The Battle

It is 1878, the british troops are advancing along the Kandahar valley, defeating the regular troops along the way. The battle is fought to conquer a fort occupied by Regular Afghan troops, infantry, artillery and cavalry.

The table contains two valleys, one large and one small, separated by a mountain range. On the large valley lies the Afhgan fort and outworks.

The british may attack frontally the afghan defences, or may try to go along the narrow valley. A pass connects at the end of the table the two valleys, just at the back of the Afghan post.

The british base is at the very beginning of the large valley. The imperial troops have also built the day before a sangar on the top of the highest peak overlooking the two valleys. It is an incredible lookout post.

The british decide to advance in three columns. the leftmost, with the field battery, will make a feint attack on the front of the afghan fortifications.

The send column will advance on the rough high ground of the large valley, trying to attack the fort from a place where a lot of dead ground will conceal their advance.

The third column, with the mountain artillery and the elite Gurkhas, will advance on the top of the high ground, moving from the sangar, trying to mop up any irregular tribesman.

The small valley on the right is left unguarded, but for a troop of the Guides.

The third column advances on the high ground, trying to reach the sangar, occupied by a platton of the Gurkhas.

The Guides, on the small valley advance cautiously.

Some afghan tribesman start firing on the central column.

The central column deploys all units in open order, fires volleys to dislodge the sharpshooters armed with jezzails.

A picture of the afghan defences, the fort on the front, regular troops lining the field defences. Some artilley is also present, they start to shoot at the incoming enemy.

On this picture it is clearly visible the open ground on the right, where the leftmost british column is deployed with artillery. On the left, close to high ground, a number of buildings and walls cut the visibility for the defenders.

large bodies of afghan tribesman appear on the mountain top, a large skirmish starts at rather close range.

This is the central british column, advancing on dead ground. The first british company rushes on very open ground and is cut to pieces by the afghan regular artillery. The rest of the companies advance without losses.

a view of the battlefield from the left of the heights. The fort is on the left, ouside of thsi picture. On the far left it is possible to see afghan cavalry galloping on the bottom of the small valley. Where are they going?

The afghan regulars don’t move from their defences, are they brave or don’t dare to move?

The sulent advance of the central column.

Most of the afghan regulars appear on the right side of the high ground, and they rush to attack the british right column.

The fire from the indian troops is telling and the afghans don’t manage to close the enemy, not even with the fearless Ghazis.

a view of the battlefield from the afghan side. In the forefront a troops of the Third Kabuli Royal Dragoons, in red uniforms, commanded by the famous Zaccardhas colonel advances along the valley, covered by irregular cavalry.

The brave Guides have to face large bodies of the enemy. The british commander orders to lower their lances and charge the enemy, despite being heavily outnumbered.

Meanwhile the top of the hills is covered with bodies, mainly afghans.

A view of th large valley and the afghan defences. The central column stops to see what will come out of the encounter on the heights.

The core defences are defended by a company of the Kabuli Guards.

The british battery manage to silence the afghan artillery. The afghan regulars are compelled to partly abandon their defences, in order to save their lives.

At this moment a rush of maybe two good imperial companies might be able to assault succesfully the afghan defences, BUT..

The central column commands the high ground, and volley after volley the irregulars are repulsed. BUT…

The whole Royal Kabuli regiment gallops on the small valley to crush the enemy. They say so because luckily not much enemy is around…

The Gurkhas on the mountain crest.

The Guides have just crushed a groups of afghan jezzails, but the british commader is killed by a lucky shot!

The guide are overwhelmed, and the try to reach the safety, but they are reached by yelling cavalrymen and are cut to pieces. Now no british are left on the small valley. The afghan regulars may reach the british base camp!!!

One indian company is ordered to go back to the camp, to defend it from the unforeseen menace. Also a machinegun is rushed back.

The machinegun will be cut to pieces by the irregular cavalry, while the Kabuli dragoons manage to cut the pole where the Union Jack is flying!

A bloody victory for the Afghan. This time most of the casualties have been taken by the afghan irregulars. The british have lost just little more than a company, the Guides and a machinegun section, but they have no longer food and shelter. They will have to retire.

Since no irregulars are left in the region, they will reach safely their main base. They will try again soon to gain the fort.

Dettagli del gioco

Regolamento Battle for Empire 2, pezzi in 15mm.

La difesa di un forte ed una, meglio due vallate in Afghanistan. Il forte e dintorni e’ difeso dalle truppe regolari afgane, armate di cannoni Krupp!

Gli inglesi possono scegliere di aggirarlo, ma la valle vicina e’ mooolto stretta..
Ed i monti brulicano di guerrieri armati di jezzail!
Ma gli inglesi sanno costruire i sangar in cima alle vette, ed hanno l’artiglieria da montagna!

Terreno

Il tavolo e’ diviso in due parallelamente al lato lungo, con una catena montuosa.
Ci sono due valli, una piu’ larga ed una piu’ stretta. Il forte e’ al centro del tavolo, nella vallata larga.
A due terzi e ad un terzo del lato lungo ci sono due passo che connettono le due vallate.
La valle larga e’ abitata e coltivata, ci sono muri, coltivazioni.

Gli afgani occupano le due vallate, il forte non deve essere preso.
Gli inglesi arrivano da un lato corto, da una od entrambe le vallate. La notte precendente possono aver costruito un sangar nella cima piu’ alta tra le due vallate.

Il sangar

Puo’ essere occupato da un plotone (due basi, due dadi di fuoco), le mosse che gli sparano contro non risponde al fuoco a meno che non lo decidano o che il nemico non arrivi a contatto. Quando non sparano gli occupanti del sangar non possono avere perdite.

Il forte

E’ un piccolo forte. Hard cover. Puo’ essere occupato da due compagnie piu’ due sezioni di artiglieria. Il resto delle compagnie regolari possono attestarsi dietro terrapieni preparati in precedenza, anche essi copertura dura.

Afgani

• Comandante in capo
• Leader truppe regolari
• 3 sezioni artiglieria, 2 breechloaders 2nd rate, 1 smoothbore 3rd rate.
• 3 squadroni cavalleria regolare, trained colonial, 3rd rate, green.
• 4 compagnie regolari, trained colonial, 3rd rate, green.
• 1 compagnia guardia, trained colonial, 3rd rate, regular.

• 2 leaders pathans
• 1 unita’ cavalleria Pathan, regulars
• 4 banda tiratori, Pathans, muzzle loaders, 2nd rate regular
• 2 bande armi bianche, pathans, elite
• 3 piccoli gruppi di tiratori, Pathans , breechloaders, 2nd rate, regular, sparano con due dadi, prendono quattro hit prima di sparire.

Britannici

• Comandante in capo, 4 leaders.
• 4 compagnie indiane, trained colonial, 2nd rate regular, breechloaders
• 1 compgnia Gurkha, trained colonial, 1st rate, elite. Breechloaders.
• 2 compagnie inglesi, british regulars, 1st rate, brittle, breechloaders.
• 1 sezione artiglieria montagna, 1st rate.
• 1 squadrone cavalleria, trained colonial, 1st rate, elite, breechloaders.
• 2 sezioni artiglieria, 1st rate.
• 2 compagnie di muli.