ITLSU - Tanga Day One 1914

Started by Martin1914, 23 April 2019, 08:02:26 PM

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Martin1914

Since Christmas I have mostly been......preparing for the Battle of Tanga. This Easter break we had a crack at this 'If the Lord Spares Us' scenario from the Too Fat Lardies 2007 Summer Special.

On 3rd November 1914, Indian Expeditionary Force 'B' is attempting to start its conquest of German East Africa by capturing the port town of Tanga on the Indian Ocean coast. Brigadier Tighe (Eton), despite not having all his covering force disembarked, has been ordered to take the town with the troops available, the 13th Rajputs (Havildar Heroes – SR2) and two companies of the 61st King George's Own Pioneers (Skittish Sepoys - SR3), who should be assembling an ordnance park, not going into battle. Both battalions had been issued a machine gun aboard their transports.

Attempting the defence of the town are the askaris of 17th Feldkompanie (Kaiser Bills – SR0) with a machine gun under Hauptmann Adler, desperate for reinforcements.

(Photo1) Tanga viewed from the NW from the ocean. On the left is the German Hospital (tiled roof), to the right the 'Boma' colonial offices (white building).
(Photo2) Tanga viewed from the NE and the roads leading from the Ras Kasone headland where IEF B landed. This would be the British direction of approach.

To be continued.
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Terry37

"My heart has joined the thousand for a friend stopped running today." Mr. Richard Adams

Martin1914

(Photo3) Tanga viewed from the W. The town's European quarter sits within the arc of the railway line, with the native quarter to the south.
(Photo4) The area of the Customs House and the railway cutting beyond. This would be the German defence line.

To be continued.
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Westmarcher

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.

pierre the shy

+1 Martin......looks very impressive indeed.

Must be time for Brigadier Bowler's 26th (Mixed) Brigade to have another tangle soon......   
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
we are not now that strength which in old days
moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.

fsn

I just googled "tanga".  :o

What I was trying to clarify  is ... is it Day 1 of the Battle of Tanga, or Day 1 of the refight of the Battle of Tanga?


Great layout, though.
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

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Martin1914

Fsn

The scenario is for the initial attempt (3rd Nov 14) to take Tanga, so yes day one of the battle. The actual game lasted about 6 hours.

Mart
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Martin1914

(Photo5) Adler created a defence line under three Blinds, one for his 17thFK with outlying patrols (dummy blinds).
(Photo6) 17thFK took the opportunity to deploy early in the railway cutting and reserved its dice awaiting the advance of the 'sepoy soldiers'.

To be continued.
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Martin1914

(Photo7) Expecting and eager for a fight, Tighe kept his advance off the roads. His men slogged through the 'bad going' of the plantations, forming a broad line from the hospital compound to the far dense bush, effectively challenging the Germans to take a pick at spotting.
(Photo8) Easily spotted were a dummy blind and the Pioneers checking the hospital. Even though alarmed at the enemy taking up firing position in the upper windows, 17thFK respected their own hospital's status and didn't open fire.

To be continued.
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paulr

 :-bd =D> :-bd =D> :-bd

Very impressive terrain, looking forward to seeing how this turns out
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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Martin1914

(Photo9) Tighe had anticipated the German defence in the railway cutting and wanted to conduct a flanking move. He was prepared to gamble with the enemy blind to his left front and ordered the Rajputs to attack the huts. After deploying their machine gun on the cemetery hillock, the German patrol was quickly dispersed, but this brought them under the arc of the German machine gun in the cutting which let rip. The 'soft cover' of the crops enable the Rajputs to get away with suppression on the lead company, but what came next startled them. An attack of killer bees, suppressing all of them! (Card activated, randomly located event. We took turns throwing a cotton ball over our shoulders onto the table!) The disturbance of battle would continue to create swarms of the bloody things!
(Photo10) The Rajputs were then ordered to attack the native quarter and spurred on by the bee stings, raced across the open ground. 17thFK were in danger of being outflanked, but the askari riflemen did manage to take out the Rajput's machine gun with some well aimed fire.

To be continued.
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Martin1914

(Photo11) However, all that time cramped-up aboard ship must have taken its toll on the Rajputs and their sprint came to a 'hesitant' stop. This allowed Adler time to re-deploy his machine gun to the end of the cutting with a perfect enfilade shot on the enemy lead company. They must have rushed their set up for they disappointingly inflicted only one kill and some suppression.
(Photo12) Even though the bees followed them (apparently, I can throw cotton wool better then dice!) some of the Rajputs returned fire on the machine gun. To Adler's relief, 16thFK (Loyal Askaris – SR1) under Leutnant von Brandis had conducted a forced march (four turns of the Blank Card) from Amboni and had arrived in the town.

To be continued.
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pierre the shy

I was about to say "look out for the bees nests" and hey presto they appear  ;)

Looks like a great game.

Got a couple of days off work so I am updating one of my 1914 ITLSU scenarios to play once Roy gets the table cloth back after Cheriton (and the current desert game on his table is concluded).


Though much is taken, much abides; and though
we are not now that strength which in old days
moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.

mmcv

That's quite the board set up!

Techno

That's a superb layout !!  :-bd
Top notch, that man !

Cheers - Phil.