Last stand at Beni Ashen? On the Burning Sands (TMWWBKs campaign)

Ambush

Attack of the Ait Ammarte 

Captaine Steger’s march to the east is in trouble. His supply line is under attack from the Ait Ammarte tribe. This time he will not have the luxury of being able to pick his force instead he must make do with what is available and hope for the best.

Tuareg trouble

The French forces in the area consisted of the 1st legionnaire squad under Sargent Spencer, 3rd and 4th Tirailleurs squads under Onbasi’s Aziz and Le Pont Troisieme, the mounted infantry squad under sous lieutenant Rochambeau and the field gun section under Gunnery chef De Gras.   Column, although under-strength, formed up at Fort Beaujolais and set out to repel the raiders.

Eastern flank under pressure

After a couple of days of march the column was ambushed by the Ait Ammarte. The Ait Ammarte raiders consisted of four bands of tribal cavalry, one band of mounted irregular infantry and two bands of irregular infantry. (see note1)

Cavalry pinned under fire

The French column was ambushed as it was moving through a region of broken terrain. The column had been split into two by a steep hill. Gunnery chef De Gras and Onbasi Le Pont Troisieme sections were west of the hill with the rest of the column to the east when the Tuareg struck. Two bands of tribal cavalry and the mounted infantry attacked the western force with the rest of the Tuareg attacking the eastern force (see note 2).   

View from Gras' gun (also know as a line of sight question)

Worryingly the initial fire from the column failed to pin any of the attackers. Onbasi Le Pont Troisieme section was quickly charged and forced back pinned leaving De Gras to defend the eastern section on his own.  To the West Touareg irregulars started to fire on Sargent Spencer section dropping a few legionnaires, while their cavalry swept forward despite fire from the legionnaires and Tirailleurs.

Onbasi Le Pont Troisieme' last stand

After repeated assaults Onbasi Le Pont Troisieme's squad was wiped out. But De Gras had managed to whittled down the attackers firing a close range with the cannon (see note 3).  Things were a little better on the other side of the hill with the legionnaires pinning some of the charging cavalry and then repelling the cavalry that did manage to charge.

French column under pressure 

With the cavalry charge dissipated the Tuareg switched tactics and moved to cover intent on sniping at the legion has they tried to clear the battlefield. With the exception of a small cavalry charge that assaulted De Gras’s gun. The Crew repelled the charge and finished of the cavalry as it fled.

Legionnaires prepare to repel cavalry

Tirailleurs fire in support

In goes the Calvary

In the ensuing firefight the legion got the better of it and the Tuareg raiders broke and fled.  The battle cost the legion six dead and four injured but the supply line is now safe.  What is left of Onbasi Le Pont Troisieme 4th squad is now veteran.  With the supply line safe  Captaine Steiger continued the advance surprisingly moving from the soft southern trail back onto the central slightly more difficult path. Again his attempt at diplomacy has been rebuffed and now he must assault the Haquara tribe. But the campaign season is pass the halfway mark he has not long left to get to the camp and bring Almuktar to justice.

Cavalry is replused

remaining cavalry is pinned by fire from the mounted section

Remains of the eastern forces both side are pretty beaten up at this point 

 The Gun (annoyingly) repulses a cavalry charge 

Tuareg go to ground to snipe at the legion

Current returns

Note1:

Normal for the campaign we randomly determine the scenario and work our way through the scenarios in the book but for this game I offered Captaine Steger the option of playing the last stand type scenario (To the last bullet) since it would fit the narrative. Sportlingy he declined and opted to take his chances with fate. In the end we rolled another narrative themed scenario with the French racing to safety(Run to the hills)

Note2:

With fifty two mounted warriors the Tuareg were a little aggressive :) 

Note3:

At one point Des Gras requested if he could skirmish fire with the cannon :o but the request denied.

That is all for now thanks for stopping by