[Consim-l] Seven Days - Gaines Mill replay (Age of Rifles rules)

[Markus Stumptner]

Here's one I prepared earlier... I played this solo while John and I were 
were playing Lee's Greatest Gamble ftf.

My second refit of the DG Seven Days game was the Gaines Mill scenario. 
This scenario, in the DG version, lasts 10 (game!) hours (turns). 
Historically what happened is that because Jackson's planned flank attack 
was delayed by many hours, leading to Lee finally ordering Longstreet and 
A.P.Hill to attack, and Jackson's leading division eventually entering the 
fight. The DG scenario, on the other hand, depicts all Confederates, 
including Jackson's force, as storming the Union position in unison. I 
decided that I would try a number of scenarios, corresponding to various 
degrees to which Lee's plan could have worked, but the base scenario, 
played through here, would correspond to the historical battle.  It 
therefore lasts from about 14:00 to nightfall.

On the first turn, nothing happens except the Confederates moving into
position for a coordinated assault.  Porter recognises the signs of
the impending attack and calls to Slocum for help. (This is a
situation that had been pre-arranged between Porter and McClellan -
Porter can send Slocum's Division of VI Corps an attachment order and
Slocum will join him.)

By 1500, Slocum has received the order (and in the meantime, Porter
has sent a messenger to McClellan, asking him urgently to also send
Richardson's Division of II Corps in support).  He rolls a 6 for
compliance (with 2d6), giving him an "R4" result - this means he will
have finished is preparations and start moving on a dieroll of 4-6 at
the start of a turn.  In the meantime, Jackson's Valley Army,
spearheaded by D.H.Hill's Division, also starts moving.  More
immediately though, Longstreet and A.P.Hill lead their divisions to
the attack, and almost the whole length of the Union line finds itself
under assault, although the approach of the Confederates is
significantly hindered by the swamp in front of the Union line.  In
fact the strongest attack, which sees Gregg and Field's brigades cross
the creek line, where the apex of the position is unoccupied, and join
in the attack on a brigade holding the streamline, falters. (They
rolled a 2 with a total attack strength of 15 - the strongest
Confederate attack wasted.)  In five separate attacks along the line,
only one Union unit takes serious losses.  Not only that, but now it
is Porter's turn to attack Gregg's and Field's brigades which their
unsuccessful flank attack has exposed to a potentially fatal pincer
counterattack.  He brings on Meade and Seymour's brigades from the
reserve to complete the trap.  However, as Meade and Seymour approach,
the Confederates coldbloodedly turn to face them and with a massive
series of well-placed volleys send them into a rout (they rolled an
11). That is to little avail, as they run low on ammunition and their
flanks are then rolled up by Union troops coming out of their
trenches.  Their troops, victorious a few minutes ago, are sent into a
precipitate retreat; as they break and flee back into the swamp they
suffer severe losses. (Confederate morale, starting at 4, was reduced
for low ammo, step losses, and the flank attack, reaching 0, although
a natural 1 would still have allowed them ot maintain their position.)

So, an initial, daring penetration of the Union position has been
roundly defeated, but Porter has used up much of his reserve in the
process. As the time approaches 16:00, he hopes for Slocum's support
and in fact Slocum rolls successfully and begins to move. In the short
term though this is scant relief for Porter who now has to start to
concern himself with his right flank, where D.H.Hill's division begins
its attack.  Hill's troops cause noticeable losses to Porter's flank
brigades, but do not gain any ground.

Meanwhile, A.P.Hill's and Longstreet's assaults continue. Hill's left
flank takes massive losses while involved in a continuing firefight
with the Union troops on the other side of the swamp, although to
their right, Anderson's and Pender's brigades initially seem to be
making headway, with the Union defense being thinned out.  However,
despite lower losses being taken than to their left, the attackers
break first.

In Longstreet's sector, Kemper and Anderson's continued attack leads
to the loss of most of Kemper's brigade as they move close to the
Union positions.  However, it is the Union troops who ultimately break
as the C the Confederates splash into the stream separating the two
sides.  A union battery, most of its gunners wounded, is left behind,
but the Confederates do not advance in force so as to avoid a similar
fate to what befell Gregg and Field's men earlier. Pryor and
Featherston are engaged in a long range firefight with few losses on
both sides, while the situation in Pickett and Wilcox's sector is
rather more heated but without a decision so far.

By 1700, Slocum's Division of VI Corps arrives in the rear of V Corps
to bolster its position.  Richardson has received McClellan's order to
come to Porter's aid.  He starts collecting his troops but is not yet
ready to march (a R5 result).  Meanwhile, the fighting abates somewhat
in Longstreet's sector, where both sides have settled down to
desultory fire, but A.P.Hill urges his troops against the Union lines
yet again.  Gregg's brigade, already weakened after the morning's
episode, is eliminated, demoralising the division, while Branch and
Pender, having recovered from their disruption, rout one of the
opposing brigades. D.H.Hill's troops have been stopped with losses; he
is instead bringing up his artillery to prepare the next attack.

Slocum finds that he has arrived just in time, as Porter slings his
brigades into the line to fill the gaps caused by the last hour's
fighting, but they cannot fill all the gaps.  A.P.Hill, sensing
victory near, continues the attack despite his wrecked division, and
his troops focus on the position remaining in front of them -
Chapman's brigade with artillery support.  Chapman's troops are routed
under the massive attack, and the battery is overrun and destroyed.
The Union line is breached. In the meantime, D.H.Hill's division's
complete artillery (four batteries) concentrates its fire on
Buchanan's brigade while that is threatened from the front by Hill's
infantry.  The artillery is phenomenal in finding the range (they
rolled a 12) and the brigade is severely shaken, in no position to
defend against the assault - but the Union guns' fire at point blank
range breaks up the assault and Hill's infantry pulls back!  In the
meantime, Porter's cavalry that was guarding Buchanan's flank is
pushed back by a different assault column.  By now it is Longstreet's
sector where the Confederates are being beaten up with Anderson's and
Pryor's brigades, facing a line reinforced with Slocum's units, finally
being routed out of the fight.

At 1900, Porter, with a huge breach in his line opposite A.P.Hill's
Division and his left flank essentially held by VI Corps, has decided
he is going to fall back towards the Chickahominy and the rest of the
Union army, in particular Richardson's division. That is now moving up
in his rear, but still a couple of hours' march away.  His retreat is
pursued by A.P.Hill's troops. Elated by success, despite their
fatigue, Anderson's and Pender's brigades catch up with Griffin's
brigade covering Porter's rear and smash it before full darkness sets
in and ends the battle.

Total Confederate losses: 28
Total Union losses: 29

Markus

Last games: AOR/Lee's Greatest Gamble, When Tigers Fight, Star Blazers
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"Around 8:00 PM, as renewed Prussian attacks swept through La Haie and 
Papelotte, French resistance suddenly collapsed." --Chandler, The Hundred Days