TASK FORCE SMITH

TASK FORCE SMITH

Korean War Scenario #1

 (see the scenario at: http://www.mgluteus.blogspot.com/ )

The North Koreans (under command of Dick White, Rick Bryant, Spencer and Ben Clough)could not deploy until they were fired upon, yet the Americans (under the command of Rick Bryant and Cory OConner) opened fire as soon as the first infantry appeared on the table edge! Thus depriving themselves of a “target rich environment”. The NK tanks, except for one which stayed behind in reserve, headed for the RR tracks (I apologize for the masking tape used to represent the tracks – I remembered to bring everything to the game –except for the newly purchased tracks! - Dick Bryant). The NK Infantry expanded across the front of the American positions, replacing devastated companies as per the scenario. One surprise was that the NK did not take advantage of the opportunity to flank the US positions from their right.

See the Page "Map Symbols" for symbol explanations

The NK tanks rode the tracks until they were targeted by the 75mm Recoilless Rifle on the ridge, the shot was a miss and then the RR was destroyed by the lead tank. In desperation a US platoon with bazooka from the left moved ovfer to the right hand ridge and a US squad and squad leader attacked the lead tank “up close and personal” and were narrowly defeated. A long shot bazooka hit by the US failed to destroy its target.

US Right, note the empty dug-in position where the Recoilless Rifle
was located and the masking tape track

All along the ridge the US was taking casualties, while the NK were replacing theirs. However the US was using up initiatives and the NK came under time pressure to destroy the US position. One NK tank left the board down the tracks, bypassing the US position, another attacked the US position on the hill on the US right, apparently enthralled by their defeat of the US squad earlier – this time, however if was the tank that got the worst of it.

US Center

Finally it was 1330 hrs, “real time” was 10PM without enough time for two more US initiatives - the NK had not met victory conditions so it was called a US minor victory!

Considering that the North Koreans had a Division at their disposal, they were not as aggressive as they could have been moving troops up and replacing destroyed units. Thus, in spite of the US giving away the advantage they had by holding fire until the North Koreans were strung out on the road, cost the North Koreans the victory.

THE BATTLE AT JACK'S CROSSING

Jack Breen enjoyed the Cedar Mtn. scenario so much that he wanted to do a sequel. Careful readers will know that Jackson, as opposed  to the historical outcome, was forced to retreat from the battle at Cedar Mtn. This is Jack’s take on a possible sequel.

THE UNION

The recent victory at Cedar Mountain has given General Pope new hopes of victory and dominance in northern Virginia. With Stonewall Jackson and his rebel 2^nd Corps pushed back, he has ordered General Nathanial banks to “finish the job” and drive Jackson’s forces back into the valley.

For the last several days, Union scouts have tracked Jackson north, across a branch of the Rapidan River. Reports, however, suggest that he has slowed his retreat and he has halted his march at Jack’s Crossing, a small village that provides easement west through the mountains, or eastward toward the Manassas rail junction. There is rumor that the rebels have begun a telegraph line linking these vital regions.

Banks knows he can defeat Jackson. He has had him retreating for over a week now. It  is believed that Jackson is re-supplying his troops and preparing for battle.

General Pope has ordered the destruction of Jackson’s forces and the holding of Jack’s Crossing. General Banks senses that he has the momentum and that morale among his army and commanders is excellent. He is ready to attack!

Union Order of Battle
Banks Corps CO (E)
1st Div. Williams (E)		2nd Div. Greene		Cav. Bayard (E) 6/4/3
Crawford (E) 9/7/5		Sclaudeker  8/5/3		Beardley             6/4/3
Gordon (E)     8/6/4		Candy (E)    7/4/3		2 Horse Batteries
3 Batteries		Tait              6/4/3		(arrives turn 2)
		3 Batteries
THE REBELS
Confederate Order of Battle
Stonewall Jackson Corps (E)
Ewell’s Div.		A.P.Hill Div (E)		Cav. Stuart (E)*
Early (E)  7/5/3		Branch      5/3/2		Roberton (E)   6/3/2
Lawton     6/4/3		Gregg (E)  5/3/2		2 Horse Batteies
Hays         5/3/2		Taliferro    5/3/2
Trimble     5/3/2
4 Batteries
*Stuart's Cavalry and guns arrive when Stuart spots US Cavalry

Victory conditions

Hold Jack’s Crossing +5VP; additional VP as per F&F rules

Special Conditions

 Some special conditions, or rules.

1. Behind the Rebel line in the fields before Jack’s Crossing was a lot of cut down timber. The rebs could use that to build hasty works if within 2” and not moving or firing for one turn. The defense modifier of the works was 2.
2. Bridge Crossing: The Bridge can be crossed in attack or march column(only 1 Bde at a time). If there are no enemy troops within 2 “ of the bridge the column may re-deploy into any form of line. If the bridge is defended by enemy within 2” the attacking column will receive enfilade fire and will count as outflanked and unsupported.. If it wins the ensuing melee by >1, it forms a line and refuses the flanks touching the river bank.
3. Union artillery on the top contour has a +2 on fire and can see over all obstacles.
4. The Confederates received what was essentially a free move. Before the Union made its first move.

EDITOR’S NOTE: in my opinion, the Rebel hasty works should get no more than a 1 defense factor. The river crossing rule is unnecessary and overly complicated. There is ample maneuver in the regular rules for an attack column to attack across a bridge if properly supported. Finally, I can accept the union guns seeing over all obstacles from the top contour, but as their fire would be “plunging” fire rather than the “grazing” fire that all artillerists of the period were trying to achieve should receive a -1 to their firing dice. #4 compensated for the Union starting off in road column within easy march of the Rebel left. Without this the Rebs would be outflanked on the first turn! We could have avoided this by starting the sides further apart.

THE GAME

The map shows the starting positions. Being unable to reach a forward defensive position before the Union column outflanked them the Rebels under Ewell (Ben Clough and Dick Bryant ) drew back toward the Northern Hill and deployed their 4 Batteries on the road south of the village. The Union columns under Williams (Spencer Clough)marched over the bridge as per special rule 2 and sent a Bde into the rocky area to the Union right of the bridge.

Union troops under Spencer Clough move toward the bridge. Note the infamous 3 contour hill on the right.

 3 artillery pieces started climbing the high hill on the union left. Greene (Dick Messier advanced over the clear ground to their right and crossed the two fords.

The Union moves across the bridge and deploys

The cavalry brought up the rea. The Union Bde on the far right advanced by itself into the Rebel defense and was essentially decimated.

Ewell's Division (Ben Clough & Dick Bryant) Dig in behind hasty fortifications

The Rebel artillery did some execution but the Union arty on the 3 contour hill with its +2 soon silenced 2 batteries and destroyed another. By now Stuart had moved up and seeing the Union cav, called up Robertson. Robertson’s artillery advanced across the fields to support Ewell’s batteries but met the same fate.The rebs managed to destroy one Union gun for the loss of 3 of their own.

By now, it was getting late, the Rebels had pulled into their breastworks and except for guns the  Union had had the most casualties. The score was as follows:

                                                      Rebs                                       Union

Hold Jack’s Crossing                      5VP                                           _

1 Union Spent Bde.                        2 VP                                          _

Destroyed Guns                              1 VP                                        3VP

TOTAL                                          8VP                                         3VP

A clear Rebel Victory! Will Jackson meet banks again in the near future? Only time and Jack Breen will tell.

MAKING ROADS

This week as many members were away, Dick Messier and I met to build roads. We use the technique discussed by Nikolas Lloyd http://www.lloydianaspects.co.uk/models/scenery/roads.html. However we use  brown Naugahide (available in many fabric shops) - another Nauga died for the wargaming hobby!

We used 1.5" roads and made about 210" of road plus some radius turns of varying degree, Cross and "T" junctions.



View of ACW game shows what the roads look like when finished.

 We also took photos of all our mountains so as to scale them for use on battle maps. I take a photo of a hill with 2 12" rulers as in the photo. Using Photoshop I then trim the photo so that the  picture is to scale:

Finally, using the "crop" tool, I scale it to 1" as my maps are scaled to 1in. =1 ft. In Quark Express ( a desktop publishing program - There are a lot of desktop  publishing and drawing programs that allow one to draw over photograps and they vould od the same thing.) I draw the contour line which is now to scaled for my maps.



I then color the outline and color the outline in its final color.

Finally I remove the photo and add a number to ID the hill from those in our collection

Every hill we use is so deliniated so that I can "drag" the hill onto a map. Thus a map can be created and we know what exact hill fits in place without having to make up odd size hills. You can see this use in all the scenearios described in this blog.  If you find other publishing programs of drawing progams that will allow this type of manipulation, please let me know and I will list them here.