10.0 Supply

10.1 When to Check Supply.

Supply is checked for all friendly units in the supply phases of each player turn. Any stack may elect to roll on the attrition table rather than use any supply units, Mahdists have no supply units and must roll on the attrition table. Stacks are tested as 1 on the attrition table and may not be broken down into smaller groups of unit to attain a more favourable result.

Leaders, gunboats and boats are always in supply, they never roll on the attrition table and never count in the total of units for astack rolling on the attrition table.

10.2 Tracing Supply to a Supply Unit.

A unit or stack of any size is in supply if in the same hex as a supply unit. That supply unit may be part of a chain of supply units not more than 6 movement points apart, the chain may pass through any number of railroad hexes that do not contain enemy units. These railroad hexes count as 0 movement points for checking the chain length. The supply unit may provide supply for any number of friendly units and is eliminated when used to provide supply regardless of how many or few units draw supply from it. In the case of a chain of rail hexes or supply units the supply unit at the end furthest from the tracing combat unit is eliminated.

10.3 Attrition Table (see tables sheet)

Notes

I The number under the die roll results is the number of units that are not affected by attrition, all remaining Egyptian player units are eliminated, Mahdist player units are disrupted or eliminated if already disrupted. Do not count gunboat, boat and leader units in the hex. Do count camel and supply units. Civilians count as 2 units for supply and may not be eliminated from attrition results until all other units have been eliminated.

II A town is besieged when any 1 good order enemy land unit (except camels, supply units and leader) is adjacent to the town hex during an attrition table die roll.

III. Hills and mountains do not affect supply.

IV. Souakim may never be besieged by Mahdists, it may be attacked and captured.

11.0 Recovery

All disrupted units must attempt to recover in the recovery phase. 2D6 are rolled on the recovery table.

11.1 Recovery Table (see tables sheet)

12.0 Showing the British Flag (Optional)

This rule simulates the plan of the Camel Corps that even a few redcoated soldiers in Khartoum would embolden the defenders and prolong the siege. The Flag counter represents a small detachment of British troops in red coats. Any British unit may create a ‘‘Flag’’ unit in it’s hex in any Egyptian reinforcement phase. The Flag may be carried in gunboats or boats for free and does not count when adding units for attrition rolls. It has a movement factor of 6 and may be destroyed like any other unit in combat. The Flag may not fight alone and is destroyed if alone in a hex or to satisfy any combat losses. Egyptian units in the same hex as the flag add 1 to any combat die rolls. Units in Khartoum add 1 to attrition rolls if stacked with the Flag. Only 1 Flag unit may be created at 1 time, the unit may be removed by stacking with any British unit.

Notes and Explanations

Contemporary sources used: The Egyptian Campaigns 1882 to 1885, Royle, C., London 1900. The major source for the game, full of dates and numbers.

War In Egypt And The Sudan, Archer, T., Glasgow 1887. A 4 volume job of which I only have the 1st 2 that cover up to the 1st Souakim Field force. Not quite as detailed as Royle but it has some nice engravings. The details of troop numbers are similar but not exactly the same as Royle, both books quote British numbers to suspiciously exact figures.

Small Wars, Callwell, C., E., HMSO, 1906, not as useful as it appears although some of the case studies are taken from the period. Callwell suggests that the Relief expedition could not possibly have reached Khartoum with the supplies available to it.

Fighting the Fuzzy Wuzzy, de Cosson, E., A., Greenhill 1990 (original edition, 1886) is a useful account of the 2nd Souakim Field Force from the officer in charge of water provision. Good for anecdotes and details of supply but short on hard military data.

Karari, Zulfo, I., H., Pitman Press 1980, is a 20 year old Sudanese account of the Omdurman campaign. Unfortunately the translator has cut it down to a slim volume largely about the battle alone. Still it does fill in a few gaps and has the benefit of being partly based on eyewitness accounts of the battle.

With Kitchener To Khartoum, Steevens, G., W., Blackwood 1898 is also on the Omdurman campaign with the Atbara getting good coverage. The author was a war correspondent who had as much to say about the people and terrain as the military aspects of the war.

The only modern source used apart from maps of theSudan is War On The Nile, Barthorpe, M., Blandford Press, 1984 which has some handy period photographs and engravings.

The orders of battle are cribbed from all the above with the 1st 2 and Karari being most useful. The British line up is close to exact although some counters should be split up to allow the same units to be in more than 1 place at the same time. Egyptian forces are pretty good for Khartoum, Bara, El Obeid and the Souakim map extension. Otherwise while the Egyptians hold the right places actual forces involved are estimated. The problem is that a lot of the so called Egyptian presence was local tribesmen paid and armed by Egypt. Pay was pretty irregular and the local Emirs were prone to declare for the Mahdi. The S class Egyptian units represent these levies and the Bashi-Bazouks who came from all over Europe and Asia for pay, allegedly in return for fighting although irregular banditry is a better term. The Bashi-Bazouks and many loyal tribesmen were provided with rifles but as these were not used to shoot at the Mahdists the units are classified as S. The R class rifles represent the bulk of the Egyptian peasants who were shipped South, these units were not up to the standard of those thrashed by the British when they invaded Egypt. The L class rifles are recruited (or bought) from local blacks. Mahdist forces are given in widely ranging totals some of which are very high. The numbers of Mahdists quoted go up and down possibly due to locals flocking in then going home as supplies get low. The random recruitment system reflects this problem. The game totals are loosely based on Karari which is lower than the British sources. Mahdist forces were accompanied by large numbers of camp followers and livestock making any serious estimates rather hard.

The combat concept in Dervish is that morale is crucial, a poor morale roll will cause a force of any size to lose but circumstances will affect the morale roll. Fire capable units get to force a melee-only opponent to roll twice for 1 test themselves. Even so 2 good morale rolls by the spearmen and a poor roll from the rifle units will result in heavy losses of rifles. The Rabble class rifles are advised to not venture outside towns without support, Hicks Pasha found this out in the bush in November 1883 on his way to retake El Obeid, poor attrition rolls partly sealed his fate and the Mahdists finished the job.

The El Obeid scenario begins with the Mahdi’s 1st assault on El Obeid, he suffered heavy losses and settled down to a siege which lasted until January 1883. The Egyptian government had just lost a war against Britain which led to a new financial administration and a severe cut back of the army. The troops spared for the Sudan were those not required for the new smaller British trained army, some of these recruits were marched through Cairo in chains. Training was not a priority but those drafted from the police (gendarmerie) or army had experience mixed with a strong desire to be back in Egypt. El Obeid appears isolated away from the Nile and the coast but is an Egyptian town or merchant colony rather than a Sudanese town occupied by Egyptians. It is also a link with the Egyptian province of Darfur off the West edge of the map. With El Obeid lost Darfur is isolated and will eventually fall to the Mahdists. The Egyptian Empire also extends downriver to modern Uganda all of which is cut off by the loss of Khartoum. This Southern Sudan area is rich in trade goods unlike the Northern Sudanese desert that covers most of the map. Emin Pasha who commanded Equatorial Egyptian garrisons was ‘‘rescued’’ by Stanley in May 1889.

The initial turn of the Relief of Khartoum sees Baker Pasha land at Souakim with a force of Egyptian gendarmes. Baker sailed down to Trinkitat, was thrashed and sailed back. This prompted the British fleet to turn up, land Bluejackets and the arrival of the 1st Souakim Field Force which beat the Mahdists and sailed back to Egypt within 1 game turn. Historically this all happened between 1/2/84 and 28/3/84. The 2^nd Field Force landed in March 1885, just as the local weather gets really hot and the River Column was retreating down the Nile to Korti having got to within 26 miles (2 hexes) of Abou Hamed. The Souakim troops had pulled out by the end of May except for the Shropshire Regiment and some of the Indian contingent at Souakim. The Relief Expedition abandoned Dongola on July 5th although Dongola province was not threatened by Mahdists.

There was considerable pressure in 1884 to land at Souakim and march to Khartoum via Berber. Troops could move from England, Cairo, Aden or India to Souakim with speed, Baker Pasha was defeated on 4/2/84 a relief force had been organised and landed by 19/2/84. de Cosson was in Aldershot on 17/2/85 and at Souakim on 7/3/85 having travelled by troopship. There were ample supplies of camels and supplies easily shipped in from Aden and India and the whole set up could be readily shipped out again. The drawback to Souakim is the need to build a railway to Berber or rely on camel trains and the necessity of beating Osman Digma and the local Mahdists to secure the supply line.

Random Event Tables

** Events occur only for The Relief of El Obeid and replace the same numbered events that only apply for The Siege of Khartoum.

Egyptian Random Events

**11-13. Poor morale. Treat all L class Egyptian units as R class for this game turn only.

11-13. Withdraw, if Khartoum is not held by Mahdists treat as no event. Rumours of Russian intervention in Afghanistan force a withdrawal bill through parliament. The game ends at the end of the current game turn. If Khartoum is not held by British (not Egyptian only) units of at least strength 2 the Mahdist wins. Otherwise the Egyptians win.

**14-16. British navy lands at Souakim. Place the British Naval infantry unit and British Fleet at Souakim.

14-16. Souakim Field Force. General Graham and any Egyptian units listed as Souakim land at Souakim in the reinforcement phase of this turn. If any of these units are already on the map they remain in place and are not moved to Souakim. This event may occur twice, treat as no event if the Mahdists control Souakim. The 2nd Field Force may land after the 1st has withdrawn or while the 1st is still in play. If the 2nd Field Force arrives while the 1st is still in play replace all British units on the Souakim map extension with new British or Indian units and place all remaining new units in Souakim. The 2nd time this event is rolled the Egyptian player may start to build the Souakim - Berber railway.

**21-23. Supply. Place 1 supply unit plus 1 camel in Khartoum if the city is not under siege. If it is under siege place the units in any unbesieged Egyptian town.

21-23. Withdrawal of Souakim field force. Treat as no event if no Souakim Field Force is in play. Remove all British units on the Souakim map extension in the reinforcement phase. Egyptian units on the Souakim map extension may also be removed at the same time as may any British units in Berber (owning player's choice). The Egyptian player may choose to play this event in any Egyptian random events phase in addition to the rolled event.

24-26. Gunboat sinks. The Mahdist player chooses 1 British or Egyptian gunboat and rolls for sinking as normal. 2D6 = number of turns gunboat is removed, doubles = destroyed.

31-33. Spoilt biscuits. The Egyptian player must expend 1 supply unit during the supply phase. This unit can be used to provide supply normally.

34-36. Mahdist dissension. The Egyptian may choose 1 Mahdist stack that does not contain any leaders and contains no more than 3 combat units. These units are removed and replaced by the same number of Egyptian S units, if available.

41-43. Urgency. The Egyptian player may add 1 to all march rolls for any 1 stack this turn.

44-46. Training. The Egyptian player may upgrade 1 Egyptian infantry unit. S become R class Rifles, R class rifles become L if units are available.

51-53. Dry weather. Treat as no event from November to February. All Oasis hexes are treated as non existent for supply on this player turn only. Subtract 1 from all Egyptian attrition rolls this turn.

54-56. Good Harvest. Treat as no event from March to October. For this turn only, add 1 to all Egyptian attrition rolls.

**61-63. Food shortage in El Obeid. Immediately remove 1 non-civilian, non-leader unit from El Obeid. This event may occur any number of times even if El Obeid is not under siege or is Mahdist controlled.

61-63. Souakim Field Force. Same as 14-16 only if no Souakim Field force is in play, otherwise, no event.

64-66. Food shortage in Khartoum. Immediately remove 1 non-civilian, non-leader unit from Khartoum. This event may occur any number of times even if Khartoum is not under siege or is Mahdist controlled.

Mahdist Random Events

11-13. Desertion, remove 1D6 Mahdist units from the map, Mahdist player’s choice.

14-16. Religious disagreement. No Mahdist units may move from the main map to the Souakim map extension this turn. If Osman Digma is not on the Souakim map extension, no Mahdist units may move on that map extension.

**21-23. Boats. The Mahdist receives 1 boat unit if available.

21-23. War with Ethiopia. Any units stacked in Goz Regeb may not leave the hex by movement or unit removal. Remove 2D6 Mahdist units from the main map, Mahdist player’s choice. This event may occur only once per game, if rolled during a war with Ethiopia treat as no event.

**24-26. Rifles. Upgrade any 1 S unit to Rifle armed.

24-26. War with Ethiopia ends. If there is no current war with Ethiopia treat as no event. Roll D6 again, 1-3, Mahdists lose, no further effects.

4-6 Mahdists win, place 2D6 Mahdist units in Goz Regeb. 1 unit is rifle armed others are S.

31-33. Poor communications. Only Mahdist units stacked with a leader may move. Other Mahdist units may continue sieges and attack adjacent units only.

34-36. Ammunition shortage. The Mahdist player must remove 1 gun unit.

41-43. Religious fervour. 1 Mahdist stack may add 1 to all its march and attrition rolls this turn.

44-46. Egyptian garrison surrenders. Any 1 Egyptian stack except any units in Khartoum that is currently under siege and contains no British units surrenders. Replace Egyptian units with the same number of Mahdist units of the same weapon class if available. Make up any shortfall with S units.

51-53. Locals declare for Mahdhi. The Mahdist player may place a total of 2D6 S units in any town city or oasis not occupied by enemy land units.

54-56. Dry weather. Treat as no event from November to February. All Oasis hexes are treated as non existent for supply on this turn only. Subtract 1 from all Mahdist attrition rolls this turn.

61-63. Good Harvest. Treat as no event from March to October. For this turn only, add 1 to all Mahdist attrition rolls.

64-66. Ammunition shortage. Replace any 1 Mahdist R unit with a S unit. If none are available the unit is lost.

Example of Combat

The battle of Abu Klea (1/1/85). A Mahdist stack of 5,000 to 8,000 including a small number of cavalry are in the Abu Klea hex. Ignoring the cavalry as too small a unit allow the Mahdists 6 S and 1 R unit.

The Egyptian is the marching player and moves the Camel Corps adjacent to Abu Klea. 4 combat units are present, Guards, Mounted Infantry and Heavy Camel Corps units plus the Sussex Regiment. Also present are 1 camel and 1 supply unit with the British Stewart leader. Both players roll for fire, the Mahdist rolls a lucky 10 (historically the British fire was blocked by skirmishers running back to the fighting

square) modified by -1 (-1 at least 6 Rifle units firing, -1 for V class units firing, +1 testers in Oasis). A total of 9 or Steady. 4 good order British units fired so 2 Mahdist units are disrupted (1S + 1 Rifle unit). The British roll 9 add 1 (+1 fanatics firing) for a 10, Good, no losses.

Now to melee, 5 good order Mahdist units have strength 20, plus 4 for 2 disrupted units. The British have 8 good order combat factors, odds of 3:1 to the Mahdist. For melee the Mahdist rolls 7 +3 (+1 for Oasis hex, +2 for 3:1 odds). A result of 10 or Steady and 2 (4 good order British combat units remain) Mahdist units are disrupted. The British uses his leader for melee and rolls 7 +1 for Stewart and a Steady result for the troops but hold for the camels and supplies, 2 (5/2) units are disrupted on a Steady result, 5 on a hold. The R Class units take 4 disruptions to eliminate both units. The total loss may not be greater than that of the worst affected units so 1 (not 2) disruption is left for the British combat units.

The British have lost 3 units disrupted or dead out of 6, the Mahdists 4 from 7, a draw. Historically the British inflicted heavy losses on the Mahdists but suffered significant losses to their baggage train when their square was broken. These losses significantly hampered the potential of the Camel Corps.