Red Sea Gazette 8. Man down the Well

Sudan Commando Comic's Presents... 
The Galloping Majors.
A tale of derring-do do, keeping you abreast of all the campaign and behind the scenes camp action...
Issue One, Paul and Barry Chuckle ain't coming home...

The third game on the Fekka table.   It has been established that Fekka was a suburb of Suakin, before being largely destroyed during the fighting.  The photo narrative of the third game in the campaign.
Be prepared for some deep well action. 

The camel Corps and the Teesiders move up to their start line.

The Egyptian Infantry barricade themselves inside the village.

The Teesiders move off, with Cocky Armstrong
proving his worth immediately. 
Dervish cavalry appear and are seen off.

The Ships of the desert strut their stuff
as the Camel Corps begin their
dance around the battlefield

Ali the Barber is revealed

The Teesiders move up to encroach
(or should that be support)
the Camel Corps fight

As Major Whitemoore demonstrates Firing
and moving quickly on a camel.

Things get a little tense in the centre

The mounted infantry move up into their usual
sacrificial position

The Dervish storm forwards into Fekka  

Major Pea gallops to the rescue 

Pea loses a man down the well.

The fight develops in the village

Whitemoore searches some of that terrain

The centre and right flank push up hard
against the Dervish

The fight in the village is close.  One more pip
on a dice would have won it for the Dervish

  

Thrown out of the village three times the Dervish try again.

The Dervish swarm on the centre and right. 
Things get even more tense. 

Whitemoore keeps the correspondent in check.

The Teesiders search this terrain piece as Churchill
leads his 10th Hussars around the position.  

End game on the right.  A triumph.

End game in the village as the last Dervish tribal infantry
are fired on by no less than three of the Durham's units. 
We captured that fellow down the well though, and Major Pea
will hear from us for a ransom demand, or its the old game of
spear and buttocks!.

Red Sea Gazette No7. Second Brigade Triumphs

The Rajputs add some mounted Infantry and face off against those damned buildings with some trepidation.   Note the deployment in column.

Eyeswater's battalion brave the ambush on the right.

But Eyeswater has little problem in beginning his withdrawal in good order.

Major Whynot and the teesdales face the problem of the Ghaby, 'Awj (the stupid ridge)

The Rajputs seem to know what they are about as they move forward in formation.  Appearances are deceptive here...

Like Major Pea before him he gallant Whynot finds the ridge a proper  pain.

The Islanders stand off the Dervish.  Are they losing men to the murderous Midsommers?

Using Close Order and proper labels the Rajputs advance to certain doom.  Just as a side issue I notice that a Minifigs interloper has joined the other ranks.  See if you can spot the non Rajput.

The Camel Corps supporting the Rajputs are walloped.

The Noble Major Whynot advances, set on clearing the centre. 

On the right the Midsomers take the Zariba, leaving the Islanders to take refuge in the scrub.

Oops!  The Rajputs lose three Companies in three rounds.  Time to retreat?  Seriously considered but we are Rajputs.  Calling on Hanuman to help us we stand our ground. 

And pretty soon the ground we are standing is looking thin.  Major Stroker decides on Death before dishonour, and a continues the fight.  Captain Myles Long, Havildar Vikram and Lt. Farthingdale are the only Officers still with him.

After a hysterical appeal for assistance to the brigade commander, The Teesdalers march to the rescue.    That Donga feeds more and more Dervish into his path

Captain Myles Long, with four men left to him, puts up a damned good show.  The Rajputs all shoot well, but he appears to be aiming at Major Stroker in this Lithograph!  Perhaps he is not such a Jolly Good Chap after all! 

The Rajputs go forward at a dash, taking the first objective.  Stroker abandons his horse. 

After a trun searching one building Stroker leads his surviving Rajputs across the street to capture the second objective.

End game for the Rajputs.  All objectives achieved.  Shocking casualties.  A hard fought game against a brave foe. 

End game in the centre.  Major Whynot suffered three times the pitiful casualties Major Pea had on this table.  All objectives achieved in double quick time.

End game on the right.  Major Eyeswater has lost a company to the ambush, but was never in a position to carry out his orders.  A gallant defence.  The Correspondent ends the game with the Islanders, drinking Balamory Grouse and Buckfast Special Reserve...

The Rajput casualties on the left.  the few Survivors on the right.  An immediate request went to the Brigade Commander to approve the Brevet rank of Captain for Lt Farthingdale, and the promotion of Havildar Vickram to battalion Havildar Major.   Both were approved but the major pointed out to me that according to Queens Regulations Lt Farthingdale would be unpaid for his new rank until it was officially confirmed.

Red Sea Gazette 6, the War begins

Dundarse uses his Mounted Infantry supports to probe the village, routing a unit of Baggara Horse

Major Pea skirts the ridge.  He never really gets across it.

The Camel Corps swarm over the terrain looking for Mahdists.  Is that a good idea?

The Camel Corps move in a co-ordinated manner.

Churchill slips his leash and goes for glory.

The 10th hussars end up in scrub, waiting for the Dervish to come calling.

The Teesiders reach the village and begin searching for monkeys.  Alas "G" company is wiped out.  Note that The major is accompanied by Bugler Bieber and Lance Sergeant Woodencock

Churchill is caught in rough terrain by swarming Tribal infantry.  The plonker keeps going back for Glory.

The camel Corps has an increasingly torrid time as the Dervish refuse to play fair.  With Captain Wriothesley absent, having his boil lanced, Lt "Porky" De-Large does his best but has his company wiped out.

The game is set up for some Camel on camel action as the Mahdist Camelry comes on table.

The Camel Corps stand their ground and fight their way clear.

My Ruga Ruga Irregular Infantry look really good, lurking among the Mimosa.

The end game in the village. Three houses searched.  

Major Pea thinks he is fighting the First World War as he uses entrenchments.  The Durhams stand off the Dervish by using firing line tactics.

 

Major Whitemoore stands his ground.

Major Pea Butters up the Correspondent.  His two casualties stand in stark contrast to the other units.  Did the Senior Officer pull his weight?

With six Dervish units still "Out there" the battle ends.  Huzzah for First brigade.  Second brigade will have to clear up the mess.