Full Campaign: Gray Fox (Union) vs Mickey3D (CSA) - The CSA point of view

[Mickey3D]

Hollins has beaten Farraguts :

[ATTACH]29425[/ATTACH]


But the most important event is a very nice move of GF to Garysburg :
[ATTACH]29428[/ATTACH]

This illustrates what I was explaining several posts ago after GF landing in Edenton : South Virginia gives more opportunities for side movement.

The small force in the region has been destroyed but the city is not yet in Union hands :
[ATTACH]29426[/ATTACH]

I was thinking to this but in my count GF was missing one day to reach the town. May be he used forced march or I made a mistake in my count ?
Moreover he was able to trigger the fight in one day when Lee has waited 10 ten days without attacking two turns ago

It seems that the Confederate health system is deficient, four epidemics struck this turn :
[ATTACH]29427[/ATTACH]

[Mickey3D]

Sorry for the delay in the AAR but I was very busy these last days. I'll do my best to provide the new turn to GF today.

Let's just say that the move of GF is embarassing to say the least but, if my count is correct, will not jeopardize my supply before several months.

Now I have several options to react, all of them with some drawbacks. Basically my idea is to try to cut the force in Garysburg from the supply sources on the east coast (Garysburg is not a harbour so no supply will come from there...)

[Mickey3D]

Score :

[ATTACH]29625[/ATTACH]


New Mexico :

For a reason I don't understand the force there seems to have lost all its cohesion :

[ATTACH]29626[/ATTACH]

I'll keep an eye on it and send a scouting party to Tucson.


Whyte :

Whytesville is not critical for supply but to quickly move troops from Tennessee/Kentucky to Virginia. It's also a beach head to attack depots in NC. So I'll try to retake it this turn before GF can entrench his force. I'll also send a cavalry troop to besiege Prestonburg (if the town is besieged, no supply can flow to Whyte).


Southern Virginia :

[ATTACH]29627[/ATTACH]

The least to say/write is that I'm scratching my head and investigating several scenarios :

- All out attack on Garysburg (but I won't be able to reach a ratio high enough for a fairly good chance to win).
- Fall back behing the Nottoway river with a move of Longstreet to NC (but GF would be free of move).
- Attack of Edenton by Lee (but he would be out of the railway network and unable to help other corps if GF moves north "en force" and the weather turns bad : Chowan is marsh and it can cost at least 7 days to enter this kind of region by bad weather)

[ATTACH]29628[/ATTACH]

After some thinking and supply counting, I realized tha my supply is not endangered at the moment as I have a huge stock in Richmond and it can sustain my forces for several months. On his side, GF can't use Garysburg to receive supply from the sea as it is not an harbour : he must keep open the supply line to Edenton.

So I have decided the following :
- Longstreet will move to North Carolina to protect it from a South drive by GF.
- Jackson will do a hook along the James river to beat union forces in the stockade and at Suffolk (one division will be detached for the next task in the list). In the process he will be able to take advantage of the support of Lee's force (MSG). Edenton is too far (14 days) to be reach and Jackson could be too weak at this point (after 2 battles).
- Reorganize remaining forces behind the Nottoway river.
- Send a cavalry force to try to get military control on Henderson area in order to cut the supply line (but I'm afraid I won't get more than 75% MC in one turn).
- Get some troops from Williamsburg back to Richmond.

[ATTACH]29629[/ATTACH]

[Mickey3D]

Much to my surprise, the Union force at Whytesville has retreated without fighting !

In Virginia, Jackson has beaten the two Union forces with the succesfull support of Lee (MSG) :

[ATTACH]29641[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]29642[/ATTACH]


It might seems to be a Pyrrhic victory, but Union has lost a lot of troops in the retreats and at the end the casualities are balanced :

[ATTACH]29644[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]29645[/ATTACH]

Unfortunately Loring died in the second battle.


Without surprise the Garysburg garrison surrendered to the Union and GF called for colored volunteers :
[ATTACH]29646[/ATTACH]

[pgr]

I'm just starting to follow this thread. Frankly, I think you have him where you want him. You didn't plan it, but every time the big force moves inland and further from the coast, the better it is for you. You have him cut off from his coastal base of supplies, now block his escape and let the 100,000 starve....

[pgr]

[quote="Mickey3D"]
Southern Virginia :
[ATTACH]29627[/ATTACH]

By the way, who is that hansom example of womanhood up in Richmond?

[havi]

She is Belle Boyd.. She drives Yankee officers mad

[Mickey3D]

I'm just starting to follow this thread. Frankly, I think you have him where you want him. You didn't plan it, but every time the big force moves inland and further from the coast, the better it is for you. You have him cut off from his coastal base of supplies, now block his escape and let the 100,000 starve....

Until this move to Garrysburg I was more or less in control. But now the game is open.

GF is a clever player and I suspect he will try to build a supply line to an harbour the same way he did previously from city point to Norfolk. He can also try to move South to find an harbour. I have also a doubt as I don't remember if a depot in a coastal region receives supply from the sea .

But yes, my goal is to try to "bottle" him as much as possible, hoping he will give up and leave the sacred land of Virginia

Now, I'm conscious I'm playing on a razor edge and it could not work. So I may have to abandon Virginia (and move my capital) but I want to keep the state as long as possible and bring VPs in as much as possible.

Regarding the southern beauty, as mentioned by Havi, it is Belle Boyd : the Mata Hari of the South... She provides a detection bonus in the theater of war.

[Mickey3D]

A quick note regarding victory condition for the Confederate player : against a human Union player it is very difficult to win by means of National Moral (he must do a mistake while defending Washington).

The same is true for Victory Points because Union has more cities bringing VPs and more money to buy RGD (regional decisions) bringing VPs. It happens in a previous PBEM where, as Union player, in mid 1863 I had the same number of VPs as my opponent even if most of the objectives historically in Union hands at this time were not in my possession.

Personnally, I consider the CSA as the winner if the Union can't do better than historically achieved.

I was thinking to a new way to decide who is the winner :
1) Sum up the city size of all objectives historically in Union hands at the end of the war.
2) Sum up the city size of all objectives currently in Union hands in the game.
3) If "1" is greater than "2", the CSA wins and vice versa.

[Merlin]

GF is a clever player and I suspect he will try to build a supply line to an harbour the same way he did previously from city point to Norfolk. He can also try to move South to find an harbour. I have also a doubt as I don't remember if a depot in a coastal region receives supply from the sea .

Union positions which can be supplied from the sea will be so supplied. A depot in a harbor will push that supply inland as requested under the normal rules of supply.

A quick note regarding victory condition for the Confederate player : against a human Union player it is very difficult to win by means of National Moral (he must do a mistake while defending Washington).

The same is true for Victory Points because Union has more cities bringing VPs and more money to buy RGD (regional decisions) bringing VPs. It happens in a previous PBEM where, as Union player, in mid 1863 I had the same number of VPs as my opponent even if most of the objectives historically in Union hands at this time were not in my possession.

Personnally, I consider the CSA as the winner if the Union can't do better than historically achieved.

That's generally how I define CSA victory as well. If the CSA player can hold out past April, 1865, he "wins" the game.

[pgr]

Union positions which can be supplied from the sea will be so supplied. A depot in a harbor will push that supply inland as requested under the normal rules of supply.

I thought sea-lane supply went from port to port. As in the province has to have a port for the stuff to be landed. (This is different from the riverine supply pushed forward from a depot).

As for victory, I agree that the Vp balance favors the Union. I think it's because there are too many "strategic cities" within easy reach, and not enough deep in the south that would force a deep invasion.

Frankly, I like the idea that Vp represents a sort of currency and the amount of post-war turmoil you will experence, but NM should be the true gauge. If the Union Player hasn't achieved a NM victory by the end of a full length game, then I would say the South won.

As for belle, she comes in as a commander? What are her stats? Can I give her a division instead of Pickett?

[Mickey3D]

If the CSA player can hold out past April, 1865, he "wins" the game.

If the Union Player hasn't achieved a NM victory by the end of a full length game, then I would say the South won

The way the game is designed, victory through NM may be difficult to achieve and sometimes you can possess nearly all opponent objectives without reaching the NM victory threshold.

[Mickey3D]

Union positions which can be supplied from the sea will be so supplied.

Even if the position is in a coastal region without harbor ?

[Mickey3D]

Here is an extract of the manual :

The USA also has the option to transport Supply by sea to coastal areas and ports.
The transport capacity depends on the number of transport ships allocated to the
“World Shipping” box and is displayed on the Transport Assets Panel at the top of
the map.
Example: Union shipping allows long distance Supply transport, for example
from New York to New Orleans. The process is automated and will strive to
augment the Supply of needy ports and coastal Depots by transporting any
excess Supply in the Northern harbors to where it is needed

My understanding is that you need a coastal depot or an harbour.

[pgr]

Here is an extract of the manual :

The USA also has the option to transport Supply by sea to coastal areas and ports.
The transport capacity depends on the number of transport ships allocated to the
“World Shipping” box and is displayed on the Transport Assets Panel at the top of
the map.
Example: Union shipping allows long distance Supply transport, for example
from New York to New Orleans. The process is automated and will strive to
augment the Supply of needy ports and coastal Depots by transporting any
excess Supply in the Northern harbors to where it is needed

My understanding is that you need a coastal depot or an harbour.

It seems a bit unclear, in the sense that the example they give doesn't really answer the question. NO and NY both have ports with depots... I'm going to pop the question in the general forum (with the names and details changed to protect the innocent!) In the mean time, I would love to have some raw supply data in future posts. Flow through Richmond say. (Or at the end when the game concludes, talking about how your VA stockpile grew or shrank over time)

[Mickey3D]

Score :

[ATTACH]29666[/ATTACH]


Kentucky :

[ATTACH]29667[/ATTACH]

GF has move troops away from this State : previous turn there was around 2500 points in the area and now only 905 in Louisville and a division (I count it for more or less 500 points). So at least two divisions has been moved, the question is where ?


Whyte :

[ATTACH]29668[/ATTACH]

There is two divisions in Prestonburg. I'm not expecting an attack quickly (bad weather). But my supply is really thin in Wythesville. It is not clear to me if the force in Tazewell is the one that retreated last turn or just a small cavalry force.


Virginia :

[ATTACH]29671[/ATTACH]

To my surprise, the supply bar of GF's force in Garysburg is no more full. I was not expecting it to go down so quickly .
I will reorganize the defense behind the Nottoway river (move Lee in the middle to support both corps on his flanks) and move Jackson behind the line to recover cohesion.
E.K. Smith is now promotable to 2*. I'll promote him and move him to NC with Longstreet (I must separate my forces in two and this is not to my advantage).
I'll send a lone regiment to try to take Norfolk but it is not a critical objective as I know I can't hold the region.
My cavalry force in Henderson must leave the region but unfortunately can't move back to the north because of the fleet.
I need to have a better view on the army in Plymouth, I'll send a cavalry unit to scout the region.


Supply :

To follow on pgr proposal, here is my current supply stock in Richmond : 4494 (but there is also small stocks in Petersburg, Fredericksbrug, Staunton and the stockade in Clarke)

[Mickey3D]

As for belle, she comes in as a commander? What are her stats? Can I give her a division instead of Pickett?

No, Belle can't take command of a division or a stack. She is useful because of her special ability.

[pgr]

Virginia :

[ATTACH]29671[/ATTACH]

To my surprise, the supply bar of GF's force in Garysburg is no more full. I was not expecting it to go down so quickly

Well that seems to answer my question about supply... It would appear that you do need some kind of port to benefit form sea supply...

If that bar keeps going down, he'll get out of supply hits, his cohesion will go to hell, and those numbers will cease to matter...

[Mickey3D]

GF is stretching is line from Mecklenburg to Edenton. He is trying to cut Virginia from North Carolina.

[ATTACH]29673[/ATTACH]


He also sent Grant's corps to Goldsboro where he found Longstreet :

[ATTACH]29674[/ATTACH]


And the mystery of the disappearing divisions in Kentucky is now solved : they are heading for Saint-Louis.

[Mickey3D]

Well that seems to answer my question about supply... It would appear that you do need some kind of port to benefit form sea supply...

If that bar keeps going down, he'll get out of supply hits, his cohesion will go to hell, and those numbers will cease to matter...

GF has built a depot in Garysburg, I'm afraid he will receive supply through this coastal depot

[pgr]

At this point I'm just riveted by the more maneuver phase of the operations. That Longstreet is something isn't he?

[havi]

Hey mickey do u have any army's in west? Can u pull a Houdini there and start threatening pitsburgh or Cincinnati in that directions it would give u more money and toys if u could get those big towns there?

[Mickey3D]

Hey mickey do u have any army's in west? Can u pull a Houdini there and start threatening pitsburgh or Cincinnati in that directions it would give u more money and toys if u could get those big towns there?

I have a few divisions in the West (Missouri and Kentucky) but it is difficult for me to capture cities like Cincinnati, Saint-Louis, Louisville, Cairo ... because GF keeps a division inside each of them : I'm not strong enough to storm the city (or I should concentrate all my forces in one point) and a siege would require a very long time (and also to blockade the harbor).

In the far west I have used Stand Watie to capture several objectives. But at the moment the weather is awful (mud) and it is very difficult to advance.

[Mickey3D]

That Longstreet is something isn't he?

Yes, with Jackson they are terrific. I have moved him on a prepared position in Goldsboro two turns ago so he was well entrenched.

[Mickey3D]

Based on the answers to pgr's question on naval supply (here), I understand that GF can't receive supply directly in Garysburg. But I think he plans to receive the supply in Edenton and/or Plymouth and then to take advantage of river transport to move it to Garysburg.

[pgr]

it seem like the consensus is that he won't receive direct supply in Garysburg but Edenton could push it up the river. I suspect that weather conditions in Gary may impact the amount of stuff the place can receive, but it looks like the only real limit is the size of the depots in Eden/Plymoth. Of course keep an eye on the Rosecrans supply bar, if it doesn't fill back up fully even with depots in Eden and Plymoth, that means he has a supply bottleneck.

Of course sweeping down on Edenton and building a fort would likely ruin his day...

And I'm kinda with Havi, you may as well concentrate 3 or 4 divisions and give him a scare in the heartland.

[havi]

Is this a live?

[Mickey3D]

Sorry, I was on vacation. The AAR will continue soon.

[Mickey3D]

Score :

[ATTACH]29874[/ATTACH]


Far-West (Arizona) :

Two Union divisions are recovering in Tucson (the force that was previously in New Mexico). A few turns' grace...


Saint-Louis :

[ATTACH]29880[/ATTACH]

Two divisions are arriving to relieve the city siege (and the force Inside the city can also participates to the battle). I will move back my besieging force and bring Stand Watie as reinforcement in case the Union want to go further in Missouri.


Whyte :

[ATTACH]29876[/ATTACH]

Stuart force can hold the city for the moment but GF is building a supply path (we can see the stockade behind his force). Stuart supply is very low but I have a supply wagon in an adjacent region so he will be able to use it to avoid attrition.


Southern Virginia :

[ATTACH]29879[/ATTACH]

There is a Union corps in Norfolk, a corps with one division and several batteries in Garrysburg and three divisions in Henderson.

My plan is the following :
- Move Jackson to Petersburg.
- Move Polk and Holmes corps next to Mecklenburg.
- Move Lee in attack mode to Mecklenburg. MSG should bring Polk and Homes forces into the battle.
- Move Smith around Union force to North Carolina.
- Moreover, I will sent on a kind of suicide mission a fleet in the Albermale Bay to cut the naval supply to Edenton and Plymouth as long as possible.

Why Mecklenburg ?

1) The force there is a threat on my escape way should I decide to leave Virginia.
2) If I attack Goldsboro, MSG could bring into the fight the forces in Mecklenburg and in Henderson : I would have high probability to loose the battle.
3) Force in Mecklenburg is less entranched than the one in Goldsboro.
4) I keep my forces on the railroad for quick move.


North Carolina :

[ATTACH]29878[/ATTACH]

Longstreet is strong enough to handle a fight with Grant and/or McDowell. But I want to reinforce him with a second corps (E.K. Smith) and a new division built from independant brigades in the Carolinas and Georgia.

[Mickey3D]

Aside of a few minor fights, the main events of the turn are :

- Saint-Louis siege has been released and I have moved my force behind the Gasconade river.

- A costly victory of Hollins on Farragut at the Mississippi Confluent. Farragut has also been bombarded (13 hits) by Hardee's force in Paducah.

[ATTACH]29890[/ATTACH]


- Keyes moved from Norfolk to Suffolk but I managed to destroyed the depot there with my partisans.

- Lee's victory in Mecklenburg (+ 13 hits on the Union in the ensuing retreat).

[ATTACH]29891[/ATTACH]

- I was expecting GF to move Grant out of Goldsboro but he has chosen a two waves attack : first Grant and then Howard. But Longstreet is a rock and is still in control of the region

[ATTACH]29892[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]29893[/ATTACH]

And Grant received 54 hits (!) when retreating :
[ATTACH]29894[/ATTACH]

- A confederate fleet moved to Albermale sound to blockade the two harbours (Edenton and Plymouth) with an exit in this area.