The Adventures Colonel Kurtz: Kurtz, a renegade German, formerly of the French Foreign Legion, Force Publique and Mercenary.

King Uhmed and Kurtz's communication group.

INTRODUCTION

German Colony of Kamerun, Africa 1890's

The Germans have been patrolling inland using steamers on the river. Kurtz's wandering renegade army has moved into the highlands of Kamerun. Kurtz is beginning to build a kingdom, based on slaving and raiding. Having taken over a village at the base of a hill, Kurtz has renamed the village Kurtzburg. The top of the "burg" looks down on the river the Germans have been patrolling. 

Kurtz is determined to stop the German advance in his realm, but it is going to be very difficult with the poorly trained musket armed troops in his fledgling army. Most of his levy have set up defensive positions facing back down the hill, as news reaches them that the Germans have landed down stream and have flanked them, and are advancing up the hill towards the village.

The top of the hill drops off, down a cliff to the river, so Kurtz must stand, attack or flee.

This is a small game for three or four players and the scenario can be played with any European, well armed aggressor, and any number of native defenders. It will be equally at home with the French in West Africa, the Belgians in the Congo or the Portuguese in Angola.

The Europeans' devastating firepower will surely make mincemeat of the natives, but the government does not want to hear of casualties in the colonies.
 
 

The Rules We played the game with The Sword and the Flame, a 1:1 colonial skirmish game set of rules. We have modified the rules with some factors that allow for the more devastating firepower brought into effect by the Europeans at the end of the 19th Century. We dub these modifications, The Sword and the Sand are also available form the publishers of The Sword and Flame, as a modification produced as part of a scenario pack. The crux of this modification is a different firing chart, which is reproduced on the Red Shadow game, Tukulor Ghosts. We have also introduced a new hand to hand combat chart.

 

ORDER OF BATTLE

GERMAN FORCES Marine Section (12 Men) 1 Officer. Flag bearer 10 marines Superior Rifle Elite troops Askari Sections (4 Sections of 10 men) Including 1 German Officer, 1 German NCO, 2 African NCO's) Inferior Rifle Askari Machine Gun Section 2 Maxim Machine Guns (Each with 80 bursts-D20's) Maximum 20 per turn Native Levy Former Chief of Kurtzberg and 20 musket men. Inferior natives Scouts 5 man scout team (Moves at charge-no drop backs, must evade from a charge. Armed with poor rifle. No leader required). Use scouts to flush ambushes. They reveal any ambush they move within 4 inches of. All German regulars have magazine fed bolt action rifles and can fire twice per turn. The Askaris have black powder rifles so count as inferior. The levies are armed with musket and fire half per turn.

Kurtz's Renegade Army Colonel Kurtz's Personal Bodyguard (20 Men) Various breech loading single shot rifles. Poor Rifle. Fanatics King Uhmed, Kurtz's 2nd in command Communication group of drummer and two witch doctors. 10 musket armed body guards. Fanatics Amazon Women Warriors. Kurt's personal Harem. 18 Fanatic warriors. Spear Native Spear Men 3 units of 20 spear warriors Native Musket Men 4 units of 20 musket men Inferior natives Kurt's Artillery Iron cannon (fires case as per 8cm mountain gun on charts) 4 rounds - takes one turn to swab, one turn to load, may fire on third turn - starts loaded)

Victory

Using the modified charts for The Sword and the Sand, the ability of the Germans to drive Kurtz from his burg, is a foregone conclusion. The statistical fire power balance is 10:1 in favor of the Germans. Kurtz knows this. However, he also knows that the German government will not stand for high casualties in the search of a Place in the Sun for the Kaiser.

Kurtz's intent, then, is to inflict intolerable casualties on the Germans and damage their credibility and prestige in the area.

The following victory conditions should ideally be unknown to the players until after the game. If you play this game, take a subordinate position in the game so that your knowledge of the required victory conditions will not affect your tactical input.

The Germans should simply be told to keep casualties to an absolute minimum.
The German mission is to Drive Kurtz from the hill

The Germans begin the game with 100% Credibility

If the Germans end the game 75% ore more credibility, it is a Major Victory
If the Germans end the game with 50%-75%, it is a Minor Victory
If the Germans  end the game with 25%-49% it is a Phyrric Victory and considered a draw
If the Germans end the game with 0%-24%, it is a Minor Victory to Kurtz
If the Germans end the game with less than 0%, it is a Major Victory to Kurtz
 
 

Each European Officer or NCO Killed	-25%
Each African NCO Killed	-10%
Each Marine Killed	-10%
Each Askari Killed	-5%
Each Machine Gun captured	-50%
Each Native Levy or Scout Killed	-1%

 

The scenario specifications follow.