MP Scenario1: The Attack on Iuka

I would be ready to play the scenario tonight or friday 13th, 7pm UK time. What do others think?

Last time we were 8 players, I think 7 is the minimum.
For spoiler reasons I would like players to stick with their side, but you can switch positions.
Martin and me can play on both sides

CSA [Mr. Digby, WSH Baylor, CoB4thTEXAS, Ararog]
1 Corps Commander - Maj Gen Sterling Price
1 Cavalry Commander - Brig Gen Frank C. Armstrong
1 Division Commander - Brig Gen Lewis H. Little
+ more slots for brigade commanders

USA [Blaugrana, Hays, AS Johnston]
1 Corps Commander - Maj Gen William S. Rosecrans
1 Cavalry Commander - Col John K. Mizner
1 Division Commander - Big Gen David S. Stanley
1 Division Commander - Big Gen Charles S. Hamilton

Leffe7 wrote:I would be ready to play the scenario tonight or friday 13th, 7pm UK time. What do others think?

Thanks Stefan. Though I would love to play this again asap, I don't think I can make tonight. If someone else would like to step into my shoes, please do. I look forward to hearing about it, if it goes ahead. Friday 13th may be OK.

I'll be okay playing it next Thursday or Friday. Choose a date and I'll be there. I think events like this need a week's notice minimum so everyone can mark their diaries.

Mr. Digby, today, wrote:I think events like this need a week's notice minimum so everyone can mark their diaries.

Mr. Digby, on Saturday, wrote:Good news. Tonight maybe?

Shurely shome mishtake?

Blaugrana wrote:

Mr. Digby, today, wrote:I think events like this need a week's notice minimum so everyone can mark their diaries.

Mr. Digby, on Saturday, wrote:Good news. Tonight maybe?

Shurely shome mishtake?

lol
Ok I will announce then next friday 13th 7pm UK time as the next run for the Iuka Scenario. Please tell if you can play and what role you prefer.

On the assumption that 7:00 pm GMT is 1:00 pm Central Time (US), I am available to play as the Cavalry Commander please. Last time I had the Corps and made a hash of the operation, I'm afraid, with a faulty plan. Besides, I'd like to try the cavalry role.

So, sign me up for the Cavalry Commander, CSA side, for a battle on Friday, 13 April 2012, beginning at 7:00 pm GMT/1:00 pm CST.

I can play the CSA commander again.

Ike wrote:So, sign me up for the Cavalry Commander, CSA side, for a battle on Friday, 13 April 2012, beginning at 7:00 pm GMT/1:00 pm CST.

Hi Ike - you were USA corps commander last time, so should, I think, stick to US this time too.

Meeting time is 7 pm BST = 1 pm CDT.

@Stefan - I'll be there. Happy to repeat same role as last time.

Sorry, I had forgotten which side I was on. May I be the Union Cavalry Commander, then?

Unfortunately we haven't seen Ararog since that day so there's a CSA brigade or two needing commanders.

I opened up a thread in the "arranged games" section where I will update the player list:

http://forum.kriegsspiel.org.uk/t276-friday-13th-april-1900-1930-uk-time-scenario1-the-attack-on-iuka

Leffe7 wrote:I opened up a thread in the "arranged games" section where I will update the player list:

http://forum.kriegsspiel.org.uk/t276-friday-13th-april-1900-1930-uk-time-scenario1-the-attack-on-iuka

I see, in the thread above, that I am down as USA corps commander. I'd forgotten I'd taken on that role

Happy to try again, but also am very happy to take a subordinate role if anyone else fancies overall command.

Just found out my wife has book group next Friday, so that means I can definitely play.

Happy with any role, on either side (as Stefan suggested). Having seen both briefings, I think I should take a junior role though.

Martin

I can do Friday 13th - but give me a junior role since I lack experience, and the date spooks me out .

Martin will pass on briefings if you dont have my email.

Rufus Yellowbelly King

That's 11am West Coast US time, correct?

If so that's a bit too early for me with classes, but if anything comes up and it happens later I'd be happy to take a junior role for either side.

Confederate Brigade will be fine.

J

I can be home by 3:40 est and will check in to see if you are already rolling

Good to have your interest Sspoom although that will be 8:40pm here so I should think we'll be well on the go by then.

It does look like Saturdays might be a better day for these planned games so that more people can be involved from both sides of the pond.

@kg_sspoom/Digby: I think we should try to start at 7.30pm UK time today. Maybe we are able to launch a second round after that. This saturday would actually work for me too.

Players Update for today:
Baylor and King_Rufus will play on the CSA side (@Digby could you send them the briefing please). You can assign the roles yourself, if not then King_Rufus will play the cavalry.

Martin won't play today but his son David will . He will play on the USA side.

More players are very welcome!

Thanks Stefan,

I'll e-mail orders to Ike and Martin (for David) now.

@Martin James - could you pass on orders to David please?

Stefan,

I can play. I'll take any empty slot.

Thanks

Niall

Blaugrana wrote:Thanks Stefan,

I'll e-mail orders to Ike and Martin (for David) now.

@Martin James - could you pass on orders to David please?

Done.

Being the designer of the scenario I was called the umpire of yesterdays game so I would like to give you my view on this.
Contains spoilers...

USA Debriefing [Blaugrana, Hays, Martin, BillyYank, Leffe7]

Spoiler:

CSA Debriefing [Mr Digby, CoB4thTexas, WSH Baylor, King_Rufus, kg_sspoom]

Spoiler:

I wanted to mention that after checking our mission and orders, the town of Iuka actually does not figure at all in the CSA brief. Its occupation by Federal forces at any point in the battle was not seen as at all relevant to us, it was our covering of the retreating supply wagons which was vital and these needed to be secured on the Hagerstown Road after 90 minutes, which we achieved with ease since at no point did the Federals put us under any pressure.

It was a little difficult to interpret the CSA brief and exactly what was needed but I chose to ensure that the Hagerstown Road west of Willoughby Run was never threatened by the enemy and that no enemy got out of Iuka westwards across the small unnamed creek that flows northwards to the west of the town and east of Seminary Ridge; hence our strong defensive positoin on that line at the end of the action.

Federal cavalry discomforted our artillery rearguard at the very end of the battle and chased it off although a supporting battery (Ward's) was able to inflict significant losses on the enemy before they backed off. The CSA's only mistake was a confusion of orders right at the end when I asked Armstrong verbally to keep his cavalry with the artillery reserve on Seminary Ridge to cover Little's infantry division as it withdrew, but at the same time I spoke with Gen Little and said I would "Leave him to give the orders for everyone to withdraw". Since Little had no authority to issue orders to Armstrong I assumed he wouldn't tell him to retreat and my assumption was that "everyone" meant all th etroops in his division. But Little did order Armstrong to withdraw and he should have ignored orders from Little as they didn't come down the chain of command but he didn't

It was a very reasonable and realistic piece of confusion and led to the only 'warm' moment of the game for me; a mad click-fest to order away individual limbered guns as they were charged by the Union horsemen. Luckily we didn't lose one, though we did suffer about 8 casualties in Guibor's battery.

That exciting finale to the game was what Kriegspiels are all about, confusion and fog of war.

All in all this was a brilliant game, well organised and quite subtle in that, if both sides did only as they were ordered, there would not be that much fighting and both sides could claim victory. The whole game was very tense and exciting, and produced a shape and form quite unlike our casual games. Highlights included Brig Gen Green's repeated calls for artillery support as his boys were mercilessly shelled behind their stone walls at Guinn's Farm; Col "march backwards and forwards without firing a shot" Martin who didn't have a map that showed any farm or road names (!); the tense waiting game us Rebs played at the Codori-Bliss-Bishop Farm area waiting for an attack that never came; the worrying snail-paced out-flanking move of the Union force as it slithered by us going north to Cemetary Ridge... "Why?" We asked ourselves again and again in puzzlement. "What are they doing over there?" Then there was Maj Gen "here, there and everywhere" Little who seemed to be all over the map at the same time. I'm sure John has hacked the game to give himself about 6 avatars! There was the moment when Brig Gen "where's our gun support?" Green finally had an enemy Zouave regiment advancing uphill towards his boys behind their stone walls and was already moving to fight them when I ordered him to retreat a full mile to Schultz Farm! I honestly thought I'd get a "screw you I wanna kill something!" answer, or maybe even a pistol shot between the eyes, but no, Gen Green was the model of obedience and retreated. How often do you get such situations in casual games?

Thanks Stefan, great game.

I think Man of the Match award must go to Brig Gen Armstrong and his cavalry who fought a superb and spirted action in the south-west follwing orders to both "cover our infantry's right wing" and "worry the enemy's left flank", Armstrong went for it in grand style and his regiments occupied what looked like one of the enemy's divisions and some of his artillery for a good 30 to 40 minutes while our precious looted supplies got away.

The game could benefit from an adjustment or two - either the supply wagons need to start further south so there's a more real chance of them being captured or the Feds need to have their orders adjusted to make their task more urgent, so that their forces get towards the critical map locations sooner, or possibly have the western side of the map emphasized more as the likely retreat route of Sterling Price's army. Us Rebs had our coats off sitting in the sun drinking mint juleps most of the game...

I would definitely like to play this scenario again from the Federal side, even if both sides are aware of the others orders; that might just make it a lot more exciting.

Just wanted to thank Stefan, and all involved in the battle of Iuka2 last nite. It was the most fun SOW
battle i'v had in quite some time. Surely not one of the usual blood and guts fights, really enjoyed the
extra layer added by the use of the briefings and there interpretation. Seems to me that everybody, C.S.A. and U.S.A. did what hey had to do within the purview of there orders.

Look forward to the next chapter in the Iuka saga.