Little Great War - Interlude

Aeryth Chromatica - the main theatres of war.

Before continuing with the campaign narrative methought to say something about the Little Great War as a war games project. I began the war itself over a year ago, but found it extremely difficult for so long to figure out a generating circumstance. Surprisingly, once I set about to write one, it came easily, without having to go into chapter and verse detail. But it took a year to come to that. The hostilities between Ruberia and Azuria were of such long standing as hardly to require a casus belli; and the circumstances of the Kavkaz and Medifluvia campaigns suggested 'unfinished business' that might be taken up at any time.

Wishing to get the thing started I began the 'game' part of the campaign with a series of battles that I would later 'fit' into the narrative. The Azuria-Hellenia naval clash in the Serifos-Snifnos Strait was supposed to occur shortly before the war began, for the reasons narrated in my previous posting and in the account of the battle. That turned out to be rather embarrassing. The thing was based very (very!) loosely upon a clash between the French and Greek navies in 1916. More evenly matched, the discomfiture of the Azurian fleet played bobsy-dye with Azurian strategy in the Mesogesian Sea. 

So also did the story of the beach landing Operation Archduke precede the introductory narrative, as has the associated Battle of the Maunch naval battle that decimated the Azurian Oceanic Fleet. This was by way of beginning the epic in medias res, getting into the action at once, deferring the introductory, generating circumstance, background and back history for later. I discover, however that I have 28 (twenty-eight!) postings labeled Little Great War already. Not quite what I had in mind, and not ideal. However two or three of those talk about other projects and battles as well.

Aithiops Convoy. Ruberian supreb gunnery at the beginning
of the action sealed the fate of the entire convoy.

Just to keep things ticking along, two other naval incidents, quite peripheral to the main theatres of war also appeared in the narrative. One reported upon the Ruberian interception of the Aithiops Convoy, for the loss of both Azurian escorts and the whole convoy of merchant ships. The other referred to the adventures of the Azurian Est Asien Escadron resulting in a naval action off the Isla Sta Maria, in the Halcyon Ocean. This was to be a sort of mini-campaign on the side, the Azurian squadron still having to run the Ruberian naval gauntlet to reach a home port. Of course, it is simply a revisiting of the Coronel/Falkland pair of battles that led to the end of Admiral Graf von Spee's battle squadron. The Battle of Spuneland might or might not happen... 

The Far East Squadron intercepts Amiral de la Spee's
ships before they can exit the Halcyon Ocean...

 

Having published a map of the theatres and produced Army Establishment lists for the belligerent forces (though the Izumrud-Zeleniya list is now out of date) I have a distressing tendency to forget the occasional detail, which can lead to the occasional continuity glitch - such as the commander of the Operation Archduke Beach Landing. I really have to write these things down - or print them off.

Finally, within each of the mapped theatres - Azuria, Northeastern Turcowaz and Medifuvia - the moves are carried out using the card method, very slightly modified for solo play, drawn up in Bob Cordery's Portable Colonial Wargames. Now, this is where my Samba card deck - Samba being a three-deck version of Canasta (the only really worthwhile card game qua card game, but I digress...) - as each of the three decks applies uniquely to one or other theatre. I keep a little paper label for each. How it works was outlined fairly comprehensively in the course of the Kavkaz campaign narrative. Something more will be spoken of in respect of the campaign so far, and the attempted surprise attack by the Izumrud-Zeleniya 2nd Army at Akhaltsikhe.

Battle of Akhaltsikhe - opening moves. GREEN guys are 
Zvezda; TURQUOISE are Strelitz-R.

I have yet to formalise the war at sea, Now, normally, I don't like 'doubling up' on units such that the same figures or models are used as different units in different theatres or fronts. In this instance I have made some minor, and one major, exception. The minor instances have to with the peripheral engagements, such as the respective Far East Naval detachments, and the Aithiops convoy incident. The major is that the Azurian Navy began with identical fleets in the Mesogesean and the Great Western Ocean. However, after the actions against the Hellenic and Ruberian fleets, they are no longer identical. There will still be some doubling up of units, but not all will have to be.

Ruberia might be in a position to send one of its battle squadrons into the Meso; and some sort of strategy will have to be devised in the Karadeniz. Will the mosquito navies of Chervenia and Rhumbarbaria involve themselves? Probably not. But, you never know...

I'm still in two minds whether a separate Turcowaz Medifluvia Command might have to be imagined into existence in addition to the Coastal and Interior armies opposing Izumrud-Zeleniya. That might not be so necessary if a large enough detachment can be sent from the Army of the Interior without compromising the eastern fronts... I'll have to think about that!

To be continued...


 

Little Great War - Intro

Friendless, the Settee Empire's remaining days are numbered.

So it seems. Turcowaz is under siege. Centuries in the building, the hundred years consolidating, have led to the building resentment on all sides of the Settee Empire as well as among the polyglot populations within its frontiers. Resentment leads to insurrection, insurrection to outright attack. The ceaseless conflicts have steadily drained the Sultanate's resources and stamina. In the last quarter of the 19th Century, its compass has already become much diminished. A good deal of its former territories have formed new sovereign nations - but, far from content with their new-found liberty, they are eager to to expand their borders at the expense of the Empire from whose servitude they have escaped. It was with such an ambition in mind they formed the Blacklands League.

The first major naval action in the Blacklands War

Not long before the present time, the Turcowaz has demonstrated that, tired though the Sultanate is, it wants not in vigour. A two month campaign saw off the Blacklands' assault, and not merely broken the Hellenic blockade of the Golipolu Strait, but has seriously damaged its fleet as well. True, the Turcowaz brief incursion into Chervenia exposed the limits of its power, but the Europeian portion of its empire still stretches to the Ionian Sea. 

The drawn battle of Dimitrovgrad - and the end of the Turcowaz
invasion of Chervenia.

There remain other menaces. From the south, a Ruberian expedition advanced far up the Pardis River, almost reaching Sakhdad before finally being turned back. Nazreddin Pasha forced an entire Sangrian Division to surrender at Hak-al-Kumara, whilst seeing off with heavy loss the expedition mounted for its relief.  Not apt to take a reverse lying down, Ruberia is preparing to mount a more powerful expedition, with the objective of conquering the whole of the Medifluvian region. This is more than mere vindictiveness. There are other motivations afoot, something to do with the discovery of petra oleum in the nearby deserts.

The second attempt to relieve the siege at Kut-al-Kumara

From the hyperborean regions to the northeast, the Kavkaz campaign ended rather unfortunately from promising beginnings, with a shattering defeat of the Coastal Corps at Zugdidi, and the discomfiture at the Tekhuri River of the redoubtable Abdul Abulbul Ameer's bashi-bazouk army.

Kavkaz Campaign: First Battle of Zugdidi

The Czar of Izumrud-Zeleniya of course accepted the victory as a matter of course. Indeed it could be said that the Czarate has been and remains the most enduring and formidable enemy Turcowaz has ever had to face. Time was, much of the Chersonese littoral of the Karadeniz formed the most northern territories of its realm; now it all belongs to the Czar - and, judging by recent shipbuilding programmes in the expanded seaport of Sebastianople - he means more than merely to keep it.

Izumrud-Zeleniya's powerful new battleship: 
IZN Radetzki

It transpires that Turcowaz is not altogether friendless after all. Somewhat surprisingly, perhaps, Turcowaz retains long-lasting ties with the Frankish Republic of Azuria. Much has been the trade traffic between Ionople and Azuria's Mesogesean seaports, notably Venuseille and Froulon. Although Ionople's importance as the entrepot between the Frankish States and distantly fabulous Khitai has much diminished during the course of the last couple of centuries; nevertheless, what remains continues to profit well Ionopolitan merchants and Frankish factors established here and there throughout the empire. Azuria sends manufactured goods, machinery, and manufacturing staples; woollen fabrics, glassware and paper. From Turcowaz, the ladies of Azaris-Lutetia demanded the oriental luxury items, spices, fashions sartorial and otherwise; but the heaviest demands, industrial and consumer, are for agricultural products and staples, raw materials, silks and cotton. Such are Azuria's commercial interests within Turcowaz that any conflict that threatens these interests is very likely to bring Azuria on the side likeliest to preserve them.

It has become clear that, hostilities far from ending with the Kavkaz and Medifluvian campaigns, a state of open war now exists between Turcowaz and its major foes, Izumrud-Zeleniya and Ruberia. Already wearied, if not yet completely exhausted by recent conflicts, Turcowaz finds itself having to divide its attention between two widely separated fronts, whilst still having to concern itself with the simmering, though for the moment quiescent, situation in the Blacklands. 

Azuria undertook to send whatever aid, financial, material and/or military might support the tottering Empire. Possibly as a warning to potential enemies of Turcowaz, Azuria sent a large proportion of the Mesogesean Fleet, comprising four capital ships, as many torpedo boats and a couple of gunboats, on a goodwill visit to Ionople. To reach the Turcowaz capital, the fleet had to pass by the Hellenic archipelago of islands, in particular the strait between Serifos and Snifnos. There they were intercepted by a hostile Hellenic fleet. 

Action in the Snifnos Strait: Azuria versus Hellenia...

Openly harbouring malevolence towards Turcowaz, not helped by having in recent times suffered some humiliating defeats on land and sea at the hands of the Sultan's forces, Hellenia took umbrage that the waters it claimed for its own were being violated upon such a mission. Not that the Azuria fleet had any choice as this archipelago lies right across the sea routes to and from the Golipolu Strait. Simply ignoring Athenean demands that the fleet turn back, the Azurian government merely passed on to Admiral Ganteaume instructions that he was to oppose any attempt to halt his mission - even unto firing upon any vessels that tried to do so.

The upshot was a considerable naval action - and the Azurian Navy got the worse of it. A capital ship and two torpedo boats lost, and the most powerful vessel reduced to a near sinking condition, the goodwill mission came to an ignominious end. Admiral Ganteaume's career was to come to an equally abrupt termination from the court martial that inevitably followed. However, the tactical defeat brought certain surprising strategic advantages. The Azurian fleet had shown its teeth, it could bite, and, having been bitten, Hellenia found itself without a navy for a considerable time afterward. No vessels has been sunk, but all four capital ships would be laid up for repairs for months to come, and only one destroyer remained even half-way fit for service. At least Azuria still has a fleet well and truly in being in the Mesogesian - as of course, does Turcowaz. 

Getting wind of political developments in the Eastern Mesogesean, the Ruberian government in Trinovantum-on-Thamesis  has taken alarm. A military alliance between Azuria and Turcowaz might close the Mesogesean Sea to Ruberian shipping, military and mercantile. If not serious enough, Ruberia also has cause to concern itself for its own projects farther east. The result might have been expected from as choleric a realm as Ruberia.

Thunderous communiques from Whitechamber, and acerbic philippics from the Times of Trinovantum against the 'Aggrandising Acquisitiveness' and 'Bloated Ambition' of the 'Gronwy' government have been, to begin with, blandly ignored in Azaris-Lutetia. The 'Gronwy' epithet derived from some would-be wit writing of the grenouille blowing itself up to match the bull - James Bull - with the dire result of spreading itself explosively about the countryside. With their traditional talent for discovering threats imagined, pretended or actual, the whole of Ruberia has worked itself up into a fever pitch for war.

 

Ruberian Army landing upon Azurian shores...

Nothing would do but to bring the Republic to heel, once and for good; and for that, nothing would do but to march a Ruberian army into Azaris-Lutetia itself. The traditional, centuries long hostility between Azuria and Ruberia, still simmering in times of peace, has led the Ruberian military long ago to develop its plans for a beach landing of large forces upon the Azurian coast. Of such long standing were they, constantly revisited, exercised and upgraded, withal, that the Troisième Bureau could hardly fail to be aware that such a plan existed. However, they were not to know that the landing would not be arriving at the Pas d'Artois coast...

Battle of the Maunch, 6 June 1884. The Ruberian 
1st Battle Squadron faces the whole Azurian 
Oceanic Fleet.

To be continued...

American Civil War battles

'The Hornet's Nest' - from my own depiction of the battle of 
Shiloh April 6 1862.

I've recently discovered a whole series of videos of animated narratives of American Civil War battles. The technique is simple, units shown are rectangles representing regiments moving around on a map. The view zooms in on local actions, and zooms out for more general overviews. The spoken narrative is delivered in something of a monotone, but is easy to understand as one follows the action.

Here's the Battle of Shiloh - it goes for 95 minutes. I think there is a shorter 'Day 1' (April 6 1862) video as well. Highly recommended.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP-taTxJTMQ

Major-General Montgomery J. Klaxon, CSA

A Portable Shiloh - the narrative concludes

 

We left the narrative last time with the battle lines appreciably thinning out. The last of Hardee's brigades in action, Cleburne's, is finally halted; Pond, from Ruggles's Division, takes up the running on the Owl Creek flank. In the centre, Polk's Corps is taking over, largely, from Hardee and Bragg. Breckinridge is coming up on the right. The Union brigades of Hurlbut and W.H.L. Wallace are bearing the burden of the defence, still hoping for the timely arrival of Lew Wallace's Division.

The last of McClernand's Division disappears, leaving Tuttle and McArthur brigades to hold the line if they can.

Stiff fighting as the Confederates are held up in the Peach Orchard. To lever the Federals off their line, Bowen strikes into Lauman's flank beyond the orchard. All along the line Union losses continue to be disproportionately heavier than the Confederates' - 7 Strength Points to 4 in the above picture.

The situation is not improved for the Union in the picture that follows (above). Eleven SP to 6 in this - the numbers all the same indicating heavy fighting. The 'ones' on the dice denote brigades that scored no hits at all in this round of fighting. Having said that, we observe that Hildebrand, almost surrounded, and only remnants still with the colours, getting a a few licks against their adversaries (Stephens's brigade). But this proved to be Hildebrand's last stand - the unit giving way at last.

Nearby, A.P. Stewart, with artillery and cavalry support, engages Williams and Veatch, both also reduced by earlier fighting.



Close by Owl Creek, Pond and Anderson strike the brigades of Sweeny and Tuttle. Despite their inferior numbers against fresh opponents, the Union brigades give as good as they take. But, for the Union, 'as good as you take' is a losing proposition. Numbers are telling.  The remains of Cleburne's brigade takes time out from the battle, as, in the distance Russell's brigade encounters McArthur - the last Union brigade to enter the fight.

The Union lines are looking woefully thin! They can scan in vain the northern horizon for the arrival of Lew Wallace's men.

The whole of the Union line north of the Peach Orchard has collapsed, with only McArthur's brigade apparently standing between the triumphant Confederate army and Pittsburgh Landing.  For all that, the Confederate brigades are also looking more than a little shopworn. 

Nothing remains of Hurlbut's Division as an organised force north of the Peach Orchard as his lines are overrun.  But events elsewhere are about to take a sudden turn...

The afternoon having advanced into evening, and the Union lines in a state of collapse, Lew Wallace arrives in the field at last. The leading brigade of Hoosiers and Show-Me-Staters enter the fight off the march to support Sweeny and to cover the march of Thayer and Whittlesey behind McArthur's brigade.

All this while, the crowd of fugitives around Pittsburgh Landing continues to grow. There will be no rallying these people until something, somehow, brings to a halt the Confederate advance. 

Tenuous though the line of W.H.L. Wallace's Division is, the Confederates are not for the moment able to exploit - the sudden disappearance of the Union lines immediately to their front creating a broader 'no man's land' between them and the substantive Union line.  As a result, the Wallaces' Divisions are able to form a solid line to face the final Rebel push.

Pond's brigade strikes first to crush the remnants of Sweeny's brigade, and pushes on to hit Morgan Smith. A promising prelude to the final assault?

By this time, with the fading evening light, the Union has at last formed a coherent line. The battle lines have been drawn for the final assault.

This was to be the climax of the action.

From the west (distance) to east (closer) the action runs as follow. Pond and Anderson attack Morgan Smith's line from front and flank. Under the eye of Lew Wallace himself, steady Union volleys break Anderson's brigade, although Pond's telling attack bent back Smith's flank. The departure of Anderson from the fight gave Pond pause. To the right of Anderson, Russell's brigade also broke itself to pieces attacking Thayer's brigade, where Ulysses S. Grant had placed his person to oversee the battle.

A.P. Stewart enjoys rather better success - possibly striking before Whittlesey has properly formed his line. Nevertheless, despite heavy losses, Whittlesey is able to stand his ground. 

The decisive battle of the evening belongs to McArthur. Already having seen some of the action, McArthur sees half his brigade fall, but in the process, he repulses the Confederate attacks decisively. Bowen's brigade withers away in fruitless assaults on McArthur's flank, and although Bushrod Johnson inflicts heavy casualties on the Union brigade, he gets rather the worse of the bargain. In taking 2 SP loss, McArthur hands out five to the two brigades in front of him!

Altogether, in this climactic struggle, the Union takes eight Strength Points loss, and inflicts eleven.

That was the deciding moment of the day. Night was setting in, half the Confederate line had been definitively shattered - three brigades having been eliminated altogether - and, by the time Breckinridge's fresh brigades might be brought into action, total darkness would have fallen. 

I called the action, here, as it was by no means clear that the Confederacy would have enjoyed any more success than they had achieved to this point.  I might have continued the action into the following day, reconstituting the wreckage of both armies, and bringing in Buell's Army of the Ohio from across the river, where it was arriving at about the time Lew Wallace was entering the battle. Of course, the tide would have gone the other way. 

A Portable Shiloh - The Narrative continues...

The narrative continues with this general view looking southwest from near Pittsburgh Landing. The Confederates have overrun the camps of Sherman and Prentiss Divisions, though the latter is still holding in front of the Peach Orchard with the remnants of his command. Wood's brigade of Hardee's Corps has pushed well ahead of the Confederate front line to encounter part of McClernand's camps, where Raith's brigade is still struggling to organise. However, the lead Confederate formations are also showing signs of wear and tear...

Not far from the Tennessee River, Chalmers's brigade runs into Stuart (detached from Sherman's Division). With artillery support and the backing of 4th Ohio Cavalry, Stuart is ready to give a good account of himself. Both sides claw each other to ribbons. In a short, sharp and scorching firefight, the 4th Ohio scatters, and little remains of Chalmers's or Stuart's commands.

In front of the Peach Orchard, Gladden also reaches his high tide. Little is left of Prentiss's Division, but what there is repulses Gladden's attack in short order. To Gladden's left, matters are also going awry for the Confederacy. Williams's of Hurlbut's Division throws back Shaver's brigade (obscured by trees) with heavy loss...

... then turns upon Gladden's depleted command. However, the latter gives as good as it takes, and still holds the line awaiting the arrival of reserves from Bragg or Polk.

Meanwhile, on the other flank, S.A.M. Wood's brigade, led by General Hardee himself, runs into Hare's brigade, with Major-Genl McClernand directing the defence in person. Together with the support of his own and Sherman's artillery, and Hildebrand's brigade as well, the Union line brings Wood's headlong advance to a sudden halt.

The general situation now shows the Confederates have been brought to a halt a little north of Shiloh Church and at the Peach Orchard. Two of Hardee's brigades have been worn down, as have a couple of Withers's brigades. The Union lines have now consolidated, but W.H.L. Wallace's 2nd Division has yet to be committed.

Fresh Confederate brigades arrive to relieve the depleted first line. Gibson and Anderson attack Hare's brigade, whilst, to their right, Stephens collides with Hildebrand (Sherman) and Jackson stops Williams (Hurlbut). Now all of Bragg's Divisions have been committed to battle. 

Bushrod Johnson, of Cheatham's Division (Polk's Corps) takes over from Gladden the battle around the Peach Orchard. But the fight will be the tougher as Lauman's brigade (Hurlbut) has established a line within and around the Orchard, whilst Prentiss still holds a line to their left. Sidney Johnston's army will have more tough work ahead...

All this while Maj-Genl John C. Breckinridge has been bringing his Corps over to the extreme right flank behind Chalmers's Brigade. Chalmers's command has wrecked itself with attacks upon Stuart's brigade, but the latter, itself much reduced has fallen back upon Prentiss's left flank. 

Marching up beside Oak Creek, Hardee's last brigade in action, is supported by Pond's brigade of Bragg's Corps. Some distance ahead, Sweeny's brigade of Wallace's Division awaits them. Beside them, Tuttle awaits the outcome of the firefight McClernand is having with Anderson and Gibson. Hildebrand faces superior numbers of Stephens's brigade, and, near the crossroads, a deadly duel is developing between Williams and Jackson.

Savage fighting erupts just north of Shiloh Church. The Union line takes a terrible mauling, but the Confederates are themselves taking considerable hurt. Gibson's brigade in particular takes heavy losses from Hare's brigade - all that is left of McClernand's Division.

The Confederates enjoy more success nearer the right. B.R. Johnson inflicts heavy losses upon Lauman in the Peach Orchard, and Gladden is still there, trading long bowls with Veatch's brigade, to the right rear of the Orchard.

The action is now general, all along the line. Although several brigades have been worn down, the Confederates still have several in reserve, including Breckinridge's entire command. Meanwhile, the Union still has W.H.L. Wallace's Division as yet uncommitted. Of major concern to Major-Genl Ulysses S. Grant: what is happening with the other Wallace, Lew? Surely he will be marching to the guns. But... when, if ever, will he arrive? Could he come up betimes, to reverse the tide of battle?

Confederate Brigades from three Corps - Cleburne, Anderson, Pond and Russell - are piled up alongside Oak Creek, continuing to push forward. To their right, however, Gibson is finished, pretty much, just a quarter of his brigade still in action. To their front, Hare's brigade is almost as badly depleted, as is what little remains of Hildebrand, still gallantly holding his portion of the line.

Approaching the crossroads, Jackson seems to have caught a Tartar, locked in a firefight with one of Hurlbut's brigades. Directing the action, Maj.Genl Withers falls, fatally wounded. Behind Jackson, Brig.Genl A.P. Stewart, together with Cheatham's artillery, awaits his turn for battle. 

Cheatham himself directs the fight around the Peach Orchard. Despite heavy losses, Prentiss and Lauman refuse to budge.

Now seems the moment for Confederate leaders to fall in battle,

for some reason straying into Cleburne's brigade, just then running into part of W.H.L. Wallace's Division, Brig.Gen Dan Ruggles receives a fatal blast of canister from Sweeny's guns.

Much of Hardee's and Bragg's Corps having been seen off by stubborn Union resistance, elements of Polk's Corps, Russell and Stephens, enter the action. The blue lines to their front look woefully thin...

By this time, Breckinridge's command is getting close to the action. His leading brigade, Bowen's, strikes what little remains of Stuart after his earlier duel with Chalmers. Owing to nearby events. Prentiss has drawn his line back into Stuart's right rear. 

Fresh Confederate brigades renews the battle as the Union line once again begins to buckle. Bushrod Johnson pushes Lauman out of the Peach Orchard position, forcing Prentiss also to fall back. Jackson and A.P Stewart begin herding Veatch and William's depleted command away from the crossroads.




Bowen immediately brushes aside Stuart. Prentiss offers Stuart some artillery support, but without effect.

Pushing through the Peach Orchard B.R. Johnson shatters Lauman's command. Little remains to flee northward. But, immediately to the west, Veatch hands out an equally decisive drubbing to Jackson's brigade. 

 
Misfortune visits the Union on the Western flank. McClernand is finally driven from the field. The brigades of Sweeny and Tuttle also get the worse of their encounter with Cleburne and Anderson.

Following up his defeat of Stuart, Bowen charges into the ghost of Prentiss's Division. Although the latter continues to put up a gallant fight - for which Prentiss would later not only survive his court martial, but receive shortly after the newly minted Congressional Medal of Honour - the charge by the victorious Rebs would be irresistible. All the same, it was a considerably reduced brigade with which Bowen followed up his victory.

At about this time Union gunboats began to appear close by Pittsburgh Landing.

As the afternoon wore on, the lines of both sides were looking very threadbare. The Confederates were still pushing forward against defences that were crumbling, but, apart from two of Breckinridge's brigades, and a couple more near Owl Creek, few were the reserves available to push replenish spent formations.  For their part, the Union army was in even worse state. Almost nothing was left of Sherman and Prentiss; and very little of McClernand. Hurlbut was still in the fight - even doing well - but was facing lengthening odds. 

... And Lew Wallace was still on the road, somewhere between Pittsburgh Landing and Stoney Lonesome...

To be concluded...