Ashanti Wars 1873-1874

Ashanti Wars 1873-1874

Gerry Webb

General Sir Garnet Wolseley led a hand-picked group of outstanding officers (thereafter known as the Ashanti Gang) and a mixed force of British Regulars, West India Regiment, Haussa troops and native scouts on an expedition to the interior of Ashanti-land.

On the road to Kumasi.

After some hard fought actions the British led force succeeded in occupying the Ashanti capital, Kumase.

For the advance into the jungle, Wolseley divided his army into mutually supporting columns:

The Front Column:

The 42nd Highlanders (The Black Watch) Royal Artillery with 2 x 7 pounder guns

The Left Column:

Royal Naval Brigade - 100 Officers and menRussell's Native Regiment Royal Artillery with 2 x Hale's Rockets

The Right Column:

Royal Naval Brigade - 100 Officers and menRoyal Artillery with 2 x Hale's Rockets

Reserve:

2nd Battalion 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers

The Rear Column:

2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade

In addition Royal Engineers assisted by Sierra Leone labourers were placed at the front and flanks of the columns to clear a way through the bush.

The thick jungle blocked vision between units and made command and control difficult. To counter this, Native units were bolstered with extra NCO's and Officers, I for every 10 men in the Haussa units, I British Officer to every 40 or 50 men in the native scout units. These units were drawn from different sub tribes and a company could not speak the language of the company next to it. A few individuals may have had a few words of English.

Large numbers of native 'porters supplied the British force, approximately 1 porter for every 2 troops. These carried everything including the dismantled artillery pieces.

Tactics

In the dense rain forest and swampland of Ashanti, actions were fought at close quarters and were characterized by sudden ambushes by Ashanti gunmen concealed in undergrowth or occupying stockades or trenches.

The Ashanti tactics were to attack suddenly with massed musketry seize whatever loot they could, then quickly melt away into the bush to strike again from another direction. The Ashanti were reluctant to engage in hand to hand combat and a British Bayonet charge often broke their resistance.

The British were initially shocked by the great volume of firepower directed at them, but quickly discovered much of the Ashanti fire was high and inaccurate.

A typical scenario would have a British force trying to reach an objective through unscouted country, with Ashanti units lying in ambush or trying to sneak around the British flanks. A permanent trail is likely to be blocked at some point by an Ashanti stockade supported by troops in trenches and concealed off the track.

The British campaign objectives were to capture the Ashanti capital and destroy their powerful army.

British players should try to close with and destroy Ashanti units when they find them.