The following article comes from a game I put on in March 1992. My first display game from which I very surprisingly won 'Best Display'.

Having spent, like most wargamers many hours walking around the various shows each year, looking admiringly at all the display games.

I finally decided it was time to put on one of my own, after all, it all looks simple enough!

First the Venue

Being based in Shropshire, there are quite a few good shows within reach, so I plumped for the West Midlands Show run by the Alumwell Wargames Society based in Walsall, knowing this to be a well run show with a good atmosphere. Securing myself a 8ft L x 6ft W table the preparations now begun for D Day on March 8th.

The game was to be Colonial Sudan, but I did not want it to be the all to familiar British Square advancing towards masses of charging Mahdist. "Open attack formations, none of your ABU KLEA Square's" (Battle of Kirbekan 1885).

So the layout was to be as follows: The River Nile was to provide the backdrop to the game running down one edge of the table with a Mahdist Held Village resting on its bank.

An Anglo British Force was marching along the bank of the Nile with orders to take the village and inflict heavy casualties on the Mahdist Force, it was supported in its task by the Gunboat El-Teb.

Order of Battle

Anglo British

1st Batt. Black Watch - 5 Companies
2nd Batt. Royal Irish Fusiliers - 4 Companies
Naval Brigade - 1 Company
lst Egyptian Foot - 5 Companies
2nd Egyptian Foot - 2 Companies
Naval Gardner Guns - 2 Guns
10th Hussars - 2 Squadrons

Artillery

British Field 9 pdrs - 6 Guns

Pack Animals and Handlers - 1000

Gunboat El-Teb with 2 Artillery Guns and 2 Gardners

Total: 2300 Men and 12 Guns

Mahdist

4 rubs of Fuzzy Wuzzies -3600 men
Jeyadiya Riflemen - 300
Artillery Krupp Guns - 4
Camelry - 250

Total: 4,950 men and 4 Guns

The rules and scale 1-10 all follow the late Peter Gilders recommendation in his Sudan campaign in Wargames World! To give the Mahdist even more of an edge all Egyptian Troops were given a very poor morale rating. This was to cause a near disaster for myself as British Commander Shades of Hicks Pasha.

The Battle

The Mahdist Emir was played by Mark Whittily. He deployed his ansar to protect the village, his riflemen manning every inch of the fort walls. His sword and spearman and the camelry were positioned in and around the village, causing much disturbance to the locals market day. The Fuzzies were camped a little way off re-living tales of Tamai and Abu Klea, when they broke the British Square.

Meanwhile, the Anglo British advanced wearily along the bank of the Nile in two columns, with the Gunboat cruising alongside ever watchful. The plan was simple, the Gunboat would engage the fort and draw any Gunfire away from the Egyptian Foot, who were to take the village at Bayonet Point. Whilst this all to simple movement was taking place the British contingent was to advance in support of the Egyptians. It was hoped to then engage the Fuzzies with the whole force, once the village had been taken. Unfortunately what happens next bears no relation to what I have just written, does all this sound familiar?

Battle Joined

The EL-TEB sailed on up the river to engage the Fort, immediately coming under long range fire from artillery and rifles. This bein~ pure enthusiasm on the part of the Ansar Manning the Fort, the range being far too long and the Gunboat sailed on without a scratch.

The Land Force halted its advance and started to deploy. The rocky ridge on their left flank hemmed them into a small space alongside the river. This meant only 4 companies of Egyptians and the British Artillery were all that could deploy in line, the remaining Egyptian and British companies formed up behind. A Gardner Gun supported by the Naval company and both Squadrons of Hussars, were sent to climb the Ridge and guard the flank, this they did finding the climb heavy going but relatively flat once the summit was reached.

The advance began, the Egyptian foot with covering fire from land, water and with some 480 bayonets crushing the sand underfoot, all looked well. The EL-TEB had started to engage the fort, its first shots killing some 30 Ansar, with the loss of only I man from a more than lucky artillery shot.

The FUZZY units seeing the Gunfire around the village were not going to be left out of any potential battle. One unit started moving to outflank the cavalry, quickly followed by a second, the remaining two advanced beyond the camp and formed up around some dense scrub about 1/2 mile from the village. Stirrings too in the village, with the Ansar Camelry pushing its way through the throng and debauching into the plain beyond the village closely followed by its supporting sword and spearmen.

Still the Egyptian foot marched on, the British Artillery and gunboat fire causing mounting casualties to the Ansar within the fort, knocking out 2 guns. But all too soon the tide was to change.

The Ansar formed up and decided the best form of defence is attack and so true to fashion they charged the advancing Egyptians. An ideal gift for myself, the Egyptian foot having only to halt and open fire, a mere 1050 Mahdist would be blown away by my four companies. The Egyptians themselves were not convinced, finding themselves faced with a storm of Mahdist to their front and with thousands of Fuzzies hovering on their flank, it was all too much for them. Without firing one shot, all four companies threw down their rifles and turned and ran (I threw one for morale). A deafening shrill went up on the Mahdist, side, Mark was quite uncontrollable, all Fuzzy units now advanced in support of the Ansar.

The camelry unit raced on crashing into the rear of the fleeing Egyptians cutting down some 50 of them. The British artillery unable to stop this avalanche due to the melee, switched its fire to the new advancing Fuzzy Units. Next turn saw the two remaining Egyptian companies buckle, then rout, as the forward routing companies tried to push through their ranks. The camelry still totally unchecked, carried on cutting the Egyptian conscripts down without any loss to themselves. Some 200 Egyptians lay dead in the sand and to make things worse they were getting ever closer to the artillery.

This unfolding disaster, was all to visible to the Egyptian gunboat crew, who were now coming under increasingly accurate rifle fire from the fort. (How does he keep rolling those sixes). The Commander thought it best to sail on past the fort and engage a flock of goats in the market place. Three companies of the Black Watch now tried to form up alongside the artillery, which was virtually unsupported, save for the other Gardner which it's naval crew had unloaded and dragged into position on its left flank.

Fortunately for the British, they were now to have a piece of good fortune. Due to the olympic style running of the Egyptian infantry, the Ansar camelry had disengaged itself. The British artillery now needing no prompting, opened with shrapnel at close range.

Quickly followed up by volley fire from two Black Watch companies who had at last managed to deploy. 50 camels fell, but their own momentum carried them forward into the battery, cutting down their potential executioners. Whilst this one near invincible Mahdist unit wreaked havoc amongst the Anglo British Force, the Fuzzy units drew ever closer. It would only take two moves, for them to hit my shambles of a line.

The Hussars and Naval Gardner now opened up on the leading flanking Fuzzy rub, causing it to halt seeking protection from the fire in the knor, which rang along the side of the table. The remaining two rubs raced on with no real fire directed against them, the rocky nature of the ridge base protecting them.

The remaining three companies of the Black Watch were now able to deploy in line and all five now let rip with a volley. Some 600 rifles and the second Gardner cut into the victorious camelry who had halted around the now captured guns. Only 100 were left standing, they too turned and routed and with them the supporting Ansar foot.

With more British companies now deploying in line, the Fuzzy units now began to take casualties. The two units advancing in support of the Ansar halted, worried about their routing brethren. This time was to cost them dear.

All the British units were now in line and as the Fuzzies came into charge zone, they were met with a devastating hail of fire. With 200 Dervish falling dead, it was all too much for them so they started to withdraw. The remaining flanking units managed a charge, pouring out of the knor. They were hit by four companies of Irish Fusiliers and the ridge top Gardner and the two by now dismounted Hussar Squadrons. Some 600 rifles fired together, which caused the fuzzy units to take shelter in some dense scrub near the knor, the next move they withdrew.

This point was chosen to end the game, with the British advancing to occupy the village. Mahdist losses were some 600 men, but the result was not final enough to be an outright win for the British. The Fuzzies had withdrawn of their own accord and will live to fight another day (shades of Tamai and EL- TEB). As for the Anglo British Force, it had performed badly, well at least the Anglo bit had. Three Egyptian companies had been slaughtered and the remaining four were left in a jibbering mass somewhere between here and Cairo. The loss of all the British Artillery Gunners was a very poor show.

Points About Battle

1) As previously mentioned, the rocky ridge restricted movement greatly for the British ' causing them difficulty in forming up and being able to blast the Mahdist of their table too early in this game.

2) The Egyptian infantry were given very poor morale rating to add a touch of uncertainty to the Game. They could have been deployed behind the British out of harms way, but where is the fun in that.

3) The Game was designed as a Fun Game, my only advice for what it is worth is if you are going to put on a display game, do one that you will enjoy regardless of who wins.

Future Display Game - Rorke's Drift 1-1 skirmish game. Will be at The Redoubt Show 24/25th July.

Egyptian Village Maps

Wargame Photos (very slow: 226K)

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