Gettysburg Solo Turns 39-46 (Pickett's Charge)

Historically there was very little activity during the morning of July 3rd so the game begins again at 1.00pm (turn 39).

Lee has ordered every available artillery battery forward to commence a bombardment of the enemy line on Cemetery Hill. To reflect the historical shortage of ammunition the Confederates will not be able to resupply their guns giving each battery just six rounds of firing.

Some Union counter-battery fire has landed a couple of lucky hits reducing the SPs of two of the Rebel batteries and blowing up some of their precious ammunition.

At 2.30pm Lee issued an order to Pickett to begin the attack however another failed activation die roll meant that this did not commence until 3.00pm. Pickett supported by Heth begins the long approach to Cemetery Hill over ground raked by the Union artillery.

The Confederate artillery fire has started to take effect on Hancock's men and he orders the supporting brigades forward to relieve the first rank of defenders.

Pickett's men are almost at the Emmitsburg Road...

Cemetery Hill is bristling with Federal bayonets!

By now the Union gun-line is running short of ammunition so Meade orders every battery he can find forward in support of Hancock.

The Rebs are in rifle range now and both sides engage in a dealdy firefight.

The Union line is under extreme pressure and Willard's brigade (left foreground) have become shaken. The guns here are down to their last round.

Pickett leads Armistead forward and with a Rebel Yell they crash into Willard and send his men running. Pickett exposed himself to personal danger in the process but the dice were with him.

This is a crisis point for the Union - the Rebs are on Cemetery Hill.

To the left of Armistead, Garnett has been forced back and replaced by Pettigrew (Heth's division). These are the same men who fought so hard at the Seminary on day one and are now reduced to just 1SP. 

A P Hill's men have now come up in support on Pickett's right at the Codori House and are hotly engaged with Sedgwick's relatively fresh VI corps.

Here at least the Federals are having some success and A P Hill is held at bay.

But to their left both Hall and Ruger have been routed to join what is rapidly turning into a Union stampede. The Confederates are swarming over Cemetery Hill.

Armistead now takes out a second brigade (that of Webb) despite being down to just 1SP.

The Union position by the Cemetery is falling apart.

Armistead moves on the flank of a third Union brigade!

Lee rides forward waving his hat - there are seven Confederate brigades on Cemetery Hill and the Union troops are in full retreat.

The situation on Cemetery Hill at the end of play - turn 46.

I had said that to win decisively the Confederates had to occupy Little Round Top, Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill but I did also have a secondary VP objective. Each army had a demoralisation level (the number of simultaneously broken infantry brigades at which the whole army would break) of 9 for the Union and 7 for the Confederates. The DEM level for the Union was reached at the same moment that the Rebels swarmed over Cemetery Hill and it seemed only right to award them the victory! 

Whether this victory would actually end the war is another matter as the Confederate army is pretty much spent whereas the Union V and VI corps still have some fighting strength left. However, I have to say, much to my surprise, Lee has carried the day.

Conclusion

This certainly has been an epic game and I doubt very much that I would ever try a solo game this big again. It has been fun though and the rules certainly provided plenty of thrills and spills. It did take me a while to get the rules flowing smoothly as I had forgotten a couple of key points, one quite crucial that probably gave the Union a worse time of things on day one than they should have had.

That's it, I hope you enjoyed it - now to pack everything away!

Gettysburg Solo Turns 30-38 (the fight for Little Round Top)

 

Sickles rout turns into a stampede with the whole corps skedaddling. Fortunately Vincent's brigade of V corps arrives at Little Round Top in the nick of time!

For the moment nothing will stop Sickles' boys but once they are out of Rebel artillery range they will start to rally. The rules allow for a unit out of an active enemy ZOC (zone of control) to automatically rally by one morale step each turn.

Following a successful activation die roll Sykes puts his V corps in motion towards the Round Tops.

And VI corps have now arrived to bolster the defences on Cemetery Hill. There are a lot of Union troops in a very small area and despite the collapse on the left Meade is growing more confident that he can hold.

A crucial moment - Laws brigade have swept Vincent from the crest of Little Round Top but in the foreground Anderson's Confederate brigade have been repelled by Ward's veterans. The Rebs rolled a one on the assault table which causes an attacking non-veteran brigade to rout.

Meanwhile across the valley Pickett's division is deploying behind the Chambersburg Pike.

Lee has ordered A P Hill to advance and demonstrate against Cemetery Hill but once again a string of failed activation die rolls means that only Anderson makes a belated move forward. In the end a frustrated Lee rescinds the order as the troops are coming under artillery fire to no purpose.

Sykes forms a solid defensive line as Longstreet pushes forward in the gap between Little Round Top and Cemetery Hill.

Although now at reduced strength, Ward's Union brigade clings stubbornly to the saddle of the Round Tops. Both attacking Confederate brigades are shaken and cannot launch an assault.

McLaws' men push forward towards the V corps line. Longstreet tries to call them off but once again their is a failed activation die roll that leaves the Confederates under a heavy fire - both lead brigades are now at reduced strength and near breaking point.

But at last Ward's men have finally broken leaving Little Round Top in Confederate hands!

Part of VI corps deploy on the end of Cemetery Hill in a position where they can direct flanking fire on McLaws.

It's too much for the Rebels to bear and both Semmes and Barksdale's brigades are broken and removed from play.

Longstreet is up with Hood trying now to organise a defence before the inevitable Union counter-attack.

And when it comes it's Vincent's brigade that drive the Rebels back - a variation on their role in the real battle but still playing an important part!

As the Confederate position starts to collapse Hood receives a mortal wound.

The men of V corps surge forward as far as the Trostle House.

While the Rebs retreat back across Plum Run. They have given everything they had but in the end just didn't have the numbers to succeed!

The situation at the Round Tops at the end of Day 2 - turn 37

Turn 38 was another night turn and the remaining brigades were redeployed ready for the morning as below.

The view across the table from the Round Tops towards the Seminary.

The view from Lee's HQ looking towards Cemetery Hill.

Once again I allowed for some limited strength point recovery and this time the Confederates did reasonably well, especially Heth's division.

Tomorrow is Pickett's charge!

Gettysburg Solo Turns 19-29

Day 2 (July 2, 1863) begins with the 10.00am turn (Turn 19). Lee has ordered Ewell to renew the attack on Culp's Hill whilst he waits for Longstreet's Corps to get into position opposite the round tops. Ewell orders his only fresh division (Johnson) to make the attack supported by Early.

Johnson has 'assault' orders but with only two brigades and one supporting battery he is outnumbered by the Union XII corps defenders.

However, Walker's veterans do managed to break Greene's brigade who go running down the back of Culp's Hill.

But Slocum orders McDougall to fill the gap whilst the remnants of Reynolds corps stand ready behind them by the cemetery gates!.

Uncharacteristically, Early's men fail to advance in support of Johnson by failing three command die rolls in a row. They only manage to give support from a single battery deployed across the Tanneytown Road. 

Walker's brigade is broken and the Rebel attack fizzles out.

Slocum's men did get a bit shaky during the action and the general had to risk himself personally on two occasions to stop potential routs. Luckily he escaped without a scratch.

To add insult to injury (to the Confederates) Gordon's brigade was routed by Union artillery bombardment and went streaming back through Gettysburg.

Culp's Hill remains safely in Federal hands.

Ewell's corps is now a spent force and not capable of making a further attack without reinforcement.

The time is now 2.00pm (Turn 27) and Lee has ordered two batteries from the central artillery reserve to shift to the right in support of Longstreet's anticipated attack on the Union left.

Longstreet can try to activate his divisions from the start of this turn but rolls a 1 (anything but a 1 would have been fine!). His men wait patiently in their ranks.

Finally, with a Rebel Yell, his men surge forward and knock de Trobriand's brigade clean out of the Peach Orchard.

To the left, Law's brigade advance on the Union line near the Trostle House.

But frustratingly Hood's division fails to activate!

Better news for the Confederates - Pickett's division has arrived on the Chambersburg Turnpike. All the Rebel forces are now on the table.

Meanwhile following a successful activation test (allowed once Longstreet had attacked) Sykes (V corps) has despatched Vincent to occupy Little Round Top.

3.00pm and Hood has got his boys in motion by the Rose House.

Putting Sickles under pressure with three of his four brigades routing!

So the game is still shaping up broadly along historical lines with a failure by the Confederates to take Culp's Hill while Longstreet puts the Union left flank under heavy pressure...