ACW Matrix Game part 3 - War is Hell!

October 1864 - First Battle of Atlanta. An attempt to sack Johnston and replace him with Hood fails. Johnston marches to Atlanta and, supported by Forrest’s spoiling attack, engages US forces nearby in what becomes known as the First Battle of Atlanta. Schofield marches on Nashville but fails to repair the railroads due to Morgan’s heroic charge.

November 1864 - Second Battle of Atlanta. Johnston wears down the Army of the Cumberland but Sherman draws ever closer!  Army of the Ohio repairs railroads around Nashville. Morgan rests in Chattanooga and stocks up with looted US supplies.

December 1864 - Third Battle of Atlanta. While Johnston is increasingly preoccupied fighting off Sherman, Forrest’s cavalry overruns positions held by Thomas’s troops. Army of the Cumberland is reduced to prisoners, stragglers and a confused old officer mumbling about the battle of Chickamauga last year. Morgan slips past Schofield and the remains of his force heads south to Lafayette. Atlanta remains in Confederate hands - but for how long?

The final score.  Sherman, Schofield and Thomas achieved one, two and three respectively of their 3 personal objectives. Despite being driven back, the country laid waste and suffering considerable losses, Johnston, Forrest and Morgan each achieved all three!

As I write this final report (in 1867...) Thomas and Morgan, having toured the USA, have taken their Civil War lecture tour to Europe, leaving a trail of boredom in their wake. Schofield and Forrest have entered politics while Johnston has business interests including railroads and insurance. Though he’s reluctant to cover fires risks in the Atlanta area... And Sherman?  Never recovered from Thomas and Morgan’s first lecture. He’s still drunk.

Once again, this game went very well due to the ingenuity and commitment of all six players. Well done chaps!

And finally.... Clearly not everyone was gripped by the campaign. Even Jerry’s rebel yell failed to rouse Zoe.

ACW Matrix Game part 2 - Sweet Home Alabama

As with the Stalingrad game a couple of weeks ago, I have compiled a summary narrative of the game’s. This post deals with turns 1-5, the later turns will follow soon. In the photos, for clarity the Yankees are facing south, the Rebs north. As regards the figures, the six generals were represented and each other figures generally represented a regiment or brigade. But don’t worry about that.

May 1864 - Army of the Tennessee carries out show of force N of Cassville.  Army of the Ohio moves into Lafayette in support, Army of the Cumberland moves south into Alabama. Army of Tennessee fails to build fortifications, Bedford’s Raiders raids Army of the Ohio’s LOC, Morgan’s Cavalry raids ineffectually towards Chattanooga.

June 1864 - Sherman increases pressure on Johnston, Schofield attempts flanking attack. Forrest raids US LOC in Nashville, Morgan harasses US supply columns near Chattanooga. Thomas turns east to Rome while ‘entertaining’ us with anecdotes about his apparently crucial role in the battle of Chickamauga.

July 1864 - Renewed US attack on Cassville fails, Johnston breaks off contact, fighting small delaying actions. Thomas leads remarkable forced march to outskirts of Atlanta. Forrest tears up railroad tracks at Nashville - so don’t expect a ride on the Chattanooga choo-choo anytime soon. Morgan is distracted from plundering US supply stocks by attending a Masonic Lodge meeting in Chattanooga.

August 1864 - Sherman’s attempt to eject Rebs from Chattanooga fails and Schofield’s attack on same is bloodily repulsed. Forrest, having plundered US supplies, marches to Macon. Thomas fortifies approach to Atlanta.

September 1864 - Sherman presses on to Cassville but Johnston evades into the mountains. Schofield and Morgan clash at Chattanooga again. Forrest fails to pressure Thomas, who continues to construct ‘The Atlanta Wall’. Groan.

ACW Matrix Game part 1 - Tennessee Waltz

This weeks game was another Matrix Game and I was joined on a Skype call by six players and one observer for The March To The Sea. I played this game when Bob Cordery ran it as a play by mail game back in 1995 and as I have suitable 54mm toys to represent the military units involved, it was an obvious candidate.
I always thought Bob had written this game but he credits Chris Engle with it’s design.

I replicated the map on two sheets of flip chart paper and labelled up some toys. I’ll follow up this post with two relating the events of the campaign.

The ‘cast list’ of Sheffield Wargames Society stalwarts was as follows:

USA

General William Tecumseh Sherman - Tim C

General John Schofield - John

General George Thomas - Simon

CSA

General Joseph E. Johnston - Martin

General Nathan Bedford Forrest - Jerry

General John Hunt Morgan - Richard 

Romanian Emil - part 3

 Here is the completed Bf-109E resplendent in Romanian markings and hastily posed ‘in flight’.