Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Fox and the Hounds - Battle of the River Salver.

Kitsune in the foreground sailing on a northerly bearing;
the hunting squadron, Basenji, Staghound and Greyhound on a
240-degree bearing crossing Kitsune's bows just beyond gunnery
range.

Right from the outset of the war, the Raesharn Imperial war leaders were fascinated to discover just how their super-large battleships would perform. The first of these laid down and completed, the Kitsune, had spent a few leisurely pre-war months on 'goodwill' tours, but with certain secret orders to be opened when certain events transpired or certain signals were received. So the Kitsune was at sea when war was declared. Ship captain  Hideo Sokituya duly opened the secret orders, but by this time could scarcely have been surprised at the orders given.  Commerce raider. Not an especially honourable mission, so the rather traditionally-minded ship captain thought, but as whatever he took, sank or burned was intended to strengthen the enemy sinews of war, such were legitimate targets. Meanwhile the Imperial Naval High Command waited with what patience they could muster for news of their wonder child battleship.

The fox was among the geese, a metaphor the more avidly seized upon by the Press when it was learned the Kitsune's first victim was the SS Clement Gosling. In several weeks the Kitsune pretty much cleared the Southern Ocean of commercial shipping. After a week's search following the capture and scuttling of SS Saabia Shell, Captain Sokituya thought it time to make for home. Pickings were becoming too thin to justify the commitment of a major naval unit far from the main theatres of war.

Meanwhile, the Kiivar and Saabian navies had begun to cooperate in forming hunter groups to track down the nuisance. A three vessel group, under Commodore Weatherby Jack, hovered about the western end of a major sea lane that terminated at the River Salver and the bustling city of Monteaudeo. It was fortunate for his squadron that he had, for Capt. Sokituya had it in mind to do some damage in those waters en passant during the voyage home. In the early morning the Kitsune lookouts spied smoke almost due north upon the horizon, with more to the westward. Imagining this was some busy merchant traffic, Sokituya ordered full speed ahead as the smoke gradually passed across his front, some 20 miles distant, on a 240-degree course.

Basenji and Staghound view the distant raider, still out of range.

But Kitsune had caught a Tartar - or someone had. Eventually discerning the enemy warships for what they were, Sokituya at once ordered battle stations, and eagerly hastened to face the enemy in real battle. The forces were:


Raesharn:

Battleship IRS Kitsune, Ship-Captain Hideo Sokituya:
  • Protection: 16 
  • Strike: 12 (9x18-inch guns)


Kiivar/Saabia:

Battleship KNS Basenji, Commodore Weatherby Jack
  • Protection: 11
  • Strike: 8 (8x15-inch guns)
Battlecruiser SNS Staghound, Captain Galesforth Mower
  • Protection: 8
  • Strike: 5 (9x11-inch guns)
Battlecruiser SNS Greyhound, Captain Rainsbury Mattock
  • Protection: 8
  • Strike 5 (9x11-inch guns)
The vessels were based on Yamato and Bismarck battleships, and Scharnhorst and Gneisenau battlecruisers.

The following were pretty much KEV's rules, with the following adaptations to my hex board. 
Maximum speed: 2 hexes.
One 60-degree turn allowed per move.
Short range: 1-2 hexes; 4,5,6 to hit.
Medium Range: 3-4 hexes; 5,6 to hit.
Long range: 5-6 hexes; 6 to hit.

In the following pictures, hits are designated by explosion or shell splash markers. Just for the 'look' of the thing.


Kitsune scored a couple of hits on Basenji earlier; return fire
does the more damage to Kitsune.
As the range closed, the Commodore ordered his group to split, Basenji to turn to the southerly bearing whilst the two battlecruisers would turn onto a 120-degree bearing to cross the enemy front. Kitsune's first salvo scored a couple of hits upon Basenji, but the return fire from all three hunter group vessels doubled the account. The battlecruisers had rapidly shortened the range, with damaging effects.  But that could cut two ways...
A devastating salvo almost puts Staghound under - almost,
but not quite.


Meanwhile, the battle cruisers
shorten the range.
Beginning to edge away onto a 60-degree course, Kitsune pumped a whole salvo into Staghound. The battlecruiser reeled under the barrage: seven hits in quick succession left her in almost a sinking condition.  

The seven hits on Staghound.  Splashes and explosions
both signify hits.

... and Basenji still scoring the occasional,
as well
But at this short range the comparatively puny battlecruiser return fire, especially from Greyhound, was in turn being felt by the raider. Closing the range with as much speed as she could wring from her engines, Basenji could fire only the forward battery, but was still scoring the occasional hit at long range.  
Accurate return fire from Greyhound...



Towards the close of the action, perhaps the 6 hits recently
taken knocked out some of Greyhound's guns...
Once more Kitsune edged away, onto a 120-degree bearing, but those battlecruisers were clinging on like terriers, even after a salvo scored six hits upon Greyhound. Both battlecruisers in desperate condition, Kitsune was in no better shape. Staghound's gunnery, hitherto unimpressive, landed four hits on the raider, which was now also in a near-sinking condition.  
... whilst Staghound's gun crews finally hit their straps.
But was the distant Basenji that delivered the coup de grace. At no time closer than medium range, and only her forward turrets in action, Basenji put one 15-inch shell aboard the raider. That was enough: holed and on fire in several places, Kitsune slid beneath the waves, last seen in the early morning sun, screws slowly rotating as she plunged to the bottom of the sea.
One hit from Basenji at medium range at last delivers the quietus
to Kitsune.
The following picture and battle map tell the story (substituting the names given in the narrative). Formidable as Kitsune (Yamato) was, taking on the hunting group trio had to be a losing proposition. Even taking on a Bismarck class with just one of the battlecruisers would have been chancy, to say the least. This turned out to be a very quick - maybe 20 minutes - and interesting play test of a promising concept....
How the action unfolded.  


Damage to the respective vessels.  Both battlecruisers were
barely afloat as the action ended.
In the absence of direct news, Raesharn High Naval Command had to wait upon their enemies' press agencies to discover what had happened to the vessel into which they had sunk so many hopes. The elation displayed in these accounts were inclined to depress their spirits more than somewhat, until a relatively junior officer pointed out that their tenor indicated a strong admixture of relief attending their celebrations. The 'Salver lining' they called it.  It was suggested, with a thick ladling of tact, that the expenditure of a major unit upon merchant vessels was scarcely a bargain.  The loss of Kitsune was not to be squared by the account of the mere 90,000 tons of shipping it had destroyed.

The super-battleship programme was allowed to continue, but... not for commercial raiding.

Mighty Armadas...

A selection of  Mighty Armada toys.
A recent posting on another's blog spot featured a very simple naval rules for 20th Century battleship action, together with some rather nice, simply constructed battleships.  Of course that put me in mind of some naval kit in my possession. Now, I posted something about these back in 2012, under the title: 'Mighty Armadas'.  These were Hong Kong made toys, battleships: Yamato, Bismarck and a third type, possibly American, I've never been able satisfactorily to identify; aircraft carriers (with jet aircraft), and submarines; several (large!) merchant vessels, one an ocean liner; and sea-port installations - wharfs, moles, cranes, storage facilities, and tugboats.  Just the sort of thing I would have loved to have had when I was about 9 or 10 years old!  Finding them in a bookshop in my mid to late 20s, I bought the lot - 4 or 5 sets.


Four Bismarck type vessels.  The nearest is softer plastic, and
clearly some kind of copy.  I added some needed superstructure
and the X-turret.
I had promised myself to do something with them, and indeed made a start, but it all fizzled out as I took up some other topic.  It was this posting in KEV's  MINIATURE HOBBY that recalled me to these toys.
The refurbished 'copy'.
Looking through the inventory reminded me of at least partial reasons for my not doing a whole lot with these toys. There size does indicate a fairly large surface area upon which to fight battles. And this without the aircraft carriers' involvement.  But several ships had bits missing.  Since that last posting, someone had given me a couple of vessels of the same type - what looked like inferior copies, with even more bits missing.  The above, similar to the Bismarck class of ships wanted one of its gun turrets and more convincing superstructure. These I built up from balsa, lollipop stick and cotton buds. Long since being rather taken by the Japanese penchant for 'pagoda style' bridge superstructures I tended to make mine a lot taller than their companion vessels'.


Yamato (nearer) and Mushashi.
When I got these, of course I recognised the Yamato class of ships at once. There being three of them, I thought it would be a neat idea to take the 6-inch gun turrets off one and whack them onto the flank midships of another, as the Mushashi, before the modification that removed them in favour of more anti-aircraft weaponry. It was a pretty stupid idea, really.  But the addition of the fourth vessel of the type demanded rather more remedial work.  So a whole new superstructure it got, and a new X-turret as well.  The added superstructure isn't based on anything: just an impression of 'battleship superstructurishness'. 'Impressionism' or 'expressionism' in war games modelling: take your pick!
This 'Yamato' was a cheaper version: softer plastic, and
simpler design, though clearly copied from the original.  I added
the superstructure, to give it a more 'battlewagonish' look.
For the Japanese type vessels, I'll probably keep the original names:
Yamato, Mushashi, Shinano (in this world never converted to an aircraft carrier) and the fourth, Kwazimodo.  The whole squadron is to be commanded by Admiral Hideki Mojo.
The Battleship Kwazimodo on a shakedown cruise...

Somewhat taken with 'Kev's' simple naval war games rules, I thought of using them 'as is' in battle with these fellows.  But then, looking at them and recalling their 'real life' prototypes - and as it is a habit of mine to tinker - a terrible tinkerer - I came up, after a whole deal of thought, with some 'chrome' that might be added.
I have not been able to place these.  I think they might be US
vessels, perhaps Washington class.  However, in their first engagement
they might 'stand in' for Scharnhorst and Gneisenau 
battlecruisers.

Kev's combat system goes:
Gunnery: 1 D6 per gun of the main armament.  Secondary armament is ignored.
Protection: It takes 10 hits to sink a vessel.
There you have it. Couldn't be simpler!



But what if you wanted to bring in differences in weight of gun, and armoured protection?  After a deal of thought, I came up with what follows.  In effect I used Kev's system as the benchmark for a 40,000 ton battleship armed with 15-inch guns, and used that as my point of departure.:

Gunnery: 
1 D6 per gun for 15-inch guns.  Add or subtract 10% for each inch difference from 15-inch, and round . 

So, the IJN Yamato 18.1-inch armament would be modified up by 30%: 9 guns, plus 2.7 = 12.
HMS Prince of Wales 14-inch armament would be modified down by 10%: 10 guns, minus 1 = 9.

Protection:
I thought of combining overall weight of the vessel and belt armour for protection, but then decided that as the armour protection would probably contribute greatly to weight anyhow, I'd ignore the belt armour figure.  So, the number of hits required to put a vessel down would be calculated by the number of thousands of tons weight, divided by 4 (thousand), and rounded.

E.g.:
Bismarck:  
  • 42,000 tons divided by 4000 = 10.5 rounds to 11.
  • Main Armament: 8 x 15-inch = 8.
IJN Yamato
  • 65,000 tons divided by 4000 = 16.25 rounds to 16 - a formidable vessel!
  • Main Armament: 9 x 18.1-inch = 9 + 30% of 9 = 12.

Looking more like the Yamato than my other Yamatos!
Battlecruiser Scharnhorst
  • Protection: 32,000 tons, divided by 4000 = 8
  • Main Armament: 9x11" guns: 9, minus 40% of 9 = 9 - 3.6 = 5.4 = 5 (rounded)
HMS Prince of Wales:
  • 38,000 tons, divided by 4000 = 9.5 round up to 10.
  • Main Armament: 10x14" guns: 10 minus 10% of 10 = 9.
HMS Hood
  • 41,000 tons, divided by 4000 = 10.25, rounds to 10.
  • Main Armament: 8 x 15" guns: 8
Panzerschiff Admiral Graf Spee (in case you're interested): 
  • Protection: 12,000/4000 = 3.
  • Main Armament: 6 - 40% of 6 = 3.6 = 4.
The modification for gun size is applied however many guns are firing, which will require a certain amount of ad hoc calculation - if one is applying specific 'damage' to firepower and speed. It's not hard, even as mental arithmetic, but some might find it tedious. As it happens, KEV's rules don't concern themselves with specific damage, nor with reductions in speed and/or firepower as damage accumulates.  Just as an exercise, and supposing we did knock out guns with damage, I worked out Graf Spee's D6 firepower as, one by one, its main armament is knocked out:
  • 6 guns: 4D6 (3.6)
  • 5 guns: 3D6 (3.0)
  • 4 guns: 2D6 (2.4)
  • 3 guns: 2D6 (1.8)
  • 2 guns: 1D6 (1.2)
  • 1 gun: 1D6. (0.6)
Of course, with protection at 3 only, one gun turret of 3 guns might be knocked out only after having taken 2 hits.   All this is by way of thinking about how one might set about building in such game mechanics.

After some thought, I decided that the gunnery ranges of anything from 11-inch on up were (roughly) on a par, and decided to leave that alone. 


A much prettier vessel from that received! The one further from the camera
is one of the 'original' Mighty Armadas vessels that
I decided was one of the Bismarck class. The nearer was
a very poor 'copy', with bits missing, including X-turret.
I suspect that if you want to get down to cruisers and destroyers you will probably be looking at a whole different system - a whole different game. More than any other nation, the British went mainly in for 'light' cruisers, for choice, armed with 6-inch guns.  The rate of fire of the 6-inch was quite significantly higher than the 8-inch and heavier calibres, and were on account of that probably at least as cost effective.  This is getting rather beyond the original concept of a very simple, quick-to-play squadron action.

Next time: The Fox and the Hounds - Battle of the River Salver.
                                                                                       




Monday, August 19, 2019

Terrain Generation...

I was very interested to read Bob Cordery's 'Terrain Generation' method, and wondered how adaptable it would be to my own 10x10 square grid.  The thought occurred to me that if I were to ignore the outer square of ... erm ... squares, the thing would work quite nicely.

So I gave it a crack - a stream and a road passing through undulating cultivated country.  Here is the result:


Terrain generation, using the method for an 8x8 square grid
ignoring the outermost squares on this 10x10 grid except
for roads and rivers, and - potentially - railways.

Well:  a bit sparse, but that can be remedied.  That green shape is not part of Bob's scheme, but it occurred to me that one might add things like orchards, ponds/meres, swamps and enclosed fields.  Requiring a 5 or 6 each for an orchard, pond or swamp, none appeared on this map.  Allowing a 4, 5 or 6 for an enclosed field area, and using the system of location placed it where the green dot appears on the grid.  Rolling a '5' for size yielded a 3-square area.  I arranged it arbitrarily as shown on the map.

Pretty open terrain, possibly somewhere in the steppes of the Ukraine or the Donbas areas, in the locality of a State Farm.

Of course, I'm not going to let this map go to waste.  I'll just have to think of a battle to fight on it!

Continuing from the Chronicles of Rajistan...

Overlooking 51st Division's position at Qusebah.
Continuing on from last time, the Rajistan Expeditionary Division (RED) has at last been confronted by a strong and determined enemy, entrenched to the eyes, the fortifications augmented by artillery and mitrailleuse machine guns. The main Sakhdad highway lying on the east bank of the Pardis River, that was the main avenue of advance, astride which, three of the four small Turkowaz infantry Divisions were dug in. 
General Scarlett's battle plan.
The two successive lines formed an angle, their righ flank resting upon the riverbank, the left flank sharply refused. The mitrailleuses of 45th and 51st Divisions were placed in the angles of the respective earthworks they occupied. Covering the otherwise open flank waited the Sipahi Brigade (14th), Nasr-Ed-Din's best formation. The weak 35th Division stood on the west bank against an unlikely approach from that direction, but also to protect the shore battery overlooking the reach that passed in front of the 38th Division lines. Unless otherwise engaged, the 35th were under instructions to hold themselves in readiness to cross the river by bridge of boats close by Qusabah township.
HMS Shoofly taking hits from the shore battery directly
behind the camera.
 A good deal of the battleground was covered with a light scrub (indicated by the light green patches on the map). This terrain offered neither protection nor concealment but did block line of sight. For that reason it was some assistance to General Scarlett's battle plan, offering as it did a covered approach to the enemy flank.   The few dark green patches indicate heavier brush, tall and dense enough, for example, to mask from the shore battery the approach of the gunboat Shoofly before reaching the westward bend in the river close by Bustan village.
The Dorsets returning behind Bustan after initial attack
easily repulsed by mitrailleuse fire 
Once the vessel emerged, however, she came under immediate gunfire from the shore battery, assisted for a short while (one turn) by 38th Division's artillery.  Someone must have trained the shore gunners well. Three salvoes were enough to cause considerable damage to the gunboat (loss of 2 of its 5 Strength Points), whereat Lt-Cdr Reding ordered full speed astern. Not yet within range of its own main armament, HMS Shoofly was not prepared to try conclusions against a well protected and well served shore battery. She dropped back to the cover of the thick scrub lining the riverbank. Its own gunnery had had meanwhile little discernible effect.
17th Brigade attacks.
Well before the brief riverine action and Shoofly's rather ignominious part in it, the infantry attacks had been going in. General Scarlett's battle plan had following his usual modus operandi: sending in a weak force (Column C) in a frontal demonstration, the main body (Column A)  to assault one wing, with two further columns fetching a near (Column B) and a farther (Column D) flanking sweep. The effect would be to place heavy pressure against the Turkowaz 'landward' flank.
Cavalry action on the north flank.
The Columns comprised the following (see army list previous posting):
Column A: 17th Brigade and 5th Hants Field Artillery;
Column B: 18th Brigade and 'X' Mountain Artillery Brigade;
Column C: 16th Brigade and 1st Rajistan Mountain Artillery;
Column D: 6th Cavalry Brigade.
Except 'C', each column carried a detachment of Gatling guns.
17th Bde Gatlings in action.
The early attacks were rather slow to get rolling, and took on to begin with a rather piecemeal appearance (low activation rolls, which, after all the artillery fire - counting the gunboat - left little room for other action. Passing through Bustan village, 2nd Dorset Infantry  at once felt the whiplash of mitrailleuse volley-fire. The regiment fell back through the village with rather more alacrity than it had advanced.  However, under cover of the Dorsets' attack and concentrated artillery fire upon the 'angle' position, 1st Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (the Ox and Bucks) closed in unscathed upon the entrenchment and swept over the  mitrailleuses.
1st Ox and Bucks overrun the 41st Division mitrailleuse position.

Surging through the line, they reached the 45th Division gun line, but, surrounded on three sides by enemies, were unable to make further progress. They were helped somewhat by 22nd Punchinjab infantry attacking and damaging the Turkowaz 177th Regiment. But nothing could prevent the 152nd Regiment of 38th Division assailing the Ox and Bucks' left whilst three Turkowaz artillery batteries pounded them from in front.

22nd Punchinjab Infantry, assaulting the 177th Regiment line,
still haven't breached the earthworks.

152nd Regiment counter-attacking
Help was coming from 16th Brigade, however. Although the Dorsets were inclined to await a less inopportune moment to advance,  the 114th Duke of Wellesley's Rifles were hurrying up behind the Ox and Bucks, ready to throw their weight wherever it might prove effective.  We'll leave this part of the narrative for the moment, with the repulse of 22nd Punchinjab Infantry, and the isolated  Ox and Bucks barely clinging to the section they have captured of the Turkowaz trench lines.

Ruberian lodgement within Turkowaz defences but
struggling to hold on.
As the attacks against 45th Division were gradually developing, a rather more brisk series of engagements began between the 6th 'Poona' Cavalry Brigade and the 14th Sipahis. The to and from action was to last all day, rampaging from the edge of the light scrub to the Sakhdad highway and back again, with heavy losses on both sides. Historians have been inclined to award the palm to the Turkowaz Horse, but the fact was that both sides were by the end of the day worn down to remnants. Still and all, the Rajistan cavalry were lucky to have survived at all.
Elements of 35th Division marching to the guns.
In the meantime, the urgent summons from Nasr-ed-Din has already reached 35th Division command. Leaving behind 137th Regiment to guard the shore battery, Duya-ed-Din Pasha set 138th and 139th on the march to Qusabah. It would be some hours (turns) before they could be expected to arrive.
General view

Rajistan forces gathering themselves for another blow.

Between the preceding and the following pictures, the overall situation can be seen to have changed slightly.  The Ox and Bucks still cling, under heavy counter-attack to the section of earthworks they have seized.  The supporting Sepoy Infantry might have swung to their left to take in the counter-attacking 139th Regiment, but with the repulse of 22nd Punchinjab, were to range up instead upon the right of Qx and Bucks to assail the battered 177th, on the right of 45th Division's line.  Had Abdul Jabbar Emir been less pressured he might have withdrawn that unit and inserted the 178th in its place.  But it was too late: The 114th DoW Rifles surged over the breastworks alongside their Ruberian comrades.   Meanwhile, in the distance, the RED cavalry had surged forward to menace the Turkowaz line of communication, the Sakhdad highway.
The RED cavalry got rather the better of the early clashes. Although the already under-strength Lancers took further losses, the sipahis were thrown back to the very highway itself. The RED cavalry looked set to drive on and sever the Turkowaz army's link to the vital provincial capital.
Ruberian cavalry threatening the Sakhdad hishway.

The Lancers' death ride.
Boldly (rashly?) handled, the Lancers achieved that very objective.  A crisis loomed for Turkowaz - Turnus at the ships! - but, outnumbered five to one (1 SP remaining against their opponents' 5), and their stronger companion units not quite up, the  Lancers were finally overwhelmed. The remainder of 6th Cavalry Brigade never did manage that final extra push.  This was probably not helped by the Brigade Commander, Lord Garnet, supervising the placing of his Gatling gun detachment overlooking the 51st Turkowaz Division lines, rather than leading his cavalry charges.  We're not yet done with the action in this part of the field!

The cavalry issue still in doubt, though the Lancers have disappeared.
By this time, the action on 45th Division's front had become general. Despite the re-emergence, greatly daring, of the Dorset Infantry from Bustan village to their aid, the Ox and Bucks Light were at last edged out of their foothold in the angle of the Turkowaz line. The presence of the Dorsets did, however, rather discourage the 152nd Regiment from reoccupying the line. The 114th still hung on to their section of the line, having routed 177th infantry and hit the 178th in its reserve position. The remaining two regiments of 45th Division, 179th and 180th were now under assault from the whole of 17th and 18th Brigades, supported by every artillery piece and Gatling gun that could be brought to bear.
General action all along the Rajistan front.
To ease the pressure upon the 45th, elements of the 51st were ordered to counter-attack. It was timely. The 180th Regiment, under attack by three Rajistan battalions, and its left flank enveloped, could scarcely survive for long, especially under the concentric fire of two artillery batteries and, potentially, two Gatling batteries as well. The mitrailleuses of 51st Division were proving insufficient support.
Gatlings in support of attack upon 180th Regiment's hill.
120th Rajinbul holding off counterattack by 204th Regiment.
Leaping over their earthworks came 203rd and 204th Regiments.  The 203rd struck 120th Rajinbul Infantry and sent them reeling into the light brush alongside the 6th Cavalry's Gatling position.  In following up, the 204th Infantry came involved in an ineffectual scrub skirmish that was to last for the rest of the day (That both 204th and 120th Rajinbul ended the day with as many SPs as they began it, was not due to any protection from the terrain.  There was none.  It was just the way the dice fell out).
Another general view of the action.  149th Regiment
(foreground, alongside the river)  has leapt out of their entrenchments 
to counter-attack - but come under
a storm of rifle, Gatling and artillery fire.


Turkowaz determination looked set to defeat the RED attacks when the counter-attack from the right flank also threw back the assailants. Emerging from their earthworks, 149th Regiment drove the Dorsets back towards Bustan. As a result, the 152nd felt emboldened enough to reoccupy the lost angle in the trench line. It now seemed all to do again.  Parts of 17th and 18th Brigades had also been repulsed, only two rather worn battalions still trying to force the earthworks, and the tiring Wellesley Rifles maintaining a tenuous salient in the middle of the enemy line.
152nd Regiment has recaptured the 'angle' but 17th Bde
retains a lodgement.
A 'Glass Half Full' man,  General Scarlett was inclined to see good reason for confidence, however. When the Gatling gun fire resumed after 120th Rajinbul dropped back, the 180th Regiment found it all too much and disintegrated, abandoning in rout the small hill it was defending. It then became something of a race who would re-occupy the unoccupied eminence (As I recall, it would depend who won the initiative roll the next turn).



At the same time, the cavalry action continued to swirl about in lively fashion along the Sakhdad highway. Thirty-third QVOLH even drove 40th Sipahi all the way back to the Pardis riverbank. Unfortunately, the 41st Sipahi served out 16th Dragoons in like fashion, and the Light Horse themselves had become badly depleted. As elements of 51st Division seemed at last to be taking an interest in the cavalry fight, the Rajistan cavalry, such as remained, fell back towards the scrub country to the east. There would be no further attempt to sever the Sakhdad highway. It soon transpired, however, that the Turkowaz horse were not prepared to let matters rest there.


33rd Cavalry losing its battle with 42nd Sipahi.
The dragoons, it turned out, were required by the Brigade Commander,  to lend a hand to 120th Rajinbul to drive off Turkowaz infantry that was closely engaging them.  Although the scrub was not very good going for cavalry, it was reasonable to suppose that their added weight should fling the enemy infantry back into their works. It was not to be. Even under combined attack, the isolated Turkowaz battalion (rated 'poor', mark you) kept their enemies at bay without difficulty.  Meanwhile, the flank guard presented by 33rd Cavalry did not last long.  Forty-first Sipahi scattered them with a final charge (The dice tell the story: the light horse rolled '4', no result; the Sipahi rolled a '6' - a hit. The light horse roll for effect - a '1'.  Having lost its last SP, the light horse disappeared over the skyline).
41st Sipahi continue the charge into the rear of 16th Dragoons.

Then the Sipahi followed up, straight into the rear of the dragoons struggling to drive back the Turkowaz infantry in the scrub. Scoring another hit (5 on the green die, below), the sipahis prevented the dragoons' breaking off.  Shortly afterwards, the latter forced their escape from the trap by turning to face the sipahis and driving them back (Lucky die-roll!). At about this time, the Turkowaz army had fairly well fought itself to a standstill. Accordingly, the sipahis fell back to to Sakhdad highway.  
The Dragoons struggle to break clear...
The line of 45th Division had in the interim been forced altogether from their earthworks, and the remaining regiments, badly depleted, were being chivvied back towards the 51st Division lines. The help from 38th Division had soon melted away. Caught in front of the trench lines, 149th Regiment came in for a terrible battering from gun fire, including that of the emboldened HMS Shoofly, and quickly fell back - what there was left of it - to their original position. Having reoccupied the position in which the 45th Division mitrailleuses had stood, 152nd Regiment also came in for heavy concentric attacks and Gatling gun fire.  Heroically, the Regiment died where it stood.
41st Division's line finally gives way completely.
It wasn't long before all that remained of the Turkowaz army east of the 51st Division trench lines was 204th Regiment, still engaged in its popping musketry duel in the scrub against 120th Rajinbul Infantry.
The Turkowaz counterattacks at an end, General Scarlett exhorted his own flagging army to one more effort. The result might easily have been foreseen. There was still enough fight in the Turkowaz to resent being hustled. With further losses, the Rajistan Expeditionary Division had had enough. The battle petered out with the fading of daylight.
Both sides had reached their exhaustion point, the Turkowaz just one turn before the Rajistan.  Driven out of their first line, the former consolidated about their second.  If anything, that second line would have proved an even stronger obstacle that the first.
General view at the end of the action.  Three 
quarters of the front trench line has been cleared
of its Turkowaz defenders.

There could be no doubt about it, though: their stout defence had cost 41st Division their very existence.  Only remnants remained of 178th and 179th Regiments at day's end; what was left of 177th and 180th Regiments were fugitives, by nightfall well on the way northward along the Sakhdad highway.  Nor did 38th Division come off lightly. 152nd Regiment's gallant counter-attack and final stand was to become legendary in Turkowaz military annals, whilst 149th had also taken heavy losses.

Finally, the Turkowaz were inclined to claim victory in the cavalry battle (not to say in the battle as a whole). True is was that they had fought their mounted opponents to a standstill, and came within an ace of surrounding and capturing their last Ruberian unit still in action. In fighting their way out, the Dragoons did much to redress the balance.  But it could not be said that they achieved their objective, however well within reach it had appeared at one point early in the day.
The outcome has to be seen as a Turkowaz strategic victory.  No longer could the RED Army sustain two such costly actions with the enemy still a powerful force in being, and not afraid of a fight, and still with untapped local military resources. Major-General Scarlett was destined, for some time to come, to remain a major-general. Not for him the accolades of taking the fabulous ancient city of Sakhdad. Not for him the glorious end to a hard campaign. Not for him the heady heights of Corps command and, perhaps, hope for a peerage. 

The following day, he disconsolately ordered the march back to Hak-al-Amara.

Possibly to be continued...