At "COLD WARS 2016" in March I ran a new Herero scenario by Tim Abbott, that was derived from "The Herero War" scenario & rules book that I co-wrote with Eric Alvarado. Tim based his scenario on an early skirmish that took place at Osona on January 13, 1904 - just one day after the Herero War began.
The Major von Lengerke is in pursuit of the Nama, hoping to put an end to Nama resistance in his area. Von Lengerke’s commands a mixed force of two Schutztruppe infantry companies and 1½ batteries of artillery: a full battery of Gebirgsgeschütze (i.e., mountain guns) and a half-battery of standard Feldkanonen. As the Germans advance they come under fire from a Nama-occupied dune that lies astride the trail ahead. With Nama to right of them, Nama to left of them, and Nama in front of them, the Germans are pinned down in a hellish crossfire at Gochas. But the Kaiser's Schutztruppen soldier on, with their mobile mountain guns racing alongside them. And soon the Nama riflemen face their own hell: cannon to right of them, cannon to left of them, cannon in front of them. It's a battle of maneuver and outflanking for German and Nama alike.
historical battle included a German armored train, with soldiers and a machine gun, sabotaged tracks, derailed cars, and Herero rifle fire peppering the Germans as they tried to repair the damage - plus mounted Hereros! All these features are included in Tim's exciting, well-researched historical scenario.
I used an On30 electric train and track for the scenario. I'll be running Tim's Osona armored train scenario again at HISTORICON 2016 in July. At HISTORICON I'll have access to an electrical outlet - to which I did not have access at COLD WARS. This means that the On30 German train will move along the tracks - including across the railway bridge - under its own power! No pushing will be required.
Below you'll find an AAR from the Osona COLD WARS game, with photos and captions. For details about the upcoming HISTORICON game, including a link to Tim Abbott's detailed discussion of the actual battle at Osona, go to:
http://hererowars.com/upcoming_herero_games_2/new-cold-wars-2016.html
