Tiny footsteps in the Sudan.

Game of British Colonial war in the Sudan, loosely based on an attempt to relieve Gordon in Khartoum. 

Using 6mm Baccus and Irregular miniatures and custom rules by Leslie.

Organized, using terrain and models and umpired by Leslie Tipping.

AAR by David Maltman.

Players
Anglo Egyptian : Paddy McG and David Maltman.
Madhist            : Phil McGlinton and Ian Anderson.

Field of Battle :

To the North is the Anglo Egyptian camp. The army deploys within 6" of the camp.
To the West is a river down which a Gunboat and 2 steamers are carrying a battalion on British infantry.
Half way down the river is a walled town, which may or may not be occupied by Madhists.
To the South is Khartoum, under siege and starving.
To the East is a line of hills behind which the majority of the Madhist army are coming from.
Scattered across the desert are series of wadis, troops can be concealed within them.
Rocky outcrops give cover from rifle fire.

The British objective is to get a unit to Khartoum to lift the siege. The Madhist have to prevent this. 

How it played out.

the Madhist army deployed mainly behind the hills with their artillery on one of the hills and an advanced scouting party of cavalry. Their camelry and cavalry are towards this end of the table, the infantry further down.

The Anglo Egyptian army get under way, bringing their artillery out of camp. Meanwhile the Royal Irish rifles are being ferried up the Nile in 2 paddle steamers supported by a gunboat.

The Egyptian artillery score an early victory by silencing the Ansir artillery. A line of 2 Egyptian battalions the artillery and a gatling gun unit deploy to intercept the Ansir cavalry. The artillery having killed everything visible.

The remainder of the army, 2 camel units, 5 infantry battalions and a friendly tribe move of towards the port, which we do not know if it contains hidden troops at the moment. 

The flotilla now at the port has not been fired on so its likely to be unoccupied.

We decide to reinforce the eastern flank as there is a lot of cavalry on its way down. Two battalions peel of to reinforce the line.

The Egyptian camels reach the port and are not attacked. 

Meanwhile the RIR boats have moved down the river to unload and the gun boat has an dropped anchor to allow it to fire.

At this point a couple of Ansir rifle battalions popup out of the wadis they have been hiding in.

The Egyptian camels deploy in the port with the infantry moving up to form a firing line above the port. The British camel corps covering their left flank were fired on and forced to retreat. 

Meanwhile up in the east the Egyptian infantry and artillery are being attacked by the Ansir cavalry and infantry but holding their own while their reinforcements move into place.

The supply train continuous its glacially slow advance towards the port.

More Madhist infantry pop up from the wadis. A bit like whack a mole.

Additional Ansir reinforcements arrive behind the eastern hills. It's a war of attrition near the camp as Madhist units swarm against the Egyptians, who do quite well to whittle them down with rifle fire, only to take lots of hits when in the melees.

A British infantry battalion and cavalry regiment arrive from the North west.
The Egyptians reposition to counter the new threats.

The British lancers are soon in contact with Mahdist cavalry.

Back at the river the RIR and the gunboat slow the advance of a large Fuzzy Wuzzy unit making then drop to ground  a couple of times. But eventually they reach the brave Belfast boys. The rules do not allow you to fire at a unit which is charging you. Which I found odd as I know if I was being charged by large gentlemen with spears, swords and shields, I would be firing rounds at them quicker than I ever did on a firing range. That, or scarpering towards the port as quickly as I could. But when you have an umpire you abide by his ruing and quit your griping.

Things do not look good for the Belfast lads. The Fuzzies are good melee fighters and very resilient due to their large numbers.

More fuzzies and Ansir infantry advance from the hills towards the line on troops near the port. The British camel corps are going to be the first hit.

Back at the river the last of the Royal Irish rifles succumb to the Fuzzy Wuzzys. 

There is a bit of the Sudan which will be forever Ireland.

The gunboat and the units in the port get revenge for the RIR and the Fuzzies are shot to pieces.

However, another large unit of Fuzzy Wuzzys are coming down from the east to attack to port defenders.

The fresh unit of British infantry move in to support the Egyptians.

Meanwhile in the northern sector lots of Ansir infantry and cavalry are advancing on the Egyptian infantry.

At this point the camera man decided that discretion was a lot better of an option than valor and scarpers of back down river towards Egypt. So we have only dispatches to rely on.

The big Fuzzy Wuzzy unit tore into the port defenders routing the Egyptian infantry through the newly arrived British infantry.

At this point time was up and it was agreed the Madhists had won the day. They had more units left and there was no chance the Anglo Egyptian army were going to reach Khartoum. 

The next day in the Times the headline was "No relief for Khartoum, Government not spending enough on the army".

So no change in 120 years.

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Editorial comment.

To memorialize the defeat of the Royal Irish rifles we approached the foremost poet in Ireland, Mr Percy French, who rejigged the Welsh song "Men of Harlech", it seemed appropriate.

Men of Belfast, by Percy French.

Men of Belfast can'st thou see.
While at your afternoon tea.
The Fuzzy Wuzzys are hiding in the wadi.
Sneaking up on thee, to cause you misery.

Men of Belfast while at your repast.
The Fuzzies are coming at you fast.
They wish to make this day your last.
By chopping you up and into the Nile your bodies cast.

While you scrabble around for your gun.
The Fuzzy Wuzzy is changing at the run.
With red Ulster blood the Sudan will run.
He'll put an end to British colonial ambition.

Men of Belfast you cadre of braves.
You now should be lying peacefully in you graves.
Not bobbing on the Niles smalls waves.
Or taken to Omdurman as slaves.

We'll let Mr Rudyard Kipling have the last word with the Final verse of his poem Fuzzy-Wuzzy.

So 'ere's to you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, at your 'ome in the Soudan;
You're a pore benighted 'eathen but a first-class fightin' man;
An' 'ere's to you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, with your 'ayrick 'ead of 'air - 
You big black boundin' beggar - for you broke a British square!

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Photos curtesy of the Editor.