Call to Arms

After Action Reports
Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

January 1776

Some of my militia have already started to disband on their own. In the actual war, most militia served a term of enlistment, usually 1 to 2 years. It seems odd that the side fighting for its freedom would do that, while the British soldier was in it for the duration. But that’s the way it was.

To model this, militia in the scenario will disband after their enlistment is up. I built in a variance so the exact date can’t be predicted. It makes for unpleasant surprises. A town that was garrisoned last month is now empty. The entire militia unit just packed up and went home. In fact historically, there were some American attacks that were planned specifically to occur just before a large group of militia disbanded. Talk about gamey moves!
Grab them by the balls. Their hearts and minds will follow.
Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

February 1776

Winters are not as harsh in the southern colonies and I wanted to take advantage of the down time. So I tried to take Savannah by sneak attack but failed. The 1st GA Continental moved down the Savannah river from Augusta and met up with the 1st SC Continental being transported by sea from Charleston. The attack was well executed but not strong enough to dislodge the enemy garrison, and the Carolinans were unable to land. With the British fleet emerging from port next month I doubt they will survive.




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Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

March 1776

Luckily, the British did not send down a task force to blast the Patriots who were stuck in the bay off Savannah. So they hastily put ashore to the south of the city and resumed the attack (which again failed with heavy casualties for the Americans). The loyalists defending the city were tough indeed.

Up in New Jersey the front lines have not changed all winter. Howe continued to hold a tight perimeter around Amboy, while Washington kept the main force of Continentals well out of range of British cannon.

Some action has flared up in the middle colonies. Two regiments of Delaware continentals marched down from Wilmington and attacked the British garrison at Middletown. In Virginia, forces commanded by General Lee left their positions on the coast and attacked Petersburg. Both these attacks met stiff resistance, but were ultimately successful when pressed.



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Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

April 1776

The redcoats in New Jersey started attacking this month, except they went north instead of south. This caught me off guard. They smashed through the militia line between Morristown and Newark. There was nothing left to prevent them from driving all the way to the Hudson. All I could do was apply a little pressure on their left wing and hopefully slow them down enough to give me a chance to fortify the lower Hudson. The map below shows the command structure. Putnam is in charge of all colonial forces in New York. Washington has command of the forces in New Jersey. Washington himself is still in Philadelphia, trying to muster up a few more militia before moving north.

I called up the Massachusetts Militia, which will appear next month. I have been wanting to increase pressure on Boston but the troops on hand are insufficient for anything but holding an outpost. Depending on how events go, I may be calling up the New Hampshire and New York militias as well over the next couple months.

Scenario note: The militia in this scenario are mobilized in 3 different ways. Approximately 1/3 of them mobilize on a specific turn, regardless of game events. Another third mobilize in response to a British invasion of their colony. And the last third are called up by the player via Theater Option. Regardless of how they mobilize, the terms of enlistment previously discussed apply equally to all three types.

We also decided to open up the northern front again. The objectives of Montreal and Quebec were worth at least a recon-in-force to see how strong the British were in this sector.

The one piece of good news this turn is the British abandoned Savannah and the GA Militia quickly occupied it.



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Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

May 1776

Things are deteriorating quickly in New Jersey. The British have blown open my left wing, captured Morristown and Newark, and reached the Hudson. Only a handful of militia now stand between them and New York. I made some counterattacks at Morristown and Princeton. By choosing this route of advance, the British are going to present an ever extending left flank for me to chip away at.

Horatio Gates has taken command of American forces outside of Boston. Aided by the arrival of new militia called up last month, he made an all out assault on the British right wing at Lexington. After 3 bloody rounds of combat he took the ground. Historically, it reminded me of a Bunker Hill in reverse. Clearly, we will not take Boston using such methods.

In Virginia, Lee has taken his small but enthusiastic force and invested Norfolk. Initial attacks were unsuccessful, but we’re hopeful that renewed efforts next month will bear fruit. If the British weren’t willing to fight for Savannah (a Loyalist stronghold), I doubt they’ll expend much effort on Norfolk (a beehive of Patriot activity).

As mentioned in the last update, Arnold has cautiously advanced back into Canada. Our Indian scouts reported that the main British force under Carleton was at Montreal, but there was hardly nothing guarding Quebec - a garrison and a single unidentified foot regiment. We decided on a risky maneuver. The Green Mountain Boys would remain at St. John’s and try to pin Carleton, while the rest of Arnold’s “army” (I use the word loosely. He had but 4 tired militia battalions) would advance up the St. Lawrence, cross it at Trois Rivieres, and attack Quebec from the west.

Note that Arnold’s army was able to move from St. Johns to Quebec in a single turn (1 month). That’s over 800 miles, or around 26 miles per day. Foot regiments of this period were able to move much faster than the infantry units of the 20th century. Their supply tail was shorter (they foraged as they went), they had less to carry, and enemy units didn’t exert the same ZOC effect that they do now. Add to that the accelerating effect of waterways, and you are capable of moves like this one. Arnold reached Quebec, but didn’t have enough MPs left to attack this turn.



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Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

June 1776

The Germans have arrived! Hessian forces landed at Quebec just in time to save the city. They counterattacked and delivered a crushing defeat on the investing Patriot army. Arnold’s HQ was destroyed, and the general himself was rumored to be a POW of the British. At Montreal, the King’s Royal NY loyalist regiment pushed the Green Mountain Boys out of St. John’s. I don’t think the British have enough force to threaten upper New York, but I had better start assembling forces at Albany just in case. In any event, it was clear we were finished in Canada.

In southern New York the British captured Ft. Lee, Ft. Washington, and most of Manhattan. Only the 1st New York Continental regiment is holding out in Harlem. Given these two negative turn of events, we will be calling up the New York militia. The way is also open to Connecticut, but I’m guessing the British won’t want to spread themselves out that much. They already have one long flank in New Jersey. They don’t need another in Connecticut. I also spotted a new HQ with the British regulars driving north. I think that’s going to be Clinton. Howe appears to still be in Newark.

Down in the middle colonies things are looking a little better. Lee has captured Norfolk. The 1st Maryland Continental, acting on its own initiative, routed the small British garrison at Baltimore. Everything south of New Jersey is now solidly under Patriot control, except for North Carolina. That colony is a Tory stronghold and we are going to need more than a few local partisans to push them out.



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Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

July 1776

New York has fallen! Not an encouraging response to our Declaration of Independence this month. The British force was so strong that no attempt was made to counterattack. Instead, we fortified our positions along the lower Hudson and Delaware rivers in case the British moved into Connecticut or Pennsylvania, respectively. Putnam tried to escape to the eastern end of Long Island but he couldn’t disengage from the British 64th Regiment. It’s unusual for a unit to get zapped upon disengagement in this scenario, especially an HQ, but I guess it happens.

Our attacks around Boston, though costly and blunt, have started to wear down the enemy, I think. The British positions south of the city fell rather quickly this month and we were able to launch a probing attack into the city itself.



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Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

August 1776

Things have settled down a little at New York while both sides consolidate their positions. The British are pushing out their left wing slightly in New Jersey, but it appears to be only minor adjustments.

Reinforced by Hessians, they have counterattacked at Boston and drove the Patriots back from the “Boston Neck” on the south side of the city. They don’t have enough to push into the interior, and we don’t have enough to capture Boston, so once again that position settles back into a deadlock.

In the north, with Hessian and Loyalist Canadian forces nipping at our heels, we continued the long retreat back to the south end of Lake Champlaign.
Grab them by the balls. Their hearts and minds will follow.
Cfant
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Cfant »

Does the capute of New York (or Boston) trigger any events? In other words: Why is it important to take a city (other then beeing a supply point)?
Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

The reason the focus is on major cities is that is where the British supply is. It flows across the Atlantic in large numbers but doesn't move far away from the ports. So they have limited choices on where to operate. Eventually, the action will probably move inland.

Historically, the loss of a major city in the war was damaging to a country's prestige, but did not seriously affect it's war capabilities. Britain was not dependent on control of the cities to continue the war. And the Americans were only marginally so. So capturing a major city was meant to discourage the other side and cause them to sue for peace. In games terms, it's mostly about victory points. If the Americans can keep the VP total from falling too low, then France and Spain will eventually join our side. When that happens we will be strong enough to go man-to-man with the British in open field. Until then, the British are going to dominate the coast.
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larryfulkerson
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by larryfulkerson »


I found a really cool animated oversimplified video about the Revolutionary War:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzALIXcY4pg




Interviewer: "What is your greatest weakness?"
Elderly Gentleman: "My honesty."
Interviewer: "Well I hardly think that could be a weakness."
Elderly Gentleman: "I don't give a fuck what you think."
Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

Entertaining.
Grab them by the balls. Their hearts and minds will follow.
Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

September 1776

Shawnee Indians appeared out of the mountains and descended on the Pennsylvanian frontier. They raided and destroyed our foundry at Carlisle, and tore through Lancaster, Reading, and Allentown. Those dastardly British! Washington sent the 1st Lt. Dragoons up to deal with them.

British General Fraser has taken command of the British troops at Boston. The Hessians pushed out to the southeast, towards Cape Cod, but were cutoff and destroyed by some newly recruited RI Militia that responded to the threat to Providence. It was a rare tactical victory for American arms.

And on the northern front the British have finally made a move out of Canada. We are pretty well entrenched at Ticonderoga so unless the British have a lot more up there than we are aware of, we should be able to contain them.

Still not much going on in the southern colonies. However, they have recruited an impressive army: 9 continental army regiments, about the same number of militia, 2 dragoons and some cannon. They are spread out over many hundreds of miles and can do little more than defend their own positions, which is why we haven’t done anything with them yet.



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Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

September 1776

Shawnee Indians are streaming in from the frontier. They raided and destroyed our foundry at Carlisle, and swept through Lancaster, Reading, and Allentown. Those dastardly British! Washington sent the 1st Lt. Dragoons up to deal with them.

British General Fraser has taken command of the British troops at Boston. The Hessians pushed out to the southeast, towards Cape Cod, but were cutoff and destroyed by some newly recruited RI Militia that responded to the threat to Providence.

And on the northern front the British have finally made a move out of Canada. We are pretty well entrenched at Ticonderoga so unless the British have a lot more up there than we are aware of, we should be able to contain them.

Still not much going on in the southern colonies. However, between the Carolinas and Georiga we have recruited an impressive army: 9 continental army regiments, about the same number of militia, 2 dragoons and some cannon. They are spread out over many hundreds of miles and can do little more than defend their own positions, which is why we haven’t done anything with them yet.



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Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

October 1776

General Burgoyne has joined Carleton, and the British recaptured Fort Ticonderoga. I was not expecting this. Not that I didn’t know they had enough strength to do so. I just didn’t think they were interested in pushing that far south. There is nothing to be gained unless they are going for Albany… and they don’t have near the strength for that. Still, we plan to start assembling reserves at Albany. Nathaniel Greene has just been comissioned and will probably be given that command.

The Cherokee Nation has taken up arms against us. Several warparties emerged from the Smokey Mountains and are raiding western North Carolina. We’ve noticed some British dragoons moving up from Wilmington at the same time. I don’t think this is the beginning of a new major British offensive. We’ve been keeping a close eye on the ports and haven’t noticed significant reinforcements for the southern colonies.



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Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

November 1776

Not too much happening this month. Some skirmishes near Boston and Princeton, and chasing down Indian raiders in the Carolinas. It would appear that things are settling down for the approaching winter season.
Grab them by the balls. Their hearts and minds will follow.
Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

December 1776

The second winter of the war has arrived and both sides are hunkered down. Historically, this is when Washington delivered his surprise counterattack at Trenton. Unfortunately, the British are too well deployed for me to repeat that in our game. So the troops will get Christmas off this year.
Grab them by the balls. Their hearts and minds will follow.
Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

January 1777

Situation map for Canada, New England, and the Middle Colonies.



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Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

Virginia and the Southern Colonies.



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Raindem
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RE: Call to Arms

Post by Raindem »

February 1777

Catawba scouts have reported an interesting development. The British have completely pulled out of New Jersey and consolidated their army in New York. One can only speculate what this reveals about their intentions. New York is easily defended for the British. So they have the option of leaving a small garrison force and heading into New England by land, or the middle/southern colonies by sea. In response to this news Washington broke up the Philadelphia defensive position. He sent the New Jersey Continentals back into their home colony to recapture Morristown, Newark, and Amboy. The Maryland Continentals moved south to fortify the coast between Baltimore and Elkton. Washington himself remained in the Philadelphia area with his core army of Pennsylvania Continentals.



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