Round 2: McClellan is back! Oh nooo! vs Marquo (CSA)

[bugwar]

Why do you suspect that the depot attack will not succeed? [&:]

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: bugwar

Why do you suspect that the depot attack will not succeed? [&:]

Because I don't think he's built a depot for me to destroy it that easily [8D] It's too good to be true. In any case, if he wasn't expecting enemies attacking, he better moves at least a brigade.

[TulliusDetritus]

[center]Late November 1861[/center]

Well, in the Potomac theater Manassas was recaptured by the rebels. Milroy's forces grabbed Falmouth. Heintzelman and other independent brigades will reinforce this force too.

In the Valley, I will gather (and try to reinforce a little bit) the main army in Winchester. I am leaving behind a relatively strong force in Strasburg, just in case Marquo tries some coup-de-main.

McClellan is somehow in the middle of the two main areas (Washington approaches and the Valley): Leesburg.

By the way now he won't be promoted (I had captured Manassas. Remember, I did not want the place [:D] I just wanted to make sure Beauregard was not moving towards the Valley, and it worked)?

[TulliusDetritus]

In the west (or Mississippi, Illinois, Cairo) the Confederacy got a wonderful victory (one of those you can read on history books [:D]).

Polk's horde (20.000 men) finally attacked Lyon's 34.000 men. And yes, they won [X(] Then they assaulted Cairo which obviously fell.

Soooo...

Grant will be in charge of the main [defeated] force (north of Cairo that is, there they stay). Given that that makes a really good leader here, Lyon (another good leader) is dispatched to Saint Louis. South of the city there is another Confederate force and I suspect they might aim perhaps at... Rolla!

Halleck's small force is ordered to advance and assault Chester.

And no matter what, as soon as cohesion is regained again, Grant (> 30.000 men after all) will charge like a bull towards Cairo. Harsh weather or not! [:D]

No surrender!

[TulliusDetritus]

[center]Early December 1861[/center]

History books should also be talking about events in the Potomac area!

For some reason (maybe because a good attack might be the best defence) Marquo ordered his two big stacks (Beauregard and Johnston) to advance.

One of them -Beauregard- moved to Alexandria [X(] Needless to say the Union mammoth aka McDowell was there waiting. They dared attack our level 4 fortified positions and er... they were trashed. Then, for some reason I cannot understand (blue posture), McDowell attacked (that's what I would call a good idea!) and trashed again the poor rebels [:)]

Overall toll only in Alexandria:

Union: 6.000 men lost
Confederacy: 13.000 men lost (more than 1/3 of the whole force)

And the other Confederate stack moved to Leesburg. Guess what? The clown in charge there (McClellan) did not even fight and retreated to Alexandria instead Where's the NKVD when you need them!?

The thing is I suspect I have quite many choices here. I should be exploiting this success! My first idea:

1) McDowell's horde should march towards Manassas again (there he should meet the guy he just trashed: Beauregard).
2) the clown ie McClellan should follow the other big stack (Johnston in Leesburg now) to glue them that is.
AND
3) Milroy should march towards Fredericksburg!

I might even add a 4) detach a relatively strong force from the Shenandoah Valley forces and order them to attack further in the south ie let's say Culpeper! And in fact, 5) from the southern tip of the Shenandoah Valley another force might try to storm New Market.

So as you can see, I think I have quite many choices in this theater.

The Potomac area forces motto now should be along this lines: "let's create a big mess"

Dreams dreams dreams. Oh well, we will see [8D]

[TulliusDetritus]

In Cairo area, forces cohesion is above 60, the mega boss (Grant) is ready. Last turn I ordered 5 regular to be built (only for this theater). I will NOT wait for them. I will attack Cairo NOW. And if that fails, I will send another wave, and then another... Too bad this is not the Russian first 1941-42 blizzard and I am not commanding some Shock Armies, Guards Rifle Divisions along with Cavalry divisions and Tank Brigades! [:D]

The Confederate stack south of Saint Louis didn't move. They won't go anywhere if I manage to kick the scummy enemies out of Cairo! [for better or worse [:D]] We're coming!

[TulliusDetritus]

And Missouri is quite active (despite the few troops here). The Western Volunteers were ordered to go to Rolla (basically unprotected). Just in case.

Cavalry was dispatched to the depot SE of Springfield instead and another detachment reached Fayetteville in Arkansas itself (2 x cavalry + horse artillery). Depots I would like to torch in both places that is.

Let's see what can be done here. Dynamite and matches are ready [8D] No wait, dynamite was invented in 1867 (?) [:D]

[TulliusDetritus]

In fact the cavalry thugs now in Fayetteville managed to trash Watie's 3rd Division. Looks like he was on their path, the poor thing [:D]

[bugwar]

Clown.

Funny.[:D]

[TulliusDetritus]

I won't be able to regularly update this AAR. I have enough time but muscle spasms (shoulders and neck) are not a good thing. I'm stiff almost always [:(] And the reason is simple: too much bloody computer and internets [:D]

And I don't swim and walk as before. And even when I did it, I was stiff the same [:D] Goes to show many hours in front of the bloody computer cannot be healthy.

I did a test: this is the third day I am mostly staying away from the PC (1 hour maximum). And er... it WORKS!

In other words, now I will spend much much less time in front of the computer. I have to throw out of the window the superfluous activities (and I am afraid this AAR goes first).

In any case, 1861 ended: I am quite happy. The Shenandoah Valley is firmly in my hands: a big army CV > 1000 waits in Winchester for an hypothetical enemy. Another big army is in Falmouth (McClellan), threatening to flood Fredericksburg and beyond. And a thick stack in Alexandria of course.

So in fact in the Potomac area there are three big Union stacks vs two big Confederate stacks.

In the West the Confederacy position is quite strong, solid though. Harsh weather so attacking Cairo was not possible. We will wait. I am patient.

Yes, Q-Ball was definitely correct: Marquo diverted strong forces to the Mississippi area [:)]

Sorry for the inconvenience

Cheers [8D]

[TulliusDetritus]

[center]Early May 1862[/center]

An update [8D]

In the Potomac things didn't change a lot. The Shenandoah Valley is firmly in my hands (I don't think I will have problems here). I pushed along the Potomac River (Falmouth, then Warsaw and from there Tappahanock). A partisan enemy unit recaptured Warsaw. I plan to recapture it again.

Not really pushing towards Richmond. With these moves I want to weaken the Confederacy position in the vicinity of Manassas.

I am also gathering an army for amphibious operations. They should be ready in about two months maximum.

Poor McClellan did not an earn any promotion so he's still a 2-star boss [:D]

[TulliusDetritus]

But the most interesting events are to be found in the Mississippi area [:)]

I finally recaptured Cairo last turn. No combat, the enemy stack withdrew to Charleston. At Metropolis Grant boarded Foote's Ironclads + transports fleet and disembarked directly in Island 10, thus bypassing the thick enemy stack [8D]

In theory they are more or less blocked by two of my fleets. I will create a third fleet that should block the river east of Charleston. Again, in theory, to relieve Island 10 they should move towards New Madrid (swamp = this should slow them down a lot).

Another Corps under Pope will go directly after Fort Henry. And a detachment should take care of Columbus, in Kentucky.

If I manage to succeed, the two enemy stacks (Charleston and the stack south of Saint Louis doing er... nothing [:D]) north of that line should be irrelevant.

[TulliusDetritus]

And Kentucky was only unlocked this very turn [8D]

I have an army here under Buell. These guys will try to grab Bowling Green.

Because the question arises... are there a lot of enemy troops in this area? Or are most of them in the Mississippi area (the units I am bypassing)? Time will tell.

[Q-Ball]

McClellan is still a 2*? Something is wrong....he should be promoted by event in late 1861.

That doesn't hurt you actually, it helps.....but he should be 4*

[Aurelian]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

McClellan is still a 2*? Something is wrong....he should be promoted by event in late 1861.

That doesn't hurt you actually, it helps.....but he should be 4*

In AACW, not only does he become a 3* (Not historically accurate, but it is what it is), but he teleports to DC.

He should teleport in CW II.

(I say that because until 1864, the highest rank was Major General, which is 2*. MGs could be either Corps or Army commander.)

[TulliusDetritus]

Yes, no matter what McClellan is definitely a 2-star boss. See screenshot [:)]

I too thought Lincoln (aka the game) would kick him upstairs before the end of 1861, but nope. And all because I had captured Manassas. And remember, I did not want the place in the first place LOL

I just wanted to indirectly protect the Shenandoah Valley. And it worked.

[Aurelian]

In the previous game, my first move was always to send the Washington Bde to take Manassass, since PGT's army didn't form there.

Bummer

If you take it before the deadline, the Mac event doesn't fire.

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Aurelian

In the previous game, my first move was always to send the Washington Bde to take Manassass, since PGT's army didn't form there.

Bummer

If you take it before the deadline, the Mac event doesn't fire.

I am way too robotic. I always use the Washington brigade along with the unfrozen marines regiment to storm Harper's Ferry. An activated leader (any, but he must be activated) leads these two units [:)]

[Aurelian]

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

ORIGINAL: Aurelian

In the previous game, my first move was always to send the Washington Bde to take Manassass, since PGT's army didn't form there.

Bummer

If you take it before the deadline, the Mac event doesn't fire.

I am way too robotic. I always use the Washington brigade along with the unfrozen marines regiment to storm Harper's Ferry. An activated leader (any, but he must be activated) leads these two units [:)]

No, you're doing it right. It worked in AACW. I tried taking Manassass with the WB in CW2, and the brigade got vaporized.

[TulliusDetritus]

I might be utterly wrong but I think it's better to aim at Harper's Ferry [:)]

My reasoning: even if you capture Manassas the Confederacy can easily recapture it, I think. And you will have lost an opportunity to grab the first stone in the Valley (HF).

If you succeed and take HF (and the Confederacy almost cannot stop you), you force them to divert forces to the Valley or you might take the next stone (Winchester) and then the last stone (Strasburg).

Therefore IMHO HF (in fact the valley) is more important.

That's how I see it [8D]