New Command Simulation Preparing to Launch

A new, fictional command simulation called the North Branch Campaign will take place from Fall 2018 into late Winter or early Spring 2019: North Branch Campaign Simulation

South Branch Campaign In Progress

The Winter War simulations ended in 2017 and have been closed. The South Branch Campaign simulation is underway and has been active since October 2017.  The simulation uses a fictional campaign theater and a "fantasy order of battle" approach.  Each side selected from a force pool of historical regiments, batteries and commanders to form a non-historical army.

Fighting has taken place at fictional locations such as Newtown, Sitesville, Sagarville, Foxtown, Madison and Mount Zion Church. Each location is represented on a campaign map and has a corresponding modified map for us in the Take Command 2nd Manassas  game.  Players move corps, divisions and sometimes detached brigades and batteries across the campaign map until they make contact with an enemy unit. Engagements then take place, with casualties and ammunition levels being carried forward from one turn to the next. Units can gain experience and unit quality during the course of the campaign and officers may increase their ability. The simulation is expected to end in late June, with a potential follow-up simulation starting in the autumn 2018.

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