So, where to start. First off I don't have the save anymore, because it got replaced when I played the next turn ( by the way how do I clean the save game folder in the main screen, it is full of old games...), so I unfortunately won't be able to send the save to see if it is normal or not.
Now on with the actual story,Beginning of november 1862, CSA,:
- in the Transmississippi I have captured Saint-Louis in july with 2 divisions led by Polk and McCullouch coming from Charleston, MO. While Hindman (no Price event) waited in Springfield to build up a Arkansas/Texas Division... Once they arrived along with Watie's "double" indians, he proceded to recapture Rolla in september while McCullouch captured Jefferson City in early october. So I control all southern MO + Saint-Louis, big success there. Furthermore the newly formed army of the Mississipi under Beauregard (Grrr it cost me 6 National Moral points because by the time PGT and the HQ arrived where I wanted them JJJohnston had gotten some extra seniority from battles in the east…) with 3 divs under the orders of Stewart, Hardee and can’t remenber the third one have managed to secure Cairo, giving me control of the Mississippi/Ohio connection with the 4 cities there… I intend on building a fort in Cairo for later use..
- In the west, the Army of Tennesse Commanded by ASJohnston hanged on Bowling green, repulsed a few half-hearted attacks in the summer then marched on Louisville after a Corp under Edward Johnson had reconquered Lexington in early september with 2 divs under Hokes and someone… Together (5 understrenght divisions in total) and thanks to Forrest’s division breaking havoc on union railroads behind the lines they managed to defeat Buell after 6 weeks of siege, finishing him off in a battle where we lost 7000 while killing 6000.. ( I love this, battles that you win but where you still lose more troops, very historical). Ready to spend winter there consolidating.
- The important part now. In the east, I took Alexandria early on and built Fort RELee (!!!) in early august, so I have now a strong point there where Johnson’s corp is stationned with a strong division under Pemberton (fort defense trait) and a leader with the artillerist trait. The union had managed to control Harpers Ferry and Winchester early on and I didn’t feel like I could take them on by lack of troops and also by fear of seeing Beauregard and JJJohnston gain too much seniority before I could promote RELee… Anyway, in early october I see Hooker’s Army in Winchester with 4 corps while only a weak garrison is in Harpers Ferry… I go for it boldly… What a mistake…
Battle for Harpers Ferry : the Potomac’s army russian campaign….
Setup :
- I have Bonham with a Corp made of only one division+supplies move to the hills between Manassas and Winchester to prevent Hooker’s army from marching there.
- I have JJJohson’s Corp with one strong division in RELee Fort to protect my rear as well.
- I send Stuart’s cavalry Corp to Frederick, MD to cut the railline and prevent reinforcements (big mistake there I think…)
- I send Jackson’s Corp with 3 strong divs (circa 500) under Longstreet, Ewell and APHill to Harpers ferry with order to be offensive (orange) and get into the city (might have been a big mistake again…)
- Finally I send RELee’s Army reinforced with divs from Bonham and JJJohson to Loudon with offensive posture so that it can support Jackson… ( that was the idea anyway…). It comprises 5 divs (close to 2500 AV) under many generals I don’t remember now…
Late october turn : everything falls into place nicely, Jackson takes Harpers Ferry and goes inside the city, all other corps go where they are supposed to go but….. Hooker’s army is there in Harpers Ferry as well, not inside the city mind you but outside, besieging it.. With 4 Corps as well.. So the full monty is there… Brrrr… On the other hand Winchester is now guarded by one weak unit…
So I figure : Jackson is stuck in the city, can’t escape on his own probably and surely Hooker’s army is badly organised and without proper divs, etc… So My orders : Try to go for the kill :
- Bonham corps move to Winchester to take the city
- RELee and Stuart Join Jackson in Harpers Ferry for the big battle…
- JJJohnson stays in Fort RELee to keep the Union in check on the northern bank of the Potomac…
And now “Alea Jacta est”…
Early november turn : first thing, I see snow everywhere so I Figure this is going to hurt… Then there are actually 12 battles in 15 days in Harpers Ferry !!!
I win the first 5 ones, With Lee in command of 3 and Jackson 2, each time I lose Between 3 000 and 5 000, while Hookers looses 10 000-12 000 three times and then 4 000 two times ( so that’s already around 20 000 casualties for me and 40 000 for the Union in 5 days of battle in the snow… Imagine the sight.. )…
Then the tide turns : I lose the next 5 ( pretty symetric isn’t it ?)… Losses are quite low for the 2 sides there (2 000 to 4 000 for me and same for them, around 15 000 casualties for the 2 armies…). But the thing is in the first battles the Union lost only few elements (inf, mil, cav)… now in this series of battle I lose lots of elements including divs HQs (ho ho..This looks bad…). In one of the battles the commander is Longstreet (one of Jackson’s div commanders) and he only has 2 divs HQs, Supply wagons and a few infantery elements… Ouch… I understand at that point that Jackson’s corp is no more…
Then the last 2 battles I Win again with RELee in command, but the 2 armies are exhausted and although casualties are low ( 2 000 – 3 000 for each army), we both loose quite few elements…
Then the turn processing is over… The shock, the horror… Not only Jackson’s corp is no more, but RELee’s army is only 400 AV strong, and worse, the Union took Harpers ferry back !!! So here I have RELee stranded in Harpers Ferry, surrounded by Hooker’s Army and its 4 corps ( I can’t see inside the Corps but I can see that Hookers army itself is composed of only pioneers,supplies,arty and signals…).. Stuart stayed in Frederick, MD (failed activation ?), and Bonham is besieging Winchester, having not managed to take it…
Overall I figure I have lost around 45 000 men in 15 days of battle from battle damage.. but I have taken many hits from the climate (being outside in the snow, I remember reading that I took 37 hits for Potomac, 20 for Jackson, etc..)… Of the 5 divs inside the Potomac’s army, all have around 60 AV, and I can see that they have lost far more than cohesion…their max Av now is around 150-200 I think…
SI order Bonham to Assault Winchester ( I need to be in a city for Winter…), get Stuart to run to Fort RELee and order RELee to retreat.. I find it will take him 35 days to reach Manassas of Fort RELee, against 16 to reach Winchester… I bet on Winchester being captured and send him there…
Now the odd part : I check my replacement and recruiting pool and I have 1 000 money ( I printed 2 turns ago so makes sense) and 1 000 conscripts !!!! I hadn’t levied any men so I don’t know where they came from ??? Did all men from Jackson’s Corp desert to join the recruiting center ? Anyway I’ll need them all so I order recruiting many Brigades…
Late november turn : I have captured Winchester, but RELee is still 6 days away and now his AV is 40 (!!!), many men having died on the way in the snow (again…)…
Here I stand, I just played that turn yesterday evening before going to bed..
So in a series of battle in the snow I lost 45 000 Men against around 70 000 for the Union, but I guess my casualties from desertion, capture of Harpers Ferry and winter largely made up for it… Now luckily it is winter so I have time to build some sort of an army back and will stay on the defensive in that theater I guess…
But many historic units are no more… the Stonewall brigade, the newly formed Gamecock brigade, Longstreet’s, Jones’s, Cocke’s…etc…
I really feel like a french officer watching the remnants of the Grande Armée crawling back from Russia in 1813… All these fine men…
leure:
Just when I thought that the game (AI normal, medium FOW advantage) was getting easy… Boom… Now victory lies in the west for me, East shall be defense only…
leure:
