What to do with my Marines (or where to do an amphibious landing)?

[Drakken]

Playing as Union now in October 1861, I have mobilized a few USMC brigades, which are almost ready, and recalled Farragut's fleet from the Atlantic to prepare a Winter amphibious landing aiming to put a thorn in the CSA's convoys. The thing is, I cannot decide where to land.

Fort Sumter is still holding, repelling masses of Confederate assaults for the last six months, but is now lacking general supply. However, my plan would be rather to pull them out and concede the Fort, rather than fight against mills here.

So, what to do for Operation Rose Thorn? Suggestions?

[arsan]

New Orleans is a pretty obvious place. And historic too.
By the way, marines are not specially good for landing operations.
They just fight like any good infantry and speed river/Swamp crossing for all the stack they are in.
Better to put one marine unit in each of your main corps and use just one marine and regular infantry and artillery for landings.
Regards!

[Gray_Lensman]

deleted

[Drakken]

Arsan is quite correct. Marine units in this game are better used as specialty units to provide speed enhancements to stacks, similar to the sharpshooter units, balloons, etc.

Which is confusing. After all, Marines were Naval Fusillers, infantry units trained to serve on fleets on both American and British navies.

[arsan]

Yes, you are right. Is a little strange
Still on this era i don't think there was any opposed landing like the Normandy or pacific ones on WW2.
The only way to simulate the ACW marines training would be to reduce loss cohesion while embarked or something like this. A very minor thing
Marines and sailors on game are like infantry but with the pontoneer ability.
Regards

[Drakken]

Yes, you are right. Is a little strange
Still on this era i don't think there was any opposed landing like the Normandy or pacific ones on WW2.
The only way to simulate the ACW marines training would be to reduce loss cohesion while embarked or something like this. A very minor thing
Marines and sailors on game are like infantry but with the pontoneer ability.
Regards

Of course, I am not speaking about bringing Normandy or Iwo Jima. And in 19th century, Marines were used mostly as fighting men when boarding enemy vessels, not as debarkment forces.

However, wouldn't using them as invasion troops be useful when landing in the swampy areas of the South coast?

[arsan]

However, wouldn't using them as invasion troops be useful when landing in the swampy areas of the South coast?

Yes, absolutely! But one marine unit per stack is enough to speed all the stack.
of course you caa roleplay and use them all together, but spreading the rest of them around corps and armies would be more effective gameplay wise.
Regards!

[Jabberwock]

I target river systems that have no forts protecting them. Any city near these rivers or their tributaries is a target.

Possible Objectives
Rappahannock River
James River
Albemarle Sound
Pee Dee River
Santee River
Altamaha River
St Johns River
Ochlockonee River
Choctawhatchee River
White Lake
Sabine River
Neches River
Colorado River (Texas)

[Heldenkaiser]

Of course, I am not speaking about bringing Normandy or Iwo Jima. And in 19th century, Marines were used mostly as fighting men when boarding enemy vessels, not as debarkment forces.

Actually both. You see, the point about having marines is that historically the army/navy cooperation was in most cases abysmal. With marines, the fleet had units that were trained as infantry, but were used to being aboard ships, even living there for months on end, and over which it had full control. In other words, having marines made smaller landing operations a single-service rather than a joint service operation, which was a huge benefit. The normal duty for marines in the age of sail was infantry combat aboard ships during battle (i.e. boarding, repelling boarding attempts, musket fire from mast tops and such), but they were routinely also used for smaller amphibious operations (the marine detachments from several ships combined for that).

So yes, marines facilitating land operations far inland are a bit of a stretch of the historical imagination ...

[tyrex]

Actually in the French Grande Campaigne, I'm launching my first amphibious assault on a less obvious objectives than New Orleans. In PBEM it's quite simple to reinforce that town making any assault a suicidale one.
So I've launched mine at Tallahassee and Pensacola. Each target appears not to be well defended. I'm still waiting for the new turn to see the results of these attack but there's plenty of chances it would be a success.
Well I will not win NM of those attack but it's two strategic cities down and a relativily painless training for my units and generals.
And the strategic opportunities these towns open are simply...huge (I've already find twelve targets in range). And it gave the blockade fleets a port in Gulf Of Mexico.

[put413]

Each turn I mass new brigades in Philadelphia, then I shuttle Farragut between Philly and Norfolk, VA. Be sure to put a general in there. The first turn you may take some damage, but you won't get wiped out. Then, form your first division there. Repeat each turn, massing troops in Philadelphia, then shuttle them to Norfolk, form a division, etc. You then hit Richmond from the North (with your early divisions or Corps formed naturally in the game near Wash,DC) and Norfolk divisions from the East. As the game progresses, your troops grow like a cancer that begins to erode the south from Norfolk to the west and south. Followup with supply lines, forming a nice clear path of supply that'll stretch from Norfolk to wherever you want down the south and west, taking one strategic city after another. Works for me every time. I love it.

Put413

[Banks6060]

I target river systems that have no forts protecting them. Any city near these rivers or their tributaries is a target.

Possible Objectives
Rappahannock River
James River
Albemarle Sound
Pee Dee River
Santee River
Altamaha River
St Johns River
Ochlockonee River
Choctawhatchee River
White Lake
Sabine River
Neches River
Colorado River (Texas)

hehe....

[Jabberwock]

You do notice that I left out coastal targets, and was very unspecific about which rivers are my favorites ... I did realize you might read that.

Also, at the time I didn't have a game map in front of me, so I may have left out some rivers.

Let's see, I've written strategy posts about how to take New Orleans and Louisiana. I've recently had a lot of success in Texas, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Where do want to go in the GC?

[Drakken]

Errrr, I sent them in Norfolk to distract part of the ANV away, seize the Harbor and burn its depot. But before I knew it, my small force got besieged by Stonewall Jackson and J.E.Johnston. I failed to retreat my force into my naval transports, and only General Shields survived.

Now, I have raised another force under the same commander, this time to seize the forts around Hatteras Inlet, Ocracock Inlet, and Cape Lookout. The reason is simple: I now need forward harbors and supply bases for my blockade fleets off the NC coast, and Annapolis is simply too far away.

[Banks6060]

You do notice that I left out coastal targets, and was very unspecific about which rivers are my favorites ... I did realize you might read that.

Also, at the time I didn't have a game map in front of me, so I may have left out some rivers.

Let's see, I've written strategy posts about how to take New Orleans and Louisiana. I've recently had a lot of success in Texas, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Where do want to go in the GC?

No, I only chuckle because what you said is being put into practice in the GC currently. Believe me...I have absolutely NO fricken clue what you're up to.

[bk6583]

You do notice that I left out coastal targets, and was very unspecific about which rivers are my favorites ... I did realize you might read that.

Also, at the time I didn't have a game map in front of me, so I may have left out some rivers.

Let's see, I've written strategy posts about how to take New Orleans and Louisiana. I've recently had a lot of success in Texas, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Where do want to go in the GC?

Could you put in a link to your strategy posts?

[Jabberwock]

Could you put in a link to your strategy posts?

They're old ...

http://www.ageod-forum.com/showpost.php?p=67533&postcount=3

http://www.ageod-forum.com/showpost.php?p=50007&postcount=11

links to the whole thread in the upper right corner.

[Banks6060]

Interesting stuff. I think I prefer a more methodical approach. Given time, there is no stopping the Union from taking ANY of the coastal areas. You have to be patient, but with one force of about 3 or 4 divisions you could probably get the job done. Just depends on where you go and when you go there.

I'm currently working on a PBEM where I went straight for Savannah. Admitedly I spent half of 1862 sieging it. But I've managed to take it and Charleston now using the rails between to keep everyone supplied. Of course Augusta, GA is the next target from there....then Atlanta....and so on.

[Brochgale]

The minister for disinformation is hard at work I see - ignore what Pinkerton tells you? Or should that be Belle Boyd in this instance?

[Jabberwock]

Believe me...I have absolutely NO fricken clue what you're up to.

Me neither.