American Civil War

Fire and Fury AAR

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played an ACW game at the Dogs of War shop using the Fire and Fury rules. It was a test game to learn the rules in preparation for a campaign. Each side had three players, two commanding infantry divisions and one commanding a cavalry division. Each division had three brigades of randomly determined size. Each side also had four artillery units.

Troops enter the field. Both commanders have deployed their cavalry on their own right.

Confederate infantry advances in the center.

Union infantry advances in double line.

Confederate cavalry attempts to move around the Union left.

A Union charge drives back a Confederate infantry brigade. To the left a firefight starts which will last several turns.

A Confederate infantry charge forces the Union brigade back where it is exposed to a flank attack by cavalry.

Confederate cavalry in a mounted charge into the flank of a disordered Union brigade is so successful that the cavalry is required to continue into a battery. The battery is captured, but the cavalry is left exposed to overwhelming Union fire.

The Confederate cavalry gets a ‘Tardy’ command result (halving movement) and charges the Union unit to the front. The move choice is irrelevant since Union defensive fire destroys it in its initial location.

Another Confederate charge forces back a Union brigade. Dismounted Union cavalry advances on the far left.

The battle was still about even when we ran out of time.

Mechanicsville – ACW Black Powder

Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a game of Black Powder at the Dogs of War shop.

This scenario is also known as The Battle of Beaver Dam Creek, 26 June, 1862. Three brigades of confederate infantry with two attached batteries and three off-table artillery batteries attack two Union infantry brigades and 5 artillery batteries in breastworks.

Confederate off-table artillery is behind the Confederate left.

The left and center Confederate brigades advance while a blunder send the right brigade to the rear.

A blunder sends a Union unit charging across the creek. Confederate infantry deploys into skirmish order.

Confederate skirmishers surround the Union unit but fail to destroy it. With no attack in sight, the Union left flank units move to support the center.

Union units move up to support the unintentional advance. The Confederate right starts to move.

Union artillery has been concentrating on the Confederate batteries. Both are routed. The Union right withdraws but is broken in the process. The Confederate right wing takes advantage of poor Union command rolls and pushes in the Union left.

A well ordered Star Wars game on an adjacent table.

Fox Gap – ACW Black Powder

Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a game of Black Powder at the Dogs of War shop. The ACW scenario was based loosely on the action at Fox Gap, South Mountain on September 14, 1862. The scenario was adjusted to accommodate the available 15mm units and the variable number of players expected to show up.

Two Union brigades look across the fields at the defending Confederate brigade

The Union objectives are the confederate position (upper right) and the road junction (lower right).

The left Union brigade moves out rapidly.

The Union advance on the left has stalled just inside the range of Confederate guns. The center brigade moves slowly through the standing corn.

A third Union brigade rushes down the turnpike to block an arriving Confederate brigade.

The center Union brigade advances rapidly to catch up with the left.

Marauding Confederate cavalry threaten the Union guns.

Union infantry charges into the Confederate position.

The left Union brigade losses three regiments and is broken. The center brigade tears a hole in the Confederate lines.

On the turnpike, troops of both sides extend the firing line as they come up.

After four hours of play we had to adjourn. The Union had managed to break into the Confederate position in the center, but with one Union brigade broken and the Confederates strongly holding the turnpike objective, we called this a Confederate win.

Yazoo River ACW Naval AAR

Today a few members of the local HMGS-South group played out the historical action on the Yazoo River, July 15th, 1862. The Confederate ironclad Arkansas encountered the Union ironclad Carondelet, the gunboat Tyler and the ram Queen of the West. In this case, the Arkansas easily out-shot and ran past the Carondelet and Tyler, leaving the latter dead in the water. The Queen of the West then managed a perfect ram on the Arkansas and sank her.

The rules used were “Sail and Steam Navies: Naval Battle System 1840 to 1880.” The ship models were Thoroughbred 1/600 scale.

USS Tyler

The Union ships fail to stop the Arkansas with gunfire.

Tyler immobile and Carondelet trying to turn around.

Johnny Reb III – Antietam

Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a game of Johnny Reb III, based on the action near Burnside’s Bridge at the battle of Antietam. Several Federal brigades attempt to take two bridges and find a ford over Antietam Creek.