Below is a campaign game played with these solo rules. This hopefully clarifies the game's mechanics and demonstrates how additional rules can be included to make the game more realistic. A British force moved onto a hex occupied by Boers on the strategic map. The campaign map was drawn up as shown in fig.1.
The British entered along the railway line to the south. Their overall strategic target was to relieve a besieged town further north whilst accessing and repairing the rail link to it to provide a supply line. Another army with armoured trains and engineers building block house were following behind to secure this supply route.
The Boer forces were already occupying this area with a strategic objective to prevent the British from advancing and relieving the siege. Three Boer forces were positioned north of the river. Two were dummy forces and one was the real force but which is the real one? This was to be decided later.
The orders for the British forces were written first as this was the player's forces. These orders covered the first three days and instructed the main force to follow the railway up to the bridge. A separate force of two cavalry troops was ordered to move directly to the west side of the river and search for crossing points and meet up with the main force near the railway bridge.
Now the Boer forces received their orders. The British out numbered the Boers by nearly two to one so from the action table under active defence the Boer armies orders were E, F and G. Boer force 1 had the E orders: 'seek out a good defensive position and hold it'. This translated as: 'move to the hill overlooking the bridge and dig in.' Boer force 2 had the F orders: 'prepare defensive position as quickly as possible'. This gave them orders to: 'move to the nearest hill and dig in'. Boer force 3 had the G orders: 'avoid contact with enemy forces as long as possible.' This was adapted to: 'hold current position, if approached fall back towards the north-west.'
The first three days of the campaign passed quietly with the British advancing along the railway delayed only by bad weather. Boer scouting forces galloped around the map and on day three mounted Boers were seen on a hilltop behind the British troops but no contact was made. The cavalry troops reached the river and immediately found a fording place (5 or 6 score on D6 for each river hex explored = ford). Having completed the first three days orders, new orders needed to be written starting first with the player's forces.
The orders for the British forces were to continue their advance along the railway. To stop before reaching the bridge and send out two companies of infantry to each adjacent river hex to search for enemy troops and look for crossing points. After this reconnaissance the main force is to proceed to the bridge. The cavalry troops retain their orders for their reconnaissance mission.
The Boer forces now dice to see if they have a change of orders. Boer force 2 is the only one to change from F to G orders: 'avoid contact with enemy forces as long as possible'. This was adapted to: 'hold current position, if approached fall back towards the north.'
The British cavalry troops continued their mission by moving along the riverbank searching for fords. This brought them close to Boer force 2 causing it to abandon its prepared position and fall back to the north one hex so remaining hidden. The British advance along the railway continued and halted one hex short of the bridge on day four (see fig 2).
The scouting groups were sent out on day five and fords located in one place to the east of the bridge. To west of the bridge the reconnaissance force of 200 infantry was ambushed by a roving mounted Boer group of 'regimental' strength.
Two companies of infantry moved slowly in line across the open grass and down towards the tree lined river. While still 800 paces from the river a hail of fire erupted from the bushes and trees along the river. Many of the British fell dead and wounded and the rest threw themselves prone to engage in a long range fire-fight which lasted only minutes. The Boers mounted up and retired south west along the river bank, hidden by the trees, before any reinforcements could be sent to aid the British.
The British suffered 50% causalities in the skirmish while the Boers appeared to suffer no loss.
Day six brought the British to the bridge and in contact with the Boer pickets. These pickets were overpowered before they could give warning and the real Boer force was revealed to be force one. A ford was discovered near the destroyed railway bridge and the returning cavalry troops reported sighting a crossing point further up river to the west. It was decided to attack the entrenched Boer force immediately as the British had the advantage of having surprised the enemy force (permitting occupation of the centre of the battlefield by part of the army i.e. across the river). Also knowledge of crossing points up and down river would permit flanking attacks. Day seven brought the British attack (see figure 3).
At sunrise at a British regiment was already well established in a gully on the far side of the river and engaging in long range fire with Boer entrenchment on the hill. British artillery was bombarding the hill and the flank march set off. The Boers then appeared behind the British in a another gully further down stream and poured rifle and maxim fire into their rear and as other British troops crossing the river. The infantry in the gully started taking casualties but returned fire.
By 9am another regiment had nearly completed fording the river and the Boers in the gully fled. Soon after the newly arrived regiment came under intense and accurate pom-pom gun fire from the hill and were forced to abandon their position and retreat back across the river.
By midday the infantry of the flank march appeared to the right of the Boer position and one group fled immediately with others in forward positions falling back to the top of the hill. Some of these took casualties from rifle fire by the regiment on the flank and their retreat turned into a rout. Only one group of resolute Boers now defended the hill. The advance on the hill was made by both the flank infantry and the infantry in the gully.
The Boers replied with a fierce fire which devastated the regiment advancing from the gully to the railway line inflicting severe casualties and sending the remaining few back to cover. Never-the-less accurate artillery fire and the steady advance on the flank away from most of the Boer rifles was too much for the last Boers who fled by 2pm leaving their artillery to be captured by the British.
The British suffered 500 casualties out of 5000 engaged and the Boers lost 200 men out of 3000 fielded.
Day seven ended with the Boers in rout and moving north on the campaign map. Routing troops will move away from the battle area for three days at full speed so by the end of day eight the Boer force had left the campaign map along the northern edge. The British consolidated their hold on the railway bridge and began repairs to this vital part of their line of communication. Action now returned to the strategic map as the British forces continued to advance on the besieged town.
Part 1: Campaign Concepts, Rules, and Ideas
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