pages detailing the background to the battle, and as usual they were complete with some awful puns, so brace yourselves! The members have still to recover from a Wild West game featuring the US cavalry led by Capt Jacques Coustarde and Sgt 'Roo' Barbe, so that tells you what to expect!
The garrison of Dhoub-el-Decka (referred to as DeD henceforth) is commanded by Arubi Pasha,a General in the Egyptian Army. Morale is very low due in DeD due to poor sanitary conditions, lack of food and even worse no pay for the troops for several weeks. This situation was partly the fault of Arubi Pasha's wife, who several weeks ago decided to 'borrow' his personal Steam gunboat and go shopping in the Port of Dimebar. The reason for this trip? The spittoon in Arubi's office didn't match the rug, and she wanted some new sandals.
Unfortunately she asked (ordered?) the Capt of the Steam gunboat to let her dock the vessel in Dimebar since she thought she was as good a sailor as he. In the process of this maneouvre she managed to reverse through a jetty and sink the Governor's brand new steam launch 'The Bonny Bunty'. The Governor, Sir Toby le Rhone MBE (Calcutta Horse Retd) was incensed and demanded that Arubi pay for the damage caused and also replace his fine and jolly steam launch. This was something Arubi could scarely afford.
To compound matters the General's wife returned from shopping bearing most of the contents of the Dimebar Bazarr, having assured the traders that her husband would foot the bill. Arubi saw ruin and disgrace looming, so he 'borrowed' the garrison's pay to pay all these debts off, and then covered his tracks by informing the troops that the despicable Imperials had neglected to pay his troops. Naturally the men were incensed and vowed to fight the British and their allies, and the garrison henceforth mutinied. Arubi had no choice but to join them and promise to lead them to victory. (oops!) With the garrison up in arms the local Bazingers and Bashi Bazouks came to join them as they too hadn't been paid nor fed properly in weeks. Fortifications were added to DeD in the form of sandbags as word reached the town of the British assault on nearby Khit-Khat which had also risen up in support. It took two goes for the British to subdue that town, and the result of their handling and treatment of the defeated Egyptians meant that their Sudanese regulars fled and came to bolster Arubi's force too.
Meanwhile Arubi had received assistance in command in the form of two foreigners who had arrived by chance in DeD. The first was Count Meeowt, an Austro Hungarian Gentleman adventurer who was travelling across Africa when word reached him via telegraph that his familie's Flugelhorn and Lederhausen empire had crashed leaving him penniless. With him having some military training with the Austro Hungarian army and sporting a monocle to boot Arubi was suitably impressed and made him an Hon Col with command of the cavalry, promising rich rewards should they defeat the British.
The other was a certain Col von Armin, late of the Prussian Army, an expert drill instructor who was cashiered following a Court Martiall after being caught in a compromising position involving Gen von Hatatime's pet Dachsund Diego and allegedly a fine bratwurst sausage. Von Armin was found guilty, but the charges against Diego were dropped after the General's personal intervention. Von Armin fled in disgrace, fleeing to Sudan to seek his cousin, Col von Armout lately of the Cairo Gendarmerie, with a view to heading together to Okikoki in W Africa to seek the Portugeuse who he knew were recruiting foreign help and weren't too fussy who they took on. Von Armout had vanished too however, last rumoured to be in the region of Wonquebar somewhere around Tofek Risp. von Armin travelled down the River Fleck looking for him until he found himself in DeD. Here he met Arubi who promised him help in finding his cousin, provided von Armin first helped organize the infantry and defeat the British. Since von Armin had no love for the British (it wasn't actually a bratwurst that had caused his fall from grace but a Cumberland sausage so he bore a hatred of all things British as a result) so he readily agreed.
The British approached, battle commenced...............
The view as battle commenced. Looking from th left flank of the Egyptians across the R Fleck towards DeD. Arubi's steam gunboat in foreground. Egyptian left held by Bashi Baazouks and Bazingers whilst inside the town are 3 units of Sudanese regulars and 2 units Egyptians.
The garrison awaits.
The Egyptian right flank. Bashi Bazouk cavalry at the front, Cuirassiers behind, and Gendarmerie at the rear.
The British right flank moves across the river having knocked out the gun crew aboard the steanboat. 9th and 13th Bengal Lancers with Black Watch and 5th Sikhs.
And again. Forward chaps!!
The ill-fated charge of the Bashi Bazouks into the Heavy Camel Corps
16 September 2008, 08:02:13 AM
