Ouargistan River Battle Page

Ouargistan River Battle
The Assault on Kaiserinsport

The photo shows a scene from an actual game.
The river is heavily-grained blue vinyl, the shore is cork.
The background scenery -- hills, sky, distant palm trees, and far end of the river --
......was added to the picture, using Adobe Photoshop.

The Scenario for the Game
The river is the Soumbada, the border between British and German Ouargistan. Several civilians have been kidnapped from the British side and are being held in Kaiserinsport, the little river port/railhead town, which is guarded by a German fort and gunboat. The victims are visible on the roof of the house near the fort. The British are coming across the river in two steam launches, with two dhows (arab sailing vessels) for their native auxiliaries. A larger steam launch carries artillery to cover the operation. The British must reach the house to rescue the hostages, and escort them back across the river.

German troops, local militia and native auxiliaries are deployed along the shore and in the town to oppose the landing. A German gunboat and steam ram can be seen upriver. Through the palm fronds near the British side of the river can be seen the Great Pink Hippo, a randomly-moving menace to navigation.

The Battle
The British commander chose to land downriver and move overland to the town. The Germans were outnumbered, but had the advantage of cover. The British artillery launch anchored athwart the river and trained on the approaching German river fleet. This was the first game in which an aeroplane was used, an Eindecker Fokker (appearing well before its time historically). The plane rolled a start on its first try and flew downriver only to be brought down by a lucky shot from the Gatling gun in the launch on the very first turn, so it does not appear in this photo.

The natives in the first dhow stormed ashore, taking heavy casualties. The British in the first launch were only partially disembarked when a German artillery round found the boiler and exploded the entire craft and the soldiers still on it. However the British had enough reserves to mop up the defenders in the town and push on to rescue the hostages. Surviving Germans withdrew to the fort. Artillery fire from the launch killed the German crews before the gunboat and ram could reach the landing ships.

It was a decisive victory for the British, perhaps because the scenario was a wee bit unbalanced. Before the game, the British commander had become panicky at the thought of facing two ships and the unknown capabilities of an aeroplane, and insisted the artillery launch be added to the scenario, with its overkill battery of two fieldpieces and a Gatling. The German players rolled their eyes but graciously went along. Their naval advantage nullified, the Germans quickly found themselves outnumbered and overwhelmed on shore. (I hope you're satisfied, Alan). Still, it was one of the prettiest and most enjoyable games we have ever played.

The end of the battle. The British Naval Brigade advances up the railway line just beyond the oxcart, accompanied by native levies, while Imperial troops swarm ashore just behind the nearer building. The Germans have retreated to the fort.

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