Skirmish At Rooikopje Township.

 

A small detachment of the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment supported by a few sturdy chaps from the Black Watch, found themselves occupying an encampment on the outskirts of the Rooikopje Township in the Orange Free State. So bored were they that they even decided to mark their regiment in stone on the ground outside the camp, which seems to have become quite the thing these days.

The bugle sounded very early in the morning, the usual thing, a quick patrol around the town and back for breakfast, the Black Watch contingent provided the camp guard. Sometimes the locals provided eggs and milk, sometimes they didn't. On this morning the locals couldn't be found at all.

Today a surprise was planned for the morning patrol, a Boer Commando had evacuated the township and was in the process of taking positions when the British patrol wandered in. Taken a little by surprise themselves they quickly took positions and watched.

By the time the British had realised there was something wrong it was a bit too late, a familiar sound that put the fear of God in them erupted from the other side of the kopje, Mauser fire and a pom-pom. The first pom-pom shells overshot and set light to a building, the Essex lads had little choice but to advance.

Another salvo of pom-pom shells struck home killing one of the Essex boys, but they crept forward house by house. Meanwhile back at the camp, the Black Watch guards advanced towards the township in order to give support.

The pom-pom was obviously getting a little flustered at this point as the next salvo fell a little short on the top of the kopje, with the next shots being fired at the town the mounted Boers decided to use this as the signal to charge. The pom-pom shells managed to set fire to another house and killed a British soldier, the fighting in the township had been going in the British favour with several Boers killed, now it was the mounted men's turn to try and sway the battle in their favour.

The mounted commando had no idea that there was a line of irate Scotsmen formed up across the road, and it came as a bit of a shock! Bullets whizzed everywhere, two Boers were killed and one Black Watch and one Essex lad were killed. The Boers rode off across the veldt taking their pom-pom with them, ready to fight another day.

One of the Boers left it a bit too late to disengage, he was taken prisoner. All there was left to do now was to tend to the wounded and bring in the dead, as it turned out there were 6 Boers and 6 British killed. All this before breakfast, I doubt there will be any eggs or milk from Rooikopje Township anytime soon.

Serbia 1456 - A Cavalry Raid.

Serbia 1456.

The siege of Belgrade is in full swing, striking out into the countryside around Belgrade Ottoman cavalry are harassing the Serbian peasants as the Sultan fears a local uprising. His fears are justified, his men see an undefended village to burn, they form up for battle.

This was unfortunate timing as the locals were starting to mass for the march to join Janos Hunyadi, the sight of the Ottoman cavalry struck fear into the peasants, but they girded their loins and stood their ground.

Battle is quickly joined, a clash of unequal sides, a highly trained cavalry versus a poor militia, although well armed and on home ground. The cavalry chop their way through but don't have it all their own way.

Peasant casualties are high, but Ottoman casualties are unacceptable, the cavalry charge scythes through the village, but they don't dally to burn it, they were surprised by the resistance they encountered.

Coming out of the other side of the village the Ottomans had no intention of returning, in fact they had a message for the Sultan, win the siege of Belgrade soon or retire to a more peaceful place, the peasants were indeed revolting.

Transylvanian Nightmare 1459 - A Table Top Game in 28mm.

While Vlad Dracula is camped outside the walls of Brasov he sends out his captains to burn towns and villages and bring in more captives to add to his growing forest of impaled victims on Tapma Hill.

One such walled village proves a tough nut to crack, the Wallachians had been seen and shadowed by a troop of Transylvanian cavalry. Far too small to attack, the troop head to the village and prepare for a battle.

For the most part the villagers are peasants, but they have prepared and they mean business. To bolster their defence the village also boasts the local landowners retinue of knights, all good men and women, but will it be enough as the Wallachian host comes into view.

As arrows began to fly and several men drop the Wallachians immediately sound the attack, horses surge forward towards the defensive spikes and the infantry run into the fray, the sight of Vlad's men hurtling forward was terrifying, but the villagers held their nerve.

The villagers put up a stout resistance but the Wallachians break through, inside the village walls the Transylvanians have hatched a plan. When the Wallachians are bogged down in combat they will rush out of the gate and surprise them, hopefully driving them back enough to rout them completely.

With the villagers under severe strain outside the village walls it is now deemed to be the right time to spring the trap. The gates are opened and the Transylvanian cavalry pore out with the rest of the villagers behind them. The fighting is vicious, the Wallachians are forced back but they do not break. 

Whether it was the fear of Vlad Dracula or their captain, but the Wallachians didn't run, they withdrew in good order and made a fresh defensive position. With the shock of a fresh attack by the villagers now over it was time to counterattack, the Wallachian cavalry outflanked and drove the villagers into the waiting infantry.

Wallachian cavalry rode over the broken and bloody bodies hacking anyone down who got in their way, they were soon inside the village. The remnants of the village force was rounded up and taken as captives for Vlad's spectacle on Tampa Hill, some escaped.

As per orders the village was burned and those found within impaled as a warning, as the captain handed over his captives and reported the village destroyed another captain was being impaled on a higher stake, he had lost his battle with the population of Bod and was now paying the price for failing in his duty to the Impaler Prince.