SHILOH 1862 (Van Dorn Variant 2) AAR

[Curtis Lemay]

Turn 10 (3:00pm)

The Confederate cavalry on the Union left flank breaches the line and exploits it to the limit. The Union left flank is close to collapse. The pincer tactic on the Union right continues.

[Curtis Lemay]

Attacks are set up against the Union lines with the potential to pocket significant forces. The pincer tactic is about to link the two pincers.

[Curtis Lemay]

On the Union left flank, a couple of pockets have been formed. Now they need to be reduced. The pincer tactic has created its pocket and now it will be reduced.

[Curtis Lemay]

Two of the pockets were eliminated. The Union left flank has nearly disintegrated. They try to adjust as best that they can. On the Union right, the defenders have had to abandon their lines and fall back to try to save themselves.

[Curtis Lemay]

Turn 11 (4:00pm)

On the Union left, a new pocket is created by the Confederate cavalry, while the other pocket is attacked. On the Union right, another pocket is created and attacked. One cavalry unit tries to get to the bridge to blow it.

[Curtis Lemay]

All three pockets are eliminated. Further attacks are set up. Some redundant units from the right are sent towards the landing.

[Curtis Lemay]

More attacks are set up following the success of the last ones.

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More attacks are set up after more successes.

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I didn’t save the Union move, but they adjusted as best they could.

[Curtis Lemay]

Turn 12 (5:00pm)

This shows that the cavalry unit sent to blow the bridge has succeeded. Lew Wallace’s division will never arrive. Attacks continue against the leftovers of McClernand’s division. On the Union left, there is some hope that the remains of the Union position can be bagged. The units that had been sent to try to take the landing have been shifted to this purpose instead. I realized that they would never make it to the landing on time. Now attacks are set up on the far left flank by the cavalry. If that line can be breached, a huge pocket could be formed.

[Curtis Lemay]

That breach is nearly completed. Just one more Union stack is in the way of closing the pincers. (The artillery unit will be easy to brush aside.)

[Curtis Lemay]

The pincers didn’t quite come together. But, the Union has been hit with a disaster! Most of the units in the pocket are reorganizing! Meanwhile, the first units of the Army of Ohio have arrived. (That’s why the try for the landing had no chance.)

[Curtis Lemay]

Turn 13 (6:00pm)

Pockets are formed in several places, and reduction efforts are underway.

[Curtis Lemay]

One pocket is eliminated and that clears the way to close the pincers – creating a huge pocket that even includes General Grant! More reduction continues elsewhere.

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The pocket still couldn’t be eliminated. It will have to wait till tomorrow. Reduction continues against the left flank of the huge pocket.

[Curtis Lemay]

While the last attack was successful, it was not advanced into and the Union reoccupied it.

This is the end of the first day. Let’s look at the results:

Union losses: 26,920 men and 44 guns (plus four commanders).
Confederate losses: 12,020 men.

So the Confederates have gained 14,900 men on the Union, and 44 guns. But it’s even worse than that: 8,380 men and 30 guns (and two commanders) are trapped in pockets behind Confederate lines!

I’m going to skip the intervening night turns and jump straight to the opening of the second day.

[Curtis Lemay]

Turn 25 (Day Two 6:00am)

During the night each side tried to optimize the positioning of their forces for the start of the next day. This included positioning artillery directly adjacent to enemy defenders (allowed because of the night). The Union might have had some ambitions of using the Army of Ohio forces to rescue the trapped Army of Tennessee forces. But after the repositioning, that looks unlikely. Note that the pockets spent the night unsupplied. But they suffered only a few squads lost to desertion. This is a very short turn interval.

Note that it rained heavily during the night - there is mud everywhere.

[Curtis Lemay]

With the arrival of dawn, the initial attacks are set up. Note that artillery are included in the attacks – ranges were reduced to 0, to allow the canister part of the guns to participate.

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Three attacks were successful against the larger pocket. The isolated pocket needs just a little more work.

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The isolated pocket is now gone and the forces that eliminated it have been moved against the Union flank. More work is needed on the other pocket. Note that artillery can’t advance during the day. But there are still some artillery adjacent.