[Consim-l] Lee's Greatest Gamble/AOR replay part 5

[Markus Stumptner]

Summary so far: Up to day 3! Both sides hurt, no decision yet. Union II 
Corps holds Cemetery Ridge.

Lee, with his low command rating, spends all night issuing orders.  When 
daylight comes, the question is, how quickly will they be executed. The 
first corps to move is Ewell's II Corps, which leaves Rodes' division 
behind at Culp's Hill.  The rest of the corps moves eastwards at first 
light into the woods along the Hanover Road and towards Wolf Hill, where 
Howard's XI Corps is still stationed.  Around Cemetery Ridge, Longstreet's 
and A.P.Hill's artillery begin a bombardment of Hancock's corps on 
Cemetery Ridge, which is later joined by a battery that Rodes emplaces on 
Culp's Hill. (At this point the question arises whether sending *everyone* 
to attack Cemetery Hill wouldn't have been the better choice, especially 
since Ewell's corps was the least badly hurt.  Economy of force taken too 
far??)

Around 7am, Ewell's men reach Wolf Hill and attack XI Corps.  Unlike 
Howard's XI Corps, Ewell still has several divisions that are fresh, and 
the remnants of the force that was able to stop II Corps yesterday now are 
roughly handled, as three of Howard's brigades are routed and the rest are 
pushed backwards.  A battery on the flank of Wolf Hill is overrun. Ewell's 
men have taken losses but the advance continues. (This was a very bloody 
encounter, the fire dierolls were 10, 8, 9, 10.)  By 8:00, Howard has 
decided that resisting further is to invite complete destruction, and has 
pulled his men back from Wolf Hill.  However, this does not bring them to 
safety.  Ewell's men advance after them out into the open plains.  As they 
do this, they become aware of more blue ranks moving up from the south, 
apparently to fall into their flank.  These are the columns of Reynolds' I 
Corps that were sent by Meade to shore up Howard's flank and secure the 
Hanover road, but they have come too late.  Reynolds immediately leads his 
two front brigades to the attack, but the Confederates, exhilarated by 
their advance, wheel around and send volley after volley into their ranks. 
Stone's brigade is cut to ribbons in the attack, and Stannard's brigade is 
forced to fall back.  Dole and Iverson lead their brigades to the 
counterattack, and now Stannard's brigade shares the fate of Stone's 
although they sell themselves dearly and on the Confederate side Dole's 
brigade takes heavy losses.

Little has happened around Cemetery Hill in the meantime. The
Confederate bombardment continues but the morale of II Corps remains
high, especially since II Corps artillery has silenced the battery on
Culp's Hill for the moment. What has become obvious by 9:00 is that
both army commanders have sent their cavalry on a deep raid into the
enemy's rear. Stuart proceeds down Hanover Road and the Low Dutch Road
towards the Baltimore Pike.  But the more immediate threat is
presented by the Union cavalry which marches around Hill's corps to
threaten the Confederate train from the direction of Herr's
Tavern. Hill is forced to detach several brigades to block the
Cashtown Pike against this threat.

Around 10am, two brigades of Union cavalry attack the thin screen of 
Confederate troops screening the army train, but are repulsed.  The train 
moves into relative safety further south.  However, the Confederate 
position is now in upheaval since, even with a number of his troops 
guarding his flank and the train, A.P.Hill has finally prepared his attack 
and is marching out. His artillery bombardment has disrupted the Union 
brigade guarding the Angle.  Whether that is enough or soon enough will 
only be found out later - movements on the Union side indicate that V 
Corps is now moving out to protect II Corps' flank and threaten Hill.

Further east, Reynold has gathered the next two brigades coming down
the road and is again launching them against Ewell across the open
fields.  With Ewell's men firing most of their rifle ammunition so
fast that their barrels seem to glow, this attack is likewise repulsed
with the destruction of two brigades. Reynolds is leading a charmed
life and survives to join the rest of his troops, his corps now
demoralised.  It will be seen whether he keeps pushing the attack
despite the appalling losses taken.

To be continued...

Markus


Last 3 games played: AOR/7 Days Battles, Blood&Iron, AOR/Lee's Greatest Gamble
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"Bakayaro! Bakayaro!"  ("Stupid Bastards!  Stupid Bastards!") -- Admiral 
Aritomo Goto's last words to his staff, October 11, 1942