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31/08/2010, 13:24
Victoria - AAR : The Civil War 2
At sea, the small CS navy retreats from US waters on January 1st. Out of their mind, US commanders send the Army of Louisville back, an order equivalent to a death sentence, as Jackson now holds the province and has a huge numerical advantage.
A third conscript army is deployed and sent to Charleston, under the name of IInd Conscript Army (the previous IInd having been incorporated into the Army of the West). Meanwhile, the horrible assault on Louisville turns into a complete slaughter, as hopeless waves of Union soldiers are dropped into the firestorm. Part of the army of Paducah is sent there in order to support the exhausted troops under general Dauterive from the Army of the West, who took control of the battle, Jackson having been wounded.
On February 19th, the Norfolk garrison from Lexington and the IInd Conscript Army are ordered to take Cincinnati. In Kentucky, incompetent Union leaders, refusing to retreat, lead to the complete annihilation of the Army of Louisville and its support. Dauterive takes the city.
On March 11th, the three broken divisions in Lousville are routed and the Army of the West remains in Lousville, establishing Confederate rule over the ruins of the city. The bloody battle of Louisville, despite a short interruption in Winter 1861, lasted for seven months.
On April 1st 1862, the government passed the Conscription Act. Ten new divisions were drafted, causing unrest in the entire nation. New soldiers are sent to all armies in order to strengthen the frontline and two expeditionary corps are sent to take control of Oklahoma and Missouri.
Spring saw the Split Operation being resumed, now executed with all available forces. We would try and conquer Evansville and Cincinnati and proceed northward from here, without diluting our army or overstretching our supply lines.
The battle of Cincinnati ends. Once again, we stand victorious, as the Army of the West and the IInd Reserve Army, under Jackson, attack Evansville. The Norfolk garrison, now in Cincinnati, marches to Indianapolis, as we hope to encircle the US army of the western front there or in Cairo. The NG is intercepted and has to fight its way into the city. The encirclement plan vanishes and the Ist Conscript Army, in Paducah, is sent to Cairo to delay Yankee reinforcements in Indianapolis.
On May 9th, Kentucky officially secedes from the United States and joins the Confederacy. 10,000 enthusiastic soldiers join the Volunteer Regiment of Kentucky and the battle of Evansville.
To my dismay, the counter-attack comes from the east, as armies marching through Colombus or descending through Fort Wayne make their way to the Norfolk garrison, now fighting 1vs2. On May 18th, they are called back to the secure area of Cincinnati, while Jackson secures Evansville.
The Ist Conscript Army reaches Cairo. Dauterive and the Army of the West join them. Fleeing units find their way to Evansville and are sent back to Cairo. West of this, the two reserve divisions deployed south of Missouri are finalizing the occupation of Springfield and Rolla
In June, the 2CA and NG are sent to Colombus, where only a small northern army stands. However, massive reinforcements after the outbreak of the battle prompt us to abandon the fight and come back to Cincinnati. June also sees our victory in Cairo. Our expeditionary corps in Oklahoma, its task completed, is sent to nearby Union States to disorganise the administration and disrupt any drafting attempt in the area. The Missouri occupation plan is thwarted by a counter-attack in Saint-Louis. The reserve division there retreats as Dauterive, marching from Cairo, replaces it on the battlefield.
Colombus is taken. All remaining troops in Evansville and Cincinnati are ordered to take Indianapolis to extend the front line north and separate the two fronts. Thus starts Jackson's "Lake campaign". However, we notice a large concentration of US forces in Maryland and we fear a massive counter-attack in Virginia which would endanger our whole strategy.
The battle of Indianapolis is short-lived, as Confederate forces, five times greater than lieutenant York's army, brush resistance aside. The division routed from Saint-Louis is sent to Jefferson City where it joins forces from Springfield. Meanwhile, the Ist Conscript Army, in Cairo is under heavy attack. Our goal is to take Kansas City and Jefferson City, thus encircling the three US divisions in Saint-Louis where Dauterive's Army of the West would destroy them entirely.
Four new regiments are created, forming the Second Regular Army, the first regular army implictly being the Army of Northern Virginia. They are ordered to attack Cleveland, as this would complete our grand plan by dividing the Union. The eastern front shows no sign of evolution right now. After slightly more than a year, the war has seen the Confederacy expanding greatly and the Union being threatened, as more and more divisions are unable to get clear orders from Washington.
In mid-August, the US sends large reinforcements to Cleveland, leading us to direct the IIRA on Toledo instead. The western front sees Jackson's IInd Reserve Army called back from Indianapolis to break US resistance in Cairo. He then chases them to Kansas City, hoping to complete the encirclement of Saint-Louis, where Dauterive is pinning all the remaining armies of Missouri down.
Both operations are complete successes. The Confederate forces of Missouri are sent to Saint-Louis while Jackson prevents any breakthrough. Toledo falls quickly, but has to be swiftly reinforced as a medium-size counter-attack is organized by the United States.
On September 28th, the encirclement of Saint-Louis is complete. The US Missouri army is annihilated and the few survivors are taken prisonner.
The Norfolk garrison is sent to Detroit to complete the splitting of the US while the 2ndRA protects their back.
After the successful breakthrough of the Confederate army in Missouri, Jackson organizes the second phase of the Lake campaign: Dauterive is to occupy Davenport while he himself takes control of Des Moines, then proceeds to take Chicago. At the same time, the Norfolk garrison is to take Lansing. This would create a huge pocket, Isolating what remains of the western front.
While Dauterive's Army of the West marches to Chicago, cutting off the enemy's retreat, Jackson's IInd Reserve Army, in Des Moines and the Ist Conscript Army in Cairo launch a great assault on Spingfield. Feeling the trap, the army in Fort Wayne tries to break through Dauterive's lines. Their assault is a failure and they retreat inside the pocket. On January 29th, 1863, Chicago falls under Confederate control. The Norfolk garrison in Lansing effectively preventing any retreat through the lakes, the US armies in Springfield and Fort Wayne are doomed. All the armies of the western front are sent in Springfield while the six divisions in Indianapolis march towards Fort Wayne, soon joined by the Norfolk garrison (now very, very far away from Norfolk).
In the west, the two expeditionary corps are still expanding the Confederate territories and smashing occasional loyalists. However, supporters of the Union also take arms against the right to possess human beings in the occupied territories of the north. The Confederacy is actually on the brink of self-destruction, its economy, army and civilian population exhausted. Feeling this, the US government decides to launch a huge attack in Northern Virginia, 12 divisions from Maryland attacking Lee's 4. Despite brilliant command, support from the fleet, entrenchments and use of heavy artillery, the ANV is suffering terrifying losses and fighting 1vs3. The various armies in Staunton are amalgamated in a single Staunton army and sent to Manassas to help.
