Dawn Raid (part 4) - Boxer Rebellion 15mm

This is part 4 of a 5 part series of blog posts on the Dawn Raid 15mm Boxer Rebellion game we played a couple months back. Please use the labels to find all the previous posts on Dawn Raid.

Here is a good shot of the centery of the city where all the Boxers are hiding. (oops, you weren't suppose to know that!)

Harbor patrol sampan rows into action! It's bow gun "pops" at the French paddle wheeler Gubrett.

Naval landing parties storm ashore and put up scaling ladders. Chinese infantry have manned the walls just in time.

USMC landing party gets hammered by the fortress guns causing casualties and forcing them to wade onto the rocky shoreline.

Good view of the raging battle around the Black Citadel!

HMS Kangaroo provides more ground support as it steams off shore.

German Marines, Italian Regina Navali, and British gun team head for shore.

Royal Marines splash ashore! Chinese have targets everywhere.

Gun Master Chang tries to steady the Chinese forces in the fortress

Meanwheil the Russians continue to push on the barracks.

Foothold! USMC and German Marines gain ground in the fortress. Fighting is now hand-to-hand!

The Chinese War Junk sets sail and uses its cannons to rake the Royal Marines on sure, and take shots at the Austrian gunboat Vorwarts

Direct Hit! Forward heavy gun destroyed by the Chinese Junk!

Great overview of the battle on this side of the table. Black Citedal nearly captured. Dragon Gate taken. Barracks being overrun by Russians.

The USA and Italian command is also having some success. They have managed to put 3 battalions over the walls, and Chinese forces can be seen rushing to the gate.

Russians, now in the barrack's buildings are being shot at point-blank by the Chinese artillery and gatling gun!

Regina Navali land and knock out the harbor patrol sampan and then begin to cut-off the Chinese forces still fighting in the citadel.

USMC silence the last Krupp guns in the Black Citadel with hand-to-hand combat.

French paddlewheeler drops the French Marines and Sailors off down near the large market, only to be ambushed by waiting Western Trained Chinese forces. You can see the Chinese Magazine in the bottom right of this photo.

Hard fighting on the other walls. US and Italians secure the walls, but take some pretty heavy casualties.

The Black Citadel is cleared of Chinese and Gun Master Chang surrenders.

Next post will have the scrum with the Boxers and the massive fighting around the Chinese Ammo Depot.

Enjoy!

Dawn Raid (part 3) - Boxer Rebellion 15mm

This blog post is part 3 of 5 for the Dawn Raid Scenario featuring my 15mm Boxer Rebellion collection. See part 1 for scenario details. This post is all about the Internationalist's initial attack.

Boxers: Mostly Irregular and Frontier Figures
Imperials: Old Glory, Frontier, and Irregular
Internationalists: Irregular, Old Glory, Minifigs, and Frontier.

Buildings and ships by the talented Mal Wright
Fortress by Eric (me)
Water: window tinting from Lowes.

US and Italian Command

USA and Italian forces move under cover of darkness as close as they can get to the walls before unleashing their batteries and rifle fire. The Chinese have not raised the alarm yet.

Naval Command

Here you can see Charlie Force boarding their long boats to attack the black fortress. This was a very couragous attack giving the terrain and situation.

Anglo-Russian Command

Imperial Chinese Command

The Russians hit the Chinese barracks like a thunder clap! The Chinese are now well away of the allied attack!

British forces, including Gurkhas, Indians, and Highlanders clear the Dragon Gate!

US and Italians begin to try to surpress the bastion guns before they can be brought to bare on their attack. The Chinese infantry is rousing from their sleep to find they are being attacked from three directions!

Shell fire from the gunboats (HMS Kangaroo and Austria gunboat) try to knock out the fortress guns and sink the Chinese Warjunk, while the longboats press for shore!

Chinese garrison is milling around in the parade ground getting weapons, ammo, while the Marines and Sailors (US, German, British) of the Naval flotilla hit the rocks around the fort.

Instead of holding the barrack buildings and fighting the Russians tooth and nail, the Imperial Chinese commander (Jake) moved his units out into the courtyard. This was a bizarre moment and we had a good laugh later about this move. Jake hadn't even started drinking yet!

Gun Master Chang (lone figure on the ramparts) directs fire at the marines landing before his fortress. Chinese War junk getting ready to cast off the dock.

Russians begin to blast their way into the barracks, taking the first set of buildings.

US and Italian (Bersaglieri) have made it to the walls and are now putting up scaling ladders. Notice that both Chinese batteries in the bastions have been destroyed. The question is will they get onto the walls before the Chinese infantry.

Part 4 will have more of the assault fighting.

Dawn Raid (part 2) - Boxer Rebellion 15mm

This blog post is part 2 of 5 for the Dawn Raid Scenario featuring my 15mm Boxer Rebellion collection. See part 1 for scenario details.

Boxers: Mostly Irregular and Frontier Figures
Imperials: Old Glory, Frontier, and Irregular
Internationalists: Irregular, Old Glory, Minifigs, and Frontier.

Buildings and ships by the talented Mal Wright
Fortress by Eric (me)
Water: window tinting from Lowes.

Great shot from the Italo-American assault position.

Harbor patrol sampan with bow gun. Chinese main guns in the bastions

Since this is a dawn raid, the Chinese are mostly in their barracks. Three gun sections, and 2 battalions of Imperial Chinese infantry are in the black fortress.

Nice view of the harbor. The allied Naval Commander (Eric Cottrell) will be assaulting the black fortress via long boats. Gutsy move!

Even before dawn the harbor is clogged with ships and goods.

The DRAGON GATE is a symbol of power to all visitors. The Russians and British command will be assaulting from this direction.

More harbor shots.

here you can see the market and shops of the wharf area.

More photos to come, plus OOB.

Eric