Sudan Revolt - Mini Campaign

Rules: Colonial Adventures
Figures: HaT, Italeri, Waterloo 1815
Scale 1/72

First of all I am using a terrain board instead of cloth. While I was at the Berlin NJ flea market I found some floor mats that fit together. I bought 24 sections for $17 and each section is 2' x 2' and has a jigsaw type edge that helps the mats fit together. When I got them home I scrubbed them clean. Using some excess paint from previous home improvement projects I was able to keep the costs down.

I am using Colonial Adventures to play my solo campaign. The idea is to drive the opponents major morale level to 0. If the Anglo/Egyptians reach 0 first the fort commander is disgraced and sent packing and the outpost is soon abandon forcing the survivors to make a dangerous trek across the desert.. If the Dervish forces reach 0 first then they lose heart and abandon the area helping the Anglo/Egyptian forces subdue the area and hurting the revolt. The allies can get reinforcements but they need to perform well and keep their Major Morale high.

Anglo/Egyptian Major Morale: 4

Dervish Major Morale: 4

Assignment: Anglo/Egyptian Patrol

In a small obscure out post in Sudan there lies an outpost somewhere between the 3rd and 5th cataract. It is 1881 and the out post is led by Major Wilford T. Wilmington IV (REP 5). The outpost is assigned a company of Cameron Highlanders and a platoon of Egyptian Camel Corps. The outpost is in a desolate area and supplies are shipped south from Alexandria Egypt. The unit has just traded in their red coats for the dull grey uniforms. The rest of the Cameron Highlanders in Egypt still retain theier red coats.  Across the Sudan the believers of the true prophet rise up....

In the early morning hours a sentry calls out that there is movement in the distance. It's unusual as there has never been any trouble before but there have been rumors from caravans that religious fervor is overtaking the region. The sentries have been told to be alert and report any activity. The sentry calls out and a patrol is quickly assembled. The patrol leaves the fort to investigate the sighting by the sentry.

The sentries remain ever watchful as the patrol is formed up in column formation to investigate the recent sightings in the nearby oasis. Major Wilmington sees off Sgt Ahmed Urikar and relays the order to investigate three areas of terrain capable of concealing a sizable number of Ansar and Ole' Fuzzy. As the patrol moves out into the pre-dawn darkness they see nothing obvious. All seems quiet as they move towrd the oasis where the sentries spotted movement in the darkness.

The patrol approaches an oasis that contains a PEF (possible enemy force). The Egyptians remember their training by the Anglo forces and change form column to line. They slowly advance as all seems too quiet. They are thankful not to be patroling under the desert sun but remain vigilant in the darkness. They then dismount and prepare to send a scout ahead of the patrol. The silence is deafening as Sgt Ahmed can feel something is out of place.  

The spotting result is a unit of Ansar who charge out of the brush to attack the Egyptians. The charge reaction by Sgt Ahmed's men is to fire as they pass 2D6 on the reaction table. 2 Dervish are killed in the first volley; one of them is the leader of the group. The Ansar charge is stalled and they lose heart. The wide eyed natives run back into the brush and disapprear into the darkness.

The Sgt decides not to pursue and checks on his men; that all happened very fast and they need to remain cautious as that was too easy. All are accounted for and their confidence grows, damn good luck taking out the leader in the opening shots. The feeling among the troopers is that these jackals run at the first volley and show themselves as the real cowards they are. This religious fervor seems to have no teeth and will be easily stamped out in a week.

Feeling confident and assertive the troopers mount up and continue to patrol the perimeter. They remember their orders to check all points of possible trouble and they only investigated one area so far. On the following turn another PEF is encountered. The random result yields a shepherd and his family tending to their flock. Sgt Ahmed continues the patrol but wonders if those people are spies.

Keep in open order...dismount and fire!

His thoughts are soon interupted as on the next turn the patrol encounters another unit of Ansar. They handled the last group of Mahdis quickly  and they remain confident so they dismount then fire. They believe one good volley will send these troublemakers scattering into the night. The dervish are unphased by the loss of a single unamed believer and charge the infidels. The troopers react to the charge by firing a second time. They miss and get a low ammo result but are able to retire.

The next initiative roll result is doubles and that gives the Dervish reinforcements on the left flank of the camel Corps.The random result is more Ansar that enter on the table edge.

On the following turn the Dervish side wins the initiative. The Ansar are able to close the charge this turn. The Egyptians lose 3 troopers and the Ansar lose 2. The troopers are outnumbered and in danger of being flanked. Sgt Ahmed takes notice of the situation and orders a withdraw. The troopers mount up and ride off. There are just too many Madhist forces for the patrol to hold off.

The Egyptians win the initiative the next turn and continue to ride for their lives. The Ansar are close the heels of the troopers but can not keep pace with camels. The Camel Corps beat the Ansar to the fort and a squad of Highlanders close ranks behind the troopers. The soldiers in the fort have heard the running battle for the last half hour and were alerted. Major Wilford T. Wilmington



Most of the troopers make it back



The Ansar halt their pursuit and melt away into the early morning darkness. As the sun rises the enemy is not seen.Perhaps they ran into the hills or blended in withthe locals, either way Major Wilmington knows the outpost is being watched. Sgt Ahmed makes his report, 3 KIA and the enemy have the field. The feeling throughout the outpost is that the main force was not encountered.

Result:

Dervish Victory

Anglo/Egyptian Major Morale: 3

Dervish Major Morale: 5

Current Roster

Cameron Highlanders:

Major Wilford T. Wilmington IV (REP 5) Commander

Captain Reginald Addison Executive Officer

Sgt. Major Donald Cunningham (REP 5)

Platoon 1 (REP 4 Unit)

Lt. Geoffrey Edwards (REP 4)

Sgt. Charles McCraken

Cpl. Frederick Hicks

Cpl. Brian Smythe

17 Enlisted

Platoon 2 (REP 4 Unit)

Lt. George Cavendish Jr.(REP 4)

Sgt. William Remington

Cpl. Enoch Willaby

Cpl. Trevor Williams

17 Enlisted

Egyptian Camel Corps

First squad (REP 4 Unit)

Sgt Ahmed Urikar

7 Troopers (3 KIA)

Second Squad (REP 4 Unit)

Sgt  Amarna al-Douar

7 Troopers