| Rail to the River |
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A group of 4 small squads of ex-Confederate Rebels have established themselves on the bank of a river and resumed slave trading by capturing a small group of natives. Having further developed the land and facilities they have also tied into a local railway line. The Rebs have done such a nice job everyone wants to take it away from them! The Germans decide to invade with 2 squads and a machine gun from the river via steam launches and they bring along an Ironclad gunboat with 3" gun for support. The French decide to ride down the rail on a 3" cannon armed train and off load 3 squads of infantry at the port railway station depot. The Arabs decide to attack from the rail line aiming for the wharf and to capture the slave pen with 4 squads of cavalry. There is a very large 'elephant lizard' wandering in the jungle nearby looking for something to eat. |
| Facing west: In the upper left corner the German Ironclad and steam launches with 2 squads and a machine gun near the shore. Below them the Rebs can be seen caught in front of the store houses between the approaching Germans and a charging horde of Arab cavalry. Other scattered groups of Rebs can just barely be seen amidst the three buildings at top center and near the plantation house at top right. At the bottom left the remaining horde of Arab cavalry masses to attack across the railroad tracks. An 'elephant lizard' can be seen lurking in the jungle at center right. |
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| Facing south-east: The Arab horde ( white blobs ) can be seen emerging from the bad lands in great numbers at top and from the left. A group of raiders has made it to a slave pen at top right and has decided to slaughter the natives there rather than attempt to capture or free them. At bottom center a third group of Arab raiders pillages as a few scattered Rebs at bottom right stand in shock watching the German boats come belching to the shore line. |
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| Facing south: Top left a few of the Arab raiders can be seen at the slave pens. Top center the Rebs realize that the end is near as the German machine gun opens fire on them from a steam launch at top right. Center bottom several Rebs and their Commander can be seen peaking out from behind the trees and heading towards the sound of the guns. Soon a train packed with French troops will enter from the left and head towards the top left firing on this last group of Rebs and send them back to their plantation house at bottom right. The 'elephant lizard' can be seen just to the left of the white building at center. |
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| Facing north: The Germans open fire from their position on the water and kill or wound nearly all the Rebs in front of the store houses at center. At bottom left the Ironclad pours devastating 3" canister fire into the wharf and eliminates all save one lucky soul ( center bottom ) who runs head long into the marauding Arabs at bottom right who have just finished their butchery at the slave pens. The Arabs at center right exchange fire with the Rebs at center trapped between the three white buildings. At right the 'elephant lizard' catches scent of the Arab horse and starts to salivate. At top right you can barely make out the white of the French uniforms as they arrive on the battle field and open fire on the Rebs who had exposed themselves near the plantation house at top center. |
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| Facing north-west: Same situation as above except there is a better view of the train bridge at right over which the French come screeching as they fire their cannon at the Arab horse gathered off view at center bottom. The 'elephant lizard' prepares to launch itself from the jungle at center right. |
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| Result: The German Ironclad blasts the Rebs from the dock area sending a lone survivor into the waiting blades of the Arab raiders at the slave pen. The German machine gun chops up the remaining group of Rebs at the front of the store houses just before they are overrun by a second band of raiding Arabs. As both German steam launches disembark their troops onto the cleared river bank there is scattered inaccurate rifle fire. The Arab horde that descended on the store houses begin to get chopped up by the Germans and third group of Rebs holed up in three buildings to the north. The Arabs continue their costly ride through the store houses on the water front and are making a fast exit with some loot when the 'elephant lizard' lunges from the jungle cover and crushes the horse of a raider. The surviving Rebs attempt to get their two scattered forces grouped and return fire but the combination and direction of enemy is too much and they are quickly cut down in the confusion. After making an initial foray out from the plantation house the last group of Rebs takes rifle fire from the French train steaming down the line and the survivors fall back and decide to wait the out come of the brawl. The French continue their train ride down the line lobbing cannon shot into the Arab horse scattering them as they barrel into the port smashing slow horsemen along the way. The locomotive comes to a screeching halt at the edge of the river wharf and the French turn to their hesitant commander for instructions as the Germans establish themselves in the buildings and wharf to their front. The German Ironclad begins to churn further up the river bank to allow a better shot at the train if needed. In the end the Rebs are reduced to a shattered squad only managing to hold onto the plantation house and not much else. The Germans have an armored gunboat anchored at the wharf and troops dug into the store houses and banks of the port supported by a machine gun with no casualties. The French continue to control the railway line but feel they cannot compete with the German position and firepower. The decimated Arabs flee back into the bad lands with what loot they could grab and keep having fewer tribesmen to share it with. The 'elephant lizard' drags the horse carcass off into the depths of the jungle and is heard from only occasionally there after. Germans - Major Victory - WINNER! |