Breakout at Jimbai

 

Phil and I got together today for our final game of 2013 in the Rhanzlistan Field Force campaign we have started. You might recall that in an earlier encounter the RFF, under Brigadier 'Tubby' Bykleigh, repulsed the Bolshevik incursion into Rhanzlistan and sent them hurrying into Jimbai to lick their wounds { see, Encounter at Tikkabad}. This game sees the SPIFF under General 'Red'Robinski attempt a breakout from Jimbai, across the river Bykla to safety.
The general table layout, with the forces of the SPIFF entering from the far end. Some elements of the RFF are camped along the river, partly to guard against surprise and partly to cover the expedition of Professor Cohx to recover the Diablium he discovered on an earlier reconnaissance.

'Red' Robinski's plan was to rush the small force on the bridge with a two pronged attack led by his cavalry, supported by his infantry and artillery. On the road cavalry moved as normal, but off road they diced each turn to see if the terrain was difficult or good, with an effect of only half speed in difficult going ~ odds on a D x 6.

 

Seeing the danger of being attacked from two fronts, the officer commanding A Company, the Royal Surreys orders a withdrawal towards the cover offered by nearby ruins and the covering fire of B Company and a machine gun.



 

Caught in the open, A Company is charged first by one Bolshevik Cavalry regiment ~

Then by a second ~

 

 

In Turn 4 the RFF's reinforcements begin to arrive in the form of the Gurkhas and a second machine gun ~

Meanwhile, the Siberian Rifles attempting a sneaky shortcut over the mountains surprise a pair of Yetis in a 'private moment'! A vicious fight develops which sees the Siberians kill the Yetis, but at a cost of almost half their unit!

More reinforcements march to the aid of the Royal Surreys, who are hard pressed by now, in the form of the Shropshire Yeomanry and No1 the Baalti Battery Punjab Mountain Artillery.

The Gurkhas occupy the bridgehead and the situation of the RFF seems secure at the end of Turn 7, with one Bolshevik cavalry regiment driven off and the second gaining its second wind {missing a turn on a chance card}.

However, all turns on the run of the cards in Turn 8! The Bolshevik cavalry charges the Gurkhas at the bridgehead and inflicts serious losses.

Seeing the sole survivor fleeing across the bridge!

Now, despite the Yeomanry gallantly charging across the bridge, the Bolshevik artillery blows huge gaps in their formation as the dice were insufficient to contact the Bolshevik cavalry as it rallied after destroying the Gurkhas! All was up for Brigadier 'Tubby' Bykleigh and he sadly led the remnants of the RFF from the table. 'Red' Robinski's forces had triumphed! The route home was clear, for now...

We were using 'Setting the East Ablaze' as our rules for the game. All the Russians are from Phil's wonderful Back of Beyond collection and are Copplestone Miniatures. My own RFF are from a number of manufacturers including Brigade Games and Pulp Miniatures. The buildings are from Mutineer Miniatures, the camp from Renedra and the bridge an old Ian Weekley Battlefield piece. Tune in for more action in 2014 from the hotbed of conflict that is 1920's Rhanzlistan!