Little Great War: Kavkaz Campaign Epilogue

The Turcowaz in their trenches - and the Izumrud-Zeleniya 
buildup on the west bank of the Tekhuri River. The town is 
Gakhomela.

If the third Battle of Zugdidi might be said to have formed the closing chapter of the Kavkaz Campaign narrative (see 3rd Zugdidi), there was yet an epilogue. For some considerable time military operations underwent a pause. Victorious, the Izumrud-Zeleniyan Army was nevertheless badly in need of rest and replenishment. So, about the recaptured town they remained, with enough troops sent back down the road to the Tekhuri River front at Gakhomela to keep the Ameer's column in check.

For his part, Abdul Abulbul Ameer maintained his position on the east bank of the Tekhuri River in the hope and expectation that, reorganising his forces about Poti, or perhaps further south along the Karadeniz coast road, Duya Ed Din Pasha would soon again advance. The two could then between crush the infidel at Zugdidi.

It transpired that the moral shock meted out to Duya Ed Din's column had finished that pincer for good. Nothing more could be got from them, unless they might be persuaded to make a stand near Trebizond itself. The Ameer might have retired in turn, but, receiving no instructions, and his obdurate disposition disinclining him against any retrograde move, he chose to remain behind his entrenchments before Gakhomela. It said something for his ruthless fortitude that he not only kept his wild irregulars in hand, but managed to consolidate and reorganise his army for whatever might eventuate.

There he remained several weeks, well into August, withal, as an uneasy lull fell over the contested region. By then, however, he began to observe a considerable buildup of troops to his front, infantry and guns especially, on the far side of the river. Confident in his defensive arrangements, he and his column awaited what the Czar's forces might throw at him.

The Czar's forces heaped up around Gakhomela
on the west bank of the Tehkuri River

The Army of Izumrud-Zeleniya comprised:

Army HQ: General-Major N. P. Ignatiev = 6 Strength points (SP)
1st (Grenadier) Division - HQ + 1st through 4th Regiments = 2 + 4x4 = 18SP
2nd (Rifle) Division - HQ + 5th through 8th Regiments = 18SP
3rd (Rifle) Division - HQ + 9th through 12th Regiments = 18SP
2nd Light Cavalry Division - 5th through 8th Light Horse (Cossacks) 2+4x3 = 14SP
1st Field Artillery Regiment - I and II (Field) Battalions = 2x2 = 4SP
Naval Artillery Detachment -
     V (Naval) Artillery Battalion = 2SP
     VI (Naval) Machinegun Battalion (Nordenfelds) = 2SP
Transport columns were kept well to the rear, so their SPs are not included.

Totals:
20 units, activate DR=1: 8 units; DR=2: 9 units; DR=3,4: 10 units; DR=5: 11 units; DR=6: 12 units
SP = 82. Exhausted at -27SP ; rout at -41SP 
    

East of the river, the Army of Abdul Abulbul Ameer
dug in and ready for a fight

Turcowaz: 
Army Command, Staff and HQ: Abdul Abulbul Ameer (Average) 6SP

4th Division: HQ (2SP), 37th, 38th, 40th Regiment @ 4SP  = 14SP

5th Division: HQ (2SP), 41st, 43rd, 44th Regiment @ 4SP  = 14SP

6th Division: HQ (2SP), 46th, 47th, 48th Regiment @ 4SP = 14SP

X Machinegun Battalion = 2SP 

2nd Cavalry Brigade: 21st, 22nd, 23rd Cavalry @ 2SP = 6SP

V, VI/ 3rd Mountain Artillery @ 2SP (average) = 4SP
XIII Medium Artillery = 2SP

101st, 102nd Medium Transport Battalion held off table to the rear

113th, 114th Pack Transport Battalion held off table to the rear

Totals:
16 units, activate DR=1: 6 units; DR=2: 7 units; DR=3,4: 8 units; DR=5: 9 units; DR=6: 10 units
SP = 62: Exhausted at -21; Routed at -31.

The battlefield of the Tekhuri River

Looking over the battlefield SW towards Gakhomela

Dawn breaks, with the Czar's 3rd Division
ready to go 'over the top'.

Effective artillery preparation batters the first line 
the Turcowaz 4th Division. They lose several of their 
precious Gardner guns as well.

Dashing across no man's land, the lead units of 3rd Division,
9th and 12th Regiments, carry the first line of enemy trenches
 and drive the surviving defenders back upon their supports.

9th Regiment has taken heavy casualties in storming the 
Turcowaz trench line.

Under a dark cloud, 1st and 2nd Czarist Divisions
are barely half way across no man's land...

...but 3rd Division has set their sights
upon the Turcowaz second line.

Zeleniyan 2nd Division assaults the enemy in the woods 
and beside the overgrown mere, 7th Regiment seizes 
the abandoned works that housed the enemy machine guns.

Fierce fighting on 3rd Division's front.
Part of the Turcowaz second line has been abandoned. 
10th Regiment takes over from the exhausted 9th,
12th Infantry assaults the farmhouse position.

Irregular light horse counter-attacks 7th Regiment,
but elsewhere, 5th Division is holding its line.

1st Division, with support from 2nd Cavalry 
Division, assaults the 6th Division line

37th Infantry repels 12th Regiment's attack;
38th stalls 10th Regiment, though both equally depleted.
Meanwhile 11th Regiment is diverted to help the 7th. 

Defeating the counterattacks by elements of enemy 4th and 
5th Divisions, 3rd Division grinds on, its heavy 
equipment having been brought forward in support. 

Fierce fighting in the woods, both sides taking fearful losses.

The leading elements of 1st Division overrun the 
6th Division trench line, the guns first and then rolling up the 
infantry. The remnants fall back into the woods behind the line. 
On the left flank, 47th Infantry looks isolated and alone!

General view of the battlefield. Turcowaz lines driven in on 
both flanks, but, however depleted, 5th Division is still holding ... just!

Farmyard carried, elements of 3rd Division
gather for a final assault on the Turcowaz third line.
Meanwhile 2nd Division has finally evicted the 
enemy 5th out of the woods.

At last, 6th Division abandons its last forward position,
beginning a retreat by the whole army.

Such was an undoubted victory for the army of Izumrud-Zeleniya: a successful, if costly, storm of the entire Turcowaz line. As the army streamed off to the south-east. Abdul Abulbul Ameer rounded upon his commander of artillery. Well he might, for that arm has performed abysmally all morning. Losses in dead and wounded were about even, but several hundred more of Turcowaz soldiers fetched up, for a goodish while, as prisoners of war.

For the next few years an uneasy 'peace' - more like a conflict in suspended animation - settled over the region. The Turcowaz army withdrew to the hills and mountains east of Trebizond and in the region of Kars. The Army of the Czar settled into the garrison duty of an Army in Occupation around Zugdidi and Kutaisi.

But all through the rest of the decade and well into the next, tensions rose as the Izumrud-Zeleniyan Navy obtained enough powerful units of its own to challenge Turcowaz naval supremacy over the Karadeniz - the Chyonoye Morye. At that, the Czar sought a secure passage through the Ionople Strait into the Mesogesean Sea - however such an arrangement might be arrived at. If a deal could not be negotiated, then one might have to be coerced. The wrangling grew the more heated as the years passed. 

Then, in 1884, matters came rapidly to a head...

To be continued...

The 'Goeben' Incident - Retests

You would have thought, wouldn't you, that a force whose combined Flotation Points at 36FP versus 48FP, and firepower not much in excess of the enemy, and in fact less at short range, would be on a hiding to nothing. Well, wouldn't you? I sure thought so, which was why I matched my battlecruiser and 'heavy' cruiser against four 'light' cruisers, and watched the lights get scrambled.

OK, then: next pass. The battlecruiser, representing Saabia this time, had a light cruiser - 12FP - by way of a consort. The game as before, was set up with the Ra'esharn's 4-vessel cruiser squadron in pursuit of the Saabian 'Middle Sea Division' of battlecruiser, let's call it SNS Charybdis and cruiser, SNS Cockatrice. The pursuers were just out of range of the battlecruiser's big guns, the chase heading due south.

The pursuit. The hex-grain, right to left is north-south.

Tiring of the pursuit, Rear-Admiral Karl Trummler ordered the two, in line astern, upon a West-Nor'west course, to close the range. Of course, Rear Admiral Trewford, nothing loth, eagerly entered the action. The single battle line comprised Trewford's flagship RNS Andronicus, and RNSS Bucephalus, Caractacus, and Demosthenes.

SNS Charbdis fires its first salvo at long range.

Bringing his squadron together in a single line of battle, Trewford set a course converging upon the enemy. His plan was to close the range. Now, I played this out twice. The first of these seems to have been inconclusive, and, as I took few pictures, I will omit its narrative. So what follows will be the second.


It might have been in the interests of the battlecruiser to keep the range long, but although immune at that range, it would take it a long time to inflict serious damage. Charybdis's long range gunfire scored two early hits, but Trummler needed to get closer to inflict sufficiently discouraging damage. All the same, it wouldn't do to permit the four enemy vessels to get into short range. Apart from the risk of torpedo attack, their combined firepower would exceed their own. Medium range seemed ideal.
 

The range closes, with Kiivar squadron within
medium range of the lead Ra'eshar ships. The two rear cruisers
are still not in range of their own main guns.

As the squadrons closed, Trewford found that only his two leading ships had the range. The twelve combined guns requiring sixes to hit, they score a par result: 2 hits. Cockatrice also scored a par with its six-gun salvo. The secondary batteries aboard Charybdis chimed in with two hits (out of 6) of their own. But he primary batteries, 9 guns requiring fives and sixes at medium range, were less impressive. Still and all, the lead Ra'esharn ship, Andronicus, had now taken 6 hits - not very far from its 'let's get outta here' point. The second ship, Bucephalus, had taken the hit from Cockatrice. Meanwhile both Saabian ships had taken a hit.

The range closes further. I've shown only the dice that 'hit'.

Reluctant to close the range too much, Trummler edged away slightly before bringing his squadron back onto the WNW course. Trewford doggedly maintained his own course. That only the lead ships were within short range of each other rather suited Trummler. At this range Charybdis would take more damage, but should hand out more in turn.

So it proved, receiving two hits, Charybdis threw five aboard the Andronicus (9 guns, 4to 6 to hit). I rather think I omitted a pic of an earlier exchange of salvoes, as the five hits were enough to put Andronicus under - along with Admiral Trewford.  Cockatrice and the Bucephalus also exchanged blows. Although the third and fourth cruisers were in range at least of their forward main guns (four apiece) neither managed to score any hits at all.

RNS Andronicus turns turtle and goes down.

The sinking of the lead cruiser rather threw the whole squadron into a turmoil, having to avoid the wreck. Although the range was precisely as Trewford desired, just two hits registered upon Charybdis. The battlecruiser handed out five upon the already battered second cruiser, whilst Cockatrice shoved three aboard the third. 

The Ra'esharn ships have fallen into a tangle on account of 
the sinking of Andronicus. I daresay we should look at how long 
the wreck remains on the surface filling with water.

Torpedoes, then. At this range, the probabilities weren't too good, 1 die only, requiring a six. None of the three launched scored hits.

'Torpedoes away!' No hits.

The damage to Bucephalus forced that ship out of the line, leaving just Caractacus and Demosthenes in the fight to cover its withdrawal. It was all very one sided. Although the cumulative damage was eventually sufficient to force Cockatrice out of the battle, Charybdis battered the two remaining, crippling one and sinking the other. 

A badly wounded Ra'esharn cruiser exits the action.

Two enemies sunk, and two in sore need of a major repair, the Charybdis resumed its former course towards the Omez Narrows, escorting its wounded consort, Cockatrice.

The Ra'esharn squadron is routed. But Cockatrice
has been badly mauled.

Well, that was fairly interesting, but Trummler's little squadron had a huge measure of luck. Charybdis took a fair amount of damage enough, had it been given 18 Flotation Points instead of the 21 I assigned it probably would also have been badly injured.

It was around this point, checking up the rule set upon another matter, I realised that I had given the battlecruiser 21FP. Nothing wrong with that, but the standard (according to the rule set I wrote, after all) is 18FP.

Of course, I had to give that a try.  Here are some of the pictures...

Final action. Some phenomenally fine shooting 
by at least three of these ships...

The action already well under way with broadsides delivered at long and medium ranges. Once again the heads of the columns have converged, this time with the Chrarybdis slightly ahead of Andronicus. I've shown all the dice rolled here, including Andronicus's torpedo. In effect the Saabians have practically 'crossed the Ra'esharn 'T'. Charybdis's ten hits well and truly sank Andronicus, and the damage Cockatrice inflicted upon Bucephalus - four hits - is not slight, either. But Ra'esharn has dropped seven hits on the Saabian ships - especially Cockatrice, which has taken at least four itself.

Ra'esharn salvoes: 8 hits.
Four on each of the |Saabian ships

A subsequent exchange of blows, this time pictured separately. The Saabian ships take four hits apiece. That's enough to drive Cockatrice out of the battle, and the situation aboard Charybdis is looking grim as well. Unfortunately blurry, the subsequent picture marks the end of Bucephalus's role in the action, and the other two cruisers take further damage.

Saabia replies. Eight hits on Bucephalus alone 
would drive it out of the action.

Here the action was broken off. On the Ra'esharn side, one cruiser was sunk and another seriously damaged and barely afloat. The other two ships were knocked about but still 'fightable'. On the Saabian side, Cockatrice was also in a near sinking condition, and Charybdis itself was happy to break off the action. Although still fightable, another hit would have been enough to force its retreat.

Close of action. 

I don't know about you, but I found this very interesting, in view of the comments and conversations that followed on upon the previous posting on this topic.

I really did think that the battlecruiser, even paired with a heavy cruiser - as defined under my rule set - would have very slender chances of survival against 4 cruisers. We're not talking 'real world' here, by the way, but it would be nice if this rule set does at least in some measure reflect what might have been observed in real events. 

Here's the math. To begin with, I will be coining an expression 'dice equivalents', that is to say 1 'dice equivalent' equals one die rolled requiring a six. If a die is rolled requiring a five or six, that is the same as two dice requiring a six (i.e. 2 dice equivalents); and a die rolled requiring four, five or six, counts as three 'dice equivalents'. I want to compare the total Flotation Points and firepower measured in 'dice equivalents' of the forces used in these exercises.

- Ra'esharn Squadron: 4 cruisers

Total FP = 4x12FP = 48FP
Firepower:

• long (7-9hexes) - 0DE; 
• medium (4-6hexes) - 4x6 = 24DE; 
• short (1-3hexes) - 4x12+4x6 = 72DE

- Kiivar Squadron:  B/cruiser @ 21FP, H/cruiser @ 15FP 
Total FP = (21+15)FP = 36FP
Firepower: 

• long - 9DE; 
• medium - 18 + 6 + 9 = 33DE
• short - 27 + 12 + 18 + 6 = 63DE

- Saabia Squadron (a): B/cruiser @21FP, Cruiser @12FP

Total FP = 21+12 = 33FP

Firepower:

• long - 9DE
• medium - 18 + 6 + 6 = 30DE
• short - 27 + 12 + 12 + 6 = 57DE

- Saabia Squadron (b): B/cruiser @ 18FP, Cruiser @ 12FP
Total FP = 18+12 = 30FP

Firepower:

• long - 9DE
• medium - 18 + 6 + 6 = 30DE
• short - 27 + 12 + 12 + 6 = 57DE
  

On the whole, under this rule set one might imagine that, if the four cruisers survive reasonably undamaged running the gauntlet of the battlecruiser's heavy guns until they get to 3 or less hex range, they would stand a pretty good chance of winning the action. In one of these scenarios, I had the cruisers in line abreast rapidly closing the range, but they took a bit of stick doing so, and could fire of only their forward armament until they could adopt a course parallel to the battlecruiser. At the same time, it isn't always a simple matter to bring the whole firepower of the four ships into action - especially at long and short ranges, oddly enough.

It seems to me that this scenario - even with a rule set as simple and basic as that I've adopted here - presents an interesting challenge for both sides. The balance, apparently skewed by the 'math' in favour of the cruisers might not be quite as imbalanced as the numbers might suggest. Note, by the way, that all the ships had equal speed - 3 hexes the turn. A disparity in speed would probably be decisive in favour of the faster ships.

The 'Goeben' Incident - a 'Jono's World' Scenario

 A short while ago - a week or two, maybe - the subject came up in someone's blog, or comments therein, of an incident early in World War One involving a German battlecruiser, SMS Goeben, accompanied by a light cruiser SMS Breslau, encountering a British force of four armoured cruisers. The German ships had been sent to the Mediterranean, destined to enter the service of the Ottoman Empire.

Without going into the adventures of this miniscule, 2-vessel, German Mediterranean Battle 'Division' against the French Navy and the British Mediterranean Fleet, there was a point at which Rear-Admiral Troubridge's armoured cruiser squadron, HMSS Black Prince, Defence, Duke of Edinburgh and Warrior, might have brought the two German ships into action. Following orders that were never quite up to date with real events, Troubridge let pass the opportunity. 

This, of course, has become one of those fascinating 'what if?' scenarios. What might have been the result of the four armoured cruisers taking on a battlecruiser accompanied by a light? Was Troubridge correct in his assessment that the German ship constituted a 'superior force', and therefore, following orders, to avoid an engagement?

One of the reasons for my particular interest being piqued, was that, some 40 years ago, this scenario was the basis of one of several scenarios used for a competition in a Wellington war games club (not the Warlords, the other one at the time). After several rounds, SMS Moltke (standing in for its sister ship Goeben) and Breslau had been universally victorious. So then I drew the Germans for my battle.

It was the type of 'rotten show' that described the Coronel disaster for the Royal Navy. I simply could not buy a straddle, let alone a hit. Under the rule set, the main guns were operated under a central control system, which gave better odds of a straddle, and therefore of hits, and consequently damage, upon the enemy. I was getting nothing (except accumulated damage to my own ships) - a whole string of sh.. cr.. horrible dice rolls. In sheer desperation, I split my 2-ship force, and shut down the central control to give the guns independent fire. At least I improved the odds of scoring a hit, even though reducing the odds of scoring multiple hits, and hence less damage. 

If memory serves, I didn't actually lose the battle, but I didn't win it either, which was, in view of the other results, tantamount to an ignominious drubbing. I seem to recall amused murmurs of 'Courts Marshal' being uttered...

At any rate, the recent blog comments sparked my interest in trying the thing out. Now, my Chubby Marine just doesn't have the mix of ships to make the thing a goer. But my Mini-Chubbies might be adapted. My entire inventory includes just one 'armoured cruiser', and a formidable unit it is, but it seemed to me that 4 standard cruisers would suitably make up the 'British' force. What would the battlecruiser's consort be?

For much of this exercise, I assumed (forgetting my own rule set) that the Battlecruiser stood at 21 Flotation Points (FP). It should have been 18FP (we'll come to that!). It carried 9 heavy guns (primary weapons), and 6 mediums (secondary). All five cruisers carried 6 mediums and 6 lights, and stood at 12FP apiece. Now, look at the 'math', per broadside:
B/C Squadron: 33FP total, 9 heavy guns, 12 mediums and 6 lights.
A/C Squadron: 48FP total, 24 medium guns and 24 lights 
All vessels carried torpedoes. 
Although the 9 heavy guns outranged the enemy, and were more effective than the rest at all ranges, I did wonder whether under my rule set, that would outweigh the disparities in protection and numbers of guns.

The range closes to medium for the battlecruiser's 
main guns. On the Cruisers' side, Rear-Admiral Trewford's
flagship has already taken two long range hits (the green die).
The Cruisers' gunnery is woeful!!

So, for the first 'passage of arms'  the armoured cruiser joined the battlecruiser. This really did beef up the B/C Squadron: 36FP, 9 heavy guns, 15 mediums and 6 lights. But, would it be enough?

As Trewford's ship staggers badly wounded out of the battle.
the rest of his squadron bravely (rashly) closes the range
in the hope that the increased firepower will redress the balance.

It was. In spades. The cruiser squadron was quickly and easily crushed.

Terrific exchange of gunfire at short range. But
the damage so far accumulated (12FP vs 3FP) places
the cruiser squadron at a disadvantage.

A terrible mauling on both sides. Another cruiser 
exits the battle critically injured, and then a third is sunk
under a decisive salvo. But the battlecruiser
has taken a lot of damage itself.

The surviving cruisers turn to flee, but the pursuing 
battlecruiser sends another to the bottom. Not without
receiving bites in return. With 18FP damage (out of 21), 
KNS Pteranodon abandons the pursuit.

Well, that was interesting. Clearly the balance was wrong, whatever the 'math' had to say to the matter.

So I redid the scenario. The Saabian Navy took over from the Kiivar, whilst the Ra'esharn continued its role as the 4-cruiser squadron. The battlecruiser's consort was to be a standard 6-gun cruiser instead of the 9-gun heavy. 

I'll leave the other AARs until next time. I will also add a little 'math', for whoever might find that sort of thing as interesting as I do.

To be concluded...

Little Great War: Aeryth Chromatica

Just for orientation purposes, here is an overall map of that part of the world of Aeryth Chromatica where lie the main combatants of the coming Little Great War. 

Aeryth Chromatica - the warring nations

Sangria is, of course, the diamond in the sceptre of the Ruberia global empire. The Zubian region has had troubles, and therefore a historiography of its own, e,g. that of Robert G. Cordery, printed as recently as 2019.

Turcowaz has certainly been in the wars in recent times, beating off a powerful challenge from the Blacklands League, halting a Ruberian punitive expedition just short of Sakhdad, and facing a hostile Czarist army in Abasgia.

In the face of escalating challenges from all round, the Sultan of Turcowaz appealed to the Republic of Azuria for assistance. Today it is generally believed that the Sultan - or at least his chief advisor and confidant, Wazir Yezdi - was seeking a negotiated settlement of outstanding issues, with Azuria as the disinterested mediator.  But the Republic had its own scores to settle, especially with Ruberia. Azuria was not behindhand in stepping into the ring. 

As it happened, Ruberia was the readier for war, and very swiftly put into motion a plan long wished for, plotted and the wherewithal gathered. For so long, withal, had the seaborne invasion been in the Ruberian mind, that the Troisieme Bureau of Azuria had had for years almost every detail gathered by its agents, read carefully, studied, analysed, criticised, damyerised, and finally filed away clearly labelled. So, when the invasion fleet appeared suddenly one June morning off the coast of Norromandy, it came as a complete surprise...

Little Great War: TO&E Izumrud-Zeleniya

North of the Karadeniz lies the vast realm of Izumrud-Zeleniya, ruled over by the Czar, Constantine LXXVII of the long-lived Romanovitchski Dynasty. Ever since that empire had reached the northern shore of the Karadeniz and the Tavrida Peninsula, the Czars have cast eyes upon the southern Turcowaz coasts and the straits through which Karadenis shipping might reach eventually the more open waters of the Mesogesean Sea.

Izumrud-Zeleniya Army - less its transport columns

In recent times, a provincial army has clashed with Turcowaz forces in the much smaller kingdom of Abasgia, a campaign in which both sides were less interested in annexing the sub-Kavkaz region than in preventing their adversaries from doing so. After a string of defeats, Izumrud-Zeleniya scored a stunning victory at Zugdidi, which effectively smashed one of the pincers by which Turcowaz high command hoped to entrap their enemy. The sinking of a light cruiser by Izumrud torpedo boats off the coast from Poti was also a shock to Turcowaz morale.

Something of a pause fell over events in the sub-Kavkaz, whilst both sides rebuilt their forces. Unfortunately for Turcowaz, news arrived of a Ruberian expedition landing far off to the south in the Gulf of Parthia, near the mouth of the Pardis River. At once, Turcowaz had to detach much of the forces from the Kavkaz to send south to Sakhdad to meet the Ruberian invasion.

So much for the narrative, which will resume later on. The Izunrud-Zeleniyan army had been reinforced and placed under the command of Marshal-General Prince Yevgeny Yevgenitch Znosko-Borovski.

Army of Izumrud-Zeleniya

Command: Marshal-General = 6SP

• 1st (Grenadier) Division: Command @2SP; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Grenadiers @4SP = 18SP
• 2nd Division: Cmd, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th Infantry = 18SP
• 3rd Division: Cmd, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th Infantry = 18SP
• 4th Division: Cmd, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd Infantry = 18SP
• 1st Cavalry Division: Cmd @2SP; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Hussars @3SP = 14SP
• 2nd Cossack Division: Cmd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Cossack @3SP = 14SP
• Marine Machinegun Battalion = 3SP
• Artillery Division: 101st, 102nd, 103rd, 104th Field Artillery @ 2SP = 8SP
• Medium Artillery Regiment: 115th Medium Artillery = 2SP
• 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Transport Columns @2SP = 8SP

34 Units, 127 Strength Points.

Army of Izumrud-Zeleniya (GREEN):
1st, 2nd Infantry, 1st Cavalry, some artillery and Krupp guns Strelets-R,
3rd, 4th Divisions ESCI, Light arty and Gardner guns HaT, Cossacks also HaT,
Command possibly ESCI or Italieri. Medium 
artillery home made on an Airfix carriage.

It is possible that Corps commanders might be appointed to command all-arms columns detached from this army. They will have 4 Strength Points. There will be a security formation that will garrison important points, such as Zugdidi at the outset of the renewed war. 

Little Great War: TO&E Turcowaz

 Allied to the Republic of Azuria is the Settee Empire, the Supreme Door, generally known as Turcowaz. The Empire lies at the pivot point in the divide between Europeia and Asiatica, between the hyperborean north and Aithiopian south. The head of this Imperium is the Sultan, his capital in the great city of Ionople.

Turcowaz 1st Army

So situated, Turcowaz has, ever since it reached the apogee of its territorial reach and power, been subject to assault upon its borders, culminating in the secession of the Blacklands States late in the 19th Century, and the subsequent Blacklands War (see here for the account of that conflict). In recent times, Turcowaz had found itself battling incursions by a Ruberian expeditionary force in the Medifluvian region in the southeast, and an attack by Izumrud-Zeleniya in the north along the eastern littoral of the Karadeniz (the Kavkaz Campaign) - See 'Labels' to the right of this column.

Although just managing to keep its manifold foes at bay, a shattering defeat at Zugdidi in the Kavkaz Campaign led the Sultan to seek a powerful ally, at least to draw off at least some of the pressure upon its borders, or at least to help its resistance.

In view of the chaos that was developing in the Blacklands, Turcowaz undertook a rebuilding of its Asyali Forces, distinct from the Batili, west of Ionople. The former comprised two Armies - neither much exceeding in size a Western Army Corps:

1st Army: Duya Ed Din Pasha (6SP) 

• 1st Division: Command @2SP, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Infantry @4SP = 14SP
• 2nd Division: 4th, 5th, 6th Infantry =14SP
• 3rd Division: 7th, 8th, 9th Infantry =14SP
• 1st Cavalry Division: Command @2SP, 1st, 2nd, 4th Cavalry @3SP = 11SP
• 1st Machinegun Battalion (Nordenfelds) = 3SP
• 101st, 102nd Artillery Regiments @2SP = 4SP
• 113rd Medium Regiment = 2SP
• 211th, 212th, 213th Transport columns @2SP = 6SP

Totals: 19 units, 76 Strength Points

Turcowaz 1st Army

2nd Army: Ameer Bagatel Pasha (6SP)

• 14th Division: 40th, 41st, 42nd (Bashi-Bazouk) = 14SP
• 15th Division: 43rd, 44th, 45th (Bashi-Bazouk) = 14SP
• 16th Division: 46th, 47th, 48th (Bashi-Bazouk) = 14SP
• 17th Division: 49th, 50th, 51st (Bashi-Bazouk) = 14SP 
• 2nd Cavalry Division: 3rd (Regular), 21st, 22nd (Bashi-Bazouk) cavalry = 11SP
• 2nd Machinegun Battalion = 3SP
• 104th, 105th Field Artillery Regiments = 4SP
• 116th Medium Artillery = 2SP
• 224th, 225th, 226th Transport Columns = 6SP

Totals: 22 units, 88SPs

Turcowaz 2nd Army

Overall: 41units, 164SPs

Imperial Reserve: 10th, 11th, 52nd, 53rd Infantry @4SP = 16SP 
These are not part of the main armies but may be called in as garrisons or local reinforcements.

The figures for these armies are mainly Strelets-R, with HaT machine guns and artillery where not home made, and Zvezda irregular cavalry. A few of the artillerymen are modified Airfix French Foreign Legion. Commanders are actually Napoleonic from probably Prussian, and probably Revell. The 'Reserve' units are metal - possibly Minifigs or Hinton Hunt.

Turcowaz 2nd Army

Being what they are, the Bashi-Bazouks are irregular types whose discipline, were there any question about it, would be called 'questionable'. They are all classed as 'poor'. However, since the Kavkaz campaign, where, withal, they gave a good account of themselves overall, they have now been equipped with more modern rifles.