The Game:
The Native Horse (Scouts) under Maj. Dunsfold enter the table and begin scouting; splitting into four parties. One will scout the eastward, Black Calf Kopje. Another team the riverside woodland with a third climbing up Black Cow Kopje.
Dunsfold himself moves to check Black Bull Kopje - but activates two enemy units hidden there, who show themselves.
Shortly after, more possible units are seen from the scouts now atop Black Calf Kopje, to the east of the trail (dust can be seen off table), then more dust is seen to the north of Black Bull. Already we have enemy activity on the table. This IS early in the game.
However, intelligence suggests the enemy are not shy of using the old ruse de guerre of faking dust clouds with driven goats, cattle and herd-boys with blankets.
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| Dunsfold's Initial Moves |
The detachment on Black Cow Kopje dismount and open long range fire at the hostiles moving down from Black Bull Kopje.
Dunsfold himself withdraws towards Black Cow. His troop on the east side of the table atop Black Calf Kopje also heads for the main body.
Meanwhile Dunsfold has sent a messenger back to the Column informing them of the enemy confirmed - and possible - presence.
Once the woodland by the river has been checked Dunsfold's command concentrates on Black Calf Kopje. The hostiles are clearly in force in the vicinity of Black Bull. These two enemy regiments (Fahwi) move down towards Dunsfold's command. There is a desultory exchange of fire between Dunsfold's men and the enemy formations beneath Black Bull for a while, but while one enemy unit seems willing to close and moves across the open ground towards Dunsfold, the other pulls back up Black Bull and goes to ground.
Unexpectedly the Column Activates - but having had time to process the information sent by Dunsfold we test for the Column Commander decision.
The leading elements enter play; two companies of the 18th Regt. of Foot (Capt. Luton and Capt. Shoreham) deployed for action. The companies advance slowly.
The enemy make no move, seemingly thrown of balance by the sudden arrival of the redcoats.
Now the head of the actual Column proper appears; a further company of the 18th (Cpt. Fairoaks) in column of march, and some wagons. Cpt. Shoreham's company opens fire at long range at the regiment in front of Black Bull.
Far to the west, across the river, two clouds of dust suggests a further hostile force is approaching.
As the redcoats push forward, the enemy regiment fronting Dunsfold pulls back; having taken casualties from Fairoak's unit and the Scouts. The other enemy on Black Bull pull back from the crest and out of harm's way. It looks like these enemy bodies have taken the warning and know better than to face the British in the open.
Over the next couple of moves the hostiles sink into inactivity. The column moves forward with Fairoak's company in the van, Shoreham on the right and Luton's company clambering up Black Cow Kopje to secure the left.
Dunsfold mounts his men and forms up fronting the Column north of Black Cow and moves north. Again, the enemy seem unsure as what to do.
Dunsfold decides to divide his command one detachment to cross the river at the trail for, the other to scout the woodland in the elbow of the river. Meanwhile there is a sudden flurry of enemy activity on both the Black Bull and Black Calf heights, and on the far side of the river, with more dust in evidence. We seem to have more visitors...
Capt. Fairoaks deploys his men for action to cover any movement from Black Calf and to screen the column's north/right flank. A further company, escorting the wagons (Capt. Stansted) partially deploys to do likewise.
Meanwhile, Luton's company, having reached the top of Black Cow, opens long range fire on the hostiles across the river.
All seems under control; but then there is a rush from Black Calf and an enemy regiment is revealed; hurtling down towards Shoreham's men while two massive clouds of dust can now be seen on Black Calf and Black Bull. Shoreham's company pours rapid volley fire into the charging unit at close range and it is stopped in its tracks.
Of the dust on the eastern kopjes one of these clouds proves to be a false trace, made by herdboys and porters, but the other resolves itself into a force of eleven (!!) Fahwini pouring rapidly over Black Bull and the valley between it and Black Calf. The British suddenly have a major action on their hands!
While the regiment facing Shoreham's troops pulls back, the British rapidly reorganise in their move. There is a real danger to the column and leading troops if the enemy charge home, not least because there is no time to form a proper laager. However, the lead wagons are taken off-trail and the off-table elements of the column halted.
While Fairoaks's company pulls back to the slopes of Black Cow to join Luton's men (who are still engaging the cross-river Fahwi) the other extended companies rush back to concentrate behind the cover of the wagon line. If the enemy regiments rush the wagons now things could get dicey...
They do.....
Nine hostile units pour rapidly across the plain towards the British lines. A platoon of Shoreham's company, too slow to get back to the wagon line, is caught in the open by the leading Fahwi and loses half it's strength to the spears of its pursuers.
But now the remains of Shoreham's men and Stanstead's company, huddled between and behind the wagon teams, pour fire into the massed ranks of the enemy's leading units.
The King's Regiments sweep across the open ground. One unit of the enemy slams into the part of the wagon line held by Shoreham, but they are unable to force their way in.
The British loose close range volley fire, all along the line, into the charging and stalled regiments; causing havoc and bringing men down.
However, this does not stop some of the enemy. Elements of the Banda-Beia (Black Shields) forces back part of Shoreham's depleted company and gets though the wagon line.
Shoreham's command is split as one platoon breaks and another part is cut off in the angle of the wagon line by the pursuing warriors; some of whom are now triumphantly chasing survivors up the slopes of Black Cow Kopje, supported by the Pala-Mubi (Brown Bee Fahwi).
Another British company (Cpt. Hendon) arrives on table in column of march and pushes towards Black Cow to stabilise the centre.
Next move the British hastily try to form a coherent line to block those warriors who have got over the wagons. Part of Shoreham's company is still cut off, while others rally and form line by the wagons and yet more scatter up Black Cow to line up beside Fairoaks's men. 
The Banda-Beia and Toolah still have elements on the slopes of Black Cow and within the defensive perimeter.
Nearby the Pala-Mubi (Brown Bees) Fahwi, on the north east slopes of Black Cow cannot being itself to attack, and becomes shaken. The crack Nueen-Plapa (Red Turtles) regiment is fighting at the wagon lines. Hendon's men are used to form a new line on Black Cow, while further reinforcements arrive in the form of Maj. Kenley's Native Infantry Auxiliaries and General Lympne himself. More volleys slam into the regiments facing the British companies; the Great King's men will not be able to take this punishment for long, but so far seem steady.
While all this has been going on the mounted scouts have been busy. One unit, now on the west side of the river, is being pursued by the Fahwi there, drawing it away from the main fight.
Meanwhile Dunsfold and his men clear the woods in the elbow of the river. However, they spot possible activity in a further stretch of woodland east of them.
This proves to be four more of the Great King's regiments.
The situation indicates that is was clearly a well-planned ambush of some eighteen Fahwini, presumably intended to destroy the column while on the march - though perhaps prematurely launched due to the probing scouts.
Dunsfold, now cut off, will pull his men south and west to the Trail Ford - later being joined by the remainder of his men. He will, once he sees what the main force is doing, react accordingly.
Gen. Lympne gets his men together and does some damage limitation re. Shock and the British shake themselves into some kind of order. The regular close-range, rapid fire volleys cause three enemy regiments to pull back and stalls the attacks on Black Cow. However, this kind of action eats into the ammunition - and with no resupply system set up the Brits can only carry on with this level of expenditure for so long. And now the enemy regiments from the river woodland are fast approaching the battle lines.
Next move the Banda-Beia and Toolah Fahwini break, as do the Nueen-Plapa (Red Turtles) and Brown Bees. All along the line the leading Great King's regiments are faltering or flying - but behind them come the reserve. These steel themselves for an assault on Black Cow, but, like their comrades, are struck with heavy volley fire as they come into range.
However, on the British left fire is slacking: Luton's company and what's left of Shoreham's are almost out of ammunition and begin to pull back, leaving Fairoaks's command exposed to a sudden charge from the Grey Herons (Kerri-Nei) which drives them back.
The British now have to stabilise their line - abandoning most of the forward wagons; and giving the enemy breathing space to get back into order.
The Grey Heron and Wasp (Zebuni) regiments now push along the west slopes of Black Cow, supported by the veteran Stingless Bees (Kerri-Mubi Naseb) and junior Split Rose (Devi-Noon) regiments; but the earlier punishment unleashed by the British volleys means they have to rally and reduce the shock and confusion they have suffered; giving the British the chance to reorder their line below and south of the Black Cow slopes.
But while the Great King's men draw breath, from the British perspective things are not good...
Ammunition is low in some companies. Two companies are severely shaken, having been reduced to token strength, and some units have become mixed up. The British form a line of sorts and behind that try to pull back those wagons and mules still under their control (several having already been lost) and take them from the field.
Now the Split Rose (Devi-Noon) and Grey Herons charge towards the British left, the Herons hitting Luton's company and forcing them to fall back. Only a sharp charge by Kenley's Native Auxiliaries gives the Herons pause. Kenley's men are repulsed, but they have halted the Herons and left them disorganised.
The Great King's regiments are now in various stages of disorganisation across the field. Although the advancing reserves are fresh, those units nearest the British are wavering or recovering from earlier flights; with some having suffered heavy losses. It will be at least two to three moves before another serious assault can be launched.
From Gen. Lympne's point of view, however, things are equally unpromising. His men are tired and low on ammunition. What looks like some five to seven fresh to semi-fresh enemy regiments capable of attacking are moving up the field towards him. He does not have time or space to turn this into the Right kind of Fight for his men.
He gives his instructions. The British begin to fall back in good order with what they can salvage, to the off-table laager, to rethink their approach, and fight another day. On the west side of the river Dunsfold follows suit.
The army of the Great King remains on the field. The plan did not go as expected, the ambush being sprung too soon - but they have seemingly driven back the Red Soldiers, if at a cost.
The battle is over. For the moment.
Summary:
An exciting little battle which could have swung either way at times.
The British volleys are, predictably, devastating in the right terrain but the clincher here, I feel, was the scouts triggering the ambushes before the whole column was on the table and before any wagon/trail issues could break it up. I'll think more about the mechanics here.
The scouting adds a lot to the initial tensions, but in this case clearly prompted the early discovery/attacks of the Natives' forces, to their disadvantage. Realistic? Perhaps. It lessened the chance of a decisive Native victory, but on the other hand meant the British didn't have the chance to form a concentrated laager with all their resources on the field (which might have helped with both their defence and the ammunition issue).
Maybe I need to lessen the likelihood of there being a force at a PAP, but allow a "cleared" PAP to become reactivated after a period of it being outside "observation range"...? Hmm....
But the game isn't over. The British still have their mission. Part Three awaits. Watch this space.
As always, queries, comments and snipes welcome...
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