Dragon Hunter, Roy Chapman Andrews and the Central Asiatic Expeditions by Charles Gallenkamp, Viking 2001. This is a great book, well at least the sections on the expeditions, and has a very good feel for the period and Andrews trials and tribulations.

Briefing

You are Roy Chapman Andrews, your crew, with the motor transport consists of

Job	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926
Political Rep.	1	-
Geologist	2	2	1	2	1
Topographer	-			3	-
Paleontology	1	4	2	3	2
Motor Trans.	1	2	2	1	1
Surgeon	-	-	1	-	-
Interpreter	1	1	1	1	1
Archeologist	-	-	-	1	-
Photographer	1	-	-	1	-
Herpetologist	1	1	1	1	1
Research A.	1	1	1	1	1

Each of these men carries a rifle and pistol constantly and travel in three Dodge touring cars and two Fulton trucks (sometimes more cars or trucks). Sometimes there is a Chinese guard with both the camels and vehicles. Plus, each year there are three Mongolian assistants, at least one cook but more likely three and three to four camp helpers.

You also have a camel caravan headed by a resourceful, tough and loyal Mongolian. He has at least four helpers, they are armed with a few rifles, but their best defense is to keep out of sight and travel at night. The camel caravan always out does your expectations and only due to the worst dry spells do they loose any camels. The camels each carry two small and two large specially constructed boxes to carry supplies to the field and bring back specimens. There should be about 125 camels in the caravan that always leaves several weeks ahead of the vehicles carrying and depositing at prearranged locations (usually at a friendly monastery) gasoline and food.

The camps must be carefully guarded day and night and everyone goes armed.

While Andrews and his expeditions really didn’t have any gun battles they had plenty of very close calls. Most of these were with small groups of Mongolian or Chinese bandits, but there were still White Russians and ex-POWs roaming around armed by various factions as well as Baron Urgen-Sternberg’s army. At this time the Chinese and Bolsheviks are contesting each other for control of Mongolia, so that any indiscriminant fire on official Chinese or Russian troops is a very bad idea since Andrews wishes to continue these expeditions for as long as he can.

Sometimes the expedition will divide up into two to three smaller expeditions for research/excavation/mapping purposes, but they always maintain a strict schedule of meeting times and places, as does the camel caravan.

In 1925 the largest expedition consisted of 14 scientists; 11 Chinese cooks, taxidermists and assistants; 14 Mongol interpreters and caravan drivers; 1 Dodge touring car; four 3/4-ton open cars; two 1-ton Fulton trucks; and 125 camels carrying 4,000 galleons of gas, 100 galleons of oil, several dozen extra tires, 2 1/2 tons of flour, 1 ton of rice and 1/2 ton of sugar. The Soviet secret police were all over Mongolia much care must be taken.

During the winter of 1926/27 there were riots everywhere due to Bolshevik propaganda, Chinese soldiers killed foreigners. In response Western nations sent warships and troops to restore order and protect their citizens.

In 1928 the team consisted of 10 scientists, 6 Chinese technicians, 3 cooks, 2 camp boys, 2 Chinese chauffeurs, 3 Mongol interpreters, 12 caravan drivers, 8 Dodge Autos, and 125 camels.

Most times bandits dressed as Chinese soldiers who would then rob and kill the locals. The area just north of Kalgan was particularly bad, trainloads of bandits were brought to Kalgan and executed every few weeks but even this failed to stop the raiding. The bandits consisted of Mongols, Chinese dressed as Mongols or as Chinese soldiers, and some Russians.

Typically in bands of about a dozen but several hundred could unite to terrorize whole areas. Bandits concealed in ravines, behind rocks, routinely ambushed large caravans, they plundered and murdered without mercy, even entire villages. Andrews learned that the Mongols feared auto, the men would jump on their horses and gallop away leaving their women and children behind. Therefore, the best defense against mounted Mongols was to drive firing into them head on. Andrews always posted night guards and everyone went conspicuously armed.

Scenario Ideas

1. Eight armed riders in uniform stop your vehicle and tell you they are there to escort you to the nearest town. You know the town to be a headquarters for local bandits, now what.

2. Grazing for your camels is very patchy, they begin to loose the ability to keep on schedule. Do you leave them all for weeks to graze near water to let them recover or do you push on with the best leaving the rest behind exposed to bandits or ?????

3. The sand storms are terrible and can last for days, it is freezing at night and 140 degrees during the day, there can be snow falls from August to June. And Soviet and Mongolian ministers have just arrived to make sure you aren’t stealing gold artifacts, mounted horsemen are seen in the distance-what next.

4. You are caught between rival bandit factions (totaling 500 troops) who are at war.

5. You are ambushed every time you drive the cars back and forth to Peking loaded with fossils.

Rules Review: Big Game Hunting