Resistance in the Desert
Part II: Wargaming the Period

Scenario 6: Retreat to Charouine

by Ian Croxall

The Harka has retreated out of Charouine Oasis. Pein has set of in pursuit with Tirailleurs and his Goumiers. Seeing the enemy retreating into the dunes from, the pursuit party sets off after them. Suddenly the retreating Harka turns back on Pein and launches a counter attack.

Order of Battle

French Forces

C in C Major Pein
French Lieutenant
Goum: 18 men, French Sgt. French Lt.
Goum: 18 men, French Cpl. French Sgt.
Mounted Goum. 10 men. Fr.. Sgt. Fr.. Bureau Off.
Tirailleurs. 18 men. Algerian Sgt. Fr.. Lt.
Tirailleurs. 18 men. Algerian Sgt. Fr.. Lt.

Reinforcements (Not on Board)
General Servier
Major
8cm Mountain Gun, 5 men 1Lietenant
Hotchkiss MG 3 Men 1 Lt.
Bat d’Af, 18 Men, 1 Sgt. 1 Lt.
Bat d’Af 18 men 1 Cpl. 1 Sgt
Spahis, 10 men. 1Fr. Sgt. 1 Fr. Lt.

Harka War Party


Sheik, 3 Musician, 2 Standards all rifle and sword armed.
Warriors in dunes. 20 men, 1/2 rifle, 1/2 sword only. Leader.
Warriors in dunes. 20 men, 1/2 rifle, 1/2 sword only. Leader.
Warriors in dunes. 20 men, 1/2 rifle, 1/2 sword only. Leader.
Warriors in dunes. 20 men, 1/2 rifle, 1/2 sword only. Leader.
Warriors in dunes. 20 men, 1/2 rifle, 1/2 sword only. Leader.
Warriors in dunes. 20 men, 1/2 rifle, 1/2 sword only. Leader.
Mounted Warriors, 14 men, rifle and sword. Leader (May be substituted for dismounted figures before start of game)
Mounted Warriors, 14 men, rifle and sword. Leader (May be substituted for dismounted figures before start of game)

Regeneration of Native Forces
There is no native regeneration in this game

French Objective


Turn 1 Pursue Harka
Turn 2 onwards - oops - new objective, survive.

French Credibility Factors
Each Goum/Algerian killed -3%
Each Frenchmen Killed -5%
Pein Killed -15%
Each Warrior killed +1%
Each Frenchmen/Goum/Algerian Routed Off Table -1%

Re-Fight Conditions

None, The Harka will withdraw even if victorious, their motive being to inflict intolerable losses on the French

Start Conditions


Start as set up map.

Special Conditions

The game master will inform the French that reserve is arriving soon. He will secretly inform the Harka that the reserves have in fact not left the Oasis and are a long way off. The umpire will roll a D10. This result is the start turn of the “reserve arrival test”. Roll D20 form this turn onwards. If a 20 is rolled the reserve arrives that turn on the base edge. EG. The D10 results in a “6”. From turn 6 onwards roll a D20 each turn until a 20 is rolled.

The Results

This is the last game of the mini campaign. If French Credibility fell to 0% at the end of any game, the scenario was over with a major victory for the Moroccans. If at the end of the campaign French credibility fell below 50% it was Moroccan victory. At 50% - 74% the French can claim a minor victory and at 75%+ they can claim a major victory.

Bibliography

The French Foreign Legion, Douglas Porch
The Conquest of the Sahara, Douglas Porch
The Conquest of Morocco, Douglas Porch
Resistance in the Desert, Ross E. Dunn
France Soldiers and Africa, Anthony Clayton
Small Wars, Colonel C. E. Callwell
The Scramble for Africa, Thomas Packenham
The Race To Fashoda, David Levering Lewis
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of firearms of the 19th Century, Major F. Myatt MC
Battle in Africa 1879-1914, Howard Whitehouse
The Book of Rifles, W.H.B. Smith and Joseph E. Smith

Glossary of Terms


Kasar (Ksar, Q’sar, Ksour) Walled village or town
Casbah (Cashba, Kasbah) Fortified building
Arab Language or people descended form the Arab invasions of the 6th century onwards
Berber Moroccan language or people descended from the original Moorish peoples
Tirailleur Regular native riflemen
Spahis Regular Native light horse
Goum Irregular levies(constabulary)
Sherif (plural shurfa) Descendent of the Prophet
Sheik (Shaykh) Head of a special establishment, often elected military leader in time of war.
Bashaw (pasha) Man of highest rank within a town or city
Sultan The sovereign of a state.
Caid (ca’id) Moroccan administrator, tribal leader
Makhzan Central government of Morocco.
Khalifa Viceroy of the Sultan, deputy to provincial governor

Resistance in the Desert: Part II by Ian Croxall

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