ITLSU - Attack on Camp El Juba, 1914

[Martin1914]

Time for another New Year's get together for a game of 'If the Lord Spares Us', with 10mm Pendrakens. I opted for an adaptation of the fictional scenario "The Attack on Camp El Juba" from the TooFatLardies 2009 Summer Special.

Set in WW1 Mesopotamia in December 1914, the British have secured the port-city of Basra and Turkish forces appeared to have retreated up the Shatt al Arab to Qurna. However, patrols located a Turkish tented camp at the now, long lost and forgotten village of El Juba, halfway between Basra and Qurna. British Command decided that it could not remain as an obstacle to the planned advance upriver, nor be a staging post for an enemy attack on Basra.

(Photo1: Table looking east) Brigadier-General Wolseley (Eton) is ordered to attack and disperse all enemy troops at El Juba. Having developed a blatant contempt for the Turks so far encountered in the campaign, he believes, a fast, bold strike with the bayonet, just after dawn, will be sufficient. He opts to leave his units' machine guns behind, thinking them unnecessary for such a mopping up operation! He commands 1st Queen's Own Royal West Kents (Jolly Good Fellows – SR0) and 8th Rajputs (Havildar Heroes – SR2).

(Photo2: Table looking north & Photo3) Lieutenant Colonel Hamid Bey (Old Turk), commander at El Juba, should have been in a rear area assembling and training his battalion of Arab Militia (Pasha Pashers – SR3), but with the retreat of the regular forces upriver, he now finds himself the rearguard! With permission to withdraw refused, honour demands that he stays put and fight. In anticipation of an attack and not expecting too much of his men, he opts for a static box defence of the village and camp and had his men digging trenches. At least, in his haste to reach Qurna, the Basra Commander had left machine guns and a squadron of the 31st Cavalry (all Pasha Bashers – SR3) under Hamid Bey's orders. During the night, a cavalry patrol reports the approach of a thousand enemy infantry along the river road from Basra. Therefore, two companies and an MG man the trenches on the southern outskirts of the village, covering the river road. Incorporating the rocky outcrops of the hill above the village into the defensive perimeter, a third company, MG and Hamid Bey's headquarters are placed there. Providing a forward tripwire in the early dawn light, a patrol (dummy blind) is sited in the high crops to the south, and the cavalry squadron sits atop the mosque hillock with orders to avoid being overwhelmed and retire to the long ridge, protecting the open eastern flank. Hamid Bey readies his infantry on Hold orders and waits.

(Photo4) The engagement begins with Wolseley establishing his Brigade HQ and signals detachment on the river road from where, after they have shaken out from their column of march, he sends his troops forward astride the road and echeloned back on his left closer to the Shatt al Arab. Very quickly the forward troops spot the Turkish cavalry squadron, dismounted on the mosque hillock and the patrol in the line of high crops which disperses. Hamid Bey uses his earliest opportunity to deploy his own HQ on village hill.

(Photo5) The Turkish cavalry identify an enemy patrol to their immediate front, but fearing being caught by a larger force, they return to their horse line on the reverse slope, mount up and head back to the long ridge as ordered.

[Martin1914]

(Photo6) Pushing his signals ahead along the road, Wolseley watches his troops advance, confident that his decision to avoid the open desert and use the soft cover, but bad going of the crop fields is the right one. But then an enemy trench with an infantry company and a MG is spotted in front of El Juba.

(Photo7) For the moment everything is going to plan, so Wolseley moves his headquarters along the road, not wanting to lose effective control of his units. Too great a distance between them, he will need to use his signals to relay orders. Catching them up, he puts a rocket up the NCO's arse. Yet the signallers, like the infantry, are feeling the same fatigue from the forced march during the night, and in the increasing heat of the day the pace of the advance slows as the men drain their water bottles and chaggles.

(Photo8) The opposing forces automatically spot each other as they close south of the village. Wolseley may be confident in his scheme of manoeuvre to easily brush aside any resistance, but with two entrenched positions in front of him, the commanding officer of the Rajputs, with orders to attack, realises he has led his battalion into a close-range killing area. In addition, his men prevent any chance of fire support from the West Kents behind them. Only the right-hand company of their firing line established in the strip of high crops can engage the enemy beyond the Rajputs.

(Photo9) Northeast of the village hill the Turkish cavalry are about to complete their move to the long ridge. As soon as they dismount and start climbing the reverse slope to the crest, they receive a new order from Hamid Bey forcing their return to the horses and remount. No longer seeing any enemy move to threaten his open desert flank, he wants them to retire to and hold the rearmost trench north of the village as a reserve.

(Photo10) The relative quiet of the morning shatters as the defenders open fire on the Rajputs. They may be Arab militia men, but they and the regular MG can hardly miss. The stunned sepoys are barely able to return fire as the casualties and suppression mount. A third militia company and another regular MG deploys on village hill and adds to the carnage, the rifle fire hitting the end of the West Kents' line.

[Martin1914]

(Photo11) Wolseley can only hear the gunfire, screams and shouts and is unable to see or control what is occurring beyond the high crops. The defenders keep pouring in their fire (three successive turns of activation) and are on the verge of breaking the Indian troops. It takes all the battalion officers' leadership to remove suppression and keep all but one of their companies from moving backwards. Then the rear left company, by chance unscathed by the enemy fire, charges through to the assault. Supported by the MG and in the hard cover of a trench, the militia show an unexpected willingness to fight, despite the intimidating sepoy bayonets increasing their suppression.

(Photo12) In the ensuing close combat the professional sepoys edge a win and force the defenders to withdraw out into the open. Having broken into the Turkish defences solely due to the fighting tenacity of the Rajputs, Wolseley now realises he must exert influence over the battle on his hands and uses every chance to activate his units to maintain momentum. The West Kents rotate their damaged company with the one in reserve and with a clearer field of fire, due to the reorganisation of the Rajputs, effectively suppress the enemy position north of the road. The sepoys take revenge on their opponents in the open before they can start to move towards the village for cover.

(Photo13) The British start getting their act together. The controlled fire of the West Kents also suppresses the enemy on village hill at the limit of rifle range.

(Photo14) Occupying the village, the militia mistakenly believe it provides protection, but its mud brick walls are no defence to the weight of high velocity rounds the Rajputs fire at close range. The militia men and MG crew are soon wiped out.

(Photo15) From atop village hill, Hamid Bey, the Old Turk, can sense the tide of battle is turning. Frustratingly, he is unable to issue orders or remove suppression. The enemy are winning the firefight and force the company to withdraw from the forward left trench position. The MG with him on the hill is now the only unit capable of returning fire and containing any further enemy advance.

[Martin1914]

(Photo16) On the other hand, Wolesley's HQ is well established and has no problem issuing his orders. He launches the West Kents to attack village hill. A company quickly occupies the vacated trench line north of the road and fire at the enemy before them.

(Photo17) Reeling backwards, they at least uncover the line of fire for the Turkish cavalry now holding the rearmost trench. They open fire on the West Kents but have no effect.

(Photo18) With their British comrades surging forward on their right flank, El Juba and the camp appear temptingly empty for the Rajputs. Having taken their first trench objective, they remain on Hold orders and Wolesley is adamant that they complete their reorganisation before going forward again (That's very unlike Jace!). The British officers show A Stiff Upper Lip! to curb the men's enthusiasm and remove suppression to reform the battalion.

(Photo19) Events start proving too much for the militia and their remaining Turkish officers are unable to control them. They all start quitting their positions. Hamid Bey's only option is to remain with the regular MG crew as they try to assist the retreating militia and fire on the West Kents in the trench at the foot of the hill.

(Photo20) Wolseley now decides it's time to exert maximum pressure and orders the Rajputs to attack the last enemy trench line, clearing the village and camp on the way. Some companies are in better shape to respond than others, but the village is quickly secured, and a single company skirts the village along the riverbank and advances into the camp firing as it goes. The Turkish cavalry return fire on this direct threat.

[Martin1914]

(Photo21) The West Kents' attack continues to develop against village hill and as the men's pace slackens climbing the slope, stomachs tighten in anticipation of the enemy MG's response. Yet the company in the trench provides fire support over their heads and with good shooting upon this hard cover, kill the MG crew.

(Photo22) This enables the battalion to take its objective without further loss and catches Hamid Bey's HQ before it has chance to pack up and move or destroy its equipment. Being of equal rank, the British lieutenant colonel takes Hamid Bey's surrender.

(Photo23) The Turkish cavalry's continued fire stops the attack of the first Rajput company, but they are unable to fire on another sepoy assault following on through the camp. The Turks stand fast and a close combat ensues.

(Photo24) The last Turkish position falls. The foremost Rajputs jointly occupy the trench and continue to fire. The Turkish cavalry withdraws dragging their horses with them. Fortifying themselves on Turkish Delight to remove suppression, they steel themselves to cover the retreat of the militia. Yet enemy fire from the camp and village hill cuts them down almost to the last man and there is no-one to stop the militia running to Qurna.

(Photo25) Content if not a little relieved in his victory, Wolseley advances his HQ elements towards El Juba. This was no mopping up operation. He realises he can never underestimate the Turks again, for there is always a butcher's bill to pay.

After 20 turns, post-game discussion covered the turn of events through the card-based system of play. The point at which, what looked like a possible Turkish win, turned to defeat; the inability of the Turks to recover due to its command and troops ratings. Also, in the absence of supporting artillery and machine guns, how infantry can advance using battalion fire and manoeuvre. It was the first time cavalry appeared in our games, and I was pleased to practice deploying a dismounted firing line and getting them mounted and moving away within a single activated turn.

Best wishes for 2026 to everyone.

[fred.]

Great stuff Martin

I do like the river particularly. 

Are the small numbered chits to track suppression?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great report

[Techno 3]

What Will said.😀

[Steve J]

That is a very nice looking game, with the sea having a great colour to it too !

[far4ngn]

Wow great terrain, are the small figure bases giddily to move?  They do look great.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

How did you make the trenches? They're really great.

[Chris Pringle]

That's beautiful! It took me a little while to work it out ("Is it a sand table? Is it CGI on TTS?"). Lovely stuff. Matched only by the dedication you've put into writing it up! Glad it was such a successful and thought-provoking game.

[Martin1914]

Hello Gents. Thank you for your comments. Glad you enjoyed the report.
Fred – yes the chits mark suppression. Not too obtrusive, but effective for my eyesight.
SteveJ – I use coloured acetate sheet over the gaming mat (idea shamelessly copied) to depict open water. I thought blue too artificial and chose green rather then brown for contrast. From memory 'the Shatt' lived up to its name in colour and often smell too!
far4ngn – Basing is as per the rules and sized for 10mm. This provides a lot of flexibility for positioning amongst the terrain. Pendraken figures have proved remarkably robust for game movement, dropping and nuking by tape measure!
Duke – The trenches are made from lengths of arcitrave or carved balsa, painted and topped in sand.
Chris – An integral part of my hobby enjoyment is creating a physical display to game upon.

[steve_holmes_11]

Fantastic, top class terrain.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Thank you

[kustenjaeger]

Very good stuff. I've got a load of unpainted Imperial and Ottoman forces for Mesopotamia and this has moved them a bit up the painting queue. 🙂

Edward

[paulr]

I've finally found a chance to spend the time to enjoy this report, and it was well worth the wait.

A great looking game         

A simple yet interesting scenario      

And a compelling report      

I have a couple of questions

pace of the advance slows as the men drain their water bottles and chaggles.

What is a chaggle?

What are the labels on the blinds in pictures 4 & 6, orders perhaps?

[Martin1914]

Hi Paul

Thankyou for your comments. I'd read 'chaggle' was an Indian Army term for a water bag. The overturned card markers on top of the Blinds are indeed orders, which are revealed when the blind is spotted. A home brew idea to support the orders section of the rules.

Regards
Mart

[paulr]

Thanks, consider the orders idea borrowed