Scenario 9: Remember El Álamo, Baja, March 27, 1911

On March 27, the rebel detachment from Mexicali, swelling to 200 after the long and hard march through the desert from Tecate, approached the mining colony of El Álamo. They had lost their commander, Simón Berthold, on March 20th, when he became the only casualty of skirmish at Santa Catarina ranch, 20km from El Álamo. Berthold rode with the vanguard as they approached the ranch. Three local Rurales fired on the rebels, smashing Berthold’s femur. When the rest of the column caught up, they captured the ranch. The following morning, the column continued on El Álamo, leaving the severely-wounded Berthold at the ranch with 14 others. The detachment arrived at the mining colony at 4pm.

Set up: El Álamo is a small mining colony in the desert east of the mountains. Arrange tents or other make-shift housing in a rough desert, with scrub and cactus, with hills and ridges rising on all sides except for east. You may use trench terrain pieces or other items to represent the workers’ mining efforts nearby. Set up a supply catch near the camp. Place workers in the mine and camp area.

Defending force may set up all forces within and around the mining colony before the start of round 1. Defending force may fortify the area with sand bags, barricades, trenches, and any other means. 

Conditions:

Clear evening - normal visibility for first 5 turns, nighttime visibility from turn 6 on to the end of the game.

Supply: 10 rounds of ammo for defenders, 5 rounds for rebels.

Forces (this battle will be fought at ½ scale).

PLM Forces: 100 rebels from the Berthold detachment

-Group 1: 25 rebels

-Group 2: 25 rebels

-Group 3: 25 rebels

-Group 4: 25 rebels

Government forces:  50 soldiers of the 8th Battalion of the Federal Army

-Captain and 6 officers.

-MG crew 1: 3 soldiers

-1st platoon: 20 soldiers

-2nd platoon: 20 soldiers

Objective:

Possession of the colony is the only objective. Federals possess the colony until all soldiers are driven off, killed or arrested.

Victory Conditions: 

Rebels must capture the mining colony from the soldiers before turn 15. No soldiers can remain in the camp.

Aftermath:

Berthold’s detachment defeated the guards at El Álamo. The surviving soldiers fled back to Ensenada, but the rebels soon heard that Federal soldiers would march to reclaim the position at midnight. The Liberals quickly loaded up two carts with whatever supplies they could carry, and departed for the Santa Catarina ranch at 11pm. The attack never came, and they returned the following day, bringing Berthold with them. The wounded anarchist received medical care from a sympathetic doctor in the mining colony; Dr. A. L. Foster. 

The taking of El Álamo brought the División del Ejército Liberal en Baja California less than 100km from the Capital of Baja: Ensenada. The citizens there protested and nearly revolted when Governor Colonel Vega marched his troops north to defend the US interests at the Colorado Riverworks near Mexicali, instead of east to eliminate the closest band of revolutionaries.