This is one of the many small actions fought between bedouins and the foreign legion during the french conquest of the Sahara. The key to controlling the desert was the oasis villages. It was vital that an attack suceeded quickly, because a force which was unsucessful would be very low on water and may not make it back to the next supply point.

(The french are Essex figures, the arabs are from Minifigs. The supply train is a mix of Essex and Irregular minitures.)

The french force is coming in from the right hand side of the picture, the arabs from the left. On the right foreground is the french supply train.

Half of the Foriegn Legion company makes a rush across the street under covering fire from the rest of the unit behind the wall.

The arab camelry charge headlong into the village with banners flying.

The Chasseurs d’Afrique skirt around the outskirts of the village to take the arabs in the flank. The building on the right is occupied by a half company of Tiraillers Algierien (the famous Turcos). The water of the oasis is simply painted to look deep and then covered in a layer of wood glue (handy stuff wood glue-good for everything!).

A closer look at the Chasseurs.