Boxer Campaign - Relief of the Western Trading Station - Part 9 of 12

DAY 5 of the Boxer Rebellion Campaign

Relief of the Western Trading Station

What you are seeing now are never before uploaded photos of the Foreign Powers attacking the Western Trading Station (WTS) to relieve the siege that has been going on for a couple weeks. Once again, I apologize for not having everything painted and flocked for the game, but dang-it, the show must go on!

We have the American (Hal), Russian (Brian), French (EC), Italians (Jake), and Germans (Mike B.) all attempting to be the heroes of the day. Remember this is a competitive campaign with all players on the Allied side, while the Chinese were run at the Strategic level by me, and on the table top by Mark and Mike J. Only one allied player can be the winner of the compaign. All have different and sometimes conflicting objectives. One objective they all have is to stop the Boxers from overrunning the Western Trading Station in Wusen!

Supply and Medical tents. The stands of troops in the middle are walking wounded from the day's early battle against the Imperial Chinese, as the players couldn't leave their wounded unguarded. Blue Piquet decks can be seen with Opp Chips (Chinese coins) on top. Each International player had their own sequence deck.

Nice view of the WTS and Wusen proper. The Dragon Gate (Yellow Roof) in the back. Germans ready to deliver some carnage.

French and Russians prepare to launch their attack.

Boxers are pressing the walls (sorry some are unpainted), where US Marines and Royal Marines defend the civilians. Some Boxer dead are already present.

Where the heck did the Boxers get a cannon from?!

Kill! Kill! Kill! Boxers attack from multiple directions. They want to break into the WTS before the real International soldiers arrive.

Russians waste no time advancing to the WTS.

Good view of the overall advance. There are some Chinese Imperial troops in the arsenal just outside the main Dragon Gate. You will see them later on.

Thousands of Boxers try to overrun the WTS.

Civilians with rifles try to stop 2 Red Banner mobs! They are unsuccessful!

US and British Marines are pushed from the walls after severe fighting!

They have BROKEN THROUGH! The European women and children can be heard screaming by the relief force! Can they get to the WTS in time?

Russians begin to fire into the town and Boxers begin to fall. Black Banner Boxers charge the US Guns on an Uncontrolled Charge card. The Boxers are cut down with shrapnel!

More Black Banner Boxers attack, but this time against the Germans. Similary results for the Boxers.

Here is the climax of the battle. The Royal Marines were pushed back, the armed civilians are desparately trying to save their families, and the Boxers are ready to pounce!

The Russians launch themselves over the wall and fire, but the Boxers keep coming!

The Russians charge into the flank of the Red Banner Boxers routing them while French Zouaves are clearing out the streets. The Russians have saved the day!

US forces are now entering the confines of Wusen and Boxers keep launching themselves out of buildings and alleys. More heaps of Boxer dead.

The Germans have now cleared the town section and are moving to the local gate.

In the pagoda, a Boxer sniper, kills a German commander!

Here you can see Russians, French Marines, Tonkinese Rifles, and US troops clearing the rubble and buildings of the Boxers.

Boxer unit holed up in the Pagoda is wiped out by the US rifle fire.

Two more Black Banner hordes charge at the Internationalist.

Russia, not resting on their laurals, continue their advance, along with the US and attack the arsenal filled with Imperial Chinese.

View of the city of Wusen, with the WTS in the distance.

Russian flag flies in the WTS!

The last ambush. Red Banner boxers in the building fire on the flanks of a Zouave unit. (left side of pagoda). The Zouaves shrug off the fire, turn assault the building and rout the Boxers!

Germans don't go anywhere without Krupps!

Captain Burgesshoff of the Seebatallion, leads his men through the rubble.

A happy young lad from England, waves the Union Jack! Long live the Queen!

Boy this was a great fight with the WTS nearly being overrun. The Russians heaped glory on themselves in this one!

The following cable was also sent to the Russian Czar from General Konnelovski:

To His Majesty Nicholas, Tsar of the Russias


It is my Honor to inform your Majesty of the successful relief of the trading station in WUSEN and the glory heaped on the Russian Infantry involved. Our units single handedly grabbed victory by annihilating large groups of the heathens known as Boxers. The Siberian infantry have performed outstanding work and are singularly responsible for securing the trading station and the civilians inside.
 We have sustained minimal losses and are preparing to return to WIE LUNG HOO with the civilians in tow.

Unfortunately, a battle with the Empress' army was required to gain entrance to WUSEN and the Trading Station. I do not believe that the formal Chinese government is acting in good faith regarding the civilians. They have repeatedly stated that they were handling the situation. However, our observers were found executed and the Empress's army was arrayed against us instead of the Boxers when encountered in front of WUSEN. They would not step aside and we were forced to take action.

Thankfully, these forces continued to display the quality of all the other encounter Chinese units encountered to this point. They cannot stand and fight like a good Russian soldier. A couple of rounds of fire and then they scatter like chaffs of wheat in the air. I am confident that we will continue to brush aside any resistance that should arrive.

Majesty, our forces are sustaining the lion's share of battle honors and the other nations are merely paper tigers in comparison. The German and Italian forces seem to do little other than burn fields and dither about like chickens in a farmyard. The Americans and Germans continue to march without their supply wagons. I do not understand how they can be taken seriously as military powers given the tactics I have seen so far!

Your Humble Servant
General Konnelovski