Roman Civil War - The End in Africa

Though victorious in Spain, the situation remained in doubt in Africa as the fourth month of the campaign neared its end. Following their victory a fortnight earlier, the Caesarians, led by Gaius Curio, pursued the Pompeians as far as Utica. For Cato of Utica, replacing the slain Publius Varus, that was the end of the line. He did have his fleet of seagoing transports, but the warships to escort them were still maintaining a blockade at Thapsus. Although the strategic situation was not to his liking, his army was still a match for the Caesarian. He resolved to fight.

Selecting a good defensive position, he placed his right wing - XXII Legion, backed by I Auxilia - on  rising ground.  Cato himself stood with XXIV legion, directly supported by the velites in the centre. The cavalry he placed on the left, with auxiliary infantry to back them.

Pompeian Army:

Right Front: XXII Legion = 2SP
Right Rear: I Auxilia = 2SP
Centre Front: XXIV Legion = 2SP + Cato, commanding
Centre Rear: Velites = 2SP in direct support
Left Front: Equites heavy horse = 2SP
Left Rear: II Auxilia = 2SP

Totals: 6 units, 12SP
The light cavalry were otherwise employed.

View from behind Caesarian army

That the enemy was ready to fight suited Curio, eager as he was to bring the campaign to a successful finish. Although the armies were numerically equal, he did enjoy a slight qualitative superiority, having three regular legions to the Pompeians' two.

Caesarian Army:

Left Front (facing the rising ground): IV Legion = 2SP
Left Rear: II Auxilia =2SP

Centre Front: II Legion = 2SP
Centre Rear: Velites = 2SP (direct support)
Right Front: Equites = 2SP
Right Rear: I Legion =2SP

Totals: 6 units, 12SP.
I Auxilia were engaged in protecting the road south.

View from behind Pompeian Army. Both commanders
in the centre.

No sooner drawn up for battle, Curio ordered the attack. The first clash, as expected, was on the right between the rival cavalry units. The action inconclusive, the Caesarian horse were rebuffed, whereat the Pompeian horse essayed a charge of their own. That, too, led to nothing decisive on this flank.

Caesarians attack!

Before the IV Legion could begin storming the hill, down came the Pompeians to attack them in the plain.  IV Legion met them steadfastly, and drove them back up the hill with loss. 

XXII Legion charges off the hill...

Returning to the Caesarian right, the cavalry withdrew behind the I Legion, who began a successful push that would eventually drive in the whole Pompeian left wing. Throwing back the enemy horse with loss, the legionaries carried on into the supporting auxiliaries.

I Legion defeats the Pompeian cavalry...

The auxiliaries fared no better, also taking heavy losses as the rampant Caesarians drove them from the field.

... and follows up to smash the enemy auxiliaries as well.

On the other wing, the Pompeians were barely holding (fighting uphill, the IV Legion's die roll of 4 reduced to 3).

IV Legion repulsed the Pompeian attack, and drive the 
enemy legion back up the hill.

The decisive fighting continued on the Caesarian right wing. The Pompeian cavalry attempt to recover the lost ground ending in failure... 

Pompeian cavalry attack fails to restore fortunes
on The Pompeian left wing.

General view. The Caesarians victorious on the right.

... there remained but one last effort to turn the battle. Cato himself wheeled XXIV Legion to attack the Caesarian right. I Legion turned to face this attack. That last clash proving indecisive, the Pompeians were unable to restore their line. The army began to draw off in defeat.

Cato's last ditch attempt to restore the battle not 
quite enough...

Less decisive - and less bloody - than Caesar's victory in Spain, this success was the end of the Pompeian campaign in Africa. The respective losses were just 1 Caesarian SP to 4 Pompeian. Though the latter army remained in being, there could be no retreat. Their backs to the sea, they might have been evacuated by their transport fleet. To determine whether the army might yet escape to join Pompey Magnus in the eastern half of the empire, I rolled the initiative dice for the 5th month. 

I Legion hold, and inflict losses on Cato's XXIV 
Legion

It was bad luck for the Pompeians: the roll went 4-2 against them. The transport upped anchor, left Utica, and left the army in the lurch. Cato had no option but surrender. Spain won, Africa won, the Caesarian faction had won the whole of the Empire west of Italy.

* * *

It transpired that in Spain, Sextus Pompey was a hunted man. In the post campaign confusion, he escaped by boat, together with a small entourage, and fetched up in Sicily. There, he began a remarkable comeback and carved out for himself an independent State that for a time Rome faced too many distractions to do much about. It was to be some years before the Empire was able to direct its attention to the upstart start its midst... But that is a campaign for another day...