Thursday, August 10, 2017

WBTS via Vassal - Weeks 9 to 12

At the start of cycle 9/61 the Union have 8 leftover supply plus 125 minus 5 (for the loss of Harper's Ferry) plus one for each of Leesburg, VA, Alexandria, VA, St Joseph, MO, Hannibal, MO, New Madrid, MO (and via river) and the three now occupied towns in Kentucky. Total 136.  They have 80 personnel points.

The builds are to convert 6 militia from Washington and 4 from St Louis to two 3-3 and a 4-3 infantry divisions, raise one 2-4 cavalry division, 16 militia, 20 garrison and convert 16 garrison to a 3-3, 5-3 and 8-3 infantry divisions.  This leaves them with 34 supply.

The Confederates have 0 leftover plus 16 (from seaports) plus bonus 2 as I found the two seaports in Florida can trace a route by rail to Chattahoochee, then by river to Albany and finally rail to Atlanta plus 40 (city supply) and 79 from city/town supply.  Total 127.  They have 60 personnel points.

They augment a 3-3 to a 10-3, convert a 4-2 to a 4-3, a 3-2 to a 3-3 and two 3-1s to 3-3s, raise 19 militia and a 3-4 cavalry division.  That leaves them with 77 supply.

Deployment for the Union consists of 20 Militia, 50 garrison and  two 3-3 and two 7-3 divisions and a river flotilla (which goes to St Louis).  The two 3-3s go to Baltimore and Philadelphia, the 7-3s go to Washington and St Louis.  Ten garrison go to Baltimore and twenty go to each of Washington and St Louis.

The Confederates receive 20 militia, a 9-3 and two 3-3 infantry divisions and two 3-4 cavalry divisions.  A 3-3 and a 3-4 go to Memphis.  The other 3-3 goes to Charleston, SC, and the 9-3 and 3-4 go to Richmond.

The Union undertake some brigade merge in Baltimore and Philadelphia, as does Beauregard in Staunton.

The Confederates destroy the two forts on Cape Hatteras as well as the fort covering Savannah and the one covering Wilmington.  They spend another 20 supply trying to finish building a fort at island No. 10 but to no avail.

Longstreet and A. Johnston arrive for the Confederates.  Longstreet goes to Richmond.  A. Johnston stays in the army pool.

I've just noticed that supply wagons are prohibited from crossing rivers.  I might have been doing that wrong although could probably say I had put a temporary ferry in place.  This will mean an advance in the East will be tricky (or rather, more tricky).

Union supply consumption is 29 using 3 railroad points.  This leaves them with just 5 supply which they broadcast to Lyons' and McDowell's supply wagons.

Confederate supply is 22 and uses no railway (thanks to being able to use water transport and the supply centres in the Shenandoah Valley).  Beauregard's supply wagon is filled up (using 9 railway points).

In Missouri, militia rally to Lyons.  However in Kentucky, the Confederates are able to raise militia in Paduch and Bowling Green - the state is in the balance.

Week 9

The Confederates have the 2 chit as usual, but the Union get the 3 chit.

Porter takes a Naval Flotilla to protect Fort Pickering.  The other Naval Flotilla is also sent around Florida - will it get there in time?  The new River Flotilla sails down the Mississippi, just pass New Madrid blocking the Confederate use of that river as a supply path.

Banks is ordered to send the new 7 strength infantry division to join Lyons at New Madrid. Burnside is ordered to send the other 7 strength infantry division to join McDowell, while moving himself, plus the division in Alexandria (which he replaces with an equivalent number of garrison troops) to join the two 6 strength infantry divisions watching Harper's Ferry.  McClelland is ordered to return to Cincinnati with the militia.

Both Lyons and McDowell hold in place, awaiting their reinforcements.  Militia are called out in Alton, Cincinnati, Washington and Baltimore.

There is a chance that Van Dorn can capture Fort Pickering.  He starts to force march his 8 strength militia and immediately loses 1!  Bad, but he still has a chance... (if he can get there and attack he will be on the 11-40 column of CRT 2 with a plus/minus 2 leadership modifier that gives him a 50% chance of inflicting a heavy loss on the Union).

Van Dorn's march to Fort Pickering.

Beauregard is ordered to mount an offensive and moves to north of Culpeper.  Johnston and Magruder are content to watch, but Forrest with the new 9 strength infantry division and the 3 strength cavalry heads to Fredericksburg to be ready to assist in throwing the Yankees back to where they came from.

The Confederates maneuvering to drive McDowell down the Rappahannock.

Price and Hardee hold their position, while Polk moves to Union City.

Militia is raised in Union City, Raleigh and Charleston.

Week 10

The Union get the 3 chit again.  McDowell is ordered to pull back, Burnside is ordered to cross over to Harper's Ferry.  Banks is ordered to get the militia in Alton and bring them to St Louis (being a corps commander his command radius includes them so this is immediately achieved).

Lyons absorbs the new division into his corps and McClellan writes some reports.  Militia are raised in Washington, Alton and Baltimore

Van Dorn completes his forced march to besiege Fort Pickering without any further losses.

Spearheaded by his cavalry, Beauregard chases after McDowell.  Forrest doesn't have the same alacrity, but both Johnston and Magruder race each other to Richmond.  The three generals in the west wait and ponder what Lyons will do.  Currently the Confederates have more generals than armies.

Van Dorn takes his chance.  He attacks!  He doesn't use supply (which is good as he has none).  The Union use one supply.  Van Dorn is able to minimise his losses (to 1 which is doubled as he is storming a fort).

More militia is raised in Union City, Raleigh and Charleston.

Why didn't Beauregard attack?

Because he has a plan.
Even though that bridge at Leesburg is held by the enemy, his cavalry can easily capture it.
Then he can force march some troops to cut the railway line between Washington and Baltimore.

Week 11

This time the Union get only 1 free initiative.  The Confederates go first.

Beauregard unleashes his grand advance while skillfully staying put to confront McDowell.  His cavalry and a brigade, split from one of his divisions, cross the Potomac and cut the railway line between Washington and Baltimore.  Forrest is ordered to support him and does so by sending him the big 9 strenght point division while using the cavalry to close off the bridge south of McDowell.

The other generals stay put, but Van Dorn makes a desperate attack.  Again he avoids having to use supplies, while the Union eat into their precious allotment.  But it all comes to nought and he is again repulsed for the loss of 2 strength points.

The Confederates raise more militia in Union City, Pensacola, and Little Rock.

Burnside is ordered back and arrives at Frederick, but he fails to attack the rebel cavalry covering the bridge to Leesburg.  McDowell pulls back to Alexandria.

The threat to Washington.

Of the other generals, only Lyons takes action, crossing the Mississippi using a temporary ferry and confronting Hardee at Island No. 10.  However he fails to attack.

The Union place militia in Cincinnati and Baltimore.

Most importantly, an additional Union Naval Flotilla arrives at Fort Pickering.

Week 12

The Union get one initiative.

Polk is ordered to reinforce Hardee.  Van Dorn is ordered back to Pensacola to get reinforcements, leaving some troops besieging Fort Pickerings.  Magruder goes to Norfolk, but everyone else stays put.  Militia are raised in Pensacola and Raleigh.

McDowell redeploys via Annapolis and does a march attack on the blocking Confederate brigade. Both sides take casualties (1), but the rebels are not dislodged.  If only Burnside could do the same. But he fails to move.  McClellan hops on a train to Baltimore, stopping at Harrisburg on the way. Banks reviews the troops in St Louis while Lyon prepares to attack.

Lyon attacks on the 91-110 column on CRT 4.  Neither side require supply.  The Union suffer 20% casualties to the Confederates 15%, but just fail to dislodge them.

Lyon has failed to dislodge the Confederates from their fort building.
He is isolated, but has access to a supply wagon

Neither Burnside or McDowell attack.

The Confederates will get their first political point for having a unit blocking the rail line,
provide the diminished brigade survives being out of supply.

To his horror Van Dorn finds that the Union Naval Flotillas protecting Fort Pickering also stops supplies getting to the troops he left besieging that fort.  Doh!

Van Dorn came close and might still have another chance...
The Union Naval Flotilla are almost out of ammunition.

Casualties

Confederates lost 8 to the Union's 4 strength points.

After every combat (not Attack from March) I have been rolling for leaders using rule [28.0] Experimental Leader Loss.  It is possible that if a more "bloody" outcome (i.e. more likelihood of losing leaders) was wanted, the Leader's combat modifier, if used, should be subtracted from the die roll on the leader loss table.  However the implications of losing leaders is very dire, especially early in the game.





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