Other projects for the moment hanging fire, I've been forced to allow this one to jump the queue. That nearly all that is posted here I did near-on a week ago. Certain little maintenance tasks about the house have contributed something to the present backlog, but a think the major snag lies elsewhere. Never mind.
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| Lt-Genl James Longstreet's I Corps CSA: the three Divisions of Anderson, Pickett and Hood |
Whilst reading a comment upon looking back at my 'Battle of Hughesville' post, I bethought myself to looking to my hex-grid table and my ACW figures and see how the Battle of Gettysburg would go. Let's start with the proposed table map:
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| The Portable Gettysburg Map. This is designed for the whole 3-day battle, beginning with the clash between Buford's Union cavalry and Heth's infantry Division. |
What was now needed were forces commensurate with the size of the map. This really 'suck it and see' country. I have departed somewhat from many of the Portable Wargame conventions, but have retained the core concept. The tactical units, with one (likely) exception are infantry and cavalry Divisions and artillery battalions. The possible exception is J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry Division, of a size of the Union Cavalry Corps, but comprising 6 brigades with no subdivision. I reckon General Lee ought to have awarded Stuart his 'third star'.
Now, the forces comprised, roughly, as follows:
13,000 cavalry: a single Corps organised into 3 Divisions
7,500 artillery: 370 cannon attached to Corps, plus an Army reserve park.
Confederate:
Now, the forces comprised, roughly, as follows:
Union:
72,000 infantry: 7 Army Corps organised into 19 Divisions13,000 cavalry: a single Corps organised into 3 Divisions
7,500 artillery: 370 cannon attached to Corps, plus an Army reserve park.
Confederate:
54,000 infantry (ratio 3:4): 3 Army Corps organised into 9 Divisions
12,500 cavalry (call it even): 1 Division of 6 Brigades
6,000 artillery: 287 cannon (within 1 piece of exactly 7:9 ratio), all attached to Corps.
My first thought was simply to allocate 2 and 3 Strength Points (SP) to the Union Divisions (3 each to the Cavalry Divisions), and 4 to the Confederate. Artillery would be 2SP each, the Union getting 9 cannon, the Confederates 7. However, a bity of research led to a whole different allocation of figures and SPs. Here's what emerged:
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| Maj-Genl Henry Slocum's small XII Corps USA: Maj-Genl A.S. Williams commanding, 2 divisions (Ruger and Geary) and artillery brigade. |
Union Army:
Commander: Maj-Genl G.G. MeadeI Army Corps: Maj-Genl J.F. Reynolds
1/I Division: 3900 rounded to 4000 ... 8 figures SP2+*
2/I Division: 3000 ...6 figures SP2
3/I Division: 4700 rounded to 5000 ...10 figures SP3+
I Corps Artillery ...2 figures, 1 gun, SP2
II Army Corps: Maj-Genl W.S. Hancock
1/II Division: 3300 rounded to 3000 ... 6 figures SP2
2/II Division: 3600 rounded to 4000 ... 8 figures SP2+
3/II Division: 3600 rounded to 4000 ... 8 figures SP2+
II Corps Artillery ... 2 figures, 1 gun, SP2
III Army Corps: Maj-Genl D.E. Sickles
1/III Division: 5100 rounded to 5000 ... 10 figures, SP3+
2/III Division: 5100 rounded to 5000 ... 10 figures, SP3+
III Corps Artillery: ... 2 figures, 1 gun, SP2
V Army Corps: Maj-Genl G Sykes
1/V Division: 3400 rounded to 3000 ... 6 figures, SP2
2/V Division: 4000 ... 8 figures, SP2+
3/V Division: 2900 rounded to 3000 ... 6 figures, SP2
V Corps Artillery ... 2 figures, 1 gun, SP2
VI Army Corps: Maj-Genl J. Sedgwick
1/VI Division: 4200 rounded to 4000 ... 8 figures, SP2+
2/VI Division: 3600 rounded to 4000 ... 8 figures, SP2+
3/VI Division: 4700 rounded to 5000 ... 10 figures, SP3+
VI Corps Artillery: ... 2 figures, 1 gun, SP2
XI Army Corps: Maj-Genl O.O. Howard
1/XI Division: 2500 rounded to 3000 ... 6 figures, SP2
2/XI Division: 2900 rounded to 3000 ... 6 figures, SP2
3/XI Division: 3100 rounded to 3000 ... 6 figures, SP2
XI Corps Artillery: ... 2 figures, 1 gun, SP2
XII Army Corps: Maj-Genl H.W. Slocum
1/XII Division: 5300 rounded to 5000 ... 10 figures, SP3+
2/XII Division: 4000 ... 8 figures, SP2+
XII Corps Artillery: ... 2 figures, 1 gun, SP2
Cavalry Corps: Maj-Genl A. Pleasonton
1 Cv Division: 2752 rounded to 3000 ... 6 figures, SP2 (July 1 and 2)
1 Cv Division: 4544 rounded to 5000 ... 10 figures, SP3+ (July 3 only)
2 Cv Division: 2664 rounded to 3000 ... 6 figures, SP2
3 Cv Division: 3902 rounded to 4000 ... 8 figures, SP2+
Cv Artillery: ... 1 figure, 1 gun, SP1
Army Artillery: Brig-Genl H. Hunt
Reserve Artillery ... 3 figures, 1 gun, SP3
Totals:
148 infantry figures (SP43/[+12])*, 20-24 cavalry (SP7[+2]), 18 gunners for 9 guns (SP18).
Army totals: 186-190 figures, SP68(+14), excluding command SP
* Note:
Strength points (SPs) have been allocated per multiples of 3 figures (1500 men). Remainders a given a plus (+). Units combat according to their nominal SP. However, units with a + to their SP lose the 'plus' as their first loss, and then their 'standard' SP thereafter. In effect, 1/I Division takes 2 dice in combat, but require 3 SP losses to be destroyed.
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| An early version of the Union Cavalry Corps. See list for the changes. I've given Alfred Pleasonton a white horse... |
Confederate Army:
Commander: Genl R.E. LeeI Army Corps: Lt-Genl J. Longstreet
McLaws's Division: 6900 rounded to 7000 ... 14 figures, SP4+
Pickett's Division: 5500 rounded to 6000 ... 12 figures, SP4
Hood's Division: 7400 rounded to 7000 ... 14 figures, SP 4+
I Corps Artllery: ... 4 figures, 2guns, SP4
II Army Corps: Lt-Genl R.S. Ewell
Johnson's Division: 6400 rounded to 6000 ... 12 figures, SP4
Early's Division: 5500 rounded to 6000 ... 12 figures, SP4
Rodes's Division: 8000 ... 16 figures, SP5+
II Corps Artillery: ... 4 figures, 2 guns, SP4
III Army Corps: Lt-Genl A.P. Hill
Heth's Division: 7500 rounded to 8000 ... 16 figures, SP5+
Pender's Division: 6700 rounded to 7000 ... 14 figures, SP4+
Anderson's Division: 7100 rounded to 7000 ... 14 figures, SP4+
III Corps Artillery: ... 4 figures, 2 guns, SP4
Cavalry Division: Maj-Genl J.E.B. Stuart**
Hampton's Brigade: ... 4 figures, SP1+
Fitz Lee's Brigade: ... 4 figures, SP1+
Chambliss's Brigade: ... 3 figures, SP1
Jenkins's Brigade: ... 3 figures, SP1
Robertson's/Jones's Brigades: ... 6 figures, SP2
Cavalry Artillery ... 2 figures, 1 gun
Imboden's (Independent) Cavalry Brigade: ... 4 figures, SP1+
Totals: 124 infantry figures (SP38[+6]), 24 cavalry (SP7[+3]), 14 gunners for 7 cannon (SP14)
Army totals: 162 figures, SP59(+9), excluding command SP.
** Note on Stuart's command.
It's not being practical to move around 20 figures as a single block - though it would probably be fairly historical, as it happens, I've broken up the Division into its component brigades - combining only those of Robertson and Jones. It seems that Jones's command was subordinated to Robertson's in some way. One could combine the brigades of 'Rooney' Lee and Jenkins - 6 figures, SP2 - a practical option.
In combat, the number of combat dice is equal to the number of three-figure stands it has: its SPs. So a 14-figure Division has 4 combat dice for the 4 x 3-figure stands.
However, when the formation takes hits, the non-multiple 'remainder' is removed first, before there is any further loss to its SPs. A 14-figure division that takes a damaging hit will lose the 'plus', and the one or two figures that make the plus. It will require a second hit to start reducing its nominal SP value. Hence a 14-figure formation's SP is given as 4+, and not 5. It has the equivalent of 4SP for combat, and 5SP for survivability.
As a formation incurs damage, the losses are removed. As it takes damage, a 14-figure Division will be reduced this way: 14 -> 12 -> 9 -> 6 -> 3 -> 0. In the above pictures, the flags simply signify Divisional command, and is not added to the formations' SPs. They have no SPs of their own, but are merely identifiers. A formation reduced to 0SP will have just the flag remaining, whereat it may be removed from the table.
It is possible, however, that if the action continues into 2 and 3 July, that some losses might be recovered - stragglers and ambulant wounded perhaps returning to the colours overnight. In that case, the flags of formations reduced to 0SP remain on the table where the rallied remnants may be gathered.
The ground scale is indicated by the map - roughly 6 miles by 5, or just under 10km by 8. This seems to indicate one 4-inch hex grid measures 2/3 km or 5/12 mile. That is a scale of roughly 1:6666
I derive my time scales from the ground scale, taking the square root.
That gives me a time scale of 1:80 approximately. (I do like what I call 'approximate arithmetic': it should be taught in schools).
If we imagine it takes 10 minutes to walk 2/3 km - reasonably brisk, but not exactly scorching shoe leather - then in 80 minutes, one may walk a little under 7km. Without going through the mathematics - something I discussed in this blog just over 9 years ago - I come down to an infantry move of 2 hexes the turn, and each turn an hour and a half (80 minutes, fudged to make the numbers nice). As the battle was fought in early July, we're looking at 16 hours of daylight - 10 or 11 game turns, starting at daybreak. Just because it makes the numbers simpler I'd go for 10 daylight turns, and, optionally, 1 more in the evening's gloaming.
The prep work pretty much done, it remains sometime to play out the battle!
To be continued...
Totals: 124 infantry figures (SP38[+6]), 24 cavalry (SP7[+3]), 14 gunners for 7 cannon (SP14)
Army totals: 162 figures, SP59(+9), excluding command SP.
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| Maj-Genl J.E.B. Stuart's CSA cavalry command**. |
** Note on Stuart's command.
It's not being practical to move around 20 figures as a single block - though it would probably be fairly historical, as it happens, I've broken up the Division into its component brigades - combining only those of Robertson and Jones. It seems that Jones's command was subordinated to Robertson's in some way. One could combine the brigades of 'Rooney' Lee and Jenkins - 6 figures, SP2 - a practical option.
Strength point system
As my ACW forces are mounted on strips of three figures, with occasional ones and twos, each multiple of three counts as a strength point (SP). The infantry and cavalry formations are multiples of three plus a remainder.In combat, the number of combat dice is equal to the number of three-figure stands it has: its SPs. So a 14-figure Division has 4 combat dice for the 4 x 3-figure stands.
However, when the formation takes hits, the non-multiple 'remainder' is removed first, before there is any further loss to its SPs. A 14-figure division that takes a damaging hit will lose the 'plus', and the one or two figures that make the plus. It will require a second hit to start reducing its nominal SP value. Hence a 14-figure formation's SP is given as 4+, and not 5. It has the equivalent of 4SP for combat, and 5SP for survivability.
As a formation incurs damage, the losses are removed. As it takes damage, a 14-figure Division will be reduced this way: 14 -> 12 -> 9 -> 6 -> 3 -> 0. In the above pictures, the flags simply signify Divisional command, and is not added to the formations' SPs. They have no SPs of their own, but are merely identifiers. A formation reduced to 0SP will have just the flag remaining, whereat it may be removed from the table.
It is possible, however, that if the action continues into 2 and 3 July, that some losses might be recovered - stragglers and ambulant wounded perhaps returning to the colours overnight. In that case, the flags of formations reduced to 0SP remain on the table where the rallied remnants may be gathered.
Scales:
The figure scales are very (very!) roughly 1 figure to 500 troops, and 1 cannon represents about 40 (41, actually) but, more specifically, 1 gunner to 20 guns.The ground scale is indicated by the map - roughly 6 miles by 5, or just under 10km by 8. This seems to indicate one 4-inch hex grid measures 2/3 km or 5/12 mile. That is a scale of roughly 1:6666
I derive my time scales from the ground scale, taking the square root.
That gives me a time scale of 1:80 approximately. (I do like what I call 'approximate arithmetic': it should be taught in schools).
If we imagine it takes 10 minutes to walk 2/3 km - reasonably brisk, but not exactly scorching shoe leather - then in 80 minutes, one may walk a little under 7km. Without going through the mathematics - something I discussed in this blog just over 9 years ago - I come down to an infantry move of 2 hexes the turn, and each turn an hour and a half (80 minutes, fudged to make the numbers nice). As the battle was fought in early July, we're looking at 16 hours of daylight - 10 or 11 game turns, starting at daybreak. Just because it makes the numbers simpler I'd go for 10 daylight turns, and, optionally, 1 more in the evening's gloaming.
The prep work pretty much done, it remains sometime to play out the battle!
To be continued...
This looks great! I'm looking forward to the next installment. For what it's worth I've always worked with units being large formations, divisions and sometimes corps. I think this stems from a desire to fight the whole battle and take the role of the army commander. In any case, with less than 200 figures for an army this looks very doable without having to spend too much time just painting armies.
ReplyDeleteSeems I'm on the right track! Your comment in respect of the limited numbers of figures made me smile a bit. The irony is that I have something like 1000 Union and 750+ Confederate figures in my armies. They have never all been on one table at one time. About 90% Airfix, about 80-odd ESCI, and a handful of Atlantic cavalry (CSA).
DeleteBut in many ways I wish I had discovered much earlier the 'big battles with small armies' notion. One becomes free to engage in vast campaigns, as you say, with fewer than a couple of hundred figures.
Cheers,
Ion
I really like your + strength point idea. The more I think about it the more I think it would be an excellent way to handle large but relatively ineffective units. Harder to destroy, but the first hit doesn't count against exhaustion point.
DeleteI hadn't actually thought about the exhaustion point thing, but you are right about the effect. But it also adds a little refinement - kind of like a half-strength point. Useful, I think, when scaling down large formations.
DeleteYou might be interested, though, in the OOB that I had originally in mind. I hadn't worked out how the SPs would have been applied to that system though. Probably 6SP for CSA Divisions, 3SP for US I Corps Divisions, and 4SP for the rest. Although this system doesn't reflect the numerical disparity among the Divisional in the respective armies, the aggregate numbers are about right - according to the most accepted estimates anyhow.
Cheers,
Ion
Cheers,
Ion
I am intrigued by the possibilities of the +sp, especially for the fast play portable wargame variant I'm developing. Since I want to keep armies to 6-8 units max with an exhaustion/ break point of 6, it will allow for a large difference in numbers to be accounted for within those limits. Off of the top of my head it could be used for Persian and Ottoman infantry, French levee in mass from the Revolutionary wars, or the spring 1813 campaign, Chinese infantry and Indian war elephants. It is a simple and effective way to simulate it. Brilliant!
DeleteI'll be keeping an eye out! Enjoy the Festive Season...
DeleteMerry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
DeleteExcellent explanation of your reasoning and approach to this seminal battle Ion. Looking forward to seeing how it plays out:).
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Steve. I think - I hope - it adds to readers' interest to see how my projects develop, but writing them up like this helps order my own thinking.
DeleteCheers,
Ion
Ditto what Steve said - this is a wonderfully clear and concise description for setting up the forces that will be fighting. I'm mainly enjoying looking at the old ACW figures!
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack -
DeleteThanks!
I mentioned to Mark that over 90% of my 1800-odd ACW figures are Airfix, some of which formed my first army back in 1974. From my photo, I realise some of my Union Army require their bases to be flocked.
Cheers,
Ion
I always use Divisions and Corps as my ACW units these days, and your rounding is very similar to mine for calculating bases/SPs, although I often carry the fractions around within higher formations to avoid having 'half' elements. The net result is very similar though. Although I have various OOBs for Gettysberg, this one saves me a lot of effort. I am sure their European counterparts would laugh at the idea of 3000 guys being a division. Barely a single Prussian regiment...
ReplyDeleteMartin
DeleteYou know, my OOB was very nearly along the lines of your own method - and I was very tempted to mention it in this article. Basically it just averaged the Division sizes across the whole army based on the numbers of brigades. This would have been the result:
CSA
9 Infantry Divisions each of 12 infantry figures;
7 Guns with 2 crew
1 cavalry Division of 24 figures;
Totalling 108 foot, 24 horse and 7 guns with 14 crew = 146 figures
USA
Ist Corps: 3 Divisions each of 6 figures + gun with 2 crew
III and XII Corps: 2 Divisions each of 8 figures + gun and 2
II, V, VI, XI Corps: 3 Divisions each of 8 figures + gun and 2
Cavalry Corps: 3 divisions each of 8 figures + gun and 1
Army Reserve Artillery: 1 gun with 3 crew
Totals: 146 Infantry, 24 Cavalry, 9 guns with 18 crew = 188 figures.
That was actually my original plan, and I reckon it would have been fine. But I took it into my head to do a little more research, didn't I?
Your comment on the Division sizes is an interesting one. In a years' campaigning, the Army of the Potomac was becoming so worn down that even by midsummer 1863, some concern was being expressed at the weakness of the undersized army corps, at least two of which comprised fewer than 10,000 men.
That weakness might have contributed to the near-defeat of the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg.
Even at 18,000 apiece, the Confederate army corps weren't huge, though they were corps sized. Later on, though, with reduced numbers and a IVth Corps added (to give the newly promoted Lt-Genl R.S. Anderson a command) the army corps sizes were rather reduced.
Cheers,
Ion
Martin -
DeleteI'm very tempted at some time to do an 'open table' Gettysburg using the alternate OOB I mentioned but doubled . Each of my 27-figure regiments would represent a CSA Division, and the Union formations would be equally scaled, each having a 3-figure Div HQ, plus 12 (I Corps) or 16 figure main body. My armies could easily supply the almost 800 figures such a project would require. Probably wouldn't fit on my 6'x4' board, though...
Cheers,
Ion
That sounds grand too. Gettysburg is such an interesting and iconic battle, although tbh my ACW efforts have mainly concentrated on the Western theatre, just to be contrary. I last played Gettysburg a couple of years ago using Bloody Big Battles at the Joy of Six show in Sheffield.
DeleteMartin -
DeleteI've tended build my army around the ANV, but the other theatres have their own points of interest. Now that you mention it, Murfreesboro could be very interesting to do. And, as a 'Map Game', the Tullahoma Campaign of 1863.
But I find the Trans-Mississippi equally fascinating. I have played out Wilson's Creek (a zillion years ago) and more recently early 2021, the action at Pleasant Hill. Both went the way of history. I will 'do' Pea Ridge' some time. But the 1861 campaign in New Mexico ought to be fun, with very limited forces available.
Of course, all Confederates will look like ANV wherever they fight!
Cheers, and Merry Christmas,
ion
Good peek behind the curtain, so to speak. More .later, looking forward to the game.
ReplyDeletepancerni -
DeleteI hope I can get this one fought out reasonably soon. I have a backlog of other battles to fight (Montereau!), but keep getting distracted by other things. But we'll get there in the end!
Cheers,
Ion
Interesting to read about your preparations and choices made for the game.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Peter. I think it adds interest to the narrative - but doing the actual prep work is interesting in itself, I find.
DeleteCheers,
Ion
I remember those Airfix ACW troops from my youth. Those were the days, but then I discovered 25mm Minifigs for the ACW. ⚔️⚔️
ReplyDeleteThe research for battles/campaigns is, as you mentioned, half the fun. It’s amazing what you can discover. Some of the “facts” from my youth turned out, over the years, to be “not quite right”. I dare say research is much easier now with the use of the internet - as a youth I recall often having to wait months & months for books requested on inter library loan.
Enjoy the festive period. Cheers,
Geoff
Geoff -
DeleteGood heavens, it's almost upon us, isn't it! Merry Christmas!
My Minifigs, apart from a half dozen 7YW command figures, are all Napoleonic - though not all my Napoleonics are Minifigs. I really should do a proper inventory some time.
In looking up 'the numbers' for Gettysburg, I found certain disparities among the sources. But even in my (hard)copy of 'Battles and Leaders' (a great resource), the numbers come in for a considerable discussion. I do have a detailed OOB among my paper archives, and probably ought to have looked them up! But I only THINK I know where they are; I didn't want to spend hours hunting for them.
All the best, and say 'hello' to Santa for me,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo,
ReplyDeleteYour ‘+’ to the SP of units is a very simple and elegant innovation that I will no doubt copy/plagiarise in due course!
I look forward to reading about your Gettysburg refight. Like Waterloo, it’s one of the ‘must do’ battles that most wargamers want to refight at some point.
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
DeleteThe '+' thing seemed to me a practical proposition as I intend to use the figure stands themselves as my SP markers. My ACW armies are in stands of 3 (infantry) with twos and ones for convenient casualty removal. A 3-figure stand counts as a SP, a one- or two-figure stand as a '+'.
I have played the First Day of Gettysburg scaled for my own army. This must have been nearly 30 years back. I set it up as a multi-player game, though 'Oliver Howard' failed to show, and I had to take over his thankless command. The thing went the way of history, of course.
With my rule set, it ought to be near-on impossible for a unit to be wiped out. The 50% rule almost always carries a unit out of the fight. Not this time. One XI Corps unit northwest of the town was caught by Rodes's and part of Early's Divisions and, in a single turn, completely obliterated by rifle and gun fire. There was never any question of a close combat.
I'd never before seen the like. The nearest CSA unit was credited with the capture of the colours! The Portable Gettysburg still has to be fought. I have Montereau to write up, and I've been distracted by the Lanchester battles thing.
Cheers,
Ion