As a starter to our 1912 campaign grand opening, myself and the Japanese player decided to have a fun game (that doesn't count towards anything in the campaign) based on Rorke's drift (by shear coincidence this game was played two days before the anniversary of the battle). The forces were slightly smaller and instead of the British we had French and instead of the Zulus we had Japanese warlord.
I have included posts from Captain Charles Ney of the 2e Compagnie au 2e Regiment de Tirailleurs' dispatches as commentary on the battle
16:15. My men had just finished laying down the last sleeper for the day as the light was beginning to die, and it had become to dangerous to wield a mallet. Another section had just returned from patrol and Sergeant Clermont reported to me in the Store house. "Japs, sir, Thousands of em!" he blurted out, "where sergeant?" I questioned. "Heading this way from the south, sir".
16:20. Soon I had ordered a small gravel barricade thrown up around the storehouse and railway station. We had brought the Hotchkiss out and the surgeon had set up his HQ in the railway station. All my platoon had paraded and were now at their positions with rifles loaded, and we had cracked open several crates of ammunition for the Machine gun. Sergeant Clermont had sent a couple of men west, to ask Lieutenant Balliard to send a relief force, but they could take nearly a day to reach them and gt back...
16:25. Our less fit men, holding the Storehouse, alerted my attention to movement on the roof of a building overlooking the compound. I went to look, sergeant Clermont passed my spy glass and I peared at it. Warlord Tomoyuki seemed to have moved in with his staff, no doubt the attack would come soon...
16:27. It seemed that Tomoyuki had also moved his gunners in with him, as only a short time after two of our men were hit on the south wall. I ordered all the men who had seen where the shot came from to return fire, and I am pleased to say sir that I think we peppered one of them! I did not however see fit to draw up any more men on the south wall yet.
16:30. Then they appeared from the south west. About twenty Japanese Natives supported by three horsemen. I ordered my men to unleash a salvo at them, supported by shooting from the Hotchkiss. I must have counted only about nine foot and two horse left standing after our first shots hit them
16:35. But the Natives made no move towards the wall instead they stood where we had shot their companions. They drew their swords and then started shouting at us in their barbaric tongue. I was told by our German surgeon (Who had fought against Tomoyuki in 1906) that Tomoyuki was testing his men's loyalty with our bullets.
16:40. I got news that the men shot by the native gunners were "patched up to fight", and had positioned themselves in the hospital. I decided to move more men to the southern wall in case Tomoyuki launched another wave.
16:41. Suddenly the Gunners opened fire into the compound and another man was hit and rushed off to the station. I ordered anyone who had seen the shot to fire back and the rest of them to fire at will at the warriors and put an end to their infernal chanting!
16:42. I ordered the shooting to cease,and through the smoke I counted 5 foot, including the officer, standing. But they failed to brake! It seemed that Tomoyuki had complete loyalty.
16:45. I confess that I will never understand the natives' lack of regard for life. Apparently they believe that when they die it was "Their time" and they were going to die then anyway! Sadly I ordered a volley on the last of those warriors and when the sound of the gun shot died away I realised i could still hear that chanting... but form the North west...
16:55. I let my men Cheer, but the poor fools had no idea what was instore. I had received news that the man in the Hospital had been patched up to fighting quality, and I stood and waited for the next assault on the southern wall, but with a cry of shock from the hospital I realised I had made a grave error! Twenty foot and three horse with another officer had appeared behind the pile of sleepers and as I looked in horror I cold see the horsemen dismount and start hacking at the Hospital door.
17:00. I ordered the men in the Hospital to through up a secondary defence of boxes and I brought the rest of my force hurtling over the platform to get a good flanking fire on the attackers. With a hail of machine gun fire and shouts from the warriors their attack was halted. When the smoke cleared but four warriors remained standing, swords and spear in the air, they did not move. I saw the surgeon's native boys carrying a wounded man into the hospital, apparently he had been shot by one of the gunners in our hurry to repulse the warriors.
17:10. With none dead on our part and around fifty dead on their part I could not have imagined that they would try another assault, but the show of loyalty these men put on. When they were almost certain to die they drew their swords, stood still and sang. Incredible...
Clermont "you know something sergeant? My father was at Villersexel, My grandfather was at Balaclava and Camaron, My Great grandfather was at Algiers, My Great Great Grandfather was at Saragossa, My Great great great grandfather was at Rossbach and Culloden, My great great great great great great great Uncle was Rupert of the Rhine and he was at edgehill and his second cousin was at Pavia and white mountain." "yes sir" "Don't you see Clermont? I come from a line of heroes... I hope I will live up to their names"
17:35. The new force contained a gunner or two and the Ninjas were armed with what can only be described as throwing starts, and these new troops and the gunners on the building chose this point to open fire on the compound. I stepped aside of a throwing star but felt a shot from the south tear through my shoulder and I collapsed.
17:35. (Sergeant Clermont) The casualties were soon building up in the Hospital, with seven wounded men, Including Captain Ney, being kept alive by the Surgeon and his boys.
17:40. I took over command of the force, I ordered a volley from the Machine gun on the north and my troops on the south. Once the smoke died away I counted and saw only three warriors to the north and four warriors to the south. This third wave had been cut down in its infancy and the legendary ninjas of Nippon lay dead on the floor, riddled with machine gun cartridges.
17:45. I ordered that the men fire at will, but I was forced to call a cease fire when the Natives got over the walls and into contact with our bayonets. I fired my rifle hitting and killing one as he tripped over the wall, another rushed straight for me and I bayoneted him, but still with my bayonet in him he swung his sword into my head and all was blood and darkness to me.
17:50. (Sergeant Surgeon Heinrich) When I saw the Captain and Sergeant being rushed into the Hospital in quick succession I knew something had gone wrong! I stuck my head out the hospital door and saw that the Samurai had broken into the compound and were fighting our men. I handed over my patients to the three soldiers and my Chinese apprentices and rushed out the door, I quickly ordered the men to fire to the south and they knocked out the Samurai that side. But there was one still locked in combat with Private Harmand.
17:55. When I had left the Hospital all the beds were nearly full with ten men wounded plus the sergeant and Captain Ney. I prayed dearly that I had taught the Chinese boys enough and that the three guards wouldn't show their usual military ignorance!
18:00. Then the inevitable happened, in the chaos of the breach Tomoyuki had moved up twenty more men including the dreaded Ninjas to the north, behind the undergrowth and had bought four infantry and three cavalry from the south. He also took advantage to use his gunners and I saw another two men being rushed to my hospital. I gave the fire at will order and the men took out a horseman and several Ashigaru, but the Machine gun crew (evidently excited by the action) swung it too fast and only took down about seven men. I knew that letting the Ninjas get this near spelled doom!
18:10. Outside the walls the Samurai and Ninjas stood jeering at us. I knew that they would soon attack the Hospital and if possible I must get the Captain to safety and as many other patients as possible. The three guards grabbed Captain Ney, Sergeant Clermont and a Private whom was unrecognisable through the blood.
18:15. Tomoyuki struck. The hospital guards carrying the captain, sergeant and private were hit by the Ashigaru gunners and rushed back into the hospital by my Chinese boys. Meanwhile the Ninjas through themselves against the crowded hospital's door with great hacking knives and the Samurai lept over the wall and track spearheaded by the Ashigaru and attacked the Hmg crew. To my amazement private Harmand was still duelling with the Samurai.
18:16. The crowded Hospital of nearly fifteen patients and my six Chinese orderlies would be a great place for those Ninjas to run riot in! I hoped the Orderlies patched up the men in time.
18:20. I lead a bayonet charge that repulsed the Ashigaru and then the Hotchkiss crew opened up on the Samurai behind killing all the warriors that got over the walls. I then sprinted to the Captain and Sergeant and ordered two men to carry them into the shelter of the porch outside the store house where I planned to re-open my hospital.
18:21. Myself and Private Harmand succeeded in dragging Charles into the relative safety of the Storehouse, while the Mg covered our backs incase the Ninjas managed to break into the hospital and run through.
18:22. The evacuation was in progress but with only myself private Harmand, another private and gunner Courbet with machine gun in hand (he was fighting off ashigaru left right and centre with it) it was taking a rather long time. I desperately hoped that I'd taught my native chappies enough to patch up the troops in the Hospital to help out. With only eight men at my disposal I was hard pressed.
18:25. I congratulated myself on my training of my Chinese apprentices. I had ran to the hospital to check up only to see eight Tirailleurs and their Corporal shearing up the door against the Ninjas. Under the beds the Orderlies had stuffed nine bodies of the men they had not saved and they had quickly scarpered to the Store house. I shouted to the men to hold before pursuing those Chinese chaps.
18:27. As I ran to the store house I looked back and saw the last Ninja slipping through the broken down door. There was shouting and gun shots coming from the train station and I prayed for the men inside. A later account from one of the men informed me that two men had been wounded in the initial breaching.
18:30. Private Briere struck down a Ninja, pinning him to the floor with his Bayonet, he and the other two still standing then grabbed three of their injured comrades and ran across the compound, sprinting for the store house and leaving the dead bodies of two other and their corporal behind. The Ninjas then torched the place.
18:35. The five Ninjas rushed out of the blazing Hospital and started duelling Private Briere and the two others. In the ensuing fight Briere struck down another Ninja with his bayonet and sprinted for the store house with his wounded comrade and followed by the Orderlies who I had sent back to get Briere's fellow Privates, both privates were injured after killing a ninja.
18:40. Myself as well as Private Harmand, Gunner Courbet four other privates stood in the store house. The others had their rifles through the smashed windows while I attended to the wounded Captain Ney, Sergeant Clermont, Private Briere and four others. Courbet had dropped his MG and was now blowing a bugle to rally the men who were singing to its blasts of the national anthem of France. Private Harmand then fired off his rifle killing a Ninja. Then the last two Ninjas got into the store house via the window, but they did not know what was instore as Harmand and the other opened fire on them.
18:50. I had just finished patching up the wounded. Captain Charles was on his feet, as was Clermont and Briere and three other privates. However I was not in time to save the other man. By now Courbet had dispensed with his bugle and was wielding a rifle again, I looked out the window and saw three wounded men on the floor, but Charles Ney forbid me from going to fetch them.
19:00. (Captain Charles Ney) Gunner Courbet climbed down from the roof and reported a fith wave of twenty three native foot, six of whom the surgeon insisted were the "legendary Ninjas", and three horse. "Legendary Ninjas my derriere! I bet they're not as legendary as the 8 round tube magazine lebel model point 80 calibre rifle, Surgeon!" I was in a bad mood having left the defence to a German Nurse! "Private Courbet, that's your Hotchkiss out their?" "yes Sir" "Then get out there unless you want to be responsible for the deaths of several hundred of us if it gets into these natives hands!"
19:01. As the Native warriors advanced I made sure that the defences were right. I had eight privates, a gunner, a corporal and a sergeant at my disposal. A force of eleven men left to hold off the entire army of Warlord Tomoyuki. If only I had been quicker in dispatching word to Lieutenant Balliard.
19:10. The Natives seemed to be taunting our inability to shoot them from where we were, by chanting in Japanese. Surgeon Heinriech said that they were telling us in detail what they would do to us when they broke in, so I sent private Courbet and two others to get the machine gun and started singing the national anthem with the others. Then they made their move I darted to the window with Sergeant Clermont and we started having pot-shots at them with our pistols as they rode west past the window. Then I realised why they were moving that way. Five Spahis, no doubt sent by Balliard! But only five... however they must have been the hardest riders and no doubt there were more not far off.
19:12. But to my dismay the moment they spotted the Natives charging for them all but the Corporal fled the way they had come. The cowardly Algers had obviously not expected it to be this dire, I wondered if this was the only reason Tomoyuki had let them this far in.
19:13. And then their brave Corporal was taken out by one of the gunners on the roof of the building it looked like any help from the cavalry wasn't coming so soon.
19:15. But to my surprise the remaining Spahis turned their horses and no doubt realising that they would be court marshaled and shot if they were found to have deserted their French officer to his death, they charged straight for the Native warriors. I also noticed that private Courbet and two others were creeping southwards around the building with the Hotchkiss! At last we stood a chance! Myself and Sergeant Clermont peppered two horsemen with pistol fire.
19:16. I fired off my pistol taking out the last horseman, apparently this meant that not a single native horseman had got close enough to do a thing all day. Out of the window private Courbet with his crew were lifting the Hotchkiss over the wall and the spahis were closing in upon the natives.
19:17. The Spahis finally made contact with the Ninjas, fighting like lions, they left only two ninjas standing but only one spahi was survived and at last Courbet lept across the wall, gun blazing and shot up eight natives chappies. I sat down in a corner against the sergeant, exhausted and glad that maybe we had shown these natives who was boss! "I came here to build a railway, sergeant...and look"
19:25. The last six samurai and their officer are mowed down by Courbet and his crew before they hopped back over the barricade and into the compound. The poor last spahi, no doubt terrified of court marshal died at the hands of the Ninjas, a million miles from Algeria...
19:30 I saw the remaining three natives heading for the porch, and Courbet sprinting round after them with his Hotchkiss. There were shouts and then shots. Afterwards I heard that they had almost reached the porch but had fled when they saw the HMG even though they were practically safe, Courbet mowed them down.
07:00 After a harsh and traumatic night in which we were always anticipating another wave I looked out of the window. Warlord Tomoyuki stood up and i ordered that we cease fire, he left the building together with his staff through the front door, bowed, and continued away followed by his army.
After the battle...
Captain Charles Ney (2e Comp, 2e Tirailleurs) received the Legion of Honour and was promoted to Staff Captain, for bravery, exceptional leadership and winning against the odds for the glory of France
Sergeant Clermont (1e platoon, 2e Comp, 2e Tirailleurs) received the Médaille militaire, for inspirational leadership and bravery in the face of the enemy
- Surgeon sergeant Heinreich (2e Comp, 2e Tirailleurs) received the Legion of Honour and was promoted to Staff Surgeon, for working in the thick of action, great leadership and loyalty to France
Private Harmand (2e section, 1e platoon, 2e Comp, 2e Tirailleurs) received the Médaille militaire, for saving Captain Ney and defeating an enemy warrior in combat
Private Briere (1e section, 1e platoon, 2e Comp, 2e Tirailleurs) received the Legion of Honour and was promoted to Corporal, for killing five of the enemy's elitist warriors (ninjas) and saving the injured men in the hospital.
Gunner Courbet (1e section, 1e platoon, 2e Comp, 2e Tirailleurs) received the Médaille militaire (and a fine for rough use of his Hotchkiss), for holding off nearly an entire wave of the enemy, going over the wall into the enemy and breaking the last wave.
It was a great battle and the Japanese seceded defeat at French hand though I survived with but ten soldiers, 1 captain and three wounded.
The French are from perry miniatures and Gripping beast while the Japanese are from Zvezda, the railway tracks were assembled by myself from Games workshop movemnt trays. The battle was based on Rorke's drift with help from Osprey publishing's book Rorke's drift.
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