Macta, Algeria, 28 June 1835 using Bloody Big Battles

The Battle of Macta was fought on 28 June 1835 between French forces under General Camille Alphonse Trézel and a coalition of Algerian tribes of western Algeria under Emir Abd-el-Kader.

The French had fought an inconclusive but bloody battle with Abd-el-Kader a few days earlier in the forest of Muley-Ismaël. The French, with 20 wagons full of wounded men, turned back towards the coast to resupply for a fresh effort

 
Abd-el-Kader attacked the French column where the track passed between the Macta marshes and some hills. 

Basically this is an historical version of the classic Wagon Train scenario. The objectives are the two wagons which start the game in French control. If a unit of Algerians contacts a wagon then it is removed from the table and cannot be recaptured by the French.

Information on the battle is sparse with regards to exact location and numbers of Algerian troops. For instance I have read accounts of the marshes being on the French Left flank and others where they are on the Right flank. I've gone with the marsh on the French Left flank. 

The table is only 3x3 foot. With 3" ranges for the smoothbore muskets and the French having to stay near the track then it isn't really a game of manoeuvre as the Algerians can come on where they want. In theory the French could  get the wagons off the table by Turn 4 but it is highly unlikely.

French Forces
Bases	Attributes	Morale	Weapon	Unit	Deployment / Arrival
1			Ldr	Gen Trézel C-in-C	Upto 12" from S Edge and <6" from track
3	P	Trnd	SM	1/66th Line	Ditto
3	P	Trnd	SM	1/66th Line	Ditto
3		Trnd	SM	Bataillon d'infanterie légère d'Afrique (Bat d'Af)	Ditto
3		Trnd	SM	Bataillon d'infanterie légère d'Afrique (Bat d'Af)	Ditto
3	S,A	Trnd	SM	5/Legion Etrangere (Italian)	Ditto
3	S,A	Trnd	SM	5/Legion Etrangere (Italian)	Ditto
3	S,A	Trnd	SM	4/Legion Etrangere (Polish)	Ditto
2	A	Trnd	Cav	2/Chasseurs d'Afrique (CdA)	Ditto
2	A	Trnd	Cav	2/Chasseurs d'Afrique (CdA)	Ditto
2			SA	Mountain howitzers	Ditto plus limbered
2		Raw		Wagons	Upto 12" from S Edge on the track
Algerian Forces
Bases	Attributes	Morale	Weapon	Unit	Deployment / Arrival
1			Ldr	Emir Abd-el-Kader	Anywhere along E edge
4		Trnd	SM	"Regular" Infantry	Ditto
4		Trnd	SM	"Regular" Infantry	Ditto
4		Trnd	SM	"Regular" Infantry	Ditto
4		Trnd	SM	"Regular" Infantry	Ditto
1			Ldr	Milud ben-Arrach	Anywhere along W edge
4	R	Trnd	SM Cav	Tribal Cavalry	Ditto
4	R	Trnd	SM Cav	Tribal Cavalry	Ditto
4	R	Trnd	SM Cav	Tribal Cavalry	Ditto
4	R	Trnd	SM Cav	Tribal Cavalry	Ditto
4	R	Trnd	SM Cav	Tribal Cavalry	Ditto
4	R	Trnd	SM Cav	Tribal Cavalry	Ditto
4	R	Trnd	SM Cav	Tribal Cavalry	Ditto
4	R	Trnd	SM Cav	Tribal Cavalry	Ditto

Deployment. The wagons must stay on the track which doesn't double movement.

Turn 1: Algerian cavalry & infantry move to cut off the column's advance. the rear wagon only moved half a move so the column is already extending  

A close up of the column with General Trézel in the centre

Turn 2: On the right 2/CdA and a Mountain gun have moved onto the small hill but are charged by Algerian cavalry and infantry respectively. On the left the other squadrons of  2/CdA face off against more tribal cavalry. Meanwhile at the tail of the column a large force of Algerian cavalry awaits the right moment to pounce.

Turn 3: On the right 2/CdA and a Mountain gun have been overrun. On the left 2/CdA and General  Trézel have been overrun whilst the rearguard companies of the 1/66th have retreated to the wagons . Only in the edge of the marshes have the French had success with part of 5/LE holding off a cavalry charge.

Turn 4: Part of 5/LE recaptures the hill. At the rear of the column the only remaining Mountain Gun unlimbers and together with 4/LE faces the Algerian cavalry. At the front of the column the vanguard companies of the 1/66th evaporate leaving their comrades from the rearguard as the new vanguard! 

Turn 5: The Algerian cavalry sweep down from the hill hitting the right wing of 5/LE which retires behind the wagons. Behind them are two units of the Bat d'Af who both failed their movement rolls so can't  do anything.

Turn 6:  The rearguard Mountain Gun gets overrun and one wagon falls into Algerian hands. The 1/66 gets destroyed at the front of the column. One of the Bat d'Af  makes its movement and swings about to face the cavalry from the marshes but it is really too late.

Turn 7: The loss of the second wagon means that the French are defeated. In the actual battle  Emir Abd-el-Kader could only get a handful of his troops to continue the fight as many of them were too busy looting the wagons and killing the wounded. 

When I originally wrote this scenario back in 2020 the French were in 6 base units which made them hard to destroy. This time I had split the French into 3 base units which made them more flexible but vulnerable. 

For the next playtest I will make the Algerian cavalry Raw and give the French infantry Devastating Volley. I might even have to get some more Chasseurs d'Afrique painted up

Unlike most Colonial games, this one has both sides armed with the same weapons so there is no technological advantage to the Europeans. In fact the French had been selling weapons to the Algerians for quite some time as part of their treaty with Emir Abd-el-Kader!

I was made aware of this battle only because it was Marshal François Achille Bazaine's first major battle, admittedly he was only a sous-lieutenant in the Legion Etrangere at the time.

All French figures are Pendraken and all Algerian figures are either Lancashire Games or Pendraken

Algeria 1837 using Bloody Big Battles test game #1

My Algeria 1830s-40s project is nearing completion so we gave the armies a run out to see if the rules, unit ratings and terrain worked.  The scenario covered a French expedition to subdue the Arab and Kabyle tribes of the Tell Atlas.

Kabyle mountaineers

The Terrain

Looking north from the ountains

A Kabyle settlement

The table was setup with a French outpost at the northern end of a plain. There are a couple of Arab encampments on the plain. The southern end is mountainous where the Kabyle have several settlements.

The French force

Allied Arab cavalry lead the columns out of the Fort 

#	Unit	Bases	Type	Skimishers	Morale	Trait	Weapon
	Command	2	Ldr
2	Foreign Regt Btn	5	Inf	1S	Trn	Devastating volley	SM
2	Bat' d'Af	5	Inf	1S	Vet	Devastating volley, Aggressive	SM
2	Line Infantry	6	Inf		Trn	Devastating volley	SM
1	Zouave Btn	5	Inf	5S	Vet	Woodsman, Aggressive	SM
1	Turco Btn	4	Inf	4S	Vet	Woodsman, Aggressive	SM
1	Chasseurs d'Afrique	4	Cav		Trn	Ragged volley, Aggressive	SM
1	Spahis	4	Cav		Trn	Ragged volley	SM
1	Allied Arab Cavalry	6	Cav		Raw	Ragged volley	SM
1	Mountain Arty Regt	3	Art				SA

The Algerian force

Arab cavalry threaten the rear of the french force

#	Unit	Bases	Type	Skimishers	Morale	Trait	Weapon
	Command	2	Ldr
2	Kaid's Guard	5	Cav		Vet	Ragged volley	SM
9	Arab Cavalry	6	Cav		Trn	Ragged volley	SM
5	Arab Infantry	4	Inf	4S	Trn	Ragged volley	SM
7	Kabyles	4	Inf	4S	Raw	Woodsman, Aggressive	SM

The Woodsman trait is Can evade as cavalry vs non Woodsman unit and Ignore difficult terrain

At this period the French Foreign Legion was a collection of battalions lumped together by nationality, eg Polish, Italian, Swiss etc, and wasn't as good a fighting force as it would later become.

The best troops in the French African army were the Zouaves and the Bat' d'Af, the Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa, made up of men with prison records who still had to do their military service or soldiers with serious disciplinary problems.

The Algerian forces were more than a match for the French inflicting several defeats on the invaders. The Arabs generally fought from horseback and were often as well armed as the French. The Kabyle, given the terrain, usually fought on foot and were excellent at skirmishing.

Setup

The French start in Fort Louis, The Kabyle and the Arab infantry start with 2 units at each settlement. From turn 2 a D6 worth of Arab cavalry units arrive on the eastern and western edges. they can move but cannot charge on their inital turn.

The Game

The French objective was to capture the 5 encampments, 2 on the plain and 3 in the mountains. The Algerians had to stop them.

 Kabyle encampment in the foothills

 Arab encampment on the plain

 The French expedition leaves Fort Louis - I have no idea why the are marching backwards

The French are almost in reach of the encampments on the plains but with cavalry to their flanks and rear inevitably form a "square"

The Kabyle leave their mountain camps to engage the French

 Rodge made these terrain pieces for his 28mm North West Frontier

They are excellent ground  for 10mm mountaineers

 On the western flank the French form line against Arab attacks

However Arab cavalry start working around their flank

Kabyle skirmishers force the French to halt. 

The French western flank hold against Arab charges and Kabyle musketry

 On the eastern flank the allied Arab cavalry get pushed back into the square after attacking the encampment 

 In turn the Arabs launch an attack against the Foreign Regiment  

 The Arab Kaid watches as his troops engage the Foreign Regiment  again

 The repeated assaults force the Foreign Regiment to retreat leaving a huge gap in the flank 

 The allied Arab cavalry charges to the rescue whilst the Zouaves form a square

 Arab cavalry oblige the Zouaves by charging them

 After 2 rounds of drawn combat, each side loses a base, the broken square repels the cavalry 

The western flank at the end - both sides at a stand-off

The eastern flank at the end - the Arabs have the upper hand

A victory to the Arab and Kabyle forces as the French failed to get a single encampment. The French eastern flank looked very dodgy  although they probably had enough firepower to hang on.

We will give this another run out with the mountains along the long edge to se if the French can even get a foot in the foothills

The French were outnumbered 2:1 in bases but do have the advantage of Devastating Volley (Shift Right) ,Target is Cavalry (Shift Right) and Skirmishers (Shift Right) so when they DO roll decent dice it is quite effective.

I made a couple of changes to the standard Bloody Big Battles rules. 

• For the Woodsman trait see above. 
• Smooth bore musket range was increased from 3" to 6" inches 
• A unit in square is treated as being in a town for melee 

Otherwise the rules worked well, as always, with cavalry being very dangerous with their 18" move and 2 changes of direction..

Thanks to Mark, Rodge & Shaun for playing. Rodge's mountains are cracking terrain pieces.

The Arab cavalry are mainly Littlewars Miniatures from Lancashire Games with some Pendraken and Old Glory.

Everything else is Pendraken Miniatures

The tents and the fort are by dreamholme Scenics