Battle of Kandahar +140 PLAYER BRIEFINGS & INITIAL DEPLOYMENTS

Below are the briefings provided to the 3 Afghan and 3 British players prior to the game...

AFGHAN PLAYER BRIEFING:

Greetings Ayub Khan & Afghan Sirdars,

You guys have your work cut out for you, but… you may just be able to pull it off.

You are facing a large and powerful Anglo-Indian army, almost equal in size to your own.  BUT you will be occupying strong defensive positions.

Bob is AYUB KHAN, the Afghan COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, so he gets the final say on things concerning ORGANIZATION OF BRIGADES and deployment thereof.  I will allow you to organize COMBINED FORCES brigades of REGULAR TROOPS, containing any reasonable mix of Infantry, cavalry and artillery.  I cannot allow you to organize brigades of regulars mixed with tribal or Ghazi fanatic forces, BUT – since there are only three of you and you have 6 different troop types (regular Inf, Cav, & Art, tribal foot, tribal horse, plus Ghazis) I will allow any/all of you to control multiple types of brigade.  Also because there are only 3 of you, I suggest that Bob takes direct command of a brigade or two himself.

Here is your BRIEFING:

A month ago you won a great victory at Maiwand.  Then you advanced on Kandahar city.  Sadly Allah did not smile on your siege efforts, but thanks the arrival of this new army of British foreigners and Indian idolaters, you have another chance at victory and glory, or at the very least, martyrdom.  You want to defeat this new army, but it is very large – almost as many men as you have – and very strong.  Its soldiers are said to be better those you beat at Maiwand, and even they sold their lives very dearly indeed.  If the battle reaches a critical point and you believe you will lose… after being bloodied, Ayub and the regulars may choose to withdraw with their honor intact, so they can fight another day, rather than suffer total annihilation at the hands of the enemy.  The Ghazis have a very different attitude and will not want to withdraw, while the tribesmen’s attitude will fall in between.  You guys should fight to win with everything you have… but if it starts to look very bad, you may want to withdraw any forces that remain intact, in order to lessen the extent of your defeat and simultaneously lessen the extent of the British victory.  They are tasked with destroying you in order to regain the honor and prestige which you took from them at Maiwand. 

You have withdrawn from besieging Kandahar and occupied positions on and around the razorback rocky mountain ridge and the villages that surround it.

You can deploy your forces as far EAST as the villages of GUNDAMULLAH SAHIBDAD and GUNDIGAN (each village can hold 1 hidden tribal or ghazi unit, or 1 x regular inf. unit).

You cannot deploy in the Ahmed Khan Shrine or the Abandoned Outpost.

You can deploy atop the TWO LOW HILLS on the East side of the Baba Wali Pass.

You can deploy any troop types ATOP THE ROCKY RIDGE.  Tribal or Ghazi units that start the game atop portions of the rocky ridge will be HIDDEN.

You can FORTIFY POSITIONS for some or all of your artillery (stone sangars).

Tribal or Ghazi units on reverse slopes of the rocky ridge will start the game HIDDEN.

Tribal or Ghazi units can use HIDDEN DEPLOYMENT and start the game in the orchards and crop-fields.

If you have any questions for me please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

AFGHAN ORDER OF BATTLE

A.    REGULAR INFANTRY

5 x 20 fig. Regiments = 100 figs. + 1 senior command          = 101 subtotal

(x30 = 3,030 men)

B.    REGULAR CAVALRY

3 x 12 fig. Regiments =   36 figs + 1 senior command           = 37 subtotal

                                                                                                            (x30 = 1,110 men)

C.     REGULAR ARTILLERY

6 guns w/4 crew each = 24 figs                                              = 24 subtotal

                                                                                                (x30 = 720 men)

D.    TRIBAL FOOT

7 x 20 fig. Clans           = 140 figs  +2 senior command          = 142 subtotal

                                                                                                (x30 = 4,260 men)

E.     TRIBAL HORSE

4 x 12 fig. Clans           = 48 figs + 1 senior command            = 49 subtotal

                                                                                                (x30 = 1,470 men)

F.     GHAZIS

4 x 20 fig. Clans           = 80 figs + 1 senior command            = 81 subtotal

                                                                                                (x30 = 2,430 men)

SUBTOTAL INFANTRY:            333 figs (9,990 men)

SUBTOTAL CAVALRY:                87 figs (2,610 men)

SUBTOTAL ARTILLERY:              24 figs  (720 men)

                    GRAND TOTAL:   434 figures (x30 = 13,020 men)

ANNOTATED TABLETOP MAP…

PHOTO MAP...

AFGHAN DEPLOYMENT:

Nick – Samoud Khan

Senior Brigade Commander - A

1 Regular Infantry Unit – A1 

1 Regular Infantry Unit – A2 

1 Regular Cavalry Unit – A3

1 Regular 2 Gun Artillery Unit – A-4

  Senior Brigade Commander - B

1 Tribal Foot Unit – B1

1 Tribal Foot Unit – B2

1 Tribal Foot Unit – B3

1 Tribal Horse Unit – B4

1 Ghazi Unit – B5

Phil – Ahmad Abdali

Senior Brigade Commander- C

1 Tribal Foot Unit – C1

1 Tribal Foot Unit – C2

1 Tribal Horse Unit – C3

1 Tribal Horse Unit – C4

1 Tribal Horse Unit – C5

Senior Brigade Commander – D

1 Ghazi Unit – D1

1 Ghazi Unit – D2

1 Ghazi Unit – D3

1 Tribal Foot Unit – D4

1 Tribal Foot Unit – D5

Bob – Ayub Khan

Senior Brigade Commander – E

1 Regular Infantry Unit – E1

1 Regular Infantry Unit – E2

1 Regular Infantry Unit – E3

1 Regular 2 Gun Artillery Unit – E4

1 Regular 2 Gun Artillery Unit – E5

Senior Brigade Commander – F

1 Regular Cavalry Unit – F1

1 Regular Cavalry Unit – F2

Cavalry C3, C4, C5, west of river between fords 1 and 2 as shown on map

A2 on the road west of ford 3 facing east

F1 Cavalry on road to the north of artillery A4 facing south.

F2 Cavalry facing north on road to Mirza Pass as shown on map

B4 Cavalry on road east of ford 1 facing east

E1 Deployed in Village G-5

A2 Deployed in Village G-4

D2 to the North and hidden behind Village G-5

D3 to the North of and hidden behind Village G-4

A4 in reinforced sangar on road. Guns pointing South

D4 west side of mountain

E3 South side of camp

D5 hidden to west of Kharoti Hill

E4 Artillery in sangar on Kharoti hill pointing NE towards Baba Wali Pass

E5 Artillery in sangar on Kharoti hill pointing SE towards Southern pass

C2 on mountain overlooking northside of Baba Wali Pass

C1 on mountain overlooking south side of Baba Wali Pass

A1 deployed in Village G-3

D1 hidden behind village on Northside of village

B1, B2 and B3 hidden in orchards and fields in south of battlefield

D5 on west side of mountain

E2 deployed in the middle of Kharoti Hill

                                               

Senior Commanders Initial Placement:

Senior Commander A located between and within command distance of units A2 and A4

Senior Commander B located just behind but not attached to unit B2 and if possible still within command distance of units B1, B3 and B4,

Senior Commander C attached to Ghazi D3

Senior Commander D attached to Cavalry C4

Senior Commander E attached to Artillery E5

Senior Commander F within command distance between F1 and F2 at the “T” junction by village G-5.

•                        •                        •                        • 

BRITISH BRIEFING & OBJECTIVES:

One month ago, Afghan prince and aspiring Amir (King) Ayub Khan inflicted a major defeat on a brigade-size British Army at Maiwand.  He then advanced to Kandahar (the second most important city in the country) and laid siege to its British garrison.  In order to restore British honor and prestige and bring a happy end to this very costly war, you must inflict a DECISIVE DEFEAT upon Ayub and his army, so they can no longer claim to have, “smote the British lion.”

To achieve TOTAL VICTORY you must DESTROY, ROUTE AWAY, OR FORCE SURRENDER OF HALF OR MORE OF AFGHAN FORCES PRESENT AT THE BATTLE.  Afghan units that withdraw under their own command (as opposed to routing off the table) will not count towards this total.

Attached you will find a MAP of the battlefield.  The table is 12’ wide x 6’ across.  Its main terrain feature is a razorback rocky mountain ridge that runs along much of its 12’ center.  At the middle of the table this ridge is crossed by the BABA WALI PASS.  At the far NORTH table edge the ridge is crossed by the MIRZA PASS, which CAN ONLY BE TRAVERSED BY INFANTRY (no cavalry or artillery of any type).

Upon learning of your approach, Ayub Khan lifted his siege of Kandahar city and led his army to occupy positions on and around the razorback ridge and surrounding villages.

Intelligence estimates the Afghan army opposing you at approximately 12,000 men (this game uses a figure-to-man ratio of 1:30), including 4,000-5,000 regulars, 4,000-5,000 tribesmen, and an unknown number of Ghazis (many thousands of these religious fanatics were present at the battle of Maiwand a month ago, but it is unknown how many remain in the field with Ayub’s army).  Ayub’s army also includes a large and effective artillery park, and intelligence reports some of his guns are now being entrenched atop Baba Wali Pass.

BRITISH ARMY ROSTER:

1^st Inf. Brigade

(General MacPherson)

92^nd Highlanders                     20 figs

23^rd (Sikh) Pioneers                 20 figs

24^th Punjab Native Inf.            20 figs

2^nd  Gurkhas                            20 figs

Total:   81 figs (incl. Mtd. Gnl.)

2^nd Inf. Brigade

(General Baker)

72^nd Highlanders                     20 figs

2^nd Sikh Inf (PFF)                     20 figs

3^rd Sikh Inf (PFF)                      20 figs

5^th Gurkhas                             20 figs

                                    Total:   81 figs (incl. Mtd. Gnl.)

3^rd Inf. Brigade

(General MacGregor)

60^th Rifles, 2^nd Battalion        20 figs

15^th (Ludhiana) Sikhs             20 figs

25^th Punjab Native Inf.           20 figs

4^th Gurkhas                             20 figs

                                    Total:   81 figs (incl. Mtd. Gnl.)

CAVALRY BRIGADE

(General Gough)

9^th Queen’s Royal Lancers     12 figs (lance)

3^rd Bengal Cavalry                   12 figs (lance)

3^rd Punjab Cavalry                   12 figs (sword)

Central India Horse                  12 figs (lance)

                                    Total:   49 figs (incl. Mtd. Gnl)

ARTILLERY DIVISION

(Colonel Alured Clarke Johnson)

6/8 Royal Artillery                   2 screw guns + 8 crew

11/9 Royal Artillery                 2 screw guns + 8 crew

No. 2 (Dejarat) Mt. Battery    2 screw guns + 8 crew

5-11 RA (Bombay Division)    1x40-pdr gun + 5 crew

                                                                               29 figs

+ 1 Mtd. C-in-C Gnl. Roberts

GRAND TOTAL:           322 officers & men (x30 = 9,660 men)

BOMBAY DIVISION TROOPS

(Brigadier Burrows)

INFANTRY

66^th Regiment (Berkshire)      10 figs

2^nd Baluchis                             20 figs

CAVALRY

3^rd Bombay Cavalry                 12 figs

ARTILLERY

E-B RHA                                   4 crew/1 x 9-pdr

                                                +1 Mtd. Ldr. (General Burrows)

                                    Total:   47 figs (x30 = 1,410 men)

NOTE: Except for the 40-pounder gun, all Bombay Division forces will be held in reserve throughout the battle unless or until the British C-in-C determines they must be deployed in order to secure victory.  Depending on the results, calling on these units may detract from your victory.

BRITISH C-IN-C should prepare plan of battle.  He is encouraged to confer with his sub-commanders.

The British C-in-C must ASSIGN his ARTILLERY BATTERIES to Inf. Brigades at his discretion.  If he wishes he may ask to reorganize the Infantry Brigades, creating a fourth Infantry Brigade, and/or attaching cavalry units to particular Infantry Brigades.

ANNOTATED TABLETOP MAP…

PHOTO MAP...

BRITISH DEPLOYMENT:

Initial deployments noted on map below...

IN THE SOUTH/LEFT:

3rd Brigade (60th Rifles, 4th Gurkhas, 25th Punjabs, 15th Sikhs) under Gnl. Macpherson on LEFT/SOUTH gets Central India Horse & 3rd Punjab Cavalry, plus Derajat Mt. Battery & RA Mt. Battery (total of 4 guns). MISSION: strong Cavalry component will cross river at Ford F-1 then head North to threaten Afghan rear & cut off retreat.

IN THE CENTER:

British C-in-C GNL Roberts will accompany Gnl Baker and 2nd Brigade (72nd Highlanders, 5th Gurkhas, 2nd Sikhs, 3rd Sikhs) to advance over BABA WALI PASS, with 3rd Bengal CLancers (Skinner's Horse), 1 x 40-pounder Heavy Field Gun & RA Mtn. battery w/2 Guns attached. MISSION: attack via Baba Wali Pass.

IN THE NORTH/RIGHT

1st Brigade (92nd Highlanders, 2nd Gurkhas, 24th Punjabs, 23rd Sikhs) under Gnl. MacGregor gets 9th Lancers and RA Mtn. Battery w/2 guns. MISSIONS: Cav, Guns, + half Inf. to cover right flank while other 2 Inf. Units advance over Marza Pass.