Folly of the 24th Foot A TS&TF Wargaming Scenario

Folly of the 24th Foot

A TS&TF Wargaming Scenario

By Blake Walker

Respectively dedicated to Ian Knight & Ian Castle, whose outstanding research and authorship on the Zulu War of 1879 is unsurpassed.

Background

According to Alan, Perry, author of Arrogant Armies: Great Military Disasters and the Generals Behind Them, there was at least one war or campaign every year during the reign of Queen Victoria in some distant corner of the Empire. The Zulu War of 1879 was just one of a series of conflicts in South Africa that ended the independence of the Zulu kingdom and later the financially bankrupt Transvaal Boer Republic. However, it inflicted some of the bloodiest defeats ever seen by the British Army during the late 19th century. This wargaming scenario attempts to recreate the events surrounding the fateful day of January 22, 1879, when a 20,000 man Zulu impi wiped 1,260 men from a British force of 1,700.

Lord Chelmsford, the British army commander and leader of the central invasion column, divided his command of 2 battalions of Imperial troops in the face of hostile enemy of unknown strength on January 21, 1879. After splitting his force, he left a temporary encampment at Mount Isandlwana under the command of Colonel Pulline, who commanded 5 companies of the 1/24th Regiment one of the 2/24th Regiment, two 7 lbs. guns of N/5 Battery, and one hundred cavalry troops from the Natal Mounted Police & Natal Volunteers Corps. In addition, there were four companies of the Natal Native Contingent, who were poorly armed and led. To further complicated matters, Colonel Durnford, commander of the N.N.C. and Natal's chief engineer, was senior to Pulline in rank and commanded the encampment's mounted forces.

The next morning, Lord Chelmsford sent Colonel Durnford back to Isandlwana after hearing contradictory intelligence concerning the location of the main Zulu impi. About 11:30 hours, gunfire was heard along with reports of nearby Zulu movement. So Durnford took command of a mounted Natal Native Horse company and left to scout for Zulus. However, British intelligence about the Zulu impi's movement were nebulous at best and Chelmsford ignored his own officers' advice by not issuing orders for the establishment of wagon laagers or entrenchment's at Isandlwana on the grounds that it was a temporary encampment and the terrain was too stony for digging.

While Durnford's mounted forces crossed a plateau to and spread out to scour the surrounding countryside, Lieutenant Raw's N.N.H. discovered a herd of cattle being driven by twelve year old Zulu boys and pursued them uphill. As the Colonials came over the rise, they discovered the entire Zulu impi in the deep Ngwebeni valley. The 20,000 warriors arose and rushed to form the famous "Beast-Horns" formation as they began overrunning the British force. Durnford sent set runners to Pulline and Chelmsford telling him that he'd found the main Zulu impi and desperately needed reinforcements as his men made a last stand about a mile from Isandlwana. Pulline remained unaware of the danger that now threatened the camp, until Dunford's runners reached him.

The British regulars were finishing their lunch when Zulus were sighted and the men assembled in their formations. By 12:00 hours, companies of Imperial infantry were sent ad hoc to help Durnford as a firing line formed about a half-mile from the camp. Henri-Martini bullets inflicted large losses on the forward Zulu regiments as the British kept the impi at bay for an hour. However, the new breech loading Henri-Martini rifles began to overheat from the continuous firing and the average 70 rounds that each soldier had been issued were soon exhausted. The British quartermasters further contributed to the impending disaster by refusing to issue more ammunition than regulations permitted or allowing troops of other units to have cartridges.

When the weight of British fire slackened, lead elements of the Zulu impi arose from their prone positions and began shouting war chants. This, combined with the above mentioned commissary problems, proved too much for the N.N.C. as they bolted and left a gap in the British firing line. The Zulu impi rushed in and annihilated several Imperial companies before they could fix bayonets. A couple more companies of regulars were also destroyed in the rout to the camp.

A desperate melee then ensued with about four hundred survivors as individual groups of soldiers attempted to rally together in firing groups. Pulline was killed as he wrote his last orders in his tent, while Durnford was slain fighting several Zulu's. However, the majority of the hapless N.N.C. managed to escape by tearing off the red headbands they'd been issued and blending in with the main Zulu impi. Only sixty Europeans survived by fleeing from the camp down the "Fugitive's Trail," though they owed their survival more to luck, since King Cetchwayo had issued orders to his troops to kill only those abeLungu wearing red uniforms.

Total Zulu casualties have been estimated from 1,000 to 3,000 warriors, but will probably never accurately known. Other Zulu units which had had not directly participated in the battle went against their Induna's orders and attacked the mission at Rourke's Drift en masse. The 140 Imperial regulars defended the mission against 4,000 Zulu warriors and managed to survive the onslaught via makeshift barricades and multiple firing lines (11 VC's were awarded after the action). When King Cetchwayo learned of the Zulu casualties from the battles, he said, "An assegai has been plunged into the belly of the Zulu nation. There are not enough tears to mourn for the dead."

Scenario Rules

Use the normal TS&TF rules with the exception of a few special scenario rules.

British Players: There are two British commanders, namely Pulline and Durnford. The Pulline player will have a battalion of British line with orders to defend the British base camp (see map). The other British player is Durnford, who commands a small cavalry force. Durnford is senior to Pulline and has orders to do whatever he sees fit in scouting for the Zulu impi. The British players may deploy however they wish inside the base camp. Once Durnford leaves the encampment, the players may only communicate by writing messages to each other!

The British players will also have to roll for the amount of ammunition each individual basic unit has at the start of game by using the following chart:

British Artillery: 5D6
British Cavalry: 2D6
British Infantry: 3D6

Special British Ammo Rules:

Use red poker chips to represent the amount of ammo each basic cavalry and infantry unit has been issued, while using blue poker chips for the British artillery units. When a basic unit fires during a Turn, remove a poker chip. When all the poker chips are removed from a basic unit, then it's out of ammo.

Ammo can be replaced by sending for a quartermaster figure from the base camp, which will handout ammo to a particular basic unit (GM rolls 2D6 to see how generous or stingy the commissary is).

Ammo can also be moved around from unit to unit by use of an ammo runner (who can handle up to 12 poker chips and counts as a key figure for fire purposes). Each individual basic unit may detach up to two figures to act as ammo runners. Note that basic cavalry and infantry units may not use blue poker chips as ammo counters. Likewise basic British artillery units may not use red chips as ammo counters.

Zulu Players: There can be up to 6 Zulu players in command of six Zulu amabutho. They should elect an overall army commander among themselves. The Zulu army commander secretly rolls a 1D6+1 to determine what game Turn the impi arrives on the board and decide what side of the board they wish to deploy. Once the direction and game Turn have been figured out, the Zulu army commander will inform the GM of his decision. If the Durnford player comes within 6" of the side where the Zulu's are hidden before their chosen Turn, then the impi is deployed on the board.

Victory Conditions

British Players: If you are holding the base camp with at least one infantry platoon at 50% or greater at the end of the game, then you win. Anything else is a loss.

Zulu Players: If you are in possession of the British base camp and have destroyed or routed at least five basic units of British infantry cavalry or artillery, while having at least nine Zulu basic units at 50% or greater, then you achieve a major victory!

If you are in possession of the base camp while having six Zulu basic units at 50% strength or greater, then that counts as a tactical Zulu victory.

If you are have at least one Zulu basic unit at 50% strength or greater in possession of the base camp at the end of the game, then that counts as a stalemate. Anything else is a defeat.

British Order during Folly of the 24th Foot

January 22, 1879

Pulline's Command:

1/24th British Regiment

1/24th British Regiment: 1st Coy

1st Platoon/1st Coy

2nd Platoon/1st Coy

2nd Coy:

1st Platoon/2nd Coy

2nd Platoon/2nd Coy

N/5 Battery

Durnford's Command:

Cavalry Command: 1 Mounted Colonel with pistol and carbine

Natal Mounted Police

Natal Volunteer Corps

* Troops can fight mounted/dismounted, though 12 dismounted figures are needed when used as dismounted infantry.