Forces for the ACW Game Battle of Pengilly Farm...

Below are the forces for the ACW game "Battle of Pengilly Farm"

Union Forces=

Army of Northeastern Virginia

BG Irvin McDowell, Commanding
General Staff:

• Chief of Artillery: Maj William F. Barry
• Chief Engineer: Maj John G. Barnard

  Division	Brigade	Regiments and Others
  First Division BG Daniel Tyler	First Brigade Col Erasmus D. Keyes	1st Connecticut: Ltc John Speidel 2nd Connecticut: Col Alfred H. Terry 3rd Connecticut: Col John L. Chatfield 2nd Maine: Col Charles D. Jameson
  	Second Brigade BG Robert C. Schenck	2nd New York (Militia): Col George W. B. Tompkins 1st Ohio: Col Alexander M. McCook 2nd Ohio: Ltc Rodney Mason 1st United States Artillery, Company G (Second Section): Lt Peter C. Hains 2nd United States Artillery, Company E: Cpt James H. Carlisle
  	Third Brigade Col William T. Sherman	13th New York: Col Isaac F. Quinby 69th New York: Col Michael Corcoran (w&c), Cpt James Kelly 79th New York: Col James Cameron (k) 2nd Wisconsin: Ltc Henry W. Peck 3rd United States Artillery, Company E: Cpt Romeyn B. Ayres
  	Fourth Brigade Col Israel B. Richardson	1st Massachusetts: Col Robert Cowdin 2nd Michigan: Maj Adolphus W. Williams 3rd Michigan: Col Daniel McConnell, Ltc Ambrose A. Stevens[3] 12th New York: Col Ezra L. Walrath 1st United States Artillery, Company G (First Section): Lt John Edwards, Jr. 2nd United States Artillery, Company M: Cpt Henry J. Hunt

Second Division BG David Hunter (w) Col Andrew Porter	First Brigade Col Andrew Porter	8th New York (Militia): Col George Lyons 14th New York (Militia): Col Alfred M. Wood (w), Ltc Edward B. Fowler 27th New York: Col Henry W. Slocum (w), Maj Joseph J. Bartlett United States Sharpshooter Battalion (8 companies):[4] Maj George Sykes United States Cavalry Battalion (7 companies):[5] Maj Innis N. Palmer 5th United States Artillery, Company D: Cpt Charles Griffin
	Second Brigade Col Ambrose Burnside	2nd New Hampshire: Col Gilman Marston (w), Ltc Frank S. Fiske 71st New York: Col Henry P. Martin 1st Rhode Island: Maj Joseph P. Balch 2nd Rhode Island: Col John S. Slocum (k), Ltc Frank Wheaton 2nd Rhode Island Battery: Cpt William H. Reynolds

Reb Forces=

Army of the Shenandoah

BG Joseph E. Johnston
General Staff:

• Chief of Artillery: Col William N. Pendleton
• Chief Engineer: Maj William H.C. Whiting

Brigade	Regiments and Others
First Brigade BG Thomas J. Jackson[4] (w)	2nd Virginia: Col James W. Allen 4th Virginia: Col James F. Preston 5th Virginia: Col Kenton Harper 27th Virginia (7 companies): Ltc John Echols 33rd Virginia (8 companies): Col Arthur C. Cummings Rockbridge (Virginia) Artillery: Lt John P. Brockenbrough
Second Brigade Col Francis S. Bartow (k) Col Lucius J. Gartrell	7th Georgia: Col Lucius J. Gartrell 8th Georgia: Ltc William M. Gardner (w) Wise (Virginia) Artillery: Lt John Pelham
Third Brigade BG Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr. (mw) Col States Rights Gist	4th Alabama: Col Egbert Jones (mw) 2nd Mississippi: Col William C. Falkner 11th Mississippi, Companies A and K: Ltc Philip F. Liddell 6th North Carolina: Col Charles F. Fisher (k) Staunton (Virginia) Artillery: Cpt John Imboden
Fourth Brigade[5] BG Edmund Kirby Smith (w) Col Arnold Elzey	1st Maryland Battalion: Col Arnold Elzey, Ltc George H. Steuart 3rd Tennessee: Col John C. Vaughn 10th Virginia: Col Simeon B. Gibbons Culpeper (Virginia) Artillery: Lt Robert F. Beckham
Artillery	Thomas (Virginia) Artillery: Cpt Philip B. Stanard
Cavalry	1st Virginia: Col J. E. B. Stuart

This list is taken from the great Wikipedia ACW OOB site, listing many civil war battles...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_Civil_War_orders_of_battle


Whilst compiling this list tonight I have been listening to some great music from YouTube to inspire ACW gaming, sad I know but it helps me...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeqRNQosRlg&feature=player_detailpage , http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RD02xeqRNQosRlg&v=LArGlfEVYqM&feature=player_detailpage ,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-4iTnPMKPc , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM4Lq0vNNhg&list=PL5552589067181CA2

American Civil 28mm Battle Plans

Hi all...

Jason, Gus and Panjo are coming over to Casa del Stumpy for an an ACW game we are due to play on Tuesday, due to a bad case of amnesia I have set this board up ready to play.

This will be a 28mm battle using the Blackpowder Rules set in 1861 at the begining of the war the forces of USA and the CSA fighting over a vital Crossroads at "The Pengilly Farm", the walled Orchard, "Murchy's Wood" and the Reverend's Ralls "Grasshopper Church"...

                    View from the South West, with the "Grasshopper Church in the foreground

View from the North West, "Murchy's Wood" the walled Orchard at the other vital road junction...

View from road next to "The Pengilly Farm"showing the Crossroads line of fire...

Me thinks this could be bloody...

 

Now to sort out the forces and sheets for the game... more pics and AAR to follow...

 

Another CoC playtest game Italians vs British

On Wednesday 22nd May Gus and Jason visited me for another game of the new    Lardy's 15mm Chain of Command, with the Italians, commanded by Gus, taking on my British, Jason was guardian of the rules, taking photos and heaping abuse upon us both. This time we were trying out less commanders on the Italian side, plus neither side knew what the other had taken as support.

Jump off points in place

Gus had an Italian platoon (1 senior leader and 2 squads each with 1 junior leader and 19 men and 2 Breda lmg's), supported by an additional senior leader, a 75mm infantry gun and a forward observer with 8cm mortars on call.  I had a British platoon (2 senior leaders and 3 squads of 1 junior leader and 9 men with 1 Bren lmg).  My support option was an M10 Achilles, I know why??? I was struck that he was using the German force list as the Italian list is yet to be completed, and I was tank frightened. Of the two forces, Gus' had the best support options as my M10 had no HE capability at all and, as Gus had no armour, its mighty 17pdr was wasted.   Also during the game I cunningly forgot to bring on my 2" mortar and PIAT team with the HQ.

Italians on the flank

Italians pushed back

The map was set up and off we went. Gus pushed around on his left flank, but was then driven back by the combined fire of 2 British squads. The other British squad was exchanging fire the the remaining Italians in the village, but 10 men with 1 LMG will always lose out to 20 men with 2 LMGs.

The 75mm infantry gun started banging away at the Achilles at long range. As the HE shells exploded on the glacis plate, the crew of the Achilles were forced to keep their heads down. Their return fire with the pintle 50cal was ineffectual and the driver decided to move them behind the hill and out of sight.



British advance into the mortars barrage

"Happy" Gus, who finally won a game

Things got a bit rocky for Gus on the left when his sergeant went down, but the mortars saved the day for him. The CO called them in and when they started coming down they decimating the British squads on that flank. As his troops fell, My force's morale did the same and, before you could say "put the kettle on" I was falling back and quit the field of battle.

So, another victory for the Italians and Gus has finally won a game of CoC at last, how many games is that now???

I will just give some observations to the game myself from my angle and my random musings of the game itself.

We played the game with support, we choose to roll independantly and take off or add on our force attribute ratings, this way neither side knows the others scores, and then we choose our support options, this way you dont choose the support to fight the known enemy, you know they have an infantry platoon but you dont know what else they have or potentially could have, this adds to the game we feel, I still feel the Italians are are too shall I say it under priced, they have a lot of men and lmg's for their value, and they seem to be very flexible... You cannot beat them on a one on one fire fight... Unless you take extra units to counter balance this... yes my option was an M10 in my game I know stupid choice!!!

The other observation is regarding mortar/artillery support, this basically destroyed my game plan, tough, I know, and shit happens, this was done with one round of mortar stonks being called in, and then to add insult to injury there were another two turns of stonks to come in which Gus duly delivered, observation do you need three potentiall rounds of this coming in? as in most occassions the damage would be done in the first round, and they are all pinned in the 12"/18" area as well, and if you are using sections in unison with tank support as i was this hits 3/4 of your force anyways. Maybe this is too strong on a game at this level?

All in all I really like this set of rules so far testing them, the troop options you have and the support choices adds flavour, maybe they could have a chance option within the support element, as you are choosing the support from your support cupboard/toolbox, a thought would be the higher you go up the support ladder the less chance of you getting it, after all you are only a platoon commander??

I feel the random special events are a bit "random"and "dissapointing" at the moment, its hard enough for me to get one or two 6's in a row, let alone 4, although I did get several goes on the trot, rare but this helped me greatly during the game, and then the special event could screw me on the random role, life is like a box of chocolates I hear you say, or tough titties as Jason and Gus would tell me... I just think this could be so much more... feedback to Rich has been supplied...

I think the next play test will be using Japs and US Marines... or Russian Front.... mmm what next???

Pics courtesey of Jason...

Another playtest game of Chain of Command...

Yet again Gus and Jason visited my place, Casa del Stumpy,  as J likes to call it, where Jasons newly based US Paras (loverly figures) faced of against the newly based Fallschirmjagers (even more loverly figures). The US, commanded by Me, Nathan, were attacking a Fallschirmjager infested town, commanded by Jason, this was very loosely based on Easy Company's attack on Carentan.



Jump off points are deployed

Initial recce put the Paras on the ridge just outside the town while the Germans occupied the buildings at the edge of the town. The Americans had a reinforced platoon, giving them 4 squads (12 men with 1 LMG each), a 60mm mortar and a FOO able to call in 81mm mortar fire. The Germans had 3 squads (10 men with 2 LMGs each) and a 2 man AT team.


US Paras appear

Fallschirmjagers deploy in the cafe

German NCO and right flank unit.

         





 The US advanced on their left, with 2 squads facing 1 FJ squad while the other 2 squads engaged the remaining Germans with suppressing fire. This tactic didn't work the way I wanted, although in the long term it won me the game. The fire of 2 German squads worked out at 36 dice(4 LMGs with 8 each and 4 riflemen), Hellish firepower, I cringed every time he rolled the dice. This proved too much for the right hand US squad and they were forced back with lots of "shock" hits, but only 2 dead. The US return fire was 32 dice(2 LMGs with 8 each and 16 riflemen), which wasn't much less but the Germans were also in hard cover. Although the shock effect was much less, the US fire killed more Germans. US riflemen reroll 1's to hit, due to the Garand rifles. It doesn't sound like much but it does make a difference to their fire.


Sarge is down!

On the left the Paras advanced to the edge of the field, then came under accurate fire from the German squad. Despite their best efforts they were forced to go to ground. Their return fire did manage to kill a few more Germans though, this "few hits but always a kill" effect was starting to cause the Germans some problems as they started to run out of men.



Boom boom boom...missed!

As the game went on the American continued to whittle away at the Germans, despite taking much more shock. Their superiority in NCOs allowed them to rally the shock more effectively than the Germans.






Another turn and the FOO managed to bring in the 81mm mortar support. Despite his spotting round being on target, the actual barrage shifted just enough to miss the Germans.....unfortunately. As time went on though, the steady attrition of Germans caused their morale to go and they were forced to fall back. with the US suffering a large number of squad NCO hits, all of which cause a possible loss of force morale, but this was not quite enough. Every US squad had their NCO either killed or wounded, which resulted in the platoon officers and NCOs having to step in. Good old Capt. Winters, Sargeant Lipton, and even Lt. Spears stepped up to thye plate...  It was a good game again though, with yours truly managing another win, just... I really like the playability of this game and the potential is massive, keep an eye out for it from Two Fat Lardies when it is released...
Pictures and commentary courtesy of Jason.