AndrewKurtz wrote:My thoughts are that we need to be active in Virginia, but it should not be the primary effort.
The primary effort should initially be to take and raze Ft. Donelson and Island 10 in the west, thus eliminating the key forts that stop our control of the Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers. If done quickly, we can force the enemy to evacate Kentucky and possibly Nashville or face being cutoff by active naval forces. The bulk of available resources should be assigned to these tasks.
If we manage to make a breakthrough in Virginia, excellent, but the primary goal in Virginia should be to pin down and attrite the enemy forces. We will need to keep a covering force in place for DC. We will also need sufficient forces to stop and react quickly to all enemy raids.
As part of this overall strategy in the easy, one possibility is to use the covering force (a Corps) in position to be quickly moved to Philadelphia for your proposed invasion of Florida/Georgia.
Also, if possible, we should launch an early invasion of the Shenandoah and Norfolk to provide two other possible axis from which to advance upon Richmond.
I am interested to hear discussions of what you see as the most likely amphibious targets.
Jabberwock wrote:Andrew - Please fill me in on your ideas for the Eastern theater. List specific concerns, and requirements for addressing those concerns. Departments should include Piedmont, Central, and Tidewater. Also let me know what you think will be the most effective objectives for amphibious operations to coordinate with your forces.
Johnny - You have more areas of responsibility to start with: Far West, MO/AR, Western KY/TN, Central/Eastern KY/TN. Please list your concerns and requirements, split out into those departments.
Also, I'm not as familiar with specific setup and events issues in the July scenario as I should be. Either of you please feel free to educate me. Any specific issues or thoughts on the features of 1.09e are welcome, as well.
Jabberwock wrote:Andrew - Please fill me in on your ideas for the Eastern theater. List specific concerns, and requirements for addressing those concerns. Departments should include Piedmont, Central, and Tidewater. Also let me know what you think will be the most effective objectives for amphibious operations to coordinate with your forces.
Johnny - You have more areas of responsibility to start with: Far West, MO/AR, Western KY/TN, Central/Eastern KY/TN. Please list your concerns and requirements, split out into those departments.
Also, I'm not as familiar with specific setup and events issues in the July scenario as I should be. Either of you please feel free to educate me. Any specific issues or thoughts on the features of 1.09e are welcome, as well.
AndrewKurtz wrote:Central VA: We are in complete agreement in Central VA. I will need cavalry first to react to raid, suggest militia in all cities within raiding distance ASAP and additional troops as available. I will attempt to manuevuer the CSA from Manasass without a direct attack.
AndrewKurtz wrote:Piedmont: What are your thoughts on the targetlocation for a forward base? An existing town? Creation of a forward Depot?
AndrewKurtz wrote:Tidewater: I'd like to land at Suffolk, cut off the rebel ability to reinforce Norfolk, hold Suffolk with a covering force and seize Norfolk. I am fine if you would handle the landing.
AndrewKurtz wrote:I prefer a West first strategy, but we need to keep pressure on as many fronts as possible to force the rebel forces to be stretched thin.
AndrewKurtz wrote:Provide me sufficient troops to create four brigade level covering forces. I will place them in a corps to act as a reaction force, but the individual brigades can be pulled when needed for amphibious invasions.
johnnycai wrote:Far West- I would like to reinforce/depot Tucson and keep it for US. Usually a couple of battery's and 2-4 inf. regiments with Sumner taking command.
johnnycai wrote:MO/AR- Rollo should be targetted for '61, but can wait till Cairo/Paducah are secure. Will need more troops in case of St. Louis riots. In '62 is when I usually send Fremont/Halleck with Lyon(if available) to take Springfield and onward to Ft. Smith from Rollo area.
johnnycai wrote:W-Ky/TN- Hold Paducah/Cairo at all costs. I expect Johnnyreb to attack there, but with a reaction force nearby, our forces can usually make that a short and painful stab for the rebs. Paducah is great as the stepping-stone to TN and for limiting reb rivercraft in that area. I request Gen. French to command Paducah for his superior arty-shooting skills. Unless they are weakly defended, I lean to delay(Apr62? and Grant is Army commander hopefully) the attack on the forts as they can be really messy if rebs are ready to counter.
johnnycai wrote:EastKy-If we agree that Ky will be invaded in '61, then I like to take Lexington as early as possible and be prepared for the counter strikes at Bowling Green and Paducah. I suggest a depot for BG as soon as forces there require the supply boost, not too early if BG is threatened obviously.
johnnycai wrote:Overall my strategy/tactics favour using rivercraft to drop large, well-supplied independant forces behind the rebs main lines. If the rebs threaten Tucson, I would suggest an amphib force go for Galveston for example. If they hold the Nashville/FtDonelson/Columbus/Island10 line well, then I suggest sail to cut their line in half on either side of FtDonelson and mass the forces to overcome the weaker side. Isolate and then hammer.
johnnycai wrote:My requests for early troops would be cav for MO/IT, militia to free-up US army reg. in IT/FarWest for Tucson. Arty/cav/inf for Cairo/Paducah defences. Forces for Lexington assault and BG defence. 2-3 small brigades for Ashland to take out Clarksburg/Prestonburg (depending on the East/West situation, this could be where we get Grant into the action quick.)
johnnycai wrote:[SIZE="3"]The US starts with Rollo in July'61?...will do some checking/testing this evening.[/size]
johnnycai wrote:[SIZE="3"]The BG depot (btw, use transports to build it)[/size]
tagwyn wrote:Very good JW! Butler to NO and Burnside to the coast of NC. Halleck in St. Louis and Grant to Move down the Mississippi with help of Sherman. Buell in Nashville with Thomas moving further South when you can wake him up!! Sheridan will handle the Indian wars and pacify the Rockies and AZ. Tag
Jabberwock wrote:We don't start with Rolla, but it is empty. I think the standard reb move is to occupy it with a small force early, blow up the depot and rail, and leave. If we can grab it early and only lightly defend it (maybe 2-3 militia), that is more incentive for the rebs to come deeper into Missouri, and it will be that much easier to defeat them in detail (using someone we want to promote), while circling around and taking the important depots behind them using cavalry. It also might be a good place to stick someone who needs a seniority hit (like Fremont).
Doh! Sometimes I forget these things when I'm not in the middle of a game.
johnnycai wrote:Burnside shows up in the East around same-time as McClernand. I have kept McC in Chicago since he shows up in the West. With Burnside, I have done well with Phila. or Boston. I am referring to getting 7+ conscripts per city. If I 'only' get 5-6 then I move general to another big-city to try to get more
johnnycai wrote:Yes, confirmed, Rollo starts empty and rebs can rail there 1st turn with Price and 3 militia regs + 1arty. US doesnt have any active forces in the area until the next turn when St. Louis troops become active. My only concern is that if Cairo is attacked while I use my few active troops against Rollo, the rebs might get dug in and make the retake much more difficult. I prefer to guard Cairo with any troops available.
Comments? Suggestions?
Jabberwock wrote:Cairo is your first concern, as it should be. Let's wait one turn, and see how much the rebs commit to Rolla. If they want to push their luck there, I think it will hurt them long term, and you know how to handle it.
Any thoughts on the draft? My proposal (in the Telegraph office thread) had only one militia and one Lt. Arty. allocated in MO on the first turn, if we don't draft right away.
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