Taking Manga - Deployment ...

The two sides have been deployed... 

The British forces are in their start positions ready for the off..... 

The forces of Nambuzo just outside the town of Manga...

to be continued....

Taking Manga ?

Its back to East Africa and the Sultanate of Nambuzo for my next game.  I've worked out a scenario loosely based on the battle of Tanga 1914 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tanga).

Concept: British have landed on the coast at the headland by the bay near the small port town of Manga, they will deploy their force and advance to take the town.

Map from Wikipedia..

I decided to fit the main area of action onto my gaming table, for simplicity I decided to omit the railway line and replace it with part of a line of hedging.  For the best playable setup I rotated the action area by 180 degrees...

A view of the game table....

part of the port is represented...

The British forward scouting party have moved up from the landing area ....

The British view down the table to Manga in the distance...

The British troops are moving up into position. Of course the landing didn't go un-noticed and the forces of the Sultanate of Nambuzo are also moving up to defend Manga. 

more pictures and the game action report as things develop....

FFL Mounted Company ...

 All the figures for the Foreign Legion mounted company completed. Marching & mounted men..

Deployed with horse/mule holders...

FFL Project - In preparation..

 Algerian Spahis (gringos40),

 Mounted arabs - Wargames Atlantic Afghans, with some modification ( I may do some more green stuff work)

 and camel mounted desert raiders.. (Redoubt with some spare parts from the plastic Afghans)

Down the Umpopo river...

 Laura Lambert was re-united with her friend Lady Penelope and survivors of the geographical expedition at Nbisi (after their harrowing experience in their attempt to reach Ngongoloo). (see here for game report)

They decided to take the geological samples down the Umpopo river to Lukolela.

---oXo---

Laura Lambert, Lady Penelope, Robert Odd and his valet (servant) Harry Fitzroy (Fitz); embark on a fast launch from one of wharf at Nbisi on the river Umpopo. Fitz takes the tiller, while Robert Odd keeps a look at out the front. On board is a small crate with the geological sample; plus another box Laura Lambert brought with her; Laura also has her favourite machine gun too.

They passed a group of hippos about a quarter of an hour later...

A bit later on the sound of motors behind them attracted their attention, two launches heading towards them ...

They rounded the next bend in the river, the launches were closer - they could see they were armed; then the lead launch opened fire with their machine gun... 

Some shots hammered into the side of the their launch; Laura fired back with her machine gun. Then she opened up the smaller box she had bought with her - hand grenades - she threw one at the nearest launch - missed !

They rounded the next bend, exchanging fire. Laura with her small SMG and the launch behind them with the twin machine gun.

Laura picked up another grenade and threw it ... by luck (?) it landed and exploded in the back corner of the attacking launch...

The lead attacking launch drifted towards the bank ... all was not so well on their launch as Fitz had been hit and was badly wounded. Robert Odd moved him into the bow of the launch and took control of the tiller, Laura opened fire again...

The attacking lead launch was nearing the river bank but the second one was now moving up quickly...

The second launch started to catch up to them and opened fire, Laura fired back and lobbed a hand grenade that missed. A shot creased Robert Odd's left arm, but he would be ok for a while - able to work the tiller.

They approached the Matadi rapids, Odd steered the lauch through...

it bounced off a large rock but everyone managed to keep their feet; Odd just steered it way from the next large rock

and out the other side of the rapids...

Odd let the launch drift slighty (but held position).  As Penelope bandaged Odd's arm; Laura kept a watch to see if their pursuers passed through the rapids... The lead launch started through ,,,,

The cross current caught it and pushed it up onto a large rock ripping out the bottom of the hull and the launch was stuck ...

The second launch came up and tried to pick up the men of the stranded launch, two of them fell in as they tried to get across, one succeeded..

the second launch now tried to pass through...

and it ran up onto a rock;  seeing it stuck Laura threw a grenade - dead hit on the front deck ..

the launch then slipped off and drifted over towards the bank taking water... 

Their pursuers out of the way, they carried on down stream, before they knew it they were on top of some hippos...

who weren't too pleased to be disturbed and rocked the launch about... 

luckily nobody fell in but the launch was damaged, a small leak appeared near the bow...not enough to sink the launch - some bailing was needed..

They limped into to the trading post at Lukolela, where they saw to Fitz's wound.

there was a Colonial Police post nearby so they made their way there for further assistance; lugging the box of rock samples with them.. it seemed they were now safe.

FFL Mounted Company (WIP)

 After the last set of games I'm now going through the FFL collection and making some improvements. Also I've been retiring some figures from the collection, these will head off to the melty-pot of doom to be made into some 40mm figures.

Of course when I spotted a number of lots on Ebay which were worth a punt.  I ended up with some more figures. The reason for buying them was so that I could now make up a mounted company on the march and deployed.  A plus was the building, some barrels & boxes and a palm tree.

The purchased lot(s)...

I had a couple of redoubt legionaries on mules and with the figures I bought I could setup the company on the march,

Also horse-holders too, so the deployed company

Some painting to do :)

The Battle of Bourek...

The FFL relief column arrives to the north of the town of Bourek, in the distance they could see Fort Lepoulet...

a detachment has taken control of the northern suburbs of the town

The commander of the Berbers orders his men to turn towards the relief column ....

The Berbers move up into position behind a line of  low dunes...

The FFL commander, orders the flag unfurled and the troops to deploy ...

The Berbers have finished repositioning themselves...

The FFL take up positions in a line from the rocky outcrops to the edge of the town....

The mountain gun is deployed....

The FFL ready for action ....

A view of the battle field....

The Berbers prepare to attack.....

The Berbers start to advance ...

And then break into a run ...... they approach the FFL ....

Their mounted troops close with little loss (appallingly bad shooting from the FFL)....

The Berber horse-men are beaten off and fall back to attempt to re-group...

The camel mounted Berber continue to fight as the FFL just about hold them back...; the Chasseurs D'Afrique move up through the gap ...

The Berbers attacking on foot surge forward, this time the FFL firing is more effective and nearest attackers go down ... the Berber attack stalls and they fall back slightly ...

The Chasseurs D'Afrique charge the nearest lot of Berber infantry 

the camel mounted Berbers are beaten off and retreat as their supporting infantry rout; the Chasseurs D'Afrique then move up to attack the the Berber's centre

The Berber infantry are now falling back....

The Berber centre fails to stand and the Chasseurs D'Afrique follow through ....

The FFL advance to support the Chasseurs D'Afrique

as the mountain gun fires at long range to discomfort the Berbers even more hastening their headlong retreat..

A victory for the FFL;  Fort Lepoulet has been relieved. 

The Berbers have lost and leave the area... (for now ?)

---oXo---

Notes:  

• Forces/Losses..

FFL:Algerian Tirailleurs  .. 3 dead from 12;  Bat D'Af.   7 dead from 24;

Chasseur D'afrique 1 dead from 10

Berber Tribes..8 dead from 15 horse riders; 20+ dead from 50

Desert Raiders: 8 dead from 12 camel riders, 15+ dead (from 40)