New Simulation Starting

THE WINTER WAR II command simulation ended early this summer.  A few new players have been added for a fictional campaign simulation called "The South Branch Campaign," which will probably start in October. (Not the same South Branch as the South Branch of the Potomac, which featured in THE WINTER WAR simulations.)  The South Branch Campaign will be played mostly "off line," but links to the mod and maps will be available here.

10 Highest Losses (number of men lost)

282 men - 33rd Virginia at Romney
260 men - 2nd Virginia at Romney
254 men - 7th Brigade Virginia Militia at Romney
237 men - 7th Indiana at Romney
211 men - 1st Virginia (US) at Romney
195 men - 66th Ohio at Romney
193 men - 27th Virginia at Romney
163 men - 16th Brigade Virginia Militia at Three Churches
158 men - 37th Virginia at Three Churches
152 men - 29th Ohio at Romney

Top 5 Unit Losses per Army (%)

Confederate:
2nd Virginia (Garnett) - 66% at Romney
33rd Virginia (Garnett) - 50% at Romney
27th Virginia (Garnett) - 45% at Romney
West Augusta Artillery (Waters) - 42% at Romney
7th Brigade Virginia Militia (Meem) - 32% at Romney

Union:
7th Indiana (3rd Brigade) - 65% at Romney
1st Virginia (3rd Brigade) - 43% at Romney
7th Ohio (3rd Brigade) 38% at Romney
14th Indiana (1st Brigade) - 31% at Three Churches
29th Ohio and 66th Ohio (3rd Brigade) 30% at Romney

TWWII Ends after One Day of Campaigning - Victory Awarded to Frederick W. Lander's Division

The fighting at Lowell's Crossroads closed out Day One of the campaign with continued shelling of enemy positions, but no infantry attacks.

Due to real life issues and commitments, the TWWII Simulation is closing early. At the end of Day One, victory is awarded to the Federals as follows:

Clearly, the main factor leading to Lander's (Greg's) victory was the ability to take and hold the town of Romney. This provided 3 Victory Points, but also earned him a large number of points for artillery and small arms ammunition captured when his men moved into town.

It was kind of a rough day of campaigning. Ashby's cavalry easily broke into the rear of Federal lines on Day One, moving through Springfield and Frankfort and destroying some Federal supplies. (The Federals managed to remove some supplies before he arrived, but did not destroy those left over. Ashby clearly was about to reach Burlington first thing on the morning of Day 2, where he would have captured or destroyed 3,000 rations, 60,000 small arms rounds, and 300 artillery rounds. From the orders given on Day One, the Federals had not found a solution to Ashby. If Ashby moved east again, there was a vulnerable supply train at Mechanicsburg Gap.

The Federals also did not occupy their objectives on Day One. Ashby had cleared out Lander and his headquarters guard from Springfield and Frankfort and there was no one posted at Green Spring Depot. That was a loss of three points.

The Confederates also struggled with supplies. A large surplus had been discharged from supply trains at Romney in the morning of Day One, only to be captured by the enemy. Taliaferro's supply train was also almost lost at Three Churches, and Ashby's train was briefly in a very precarious position between Three Churches and Romney. I am sure that if the sim were run again, both sides might re-think their supply management strategies.

Infantry casualties were heaviest among the Federals at Romney, where Tyler's (3rd Brigade) lost 1,054 men, which amounts to 34% of the command. Taking Romney was critical, but came at a price. The defending force at Romney also lost heavily. Garnett's Brigade lost 897 men, being 44% of its total strength.  Although a smaller force than the Federals at Romney, Garnett's men were of much higher quality. The best Federal unit there was captured at the end of Day One, which means that Romney would have been another hard-fought fight if there had been a Day Two and certainly was within the Confederate reach.

Kimball's and Dunning's Brigades faired better than Tyler's. Kimball faced a smaller force when it attacked Three Churches in the morning phase, and puller out before losses were too heavy in the afternoon. Dunning had a superior position at Lowell's Cross Roads, making Anderson's and Burks' Brigades pay a heavy price for taking the town. Anderson declined to assault the second Union position north of town, avoid heavier loss right before dark.

Artillery losses and cavalry losses were about the same on either side, resulting in the same amount of points. Although the fight near Clasor's Ford resulted in the rout of the Charlotte Cavalry, one of the most significant fights was between Company "A" of the 1st Ohio Cavalry and the Pittsylvania Cavalry at Tate's Store. The fight went on all day and neither side was able to push the other out of the way. This prevented the Confederates from moving to the railroad at Little Cacapon Depot and the Federals from raiding the Confederate supply lines to the rear. One Federal unit, however, managed to get to the Confederate rear lines. The Washington Cavalry went around Glebe Ford and ended up in Frenchburg. It did not move on to Barne's Mill, where there was a Confederate supply depot at Risk. Just as the Federals were unprepared for Ashby, it is likely that Capt. Greenfield's Washington Cavalry would have taken supplies on Day Two, having exploited the undefended southern area of the campaign theatre.

I hope the short sim was enjoyable for the three players: Greg (Lander), Iain (Jackson) and Chase (Loring). The Federals won the day, but the Confederates were in a strong position at the start of Day Two. Had the sim continued, it was still anybody's game.

Three Churches - Afternoon Phase Unit Stats

Loring Re-Takes Three Churches - Day 1, 17:20 - 17:40

During the morning phase of Day One, four Federal infantry regiments under Colonel Thomas Osborn advanced on Three Churches via the Old Romney Road. They were accompanied by Captain Lucius Robinson's Battery "L," 1st Ohio Light Artillery, and three guns of Battery "H," 1st Ohio Light Artillery under Lieutenant George Norton. As they reached the Greenwalt Farm, they met elements of the Virginia Militia under Brigadier General Gilbert Meem.

Meem made a fighting withdrawal back towards Three Churches with the 16th and 18th Brigades Virginia Militia and Lieutenant Poague's Rockbridge Artillery. He had his men destroy ordnance stores in town and then retreated towards Rannel's Tavern when the pressure from assaults by Osborn's men was too great. At Rannel's Tavern he met Brigadier General William Loring, advancing on Three Churches with three regiments of Taliaferro's Brigade, the Allegheny Artillery (Captain Carpenter) and the 2nd Rockbridge Artillery (Lieutenant Wallace). Meem turned his command around and joined Loring's column.

Loring halted outside of Three Churches, which was defended by Colonel Osborn's men. As Loring started a flanking movement around the Union left, Osborn had his men withdraw to Greenwalt, pursued down the Old Romney Road by Meem's Militia. Loring had the Allegheny Artillery, and 2nd Rockbridge Artillery deploy on a cleared slope of Waddle Hill, with Taliaferro's Brigade nearby. Brigadier General Meem deployed at the Savile Farm, with one "brigade" in the woods on each side of the road and Lieutenant Poague's battery across it. Colonel Osborn's men were deployed in a semi-circle around the Greenwalt Farm, defending the Old Romney Road and a line of retreat towards Hanging Rocks via Mileson Ford.

Loring had his batteries advance slightly to give better infantry support.

Taliaferro's Brigade advances to a jumping off point for its attack on the Union position at Greenwalt as artillery moves forward.

The Allegheny Artillery under Captain Joseph Carpenter starts to shell the Union line from its second position. 

As soon as the guns had unlimbered and begun firing, Loring began his attack.The 37th Virginia, on the right of Taliaferro's Brigade, stepped off first, targeting Lieutenant Norton's three guns of Battery "H," 1st Ohio Light Artillery. As soon as the 37th had opened fire on the enemy guns and started taking return fire from the 39th Illinois, the 23rd Virginia stepped off, followed shortly thereafter by the 3rd Arkansas on Taliaferro's left.  The 23rd Virginia got within range and opened fire on the right flank of the 39th Illinois.

The 37th Virginia advances on Lieutenant Norton's guns on the left of the Union line.

The 37th Virginia halts and opens fire and the 39 Illinois wheels left and fires into the Virginians.

When the 37th Virginia engaged, the rest of Taliaferro's Brigade steps off to join the attack. 

Lieutenant Norton directs his guns as the fire canister into the enemy. 

The 39th Illinois firing into the 37th Virginia. 

Taliaferro's center and left engage. 

The 3rd Arkansas firing on the 7th (West) Virginia.

Lieutenant Norton's guns could not hold long under the fire from the 37th Virginia. The 14th Indiana was pulled from the center of the line to help defend Colonel Osborn's left. It arrived on the left as Lieutenant Norton was trying to withdraw his guns. His section was too battered to continue the fight.

The 14th Indiana passing to the rear of the 7th (West) Virginia as it heads to the left of the Union line.

Lieutenant Norton's men trying to leave the field and save their guns. 

Just as the 14th Indiana was taking position to block any further advance by the 37th Virginia on the Union left, Brigadier General Meem stepped off with the 16th Brigade Virginia Militia on his left (advancing through the woods against the 84th Pennsylvania), and the 18th Brigade Virginia Militia on his right, advancing against the center and right sections of Captain Robinson's Battery. Robinson's Battery was now largely exposed due to the redeployment of the 14th Indiana and the rest of the line to his left being engaged with Taliaferro.  Robinson fired a few rounds of canister and then ordered his battery to retreat. As the guns fell back, the 84th Pennsylvania redeployed to its left rear to close the gap left by the 14th Indiana and retreating guns. It was clear, however, that the line could not hold long, and Colonel Osborne ordered a retreat to Mileson Ford.

The 18th Brigade Virginia Militia advance on the Center and Right Sections of Battery "L," 1st Ohio Light Artillery.

16th Brigade Virginia Militia engages the 84th Pennsylvania. 

The embattled Union line.

The Federal line is given the order to retreat and leaves the field towards Mileson Ford. 

While the fight was going on at Greenwalt, Captain Curil and Company "D," 1st Maryland Potomac Home Brigade Cavalry were scouting the area west and north of Three Churches as they prepared to leave the area. They came across Taliaferro's supply train at the Arnold Farm. They cavalry engaged the train's guard, a company of the 1st Georgia and made a charge against them in an effort to take the trains. The Federal horsemen were repulsed, and left towards Dutch Lick School.