Zulu War Game 2 Silhayo's Kraal

In game 1 the Natal Native Contingent have been forced back from the ridge.  The Officers attempted to lead them forwards again.  They failed.

Attempts by the NNC non-commissioned officers to force their men forwards by clubbing them with rifle butts also failed. An Officer rallied a group of NNC men and made some forward but it was at this point the Redcoats arrived.  The men of the 24th  advanced, their rifles with fixed-bayonets proving an encouragement to the NNC.

Game 2 will focus on the advance of the 24th and the rallying of the NNC.

Attacking first the NNC have been rebuffed 

Second came the 24th, with the Zulu proving elusive.

Third the Mounted Infantry supported by some of 2nd Battalion NNC swept in attempting to get

behind the Zulu.

The Second Game

Deployment as the 24th march forwards.
Strangely-Brown must rally his quaking Natal Natives.

And the British gain the Initiative edge for turn one.

End of turn 1 as the line nes close in.  The Zulu are among the hard cover rocks on the slope.

Turn 2. The Zulu gain the initiative edge.

The Redcoats shoot but kill only one Zulu.  They inflict one fatigue.

And the Zulu come boiling forwards.

My second Induana activates the Zulu unit again.  In they go.

And the shooting to receive is shockingly bad.  Why didn't I spend a bullet?  The British get two fatigue yet lose three men.

Old Pongo Carstairs-Smythe, or CW, charges in support with the bayonet.  His bugler is motivating that horse.

Not great results!

Chaos as the fighting goes hand to hand.

And the end line unit snipes at the Zulus in the rocks.

In response they come roaring out.  The shoot to receive is pretty poor, three hits but only one casualty and a single fatigue.

In with the pointy sticks and the Redcoats lose men.

And I realise that by taking a defensive shot they get an automatic fatigue anyway.  That's enough to shake them.

The NNC takes Zulu fire.  I'm going to use kapok puffs to represent this.

And Strangely-Brown attempts to tally his NNC with a resolve roll.  Failed.

And his second unit fails too.

The Chief Zulu Induana commands a combat.

And again it's the NNC beeping pushed back.

Turn 3 British win initiative edge.

I fail to tally these guys and they run off table with a failed resolve.

C.W is shaken and pulls back.

Casualties reach a quarter, heading for 50%

The British are forced back losing an NNC unit.

CW has to take a resolve.  Failed.  The Redcoats pull back

But the Mounted Infantry appear on the Zulu flank.  The Zulu pull back onto the heights.  

Game 3 will be the Mounted Infantry flank attack.

The History Bit

As the British advanced the men of the NNC with rifles opened fire, causing the company under Hamilton-Browne at the foot of the cliffs, who were also under fire from the Zulus, to take cover. Black once more tried to lead the NNC in an attack; waving his hat over his head in one hand and brandishing his sword in the other.  Black's hat was shot out of his hand and he was struck "below the belt" by a boulder thrown from the cliffs, causing pain but no injury and halting his advance.

Part of the 2nd Battalion of the NNC was also brought up in support but the action on the low ground was over by 9:00 am, as the NNC and men from the 24th Regiment climbed the cliffs elsewhere and outflanked the Zulus holding the path. Around a dozen Zulus were killed in action in the gorge along with two NNC men.