Seeing the Elephant: Q-Ball (USA) v Gunnulf (CSA)

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Seeing the Elephant: Q-Ball (USA) v Gunnulf (CSA) - 12/8/2013 5:40:28 PM

Q-Ball

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Both of us are not quite so green this time, so starting another AAR, this time I am trying the Union side.

With the recent patch, I wonder if Union is now a bit overpowered, but time will tell, and we'll see how it plays out.

HOUSERULE:

Only houserule is that McClellan must command the largest army in the Eastern Theater once he is promoted to 3*, and until either:
a) November 1862, or
b) He losses a couple battles and/or Washington is threatened. This is obviously a judgement call, but Gunnulf is a gentleman, so I think we'll capture the spirit

I also will not build lots of Union militia and train them to regulars. That was a workaround before the Union was beefed up; no need to do that anymore.

July 1861:

EASTERN:
The usual stuff happened early; I took Harper's Ferry, and since then have been pumping reinforcements into the place in order to hold it. So far, Gunnulf has not made any attempt on it, and overall seems to be adopting a defensive posture, probably to collect the 10 NM from holding Manassas.

He is withdrawing from West Virginia it seems. I am not sure what the best strategy is as CSA, but it does seem you need to either commit more troops, or get out. Staying with those 4 militia brigades is not a winning strategy. Supply becomes a major issue when the weather turns bad, so you either need to as CSA make some hay, or get out. He is choosing the latter.

Otherwise, as you can see we siezed Falmouth, and I am sending troops to hopefully control Clark, VA, and the Manassas Gap RR, which is key.

BUILDS:
Not knowing what to expect with Gunnulf and the CSA under this patch, I focused alot of early builds on Infantry Brigades out EAST; rule #1, don't lose Washington, so my priority #1 is to make sure I outnumber the Rebs in that theater. We are also building artillery.

Out West, I built some units to secure Cairo, but otherwise I'm prioritizing the East. We did construct 2 TINCLAD units to help control the rivers.

Overall, I am focusing on securing Missouri, Cairo, and Northern Virginia, to set the stage for 1862.

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< Message edited by Q-Ball -- 12/8/2013 6:54:17 PM >

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RE: Seeing the ELephant: Q-Ball (USA) v Gunnulf (CSA) - 12/8/2013 5:52:49 PM

Q-Ball

Posts: 7336
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From: Chicago, Illinois
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August 1861:

Eastern:

Gunnulf continues to withdraw from West Virginia; we entered an empty Charleston.

Joe Johnston's army is still concentrated at Stasburg; they are not moving much, other than to raid the B&O and sever the rail line

I defeated a brigade at Clark, and should sever the Manassas Gap RR, separating Beauregard and Johnston. The AnV does not move from Manassas though, and I am not strong enough to attack. At least Washington is not threatened.

Given the defensive posture out east, I am shifting builds to the WEST, because, well, there is action there.

KENTUCKY:

Kentucky seceeded! I personally don't like this event as I think it's ahistorical, but there it is. It also does no favors for the CSA player, because that instantly opens Tennessee to assault. But Gunnulf took initial advantage.

Early in August, right after KY Activation, I sent a 5000-man force under Milroy to Munfordville "Blind", hoping to seize it quickly. Instead, they ran right into a 20,000 man army under Polk, and we lost the first large battle of the war, and along with that 1 NM. Milroy's weary boys were in headlong flight to Louisville.

The bad news is that Louisville is threatened. I can only pull together 14,000-ish men there, so not sure they will hold. They will have to try.

The good news is that I learned alot about where the CSA forces are. The "Army of the West" from Little Rock is here, and therefore will NOT be in Missouri. I am therefore not going to worry a ton about St. Louis. (I think that's a good move though; I found out in my other game there is really a limited amount the CSA can do in Missouri anyway, so may as well use those forces where they can do more good. The main problem is that Missouri is not on the CSA rail net).

I also think I can take advantage of all the Memphis forces being away from Island 10. I need Grant to appear, but by the time he does I should have enough troops to make an attempt. So that's a good thing!

FAR WEST:

I have so far seen no Confederate activity. I built 4 Ranger units, and we captured Ft. Lee and a couple other stockades. I am keeping everyone spread out for now because supplies are so short out there, I just need everyone to eat out in the stockades and allow me to stockpile some biscuits in Santa Fe. Food is a huge problem out there, and that's also why I am not going to build ANY units other than these Rangers. (I am moving some US regulars from CA, though)

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RE: Seeing the ELephant: Q-Ball (USA) v Gunnulf (CSA) - 12/9/2013 2:14:48 AM

Q-Ball

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September 1861:

EASTERN:

The CSA shifted almost all troops in Virginia from the Valley, in an effort to clear Falmouth. I was pushed out of Falmouth, but as a result of both that move, and the cut to the Manassas Gap RR, Winchester was wide open.

McClellan was active in early Sept, somehow, and attacked Winchester, taking it and earning a promotion. Sadly, next turn when Strasburg had only a single brigade there, every leader in the stack was inactive. Drat!

We'll pay the 10 NM penalty next turn for not attacking Manassas.....Gunnulf was pretty careful to leave alot of guys there, any attack would have been a defeat anyway

West Virginia is pretty much vacated now.

WESTERN:

Polk halted his army at Munfordville. He had a shot at Louisville, but it would have been close. I have a decent size force there now under Milroy.

Grant appears in Cairo, and next turn we'll be moving with him to a location TBD......we have enough troops in Cairo now to make some noise. I also have built a starter fleet with 3 Tinclad Squadrons

MISSOURI:

ZZZZZ.......I think Gunnulf for now is content to sit with Price's Missourians in Springfield, and I with Lyon around Rolla. Neither of us is strong enough to dislodge the other.

Come spring, I'll have to decide if I am going to invest more troops in Missouri, or leave it alone for now. I am confident I can hold Jeff City and Rolla without a huge commitment, but I'm going to need another 10,000 men probably to clear Price out of Springfield. I am leaning toward doing nothing, and committing those troops elsewhere; the deciding factor is that I only have enough good leaders for a handful of advance axis.

FAR WEST:

Man, supply is a problem. The garrison in Ft. Craig is going to run out of supplies if they don't move when they unfreeze. It's clear I can't bring alot of troops to NM, maybe not even the whole California column. Too many mouths to feed!

I still haven't seen any Reb Rangers. Those units are pesky.

I have been marching the US Army from California and Oregon to Denver; they will arrive shortly. We'll probably stay there for the winter; not a good idea to try to cross the Great Plains in winter. I'll leave a regiment or two behind to protect the gold mine.

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RE: Seeing the ELephant: Q-Ball (USA) v Gunnulf (CSA) - 12/9/2013 1:39:06 PM

Ace1_slith

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Why are you spreading your stacks like this. I see a line of division sized stacks from Alexandria to Strasburg. Would it be more efficient if your stacks were grouped together in two large armies, one in Alexandria and one in the Valley.

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RE: Seeing the ELephant: Q-Ball (USA) v Gunnulf (CSA) - 12/10/2013 3:58:49 AM

Q-Ball

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From: Chicago, Illinois
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Ace1

Why are you spreading your stacks like this. I see a line of division sized stacks from Alexandria to Strasburg. Would it be more efficient if your stacks were grouped together in two large armies, one in Alexandria and one in the Valley.

Good question. The reason is that Gunnulf had most of his forces concentrated at Manassas, making that point too strong to attack. However, I could deploy smaller forces with the thought of keeping him defending his flanks, and keep cutting the railway. That was my thought process anyway.

He has smacked me a couple times by attacking smaller forces, but I also have taken Winchester, so it's not all bad. I'll be fine if I finish 1861 in this spot, especially if I can hold the Valley, I can flank him out of Manassas.

Oct 1861:

EASTERN:

Joe Johnston smacked around a brigade at Leesburg, then moved back to Manassas, where all the Rebs are. Interesting, there is only a small division in the Valley.

We are forming divisions of course, and preparing for the Winter

WESTERN:

Kentucky is a standoff; the Army of Tennessee is at Munfordville, and looks pretty large, more than I can take on.

I plan a couple moves in this theater shortly, we'll see how it works out

MISSOURI:

ZZZZZZZZ

FAR WEST:

A Texas brigade demolished one of my rangers. Interesting, he has done a build out there. We'll see how this campaign goes.

BUILDS:

I am buidling 2 River Ironclads and 2 Ocean ones. We are starting to focus more on artillery.

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RE: Seeing the ELephant: Q-Ball (USA) v Gunnulf (CSA) - 12/11/2013 4:41:00 PM

Q-Ball

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November 1861

EASTERN:

A couple battles out east, and lots of movement.

First, Beauregard took 40,000 men into Leesburg; they smacked a division there, and stayed.

Next turn, I was fortunate enough to have McDowell active; so with Beauregard with the bulk of Southern forces at Leesburg, we attacked Manassas.

The result was mixed; look at the battle result. We pushed the Rebs out of the hex, but it wasn't a balanced fight. He had trenches, but I also think the problem was our poor leadership. Plus, the Union forces in the east are very heavy in Militia/Volunteers at this stage.

We'll see what's next, I think the obvious thing to do for him is to send everyone back into Manassas to kick me out. He probably can, too.

FT. DONELSON:

History repeats itself here; Grant leads an expedition and takes Ft. Donelson, earning a promotion in the process!

Using Foote's fleet, we land 2 Divisions, about 15,000 men, right on Ft. Donelson, initiating a siege. Next turn, we attacked, and overwhelmed the 3500 man garrison, killing or capturing everyone, and earning 1 NM. Huzzah!

Gunnulf had reinforced the fort with an extra brigade, which was not enough to make a difference, but just added to the losses.

Grant earns a promotion, and the icing on the cake is that we capture the Artillery unit and supply wagons there.

A large division under Lyons also crossed over to Columbus KY and Paducah, taking both.

MISSOURI:

Things have gone south here, literally......

I said before I am not committing alot to this theater, just hoping to keep him out of St. Louis. Well, Price took Jefferson City. And I can't dislodge him with what I have.

We have enough troops to hold Rolla under Asboth, but I will need to get a few more troops and a real leader out there. We can't have him sit in Jefferson City. I just can't spare the troops at the moment.

FAR WEST:

Nothing much so far, other than Gunnulf is securing his supply lines.

My biggest problem: SUPPLIES. Any advice? I really need more boxes of crackers out there.

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< Message edited by Q-Ball -- 12/11/2013 5:51:09 PM >

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RE: Seeing the Elephant: Q-Ball (USA) v Gunnulf (CSA) - 12/11/2013 5:01:20 PM

Q-Ball

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From: Chicago, Illinois
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December 1861

Considering it's winter, a very eventful turn; mixed bag for both of us.

EASTERN:

Out east, the main Rebel army pushed me out of Manassas, dealing me another defeat there. The Union troops are really not good at this stage. McClellan is training men every turn, but with so many volunteers there are alot to train.

With only a handful of Confederates in the Valley, we attacked Strasburg, demolishing Bee's command, and winning 1 NM. Nobody was promoted, though.

You can see below the current situation; I am not unhappy with the way things went in Virginia in 1861. We concentrated most of our builds out east to protect Washington, but we also made a few gains.

Primarily, we secured Harpers Ferry, took Winchester, and chased him out of Strasburg. We have troops concentrated around Washington, about 80,000 total.

FT. DONELSON:

Out west, not so good. It took me two turns to take Ft. Donelson, and in that time Gunnulf railed AS JOhnston's army to Dover. He attacked with nearly 30,000 troops, and pushed Grant out. I moved Grant back to Paducah, to refit and await another move.

It wasn't all bad: We did demolish the Redoubt, which is gone, and captured his artillery unit there. So, he is going to have to rebuild the fort there to deny me use of the Rivers.

The other silver lining is that he abandoned Munfordville, and if the weather wasn't snowy I would be able to take Bowling Green as well.

OUT WEST:

We attempted to grab Ft. Thorn in our quest for supplies, but a Garrison popped up. Drat! Withdrawl backward, hoping to scoop up enough from our meagre stocks to get a few biscuits in the wagon.

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RE: Seeing the Elephant: Q-Ball (USA) v Gunnulf (CSA) - 12/14/2013 11:54:31 AM

Q-Ball

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March 1862

Overall, January and February passed fairly uneventfully. Some action out east, but for the most part, I think both of us were building our forces and waiting for the weather to clear.

EAST:

After Porter's success at Strasburg (See last post), Gunnulf reacted well, and sent 30,000 men under Johnston at Winchester, isolating my troops at Strasburg. Rather than try to fight it out, and not wanting to be isolated in the cold, I burned the depot, and made it back to Union lines.

Good move though, by leaving Winchester, I left it to the Rebs, which wasn't wise. I should have stuck there. C'est la guerre.

Attached below is the the situation as of now. I have approx. 110,000 troops in Northern VA. By house rule, the AoP is commanded by McClellan, so we are not planning alot of offensive action, simply because we won't be able to. I will likely launch an attack or two to keep him honest, but my objective in 1862 is to keep Washington safe, and attack elsewhere to get a leader promoted to take over out here.

I organized the AoP into 4 Corps under Sumner, Franklin, Keyes, and Milroy. Nearly all my division commanders are 3-1-1 types, so leadership is very lacking right now. IN 1862 the Union starts getting some better division commanders, so the plan is to start working them in and replace the slugs.

LOUISIANA EXPEDITION:

The big news from the east is the Louisiana Expedition.

I landed a division under Granger at Fort St. Phillip. The objective is to first blockade New Orleans, which will cost Gunnulf money every turn. I plan to take Fort Jackson as well, which will OPEN the Mississippi mouth. I also want to recon New Orleands, to see if it's feasible to take.

Gunnulf initiated "Build Defensive Works", so odds are pretty good there are more forces there than I can handle. That's OK, if New Orleans is blocked, I have a backup plan once I take the forts.

The division I formed under Granger, I built a sort of "Fort Busting" division consisting of the following elements:

1 Marine Regt (Amphib bonus for whole division)
1 Siege Mortar (Art Bonus)
1 Pontoon (engineering bonus)
Infantry and Artillery

Is this wise? I wouldn't put Siege Mortars in a field unit, but seems like a good use for fort busting.

Barring unforseen intervention, the Fort should fall next turn.

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Post #: 8

Out West - 12/14/2013 12:03:41 PM

Q-Ball

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March 1862--West

Out West will be the major action in 1862. Grant is in command of the Army of Mississippi at Columbus, KY, and because he is Grant, he'll be the focal point.

KY-TN Border

Here, we have an army under Buell at Munfordville. They are mostly watching an equivalent sized army under Polk at Bowling Green. Buell is not strong enough to advance, just strong enough to keep him honest. Ultimately, the Union Navy is going to clear Bowling Green for me by getting into the Cumberland.

We are already sending gunboats down the Tennessee river. After Grant destroyed Ft. Donelson, there isn't much to stop us, so we are using the navy as a shield to keep AS Johnston out of West Tennessee. In West Tennessee itself, I don't see a whole lot besides the division guarding Island 10. I need more intel, but so far I am not seeing anything between Grant and Memphis.

So, this is interesting. John Pope (siege bonus) is leading a Corps against Island 10, and should take it next turn. Lyon's Corps is at Humboldt. I need more troops in the AoT, but we are moving south.

My primary concern is supply. I have a depot at Paducah, and will get it to lvl 2 to avoid destruction by raiders. But our supply line will get very long between there and Memphis. We really need to get to Memphis and move supply base to that location, to move further down the river.

Grant's Corps are led, for now, by Wallace, Lyon, and Pope.

MISSOURI:

With my commitments to the East and Grant, someone has to suffer, and that's Missouri. Price has sat all winter in Jefferson City, and Gunnulf has been building his army larger as well. He now has an AV over 600; that's more than just Militia.

I have a large division under Ricketts at Rolla; again, enough to stop him, not enough to kick him out.

The situation is even worse in Kansas. The garrison at Leavenworth is under siege; they repulsed an attack by Stand Watie, but I am not certain we can again. Not good.

I just don't have the troops and leaders to spare yet to restore the situation. I may be forced to, which I'm sure is Gunnulf's point.

FAR WEST:

Here I have the troops, but not the food.

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Post #: 9

Huzzah! - 12/15/2013 3:30:38 PM

Q-Ball

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April 1862

Newspapers across the Union bring news of two victories which will help us to put down this infamous rebellion. First, stalemate out east...

EASTERN:

Still quiet; we now have 110,000 men organized into 4 Corps along the Potomac:

I Corps, 33,000 (Sumner): 4 Divisions (Stone, Hunter, Miles, Blenker) at Fairfax
II Corps, 25,000 (Berry): 3 Divisions (Schurz, Humphreys, Howe) at Loudon
V Corps, 15,000 (Milroy): 2 Divisions (Heintzelman, Griffin) at Loudon
III Corps, 33,000 (Dix): 4 Divisions (Hooker, Porter, Mansfield, Tyler)at Harpers Ferry
Cav Division: 4,000 (Caldwell)
Reserve Division: 10,000

Loudon is the largest concentration; if he attacks at Alexandria or Harpers, then both those Corps should MTSG, and contribute; that way, I can defend all the hexes

I may beef up V Corps bit more, with another division

Louisiana Expedition:

Our 10,000 man force easily took Ft. St. Phillip. New Orleans is now blockaded, and the overall Blockade % went up to 40% in the blockade box. HUZZAH!

Our ships and men are going to recover cohesion at Ft. St. Phillip, then probably invest Ft. Jackson, in order to open the river mouth. This also will discourage any attempt to re-take these forts.

Advance in West Tennessee:

46,000 men are now in Grant's army in West Tennessee. We took Island 10 last turn, and you can see the map below the overall plan.

I think Gunnulf is a little out of position; AS Johnston and Polk have something like 40,000 men between Donelson and Bowling Green, and the only forces I have over there are 22,000 men under Buell near Munfordville.

I think he is starting to correct it; there are now 3 divisions around Memphis, and Johnston is here as well.

I hope to take Ft. Pillow next turn, and Memphis within the following month. After that, I will restablish a supply base at Memphis, and go from there.

KANSAS:

Lawrence is invested by a force of mostly Indians under Watie; I am pulling together units to kick them out.

The first US Army units from the West are arriving in Kansas, so I hope to put a small force together to kick them out

FAR WEST:

We took Ft. Cummings, and a large stockpile of food, which is good, but Baylor's forces are much stronger than mine right now, and I am not sure I can do much more than get a stalemate.

I can't really build more units in this area, because I simply cannot feed them.

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< Message edited by Q-Ball -- 12/15/2013 4:37:41 PM >

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/17/2013 3:26:11 PM

Q-Ball

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May 1862

The advance out west continues, but we have to pause and pull together, as the Rebs are concentrating at Memphis

Meanwhile, I see a buildup in Missouri that is concerning

Eastern:

Quiet; he has about 6500 AV in Northern Virginia, dug-in at Winchester and Manassas. I have cut the rail line at Clarke, and he doesn't seem concerned about fixing it. I have a Corps put forward at Falmouth, we'll see if that precipitates an attack.

West Tennessee:

Ft. Pillow falls. Next turn, Lyon's forces also capture a 2500-man garrison at Covington (I think Gunnulf was building a brigade there that was overrun). With Covington captured, that is the first real production structure I have captured in the South.

We also captured Corinth, securing a closer supply source to our troops near Memphis.

We are now adjacent Memphis, but my army is low on cohesion and strung-out from the march across West Tennessee. We need to pull everyone together and pause. After that, we'll see if we have the strength to assault Memphis. If not, we'll advance via Corinth toward Stevenson, AL; that should clear the Rebs out of Bowling Green, don't you think?

Louisiana Expedition:

Ft. Jackson is invested, and should fall easily next turn. After that, we will have 10,000 troops with shipping, all dressed up and somewhere to go.

I think New Orleans is too well defended to land directly on the city. That would be my first choice, but I am certain there is a strong force there. So now what?

Possibilities include Florida, Texas, a move up through Plaquemines around to the other side of New Orleans, or investing Ft. Sumter.

MISSOURI:

There is trouble brewing in Missouri, I fear. Price's command continues to gain weight at Jeff City, and the purpose can only be offensive. Quantrill appears right behind St. Louis to cut the rail lines. I think he is going to make a push on St. Louis.

Just in case, I am pulling reinforcements to St. Louis, as it is not well defended. Supplies should be a problem for him on any move, so if he moves forward, I will probably be forced to torch the depot at Rolla; I can't give him a supply source in Missouri. I am not sure he can move supplies all the way from Springfield to St. Louis, so I feel like if I can hold a little bit, I can drive him off.

If he is concentrating a large army in Missouri, this can work to my advantage, as Confederates in Missouri are completely off any ability to rail quickly somewhere else; they are stuck. Meanwhile, the troops I use to defend can quickly rail down to Grant and support him.

Question:

It's kinda quiet on the forum these days....is anyone getting anything out of this AAR?

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< Message edited by Q-Ball -- 12/17/2013 4:38:31 PM >

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/17/2013 3:45:43 PM

cmdrsam

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Yes, Qball. Reading and getting some different thoughts on campaigning. So I am thankfull for you doing this.

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/17/2013 4:04:43 PM

Lecivius

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Me, too. I always lurk in the back ground, but I learn a lot from your AAR's here & in AE.

Are you seeing, or sensing, any major differences in 1.02?

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/17/2013 6:00:36 PM

Jim D Burns

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Yep reading with much interest, thanks for posting it. Your game feels far more like the civil war now than the games started under earlier builds, the patch really made a difference. It also doesn�t appear you are able to simply crush the CSA as some have stated was the case, what are your impressions about the strength balance now?

Jim

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/18/2013 10:07:32 AM

veji1

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Interesting too. It seems to me that in this game, a bit like in AACW, Virginia tends to be very static : lots of soldiers, but not much action. Under these circumstances it would seem better to me for the CSA to send Lee west. Actually in a way Lee should probably follow Grant around, if one plays a defensive game as the CSA.

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/20/2013 3:42:58 AM

Q-Ball

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July 1862:

Well, the last couple months has seen a sharp reverse in Union fortunes. Nothing we can't come back from. There are at least a couple silver linings.

EASTERN:

This was a disaster! I advanced a Corps to Falmouth, with a strong force at Alexandria. Not strong enough, as Lee and 60,000 men defeated a Union force of 85,000 at Alexandria!

The redoubt was taken, and Gunnulf followed that up with attacks at Loudon and Harpers Ferry, basically sweeping Virginia of Union forces. Bad!

I had an opening to attack, that was unfortunately not possible due to Corps inactivity. Need to replace McClellan.....

So, bad tactical handling on my part. I should have stayed put, and I would still be there.

WESTERN:

I also messed-up in Tennessee. I did foresee this one, as I moved too fast, spread out too far, and didn't concentrate my forces enough.

Holmes went on a 4regoin rampage, stopped finally at Humboldt.

The Army of Tennessee is halted, recovering losses, with a larger Reb army now in front; somehow, he pulled 40,000 men together quickly

We have a plan though which does not involve crossing the Duck River into his trenches; as soon as we recover losses, it will be time to start that

MISSOURI:

He is not going to attack St. Louis. I don't mind though having 1200 Reb AV in Missouri, that's a good spot if I can take advantage of that elsewhere.

GULF EXPEDITION:

This is the only area where things are moving well.

2 Confederate Ironclads challenged Farragut's fleet in front of Ft. Jackson, and were sunk. We then moved our forces to Apalachicola, and Ft. Gaines, taking both. Next move will be upriver toward Columbus, GA.

My opponent wonders if it's too easy to do invasion after invasion with the same division; not sure, I may have a different opinion on the receiving end. There is no doubt that a division with a fleet can bust forts all year, about one every couple months.

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/20/2013 1:26:17 PM

Ace1_slith

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Did you get 2nd -10NM hit for not getting in close to Richmond?

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/20/2013 4:50:40 PM

Lecivius

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"My opponent wonders if it's too easy to do invasion after invasion with the same division; not sure, I may have a different opinion on the receiving end. There is no doubt that a division with a fleet can bust forts all year, about one every couple months. "

This is actually historical, albeit I bet it is driving your opponent crazy. Small forts were almost always taken in a rush. This dates back to the Napoleonic wars. A fort garrison was there to fire batteries, not withstand a fast, determined attack. IF that rush is beaten off, however, the attackers suffered grievous casualties. Strong forts that were besieged waited for a relief force that was always stronger than the maritime attack force as the guys on the ground could always come with heavier armaments than the maritime force could land. I have seen that in this game as well.

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Post #: 18

RE: Huzzah! - 12/21/2013 2:46:31 PM

Q-Ball

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Ace1

Did you get 2nd -10NM hit for not getting in close to Richmond?

Yes, I did. With McClellan in charge, not easy to avoid that one. I could land units down by Tappahannock or some such place, but without ability to follow-on attack, it's like beaching a whale.

Once 1862 expires, though, I will move Lyon or Grant out east, and we'll be able to be more active. In the meantime, at least the AoP is pretty trained up, thanks to Little Mac.

August 1862:

EAST:

We're now staring at each other at the Potomac line. I have more troops than the Rebs, and this is mostly where my numerical advantage is. I still like the HR, it seems right, because I am frustrated by the lack of progress out here.

WEST:

I have not done well in this theater. I am disappointed with my progress, and quite frankly should be further along than I am. I attribute that to my poor tactical handling as we approached Memphis, stringing my guys out, and Gunnulf's excellent defense taking advantage of that.

I am also not used to the long recovery rate for US troops for hits; it's taking awhile

As a result, Grant has been inactive now a couple months licking wounds and digging in. At least we are firmly near Memphis. But what next?

An obvious move is to cross the Tennessee and force AS Johnston out of Bowling Green; really irritating that he is still there.

I have a division ready to go for an amphib landing in the rear somewhere at Paducah, and we have a couple ideas on how to use it.

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/21/2013 2:53:39 PM

Q-Ball

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Aug 1862:

There is some good news though, most of my gains in 1862 have come from amphib invasions. Gunnulf has committed the strength to stop me in front of Memphis, and threaten St. Louis, but you can't be strong everywhere, and this is probably where he has suffered a bit.

MISSOURI:

He is not attempting to take St. Louis; however, Joe Johnston is now taking a division toward Lawrence, KS. We are moving a division there via boat, not sure we'll make it in time, but we'll see.

He depot at Springfield is not well protected. I can't burn it with Cav, but I do have an idea. Losing it would cripple his operations in Mizzou, as there aren't alot of supplies available north of there.

FAR WEST:

Good news here though; after finally concentrating some forces from the California Column, and recovering cohesion, we advanced and took Ft. Bliss.

Too weak to continue to El Paso, but we should be able to recover shortly and push again. We have an advantage out here in artillery; we have several batteries, he has none at all. He has a mobility advantage, though.

Florida Expedition:

Gulf operations continue. I cleared Ft. Gadseden, and am taking Bainbridge. As a result, he has lost some production (5 money, 1 recruit, 2 WSU) that is now mine. That's the purpose here, and also to draw some troops off.

I'll have to decide if I stay at Bainbridge; if I do I'll have to leave a garrison. One good thing about taking forts is that they self-garrison; which is nice.

I am forming another "Coastal" division in Annapolis, for operations out east

I may also get some additional infantry together for a move into Texas, which strikes me as an easy way to get some VPs.

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/21/2013 6:35:26 PM

Ace1_slith

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Just remember if you do not complete second on to Richmond event, there is a third ending somewhere in Sep 62. Historically, Union did get close on the Peninsula...

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Post #: 21

RE: Huzzah! - 12/28/2013 12:04:48 PM

Q-Ball

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Ace1

Just remember if you do not complete second on to Richmond event, there is a third ending somewhere in Sep 62. Historically, Union did get close on the Peninsula...

I only saw two in the event, I think, but we paid a penalty. With McClellan in charge, east is quiet for me.

Oct 1862

EAST:

The east continues to be quiet; with McClellan in charge, I am prioritizing elsewhere, and I also wanted to see if a decision can be forced in the western theater.

TENNESSEE:

Tennessee has been quite active the last couple turns.

First, in Nashville/KY area, we deployed the Union Navy along the Cumberland River, cutting Johnston's 25,000 or so men off from supplies and suppport to the south. We followed that up with an attack by Rosecrans on Bowling Green, which won 1 NM and captured 2 building artillery units. Huzzah!

Gunnulf did escape, however, by bringing his ironclads over from Memphis, and clearing the river.

He did well to hold Bowling Green that long; kind of embarassing that it took me that long to clear it.

He holds a good line from Donelson to Nashville; we are probably going to have to either cross to the east of town, or along the Tennesse River, or a bit of both

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/28/2013 12:11:32 PM

Q-Ball

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Oct 1862:

WEST TENNESSEE:

Gunnulf did a good job pulling out of Corinth; Memphis is secure for him at this point.

Studying the terrain here, the key for Memephis looks like Hopefield. As long as he has Hopefield, he can draw supplies from Madison/Little Rock via rail, which make cutting the rail lines south of Memphis futile. He has enough trenches to repulse a direct assault.

Meade has a corps on the west bank; he will invest Hopefield, while Grant will take a part of his army eastward leaving enough in front of Memphis to keep the Rebs pinned there

Probably I cannot take Memphis until 1863

MISSOURI:

Another offensive by 25,000 or so Rebs forces me to pull men together at St. Louis. I suceeded in discouraging an attack, as he pulled Joe Johnston's army back to Jeff City. In the meantime, I raided his supply lines, burning the depot at Fayetteville and Ft. Smith via Partisan Raid cards. I don't think he'll be able to sustain that army through the winter, but we'll find out. I don't have the strength to kick them out.

FAR WEST:

It's very strange; I occupy El Paso, and he has Mesilla; neither of us strong enough to push the other. This New Mexican standoff suits me, as I have the objective cities, and enough supplies.

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Post #: 23

RE: Huzzah! - 12/30/2013 12:18:56 AM

Q-Ball

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Feb 1863

It's been a bit since I posted; overall, it was not a very active winter, as bad weather and snow basically halted most of my operations for 3 months. Tennessee in particular was snow covered for a solid 6 turns, with freezing in the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers.

STATUS:

Gunnulf kindly did a headcount, and I shared mine. We counted mobile formations, excluding garrisons, forts, fixed militias.

Union Army has 318,000 at the new year, and the Rebs have 259,000. The ratio in the Objectives screen is higher, at 1.4 to 1, but the Union numbers on that are inflated by the Navy, and also certain Union garrisons that are pretty useless (like Boston).

The current ratio feels about right in terms of mobile troops; I have enough of an advantage to win some ground, but not enough to run over the south. At the current trajectory, my advantage should grow, forcing him to make increasingly tough choices on what to defend and what not. That would feel like real life.

In terms of the game, I think I was outplayed in 1862, particularly that attack in West Tennessee in July; that defeat halted Grant's army for a solid 2 months, and by the time we had recovered, the path to Memphis was blocked. That was well done.

At the moment, the only signifcant objectives in CSA states I hold are El Paso, Corinth, Island 10, and Jacksonville, FL. The Rebs hold Harpers Ferry, Springfield MO, Jeff City. I do hold the forts at the head of the Mississippi, which blockades New Orleands; that's helpful.

In terms of builds, both of us have punched all treasury options, and bought or drafted recruits to round out our armies. I have purchased alot of artillery, and my production is higher, though I also have to buy more Wagons and Flatboats for supply purposes than he does.

EAST

The biggest battle was out east, where the Army of the Potomac finally crossed it's namesake, and drove the Rebels out of Fairfax.

Lyon was moved to take command, having satisfied our HR with McClellan shunted aside. In his place, I thought about Grant, but decided on Lyon as our man. He is a 4-2-2 as an 3*, not a world beater, but certainly an upgrade over Little Mac.

The other factor is that with all the coastal operations (see below), Gunnulf has thinned out the AnV. Jackson has 1800 AV at Harpers Ferry, leaving Lee and Longstreet with 4000 AV or so around Fairfax, which turned out to be about 45,000 troops.

Lyon crossed the Potomac with other 90,000 men, and you can see the result below.

Next steps are to clear Alexandria, and keep attacking the AnV until they stop me. At that point, I'll likely have to reorganize, and prioritize clearing the Valley first before heading further south toward Richmond. Once I am on the Rappahannock, I think I can keep him pinned enough there to re-take Winchester and Harpers Ferry.

TENNESSEE

This theater of operations has been fairly quiet; I'll post more of a Map when we start to move.

We have a line of Corps at the gates of Memphis, from Osceola, AK, to Holly Springs and Corinth. I have Corps under Thomas, Crittenden, and Meager, with the largest under Thomas. This is the core of Grant's army, and we face roughly 45,000 men or so under Beauregard around Memphis (total Reb AV is 3500-ish)

Further north, we have a Depot at Decaturville, which is supplied via Columbus. Meade's Corps as at Dover, and on the other side of the Cumberland Rosecran's Army of the Cumberland occupies the area around Bowling Green with 40,000 men or so in 2 Corps, under Hamilton and Gilbert. The Rebs have roughly 35,000 in another army under AS Johnston around Nashville. Smaller forces guard the Tennessee river further south around Tuscumbia, where Holmes has a small Corps, plus a Cavalry division under Jo Shelby.

I plan to move along the Tennessee river in Alabama, to force him out of central Tennessee, and threaten Chattanooga. Meanwhile, I need to get into Arkansas to get him out of Memphis.

More on this later, but bad weather has precluded more than some prelimiary moves. I did get Meade promoted to 2*, so that really helps; he is a good Corps commander.

COASTAL OPERATIONS

We had some successes on the coast, but also suffered some reverses as well.

2 Divisions under Hood and Richard Anderson appeared suddenly, and booted me out of Apalachicola and Bainbridge, the production centers I took. I am loathe to lose Ft. Gaines, as I think i can keep troops pinned as long as I hold it, so we fell back, and are in a bit of stalemate there.

I occupied Jacksonville, FL, using a division under John Reynolds. I used him because I want to get him promoted, he has gained some seniority but no luck yet. A third division just appeared under AP Hill, but found us too strong to boot from Jacksonville.

Finally, we landed a small force at Plymouth, NC, and also took Swan Quarter.

I am taking some easy to take ports to keep the Blockade % in the 45% to 50% range. Apparently, even these small ports add to the blockade %.

Though I have had a couple setbacks, we are at least drawing troops from elsewhere, which I think facilitated the victory at Fairfax.

MISSOURI:

Gunnulf still holds Jeff City; highly irritating, and he has committed alot of builds to this theater; he has something like 2000 AV in central Missouri. That's alot!

We managed, via Partisans, to torch his depots at Fayetteville, Springfield, and Ft. Smith. So, I don't think he has the supplies to stay long once I move. Even better, once I chase him southward, I can redeploy my forces more quickly, while he has a long trip to Little Rock if he wants to re-use those forces elsewhere.

I have an army of around 25,000 assembled in St. Louis area, under Buell, organized in two army Corps. My leadership in Missouri is certainly nothing special.

FAR WEST:

We still stare at each other, he at Mesilla, me at El Paso. I have enough supplies now, so I am content to simply wait it out. I did send Sickels to California to take command of some Militia units and bring them to Tuscon.

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RE: Huzzah! - 12/30/2013 10:30:28 AM

KamilS

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Really nice AAR.

I appreciate effort.

< Message edited by Kamil -- 12/30/2013 11:30:46 AM >

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Post #: 25

Forward to Richmond! - 12/30/2013 3:48:11 PM

Q-Ball

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Kamil

Really nice AAR.

I appreciate effort.

Thanks! Glad folks are reading it

March 1863:

As the weather heats up, so does the Union war effort. The earlier headcount had a 318 to 259 total count, but I wonder if Gunnulf is a little out of position, as I have more local superiority, particularly in Virginia at the moment.

His defense was really good in Tennessee, and I think he's defending Nashville and Memphis and other hard to defend places to gain production, but he may be forced to give it up shortly

EAST:

We attacked Manassas, and after a bloody Stalemate battle, he was forced to retreat. Jackson is still out in the Valley, and in Central Virginia he doesn't have a ton of guys.

I am a little concerned about Jackson attacking towards Washington, but I have reserves there, and I can backtrack with a Corps if I need to. Jackson has 2 large divisions, probably close to 20,000 men at Harpers Ferry.

After a couple battles, we are recovering cohesion and consolidating gains at Manassas, then we will continue to move either toward Fredricksburg, or Staunton. I would like to clear him from Harpers and Winchester, where he has enjoyed the fruits of Harpers Ferry for a year or so.

FLORIDA:

AP Hill's division attempted to retake Jacksonville, FL, but disappeared; not sure where they went. I have about 10,000 men now at Jacksonville, and we are taking all the little ports in Florida now to increase the Blockade, which last turn spiked at 60% (it is now at 45%).

The other good thing that came out of the Jacksonville move is that I got John Reynolds promoted by pushing over Militia garissons. He is moving back to Virginia. I may bring Hancock down to do the same thing.

Further west, over 1000 CSA AV in two divisions are at Apalachicola under Ed Johnson. I have 650 AV at Fort Gadsden; I am feeling a bit vulnerable. If any more show up, I may need to leave.

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RE: Forward to Richmond! - 12/30/2013 3:57:37 PM

Q-Ball

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March 1863: Tennessee

Below you can see the situation around Memphis; I am threatening his supplies. He can easily send a unit or two to prevent me from taking Madison, but he has to be feeling a little uncomfortable at the moment.

Not sure what I'll do if I dig a ring of trenches around the city, and he continues to sit there.

In Central Tennessee, I have ordered Rosecrans to cross the Tennessee river to the east of Nashville. This will put me in position to assault either wing of AS Johnston's army at Nashville. I also am sending the Mule Brigade to clear Murfreesboro, and the US Navy back down the Tennessee river to cut supply lines. With all this going on, he will have to think very seriously about doing what the Rebs historically did in 1862-63: Abandoning central Tennessee north of the Tennessee River, and retreating to the Mountains around Chattanooga, where I would be forced to advance down a very narrow path along the Western and Atlantic RR toward Atlanta.

MISSOURI:

We are finally clearing the Rebs out of Missouri. Gunnulf really did a good job here, and made a big commitment, but I think he's leaving.

A large corps under O.O. Howard occupies Rolla, where a smaller force under Forney had fled from. I can't even see his troops, I think he retreated all the way to Sprinfield. With that division off the board, and French's Corps approaching Jeff City, I can't imagine he'll stick around much longer.

At that point, I'll have to decide if I am going to attack toward Springfield, or transfer units to Tennessee while his troops are stuck in Missouri. I may do the latter; the problem with a move toward Fayetteville for the Union is that it's a strategic dead-end. There are no production structures either. The only reason to go is the 2 VPs per turn there.

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Post #: 27

RE: Forward to Richmond! - 12/31/2013 1:54:44 AM

moni kerr

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I faced a similar situation in the AACW tournament. I trapped Longstreet with 4 divisions in Memphis, and waited. It took about 8 months before he ran out of supplies, then I panicked and attacked. And Grant's army got wrecked.

The key is Edmund's Ferry. Get a fleet of ironclads there and you blockade Memphis and you block east/west land movement. Memphis will be cut off from supplies and Polk and Beauregard won't be able to support each other.

Corinth is also vital. Make it your Army HQ and principle supply base. You can support the corps in Hardeman TN, Marshall MS and Oxford MS that will contain Beauregard, Plus you can block any attempt to relieve Memphis from the east. When you get enough extra strength you can expand the net to include Austin and move further south. Right now you look a bit short to go that far. Don't give him the opportunity to repeat his previous counter offensive.

Containment first, then strangulation.

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RE: Forward to Richmond! - 12/31/2013 3:33:48 PM

Q-Ball

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quote:

ORIGINAL: moni kerr

I faced a similar situation in the AACW tournament. I trapped Longstreet with 4 divisions in Memphis, and waited. It took about 8 months before he ran out of supplies, then I panicked and attacked. And Grant's army got wrecked.

The key is Edmund's Ferry. Get a fleet of ironclads there and you blockade Memphis and you block east/west land movement. Memphis will be cut off from supplies and Polk and Beauregard won't be able to support each other.

Corinth is also vital. Make it your Army HQ and principle supply base. You can support the corps in Hardeman TN, Marshall MS and Oxford MS that will contain Beauregard, Plus you can block any attempt to relieve Memphis from the east. When you get enough extra strength you can expand the net to include Austin and move further south. Right now you look a bit short to go that far. Don't give him the opportunity to repeat his previous counter offensive.

Containment first, then strangulation.

Excellent advice, thank you! I've been protecting Corinth, and I have depots at Decaturville and Columbus, both size 2 to prevent Partisan raids. I am still not comfortable with my supply situation, despite the redundancy, as I know Gunnulf has a large cav division under Jo Shelby nearby, and Forrest is out there somewhere.....

I hadn't considered using Ironclads to cut Polk off, I will do that. It's a one-shot deal though, as he has 3 Ironclads at Memphis.

I've actually emptied my pools of Cavalry, but the problem is of course the lack of good Cav commanders on the Union side, at least early.

April 1863

EAST:

Lee's army moved strongly into Clark; after a couple turns of getting pushed around, he unified Jackson and Longstreet, and I think brought other troops to Viriginia too, so now the AnV is up in the 75,000 range.....pretty strong.

I sent a Corps to Clark, VA, to secure the Manassas Gap and keep Jackson in the Valley, but instead they ran into Lee's army and suffered a repulse. I am now pulling together enough to defend Leesburg, while also sending smaller forces to take all the spots he left open in order to bring the army together.

He can probably either take Leesburg, or disperse and protect Harpers, Fredricksburg, but not both. If he chooses to move north of the Potomac and threaten Washington, the best defense I think is to threaten Richmond. Ultimately, my supply situation is much better, so there is that.

FLORIDA:

I am making some changes down here.

John Reynolds, with promotion to 2*, is on his way back to VA. I am sending McDowell down to command the Department of Florida.

AP Hill left Jacksonville area, and is now at Apalachicola. I am moving a division from Jacksonville to protect Ft. Gadsden, and with ships in the river on either side of Apalachicola, I can actually keep him bottled up with an inferior force....I think.

He has 1200 AV there now in 3 divisions under AP Hill, Richard Anderson, and Hood. That's a nice Corps. I have 750 AV in the field at Gadsden, plus the garrison of the actual fort.

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Post #: 29

RE: Forward to Richmond! - 12/31/2013 3:42:05 PM

Q-Ball

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April 1863: West

I'm a little nervous in Tennessee; I know he has a pile of Cavalry around, I've seen Wharton, Shelby, Forrest, all commanding divisions. I have 300 AV+ garrisons dug in at my key depots, but I don't have the Cav to protect the rail lines. We'll see how it goes. Every Corps has 1-2 full wagons, so I can go a couple turns with cut supplies.

TENNESSEE:

South of Memphis, Gunnulf destroyed 3500 Cavalry under Sheridan. Beauregard moved out from Memphis, and completely annihilated it. I must have had a bad setting, because Sheridan should have been able to avoid that, even if Beauregard had Cavalry (I'm sure he did; I have Cav embedded with every Infantry Division, because of brigades that include it, and I'm sure he does too)

I don't have the strength yet to complete surround the place, so I am siphoning off troops for the push around Nashville. I did managed to capture Madison, AK, briefly, and burn the depot. That was not helpful for him I am sure.

As you can see below, we are attempting to surround Nashville. We had a setback when a lone gunboat interdicted my move over the Tennessee, leaving Gilbert vulnerable, but I hope that is temporary. Meade is not quite strong enough to assault GW Smith directly.

I also have gunboats blocking all the RR crossings down the Tennessee. He has garrisons though at Chattanooga, which is smart; otherwise i would land a division there.

MISSOURI:

Johnston withdrew to Springfield. I now have 30,000 troops around Jeff City, and he has somewhere around 20,000 to 25,000 around Springfield. When the weather clears I will pursue, and see if he wants to fight for Springfield. I also may leave 20,000 around Jeff City, and transfer 2 divisions to Tennessee.

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