"Caught at Kut" demonstration game, Colours 2016, Newbury 10th September.

Or perhaps "What I did Yesterday."

A huge "thank-you" goes out to Adrian Shepherd who invited me to take part in this game. This is probably the first time I have done something like this in over twenty years. The inner twelve year old was released and I felt a surge of competitiveness. I try, like Mr Spock, to supress such unseemly emotions. The concept was all Adrian's. Terrain boards were created and borrowed, lots of figures painted, boats scratched and painted and vignettes to dress the table produced.  Absent chums graciously lent troops. I think the game went down well. Joe Public took many photographs and engaged in discussion about the game. The Wargaming press spent a fair bit of time photographing the whole production and twisting arms for contributions to future editions. I had a great time. Enjoy the pictures. I couldn't take more as I was actually playing the game right up until 5.00pm.

Starting points viewed from the British-Imperial rear. HMS Firefly and an Indian Marine tender in the foreground. The tender carries a RN diving team ready to deal with Turkish mines floated down on the current.

General Townshend in Kut waves to his would-be rescuers. Or is he simply waving "goodbye" to his military career?

The British left makes a big mistake breaking the cover of the ancient ruins. 

God bless the RFC! Called in to bomb the tower in the distance which was housing an irritating HMG that was holding up the advance on the right. Thanks to some spectacularly poor dice rolls all efforts to do so with artillery had failed.

The British reserve brigade and guns moving up to support the stalling advance.

Johnny Turk responded by strengthening his foward trench.

These Turks on the Turkish right were dangerously exposed and within a couple of turns they were gone along with the HMG thanks to excellent Indian Musketry and the two inch Stokes mortar that would eventually find its mark.

The DH2 closes in on the bomb run.

The DH2 would drop a bomb right in the middle of the top of the tower.

Meanwhile Johnny Turk floats his beastly mines.

British Imperial reserves are brought up as Turkish strength in the forward trenches begins to wane. The Turkish Albatross proved very ineffective in bombing. 

Britsh reserves begin to deploy and move forward. The RHA guns were very sluggish.

Having dealt with the tower, the DH2 banked to the left and began to straf the Turkish front line...

.

... with dire consequnces.

A wretched sniper that was responsible for quite a few casualties

Turkish heavies deploy as the game entered its closing turns

The four inch naval gun on board "Firefly" proved very ineffective. Rubbish in fact. I blame the bloke that built it.

The British on the left finally advance. The Turkish HMG would be removed this turn by the "toffee-apple" mortar. 

Just as the British Imperial effort to assault the Turkish position began to move in....many more Johnnies arrived along the wadi.

Thus far and no further as the day ended.

Kut fell to the Ottoman Empire.... again!