Taking New Orleans??

[Capt Cliff]

Ok, I am trying to take New Orleans but my troops won't disembark. I order them to and nothing happens. I sailed up the river past the forts and 3 CSA ironclads. I am amazed that the CSA can build so mainly ironclads (there are 4 off Norfolk) when historically they had a hell of a time with the ones they had.

Any ... how do you take New Orleans??

[wsatterwhite]

Make sure your troops are in assault formation and you have a fleet with some pretty strong warships attached set to bombard the fort.

Regarding the CSA ironclads, essentially they will just build whatever they can if you let them. Take out Norfolk as soon as possible and get to New Orleans asap as well, that will significantly hamper their naval capacity. Also, if you notice that they have a disproportionately high number of ironclads (and you've been maintaining parity with your draft and money choices), check for areas where they might not have strong defenses due to devoting resources to naval builds instead of troops.

[Longshanks]

If the CSA is building ironclads, it may mean they're short on conscripts, but have some $$ and some WS.

If they have plenty of conscripts, consider yourself lucky... they could be building new corps!

[Jim-NC]

Ok, I am trying to take New Orleans but my troops won't disembark. I order them to and nothing happens. I sailed up the river past the forts and 3 CSA ironclads. I am amazed that the CSA can build so mainly ironclads (there are 4 off Norfolk) when historically they had a hell of a time with the ones they had.

Any ... how do you take New Orleans??

Are the ironclads in the same river region? They can prevent landings.

[Capt Cliff]

Has anybody captured New Orleans the way Farragut did historically?

I just checked the CSA units for my current game in Jan 62 and the CSA has 2 ironclads in the lower Mississippi. I have 3 armored frigates (protection of 6) at Fort Jefferson with an invasion fleet, but they will be no match for these ironclads (protection of 12). Didn't the designers take into consideration that the CSA really didn't have the resources nor the shipyards (except Norfolk) to make ironclads in such quantities?

Oh, why are CSA ironclads tougher than Union ones? Protection of 12 vs 11!! The CSA ironclads were cobbled together from this and that, the CSS Virginia was renown for poor sea handling.

[Capt Cliff]

Are the ironclads in the same river region? They can prevent landings.

I am not sure or can't remember. I moved in adjacent to New Orleans and tried to disembark my troops, I don't think I used the assault button. The next turn I was still adjacent to New Orleans but 3 ironclads appeared at the mouth of the Mississippi by the two forts. Downstream of Farragut and how they got past him is beyond me. I tried to disembark but the 3 ironclads attacked and drove Farragut up stream toward Baton Rouge.

[Capt Cliff]

LOL!! Ok, I took New orleans ... WOOT!!

The ironclads never appeared. But for some reason there were a lot of troops the city or just appeared there magically. Now what do I do about the two forts at the mouth of the river? Historically they were abandoned, due to being out of supply, troops do die without food.

Do I have to send troops down there to capture them? Bummer if I do I'll need siege guns. Can I go down and bombard them to death with Farragut?

[Longshanks]

It depends. Usually there's a lot of supplies in NO and so you can last a long time without a supply line. There's also a northern route around and south again on an alternate mouth of the Mississippi, however you have to clear out CSA ships (and of course, any fort they might have built). So, most likely you're eventually going to have to take either Memphis and Vicksburg, or the two forts. I've never seen them surrender, or even starve out. However, forts are nearly as tough as they seem they ought to be, so they're not too tough to take.

BTW, another way to hit NO is to move into the area bordering both Ft Pike and the NO region (Iberville). From there you can hit either one and make the CSA guess which.

Gratz on takin' NO. It's a big rush, esp. the first time! (and very depressing to lose!)

[wsatterwhite]

How large of a force did you use to take New Orleans? If you took a couple of divisions (at least two), you should be able to spare one to knock out the forts real quick- just send your fleet down to bombard and march down (actually you might need to use riverine transport, it's been a few weeks since I played and can't remember what works best there). Go all out assault on both and you should take them easy, you will probably need to rest a bit after the first fort but all in all it shouldn't take more than few turns with your fleet supporting (don't leave the fleet there bombarding all while your troops are resting though). If you took more than two divisions you can probably knock both out on the same turn.

[Ol' Choctaw]

One thing you don’t want to do is bombard the fort with your fleet. That is if you want to keep it.

You won’t have much left if you do.

[Capt Cliff]

I used three Divisions in the invasion. Two with 3 inf brigades and a arty and one with 2 inf brig and 2 cav. I used one division with both arty and moved it down to one of the forts. It started at strength 350 but when it arrived at the fort it was strength 50. Like what the hell happened? Was it the swamp the fort is located in? I did not bring any wagons but one is on the way as reinforcement, with some siege guns.

Will I still get supply to New Orleans with the forts occupied? I need replacements for some of my arty and infantry, will they receive them? If the game designers did not take into account their loss of supply it was a big mistake. I've lost other units to no supply forts should also died when cut off.

[Jim-NC]

The best way to take forts is direct assault from the sea. Load your division onto ships, sail ships next to fort. Next round, send out troops in assault posture. The normal CSA garrison is 1 inf element, 1 fort batteries, and 1 shore batteries (3 total elements). No problem for a good division. Rest after taking the fort (and move your fleet into the fort). Next round, do it again.

As to your power loss, your cohesion is probably in the single digits. This was due to walking through the swamps of southern Louisiana. If you rest on top of the fort, you will regain cohesion.

NO generates over 100 supply points a turn (don't recall the exact number right now). So it won't starve easily.

The CSA forts can get supply via riverine pool from Shieldsboro or maybe Mobile, so you can't starve them out (unless you blockade them), and they still may get some overland.

[Capt Cliff]

The best way to take forts is direct assault from the sea. Load your division onto ships, sail ships next to fort. Next round, send out troops in assault posture. The normal CSA garrison is 1 inf element, 1 fort batteries, and 1 shore batteries (3 total elements). No problem for a good division. Rest after taking the fort (and move your fleet into the fort). Next round, do it again.

As to your power loss, your cohesion is probably in the single digits. This was due to walking through the swamps of southern Louisiana. If you rest on top of the fort, you will regain cohesion.

NO generates over 100 supply points a turn (don't recall the exact number right now). So it won't starve easily.

The CSA forts can get supply via riverine pool from Shieldsboro or maybe Mobile, so you can't starve them out (unless you blockade them), and they still may get some overland.

Taking the forts by sea worked slicker than snot on a door knob!! Thanks for the tip! I was even challenged by gunboats but Farragut brushed them aside! CSA Ironclads might be a different matter.

[Ol' Choctaw]

With Fort Jackson and Fort St. Phillip taken New Orleans can receive supply by sea but if there are Ironclads in the river you won’t be able to land.

You may have to take Fort Pike, up to the North East of N.O. and move overland to capture the city. It is that or wade through the swamp to get there and make sure you are on the right side of the river, because those Ironclads will stop that too.

[Capt Cliff]

With Fort Jackson and Fort St. Phillip taken New Orleans can receive supply by sea but if there are Ironclads in the river you won’t be able to land.

You may have to take Fort Pike, up to the North East of N.O. and move overland to capture the city. It is that or wade through the swamp to get there and make sure you are on the right side of the river, because those Ironclads will stop that too.

I am running Porter down the river with a PA ironclad, built in Pittsburgh, and some regular river ironclads, some gun boats and transports. Hope he makes it.

Those ironclads built in Pittsburgh are random. I chose PA and sometimes they appear on the east coast and other times in Pittsburgh. Wonder if this is a bug.

[charlesonmission]

It isn't a bug, it is intentional based on the posts I've read.

Charles

I am running Porter down the river with a PA ironclad, built in Pittsburgh, and some regular river ironclads, some gun boats and transports. Hope he makes it.

Those ironclads built in Pittsburgh are random. I chose PA and sometimes they appear on the east coast and other times in Pittsburgh. Wonder if this is a bug.

[Capt Cliff]

Well Porter made the run with no problem!!

BUT ... the CSA AI is obsessed with Fort Pickens, like WTH were the designers thinking!! Bragg is attacking Fort Pickens with a force of strength 1200+, with Longstreet and other top commanders. This is the second time I caught the AI doing this. The first time I went into the CSA turn and sent Bragg up to Tennessee. Well the script for the CSA AI has sent him back down. I have Hunter inside the fort with a division but against a 1200 strength force the fort will fall. Another impossibility considering the lay of the land around the fort.

[SleeStak]

dig into the fort with a couple of divisions. No matter how big a force the attacker brings, you'll be able to fight at a numbers advantage (the defender can fight with 15 inf elements and 15 art elements while the attacker can only fit with 11 of each) and you should be dug in. Let the AI bring an army.

[Ethan]

The SleeStak's advice is good. Two divisions must be sufficient to resist without problems. In addition, try pile up some 12lb guns for those divisions as they are the best for defense. You may also put a gatling gun. It will wreak havoc among enemy ranks...

[Capt Cliff]

The SleeStak's advice is good. Two divisions must be sufficient to resist without problems. In addition, try pile up some 12lb guns for those divisions as they are the best for defense. You may also put a gatling gun. It will wreak havoc among enemy ranks...

Sound advice guy's but that's a lot of units to waste defending a fort that is basically unapproachable in reality. Besides the fact I can not afford to build that many troops for just a fort. It's summer of 62' and I need all my divisions guarding Washington and attacking in the west. A cheaper way to go is to let the fort fall, again a historical and reality based abomination Fort Pickens can not be assaulted from landwards, and buy 2 blockade squadrons.

Perhaps I need to find a human opponent.

[SleeStak]

Capt Cliff, Letting the fort fall is not a bad solution either. Of course, if you fill the fort with militia and 6lbs (they will turn into inf reg and 12lbs while sitting in the fort) , and try down 1200 pts of firepower and some good generals with two divisions, you are doing alright.

As for human opponents, I'm fighting my first PBEM right now and, in spite my making a number of bone head moves, I am thoroughly enjoying the war. My troops aren't real thrilled with their leadership but they have to play. I would recommend it.

[Ethan]

Fort Pickens and Fort Monroe will always be in the mind of the CSA IA...

So it's your decision to consider whether it is worth fighting for it.

Regards!

[wsatterwhite]

Try to reinforce Pickens and Fort Monroe with coastal artillery as soon as you can get some down there, this seems to hold off the AI and don't cost as many conscript points as infantry reinforcements (but yes, they do cost a lot in cash and WS). You'll still need actual foot soldiers but a few coastal artillery units in a fort seems to trick the AI into believing you have a much more powerful force there than you actually have.

As long as you haven't let the CSA get a numbers advantage through your mobilization options (they've been running full drafts while you've just been doing volunteer calls), a large force around one of the forts should mean that their forces somewhere else (likely Tennessee) are comparably weak- large forces at Ft. Pickens mean you should be able to make a quick lunge down the Mississippi or through the heart of Tennessee to Chattanooga, the Rebs will likely have a solid force in place to defend one but not the other (those are the troops busy milling around Pickens). I know it gets old but even if the mechanics behind it are flawed, the game is just representing history here- a good number of the troops who eventually became part of the Army of Tennessee were originally based in Pensacola until the Union advances in early 1862 forced them to be transferred. The more objectives you take as the Union player, the more the CSA AI will shift from taking the objectives you start off with and move towards taking back the objectives you've captured.