AAR 1756-58 The Montcalm campaign. Rule Britannia!

[USS Yorktown]

Turn 17 (July 1757): Keeping the momentum

Last month must have been a nasty surprise for my oppenent. Monthes of preparation, patience, doubts (I was wary of a possible Montcalm blitz again Albany) and at a successfull counter attack.

The end of the summer 1757 must be used to take full advantage of this strategic surprise, I have to strike down Montcalm's army and gain strategic positions before the French have a chance to recover.

Mohawk Valley: The Battle for Oswego

Therefore, I order Abercromby (despite him being a slow mover) to rush onto Oswego. Montcalm's army must be retreating in this direction and I have to catch in the open field. If Montcalm has the time to close Osewego's gates in front of me, I should be able to undertake a successfull siege. Indeed, last year my troops were ordered to destroy Oswego's defenses before to abandon the town. The French do not seem to have rebuild them yet.



Some of my troops have been seriously depleted in the previous battle, I order them to go back to Albany in order to get some rest and avoid complete destruction in a new fight.

Lake Champlain

George Munro's troops are still blocking for the French and their allies the road to Albany in Fort Henry. I decide to send my faithfull Mohicans in a retaliation raid against Fort Frederic (it's great this immersive feeling to be in the middle of the movie/book).




The war in the Wild West

While the French have barricaded themselves in Fort Duquesne (7), my troops have bypassed them and have destroyed two indian villages (1&2). These tribes will never be part of the war again... I decide to keep this move ahead and deepen myself further in ennemy territories.
George Washinton (1) will use his superior mobiliy and his abilities in guerrilla tactics to scout Detroit (5) and will seize if undefended. Governor Lawrence (2) will follow him from a distance with more important forces, destroying all indian villages on the way (6). Meanwhile, Dunbar (4) will take his quarters in Fort Leboeuf, hopefully capturing some boats to sail on Lake Erie.

[USS Yorktown]

Oswego is free!

At last. When I evacuated Oswego last year I promised to His Majesty faithfull subjects that I will be back. The battle for Oswego has been terrible. Montcalm was trapped in the city, surrounded in ennemy territories, with the Lake Ontario behind him.



Unable to retreat, his forces have been routed and destroyed by the mighty Brirtish redcoats regiments.



Losses are severe, one of our dear Highlanders elite infantry regiment has been almost wiped out. Almost of you units have taken heavy losses, but the ennemy is routed. I'll have some time to reorganise my troops. I have captured plenty of supplies and artileries. I won't do the same mistke than Montcalm and I begin immediately to build with them some fortifications and a depot in order to resist a French counter-attack.



War in the wild west

Deep in the west, George Washington (1) has reported to me that Detroit (4) seems to have been left undefended. He will try to seize it next month. I hurry him Charles Lawrence (2) with some solid troops in order to hold this strategic objective.
Meanwhile, Thomas Dunbar is heading north to siege Fort Niagara (5). The French seem to be still baricaded in Fort Duquesne (6), unaware of the threats upon their rear lines.



In New-York, Brigadier-General Jame Murray has just arrived from Europe with a small army. I also expect the Royal Navy to join to the fight next month.

[USS Yorktown]

Turn 17 (August 1757): New plans


We are in the last tiers of the 1757 war season. In few monthes, the snow will appear and the armies will be forced to take their winter quarters in safe shelters. I have to decide what is going to be my strategy now.
Indeed, I have successfully completed my master plan: I have concentrated my strength in one point (the Mohawk valley) and strike a huge blow one the main ennemy corps. The only failure in my plan has been Fort Duquesne which is still hold firm in French hands.

The scenario will run for 14 turns again, so I have to decide on a new strategy for this second half of the war: Right now, despite my tactical victory in Oswego, the final victory is not yet secured.



Opportunist strategy

The good news is that the French will need several monthes to recover from the defeat they suffered. They need to concentrate new troops, and their indians allies are going to go back to their camps in octover anyway. I don't expect any offensive action from Montcalm before next spring.
The bad news news is my main corps has been badly damaged during Oswego battle. Abercromby men will need at least 3 monthes of rest and replacements before to go back to battle. Therefore, I'm unable to take a decisive advantage here.

Therefore, rather than to go after a decisive victory, I decide to use the last weeks before the winter to begin a new strategy:

1)I'm going to do something I usually never do: I'm going to split my forces in order to simultaneously attack multiple objectives in the periphery of the battlefield;
2) In normal time, this would be a risky strategy and the French paid an heavy price in the Mohawk valley for doing this. But I feel Montcalm is not in shape to react immediatly and the coming winter should protect me from a strong French counter-attack;
3) If Montcalm chooses to contentrate and strike one of my task forces, the losses would be be relatively small and I would still have grabed some victory points elswhere; Plus, as I will fortify the captured positions, retak
4) Finally, if Montcalm sends some forces in the periphery to counter-attack, he would be all the weaker when I will resume my offensive in the center toward Montreal.

By the end of the game, the aim of my plan is to control most of the objectives and strategic cities and hopefully be in position to assault Montreal.

The attack on Montreal

There are 3 main ways for an army to attack Montreal:
1)Through the Lake Champlain. This is the most obvious one. Fort Frederick is guarding it.
2) Through the Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence river. Frontenac and La Presentation are guarding it.
3) Through the ocean and the St Lawrence river? Louisbourg and Quebec are guarding it (!!)

Therefore Fort Frederick, Frontenac and Louisbourg will be top priority objectives.



The battle in the wild west

In the west, Fort Duquesne is still heavily defended, but Fort Detroit has been left undefended, and the garrison in Fort Niagara looks lonely... Therefore, I leave Fort Duquesne alone and go after the most easy to size obectives.



This is the most risky part, as my forces will be quite thin. But, once behind the forts walls, and with an harsh winter; i'm confident I'll be able to lure important french forces away from Montreal.