What the Union did in the West AAR

[ArmChairGeneral]

I am following this AAR closely, and appreciate the rapid-fire style (although I enjoy other styles too, Soundoff and Banks!). I especially like that this AAR is focused on a specific goal and a demonstrating how to achieve it. Without a sandbox-mode, testing out alternate strategies and tactics is difficult and this type of AAR helps fill the gap and expand my repertoire.

In CW2 I have come to expect the types of losses you have taken in mop-up operations . The low power numbers don't really reflect the actual fight that these weakened stacks put up in practice; like you say, counting the brigades is a more reliable gauge.

[Ol' Choctaw]

Just as an aside, serious losses and chasing shattered and unsupplied units is one of my pet peeves with the game.

They may lack any supply what-so-ever and still inflict more casualties than they suffer even against the best generals.

I have often wondered how their artillery makes a difference in battle as well. Do they put sharpened sticks in the bore and charge or what?

If out of supplies, particularly ammo (0%) they should either give up or disperse.

Ok, end of rant.

[Ace]

Far West:

With the bulk of my forces finally unlocked, I have ordered Carson to attack stockade West of El Paso. Ft Craig force will assault there as well. I have ordered 2 rangers and 1 inf regiment to converge on the stockade as well. The plan is to concentrate in force there, form a proper division (since Carson's division at the moment contains only 2 mounted militias). From there I 'll have a clear view on El Paso and Massilla next turn. The supply wagon from Ft Craig is ordered to Tuscon to help with the supply situation of my forces traveling through arid terrain of Arizona to New Mexico. Apart from this forces, I have 2 brigades of mounted militias in the area doing some stockade skirmishes over the map. California Column is also unlocked, and has started moving south. So far, CSA has built some militias and cavalry in the area, nothing that I cannot take care of.
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Missouri:

Here, I have two agendas, defend Springfield from numerically superior VanDorn force, and destroy and capture exhausted CSA stack East of Jeff city. For the first thing, snow and his lack of supplies may be a good thing. On the other side, snow has prevented me from sending any reinforcements to Springfield. Travel time is too great, and snow in the wild areas can be more deadly than enemies bullets. So, I am ordering only Sumner to go to Springfiield and take command of its meager forces, while the rest are ordered either to recover at StLouis or to continue attacks on exhausted rebs. I am railing an additional elite brigade from Illinois to assist in the mop up.
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Tennessee:

Grant is finally where I want him to be. And the enemy is not where I don't want him to be. Island No10 has only small garrison, being a roadlless swamp, he cannot bring any reinforcements there as long as I have Foote with timberclads outside the fort. So, Grant will cross Mississippi and do amphibious landing on the island. McClellan will guard Charleston and train some militias in the process.
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Lyon will take a pause and regain some cohesion. I am waiting to see if there is going to be a counterattack to the Pulaski move here. I am also waiting for some cavalry to arrive in the theater. Operating far in enemy territory without cavalry is the path to disaster. I think in PBEM I would get punished for it, but here I am doing ok. I have spotted some new builds in Montgomery, TN and Shields is ordered to try and capture those raw recruits. While in the grand scheme of things Shields primary function is to protect Dover, such raids as this one are useful to throw your opponent of balance. After regaining cohesion and resting in Dover, gunboats are once again ordered to control the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers.
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Louisiana:

Plenty of action here, Hooker will lead two division in New Orleans assault (Farragut fleet), Griffith will lead unformed divisions to assault Ft Pike east of it(Palmer fleet), while at the same time sailor and two cavalry units are disembarking to Shieldsboro, MS. So the plan is to take NO, fort next to it, and to position cavalry to immediately scout ahead and cut rails to slow down any counterattack.
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[Ace]

Eastern theater:

I am showing a weather screenshot here. West Wirginia, Marlyand and Pensylvannia are caught up in the snowstorm. So, I am pretty confident, Beauregard can do me no harm if he goes North. I 'll mopup his supply bases in the Valley. McDowell and Butler are ordered to attack at New Market and Strasburg. Milory defending in hilly terrain with 2 divisions, in bad weather can withstand any Confederate attack at Harper's ferry.
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[Ace]

The mop up in Missouri continues:

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CSA stacks are quite good at receiving reinforcements in the field. If I was playing as CSA, and had caught Union force like that out of supply chain, it would not be able to receive reinforcements so quickly. This is historically accurate and portrays one of the few advantages CSA had in the war. In these operations, I have railed more than half of my men to StLouis to regain cohesion. That way, I can pound on continuously. They must not be allowed to rest. By the way, out of ammo penalties should be somewhat higher.
Surprisingly, or maybe not given the weather and his lack of wagons, VanDorn in this timeline refused to go on the frozen march and retreated to Fayetteville depot.

Tennessee:

Two minor battles here, Grant has taken the island, and Shields is doing some skirmishing.

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Louisiana:
Griffith failed to complete amphibious operation at time due to fleet delays, he is still unloading but Hooker has unloaded and has brushed aside few Confederate defenders in the area. The supply situation in the newly captured New Orleans will not be good as long as I do not capture twin forts as well.
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[Ace]

Far west:

Everything cannot go as planned. I did not expect to loose this battle,
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but my second force managed to finally overwhelm the defenders:
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The East

Talk about incompetence. Even when active and leading division size force, Butler failed to take Strasbourg defended by two militias. He bravely directed his fire onto supply wagons instead on militias
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[Gen.DixonS.Miles]

He still destroyed the 9th Virginia at least

[Ace]

Missouri snow storm has passed, so I am resuming my pursuit of his Vienna stack. I am reinforcing Springfield at the same time and cutting his retreat path from Vienna.
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Grant will take a pause to rest. AI has some big stack at New Madrid, but I am blocking his supply and he cannot hold the position for long since its supply is blocked by Island No10 guns. The same could be said about me, my supply to Island No10 is also blocked by New Madrid guns, by I have enough spare wagons in my stack.
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I am expecting a counterattack in Humphreys. I am doing my best here to provoke Johnston into attacking me rather than me going to him. That was the purpose of last turn raid to Clarksville. Lyon is going forward, but he is staying on the rail line to be able to turn around quickly if needed.
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[Ace]

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Some CSA raiders bumped into auto-garrisons in the Far West, while Virginia Cavalry tried to assault volunteer brigade guarding the depot there. A lucky encounter (for me) has put Colquit brigade into McDowell's path. The brigade surrendered without a fight.

[Ace]

Missouri:

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His stack that numbered around 10.000 men 2 months ago is finally broken. They are reduced to less than 1.000 stragglers I plan to finish next turn. The only downside I failed to score any NM for this over the course of this mini campaign, but I am still satisfied with the result.

[Ace]

Far West:

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Pretty straightforward here, converging at El Paso from all sides, and moving Carson to nearby Fort to regain cohesion.

Missourri:

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The chased down reb stack has droped to Pwr 2. I'll put the brigade between Jeff city and Springfield to attack posture and go to Springfield at the same time. They are low on ammo, but the enemy is low on everything. The rest will go to StLouis to recover cohesion. I see reb division 2 regions south of StLouis. If he attacks StLouis he is for a nasty surprise. If he does not, they will replenish ammo and cohesion. Win-win situation. Fremont is stripped of his army command in favor of Grant. I'll pay 4 NM and 75 VP for this.

Tennessee:

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Johnston tried to attack Shields last turn, but failed to catch him. Weather is my ally since it is snowing, but I do not want to set Shields to hold at all cost. I want a skirmish instead. Ideal thing would be to Shields retreat after battle to Dover, while Lyon takes Nashville with his 2 divisions. I even tried to plot Grant to Henry to complete my little AoT trap, but due to snow in forested areas, movement time is too great, so I'll stick to rather unimaginative go to FtPillow movement.

East:

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Although active, I have not ordered McDowell to attack Strasbourg. I fear Beauregard will come to its aid, and while confident I would win on defense, I cannot defeat him in an open battle. Butler will rail from Manassas and cover McDowell's rear at New Market.

Louisiana:

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Last but not least, Hooker and Meagher are going after twin forts. Mansfield will siege FtPike and regain some cohesion lost at sea while cavalry is doing some rail wrecking.

I have not mentioned, after the capture of New Orleans, I have 65% blue water blockade percentage, and that is without any purchasing of blockade squadrons.

[Ol' Choctaw]

I have not mentioned, after the capture of New Orleans, I have 65% blue water blockade percentage, and that is without any purchasing of blockade squadrons.

That is an offal lot for one port! Do you have direct blockades of any other ports? Not Norfolk of course…

But that seems like much too much!

[Ace]

New Orleans captured, Matamoros, Richmond, Norfolk,and other James river ports blockaded.
Both blockade boxes have 5-6 blockade squadrons coupled with 5-6 frigates.

This is calculation based on PhilThib post in the Civil War II forum:

Blockaded Harbors
Those harbors blockaded via naval units (or forts) will add a certain percentage of blockade, as follows:

Region / (Harbor name) : / Blockade %

James City, VA (Hampton Roads) : 1
Richmond ,VA (Richmond) : 1
Norfolk, VA (Norfolk) : 5
Warwick, VA (Suffolk) : 1
Escambia, FL (Pensacola) : 3
Gulf, MS (Mississippi City) : 1
Iberville, LA (New Orleans) : 16
Matamoros : 7


Total: +35

Non Blockaded Harbors

Region / (Harbor name) : / Blockade %

New Hanover, NC (Wilmington) : -2
Charleston, SC (Charleston) : -3
Chatham, GA (Savannah) : -1

Total: -6

So, brown water blockade gives +29 (~30 blockade percentage)

Blue water blockade is intensive, so it gives +35% blockade, for a total of 65%

Capturing New Orleans adds +16% and removes -7% penalty - so ~+25% for grabbing it.

It is fundamental to capture/guard NO. Historically, when CSA lost it, they lost the chance to win the war IMO.

[Ol' Choctaw]

If Matamoros can be blockaded it is WRONG!!!!

As much as the Union would have loved to do that they had a free trade agreement with them and could not do it. Most of the cotton from there went to New York.

Blocking Matamoros would have made the Union a pariah in international trade. It should be worth about + 150 intervention points.

This was the hole in the plan. You have to occupy all the towns on the border. NO Other Way!

[Ace]

Pardon, I did not blockade Matamoros, I sailed into Rio Grande and blockaded traffic across the river.

[Ace]

I have decided to siege Strasburg instead of assault with Beauregard being so close. AI did not try to lift the siege. Instead she tried to slip away. Supply wagon has fled without a fight, but a brigade has been caught and surrendered to the last man.
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While main armies are in the Valley staring at each other, there are mostly skirmishes at Culpeper.
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[Ace]

Hooker took Ft StPhilip, but still no promotion for him
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[Ace]

Well soldiers on the field are sometimes smarter than theri CiC. I ordered an assault at El Paso, but my units did not assault, they instead only battled the enemy recon outside the city. If they did attack it would be a bloody defeat. I did not see this force in the city last turn, very slopy on my part.
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Other than that, there has been some stockade war going on. I am starting to like the auto garrison feature. Raiders have been nerfed down this way.
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[Ace]

I have finally defeated the stack north of Springfield, capturing the artillery in the process.
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Zollichofer did try StLouis move, but while I am connected by rail to it, I can counter it with ease, and punish him for trying it. Only +1NM for this battle. I think it should be at least +2NM.
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Grant is marching South with the newly formed Mississippi Army, I am now 2 regions from Memphis, the only fort left on the river once I capture Memphis will be Vicksburg, all in all going like a breeze.
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[Ace]

I have left the best for last. This is where my ruse to lure AoT outside of Nashville has worked.
AoT pushed Shields out of Humphrey, TN to Dover. I am actually pleased with the result. most of my troops here were under-commanded militias. I defended in hilly terrain, in snow conditions. That is why I did rather well.
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AI did try to get sneaky and land a brigade behind my back directly at Dover, but I was prepared for it. My flanks are guarded by my gunboats.
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In the next 3 screenshots is the Battle of Nashville, battle lasted for 4 days, from Dec 10, to Dec 14. I had 18.500 men to his 12.500. The battle was fought in snow.
Over 3 separate battle, I lost 3.500 men, while he lost close to 10.000 men. I did not take the city, as my men were to exhausted to resume attack on Dec,15. Fighting in the snow took its tall. While I did not loose as much men, all my units have a cohesion of 0. The remaining 15.000 men have Cmb Pwr: 92, that is close to nothing. First leader casualty of the war. G. MCall died leading the assault on Dec,11, hampering my assaults on the following days as well.


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Only +2-3 NM for the Nashville battles. Imagine the northern press cheering the heroes of Nashville. They would hop on the story.

[Ace]

A rather important event fired this turn, one of the more important in the game. Old Abe has said one war at a time and apologized to the Albion. The war with the Brits is unlikely from now on.[ATTACH]26731[/ATTACH]

[Gen.DixonS.Miles]

I'm sure monuments will be erected in the likeness of General McCall...

[Ace]

In all the jubilation after the Battle of Nashville, I failed to realize in how peculiar situation I have put Lyon's Detachment.
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He has no cohesion at all, he is undercommanded after loosing McCall, and he is surrounded by AoT and 2 other 200-300 Confederate stacks. Resuming with the assault in this situation would be foolish in deed. My first thought was to extract him via Cumberland river to Dover, where he could reunite with Shields. But, alas, the river is frozen, one of joys of Winter Campaigning. This is where Western offensive without going through Kentucky becomes dangerous. It is not so much about 5 NM (I have paid that much to get Grant a head of the army couple of turn earlier than I would do otherwise). I hate to loose loyalty of the entire state. It would become a logistical nightmare to transport supplies over hostile territory. My only supply link is Dover, and a PBEM player would realize it. I am retreating to my ammo empty depot at Pulaski and hope for the best.
I have no enough MC at Henry to rail Grant to the theater, so he'll go to Memphis. I see CSA has concentrated at Nashville. There cannot be that much troops at Memphis.
Various small stacks are gaining MC in the are, and taking control of the rail lines. Once I establish east-west TN rail connections, I'll be in full control once again.


Little more to the South I have sen no reaction of the AI after loosing NO. So, I am scouting Baton rouge, taking care of the forts and preparing to expand.
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In Missouri Sumner and Asboth have started chasing defeated Zolichofer. Asboth will target him directly, while Sumner will go for his base at Councill Bluff.
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[Ace]

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[Ace]

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In a rather cheeky move, Beauregard has slipped past my lines and is besieging Alexandria. I am railing all I have to the area, and hoping for the best.

In Tennessee I am taking an operational pause since weather is bad and I am low on cohesion.

In Missouri there is a snowstorm, so I have given up on Zolichofer chase, I have chosen to deny him shelter by taking Rolla and Popular Bluff.

[Ace]

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Two assaults on Alexandria fort this turn. McDowell, Butler and Milroy arrived in the region at the 15th day, with no battle. I still hold the fort, but the men inside are more than battered. Reminder for the future, if relying for the fort to pick up the slack, put at least 2-3 extra 12lbs inside. I am pretty sure that with only two more batteries in the fort at entrenchment lvl 6, I would decimate CSA forces. I must admit I underestimated the AI here, not securing the fort as I should, I got to arrogant and complacent. This was a good move by the AI. The next turn may be a showdown. Two main Eastern armies are sharing a region.

New Orleans twin forts are moped up, one more thing down in the check list, renaming objectives include Fort Macon, NC, Fort Pulaski, GA and Nashville. TN

EDIT:

I decided to switch to hidden activation. I figured it will not hamper CSA AI at all, since with the added activation bonus, top CSA generals have strategic rating 6-8, and regular 3-1-1 general have 5-1-1 stats instead.

[ArmChairGeneral]

The hidden activation is very interesting, thank you for documenting your experience for us!

I particularly liked the demonstration and explanation of two of the most important tactics in these games: “forcing-the-attack” (set-up by the move on Montgomery, TN in post 33 and carried out in posts 38-50 in Humphreys and Nashville) and “mopping-up” (MO, posts 29-49).

Lure the enemy into ineffective attacks that leave them low on cohesion, hits and ammo; surround them to fix-in-place or channel them away from safety, interdict supply, then repeatedly attack so they cannot recover cohesion or receive replacements. When they run out of ammo and supply, you completely wipe them out and capture the guns and wagons.

NM is great, it gives you a ton of advantages, and is how Major Victories are triggered, but eliminating units like in this AAR is what wins games.

[Ace]

In the West, Grant is going to Corinth. He has detached Porter to join Shields at Dover to block possible Johnston attack over the Cumberland. Lyon is low on ammo, so he'll take up defensive positions at Pulaski and wait for Grant to take Corinth. In the East everything is ready for a big showdown in front of Alexandria. I do not expect McDowel to be active so I'll stick everything in his stack and endure 35% combat penalty which I would get anyway for fighting in enemy controlled region:
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Two battles this turn, in the East although a defeat, I held the ground in the end, so the capital is safe. I expected something similar, bad weather, combat penalties,... As long the rebs are traveling South and not North, I am happy with the result.
I did not plan for a push here anyway. In the West, everything is going as planned.

I used a few regional decisions this turn, landing sailors in the Texas and summing partisans to tear Knoxville - Chattanooga rails. I have sailed with 1 division worth of troops in front of Savannah. I would usually attack the city, but this time I'll attack FtPulaski instead.
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[Ace]

In the Alexandria battle form the last turn, 7th division took the brunt of the fighting. I suppose they were caught in detail and punished real hard. The good thing is, most of my other forces are rather unscratched. So I am taking 4 divisions on a flanking move to Fredericksburg, while 1 division is ordered to secure Manassas.
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Two amphibious invasions this turn:
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Grant is advancing rather unopposed, the snow is slowing me more than the Confederates.
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[Ace]

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Ft Pulaski, FtGaines and Baton Rouge captured. The only thing left in the to do list is now FtMacon.
McDowel turned out inactive for the flanking move, so he failed to reach his target.. I'll have to reroute my plans for the next turn.