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CSA campaign, pre-Antietam minor battle


Urkhardt

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So, I started the campaign on Brigadier difficulty, and I consider each of the battles a problem to require a specific solution.
Through somewhat-accurate handling of the units, I had got three corps counting about 35 000  men (5k cavalry, 3k artillerists, 2k dedicated skirmishers, 25k infantry) with ability to muster another 15k to 25k (Depending on equipment needing to be bought and/or taken from reserve) immediately.

Of veterans I have present: 14k-strong 1 corps-1division in 4 2,5k and 1 2k strong infantry brigades (2 stars, 50+ firearms, half armed with M1842 and other half with Palmetto/M1855), 12-gun battery (2 stars, firearms 85, currently armed with Napoleons), 2 shock cavalry squadrons (2 stars melee 90 750-men strong and 3-star melee 100 200-men strong respectively, all with Lemats) and 2 skirmisher detachments (Both scouts with firearms exceeding 80, one 500-strong, Whitworth armed, and one 350-strong with scoped Whitworths).

Battle in question is Harper's Ferry. In short - need to cross a river and sturm a forested hill in three hours flat, preferably without taking excessive casualties.
Reconnaissanse informs of 17k strong enemy with 60 artillery pieces.

I have not been able to see a way to do this without excessive casualties. Should I muster new brigades and blood them in this massacre (Brutforcing the victory/draw), or is there a way to do this relatively bloodless for CSA?
Or is this a case of hopeless battle?

Battlefield.jpg

Edited by Urkhardt
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Bring a majority of force on the left flank, through the forest.  Once you reach the larger forest that borders the point, just move in and either shoot out or stab out the enemy brigades in that position.  As you're in forest, the enemy artillery won't be much of a problem.  Bring a brigade or two of skirmishers or cavalry to act as a screen towards your flank facing the north, as the enemy will have their own cavalry roaming up there that can decimate your flank if not tended to correctly.  The rest of your force should demonstrate at their front, and when they become occupied with the flanking force, flank them again and put them between a rock and a hard place.  Once that's done, you can either sweep them up or just sit there happily holding on to the capture point.

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If you move about 6 or so infantry brigades along the left border of the map you can push the union troops off the hill while staying in cover for the most part and either box them in by the river and destroy them or box them in in the top right of the map and destroy them and also if the cav units slip by pop skirmishers and box them in a corner and get rid of them all that with somewhere between 2k or a a little higher depends on how many you lose.

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Imho you should drop all your cav and dedicated skirmishers for this battle (and the skirmishers entirely). Bring 1 maybe 2 brigades of artillery, fill all remaining slots with infantry. Keep 2-3 brigades of infantry on open ground east of the woods (so they face the union infantry but a good bit from firing range.

Move the majority of your forces along the western border of the map, detach skirmishers and move them into the forest, swing left and push out their skirmishers, follow up with infantry and drive their single infantrybrigade out of the woods. 2 skirmishers should be able to deal with the cavbrigade in the northwest.

Try to occupy their artillery with some detached skirmishers to mitigate their dmg and now you should be able to position your infantry in a semicircle cutting of their retreat to the north. At the same time move your 2-3 brigades north and your forces will crush him like hammer and anvil.

Just remember to push with detached skirmishers first to minimize your casualties.

 

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15 hours ago, Urkhardt said:

Battle in question is Harper's Ferry. In short - need to cross a river and sturm a forested hill in three hours flat, preferably without taking excessive casualties.

You don't need to cross the river. Cram all of your units into the corner of the deployment box that's on the far side of the river. It's a pain, but it saves a pretty significant chunk of time and condition.

Edited by Aetius
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