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PostPosted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 4:40 am 
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Little further in the book, add one more incident:

Smith's battery of four guns of the III Corps was ordered to place his guns in Devil's Den. It was expected that they might be captured if the infantry retreated since the guns had to be placed by hand. One gun was disabled when hit by a shell and was withdrawn before Hood's men closed in on the area. Smith thought the infantry would be shortly retaking the area so abandoned the three remaining guns. He ordered all equipment for firing the guns be removed but did not have them spiked since he expected the area to be retaken. These were the only guns lost by the III Corps.

So far there seems to be a pattern to the handling of artillery. They don't stick around if there is any danger that their guns might be overrun.

I am beginning to think a better rule for artillery is that if any enemy unit moves adjacent they make a morale check. If they pass they fire at half strength and retreat one hex to the rear if its clear. If it isn't open behind them they limber up and retreat three hexes. If they fail the check roll for a loss of a gun then retreat three hexes disrupted.[:D]

LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:01 am 
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If Ken is serious in his suggestion...I personally think it is a really good and realistic recommendatin...if such can be programmed.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by KWhitehead</i>
<br />Little further in the book, add one more incident:

Smith's battery of four guns of the III Corps was ordered to place his guns in Devil's Den. It was expected that they might be captured if the infantry retreated since the guns had to be placed by hand. One gun was disabled when hit by a shell and was withdrawn before Hood's men closed in on the area. Smith thought the infantry would be shortly retaking the area so abandoned the three remaining guns. He ordered all equipment for firing the guns be removed but did not have them spiked since he expected the area to be retaken. These were the only guns lost by the III Corps.

So far there seems to be a pattern to the handling of artillery. They don't stick around if there is any danger that their guns might be overrun.

I am beginning to think a better rule for artillery is that if any enemy unit moves adjacent they make a morale check. If they pass they fire at half strength and retreat one hex to the rear if its clear. If it isn't open behind them they limber up and retreat three hexes. If they fail the check roll for a loss of a gun then retreat three hexes disrupted.[:D]

LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Major General
Tom Ciampa
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Commanding Officer
1st Cav Division
XIV Corps, AoC
Games: TS/BG: AN, BR, CH, GB, SH - HPS: AT, CTH, GB, OZK, SH, VK


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:16 am 
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I haven't thought out the details of it but the more I read the more I think the Artillery ran like girls with the huns after them whenever infantry got close.

The main indication of this dispite all their commentaries about how they fired cannister until the enemy was at the barrels of their guns is the lack of captured pieces. They suffered about 10% casualties from cannon and rifle fire but always finished without losing a gun except by accident. Most of the ones captured were due to breakdowns preventing the removal of the guns. Considering the time it takes to limber a gun I don't think they stayed until they could see the whites of their eyes.

LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:42 am 
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Not that Ken's suggestion is bad, but we don't want the A/I to micro-manage. IF you arty is in danger, move it yourself.

Lt. Col. Richard Walker
I Corps
Army of the Mississippi
2nd Brigade, 3rd Division
"Defenders of Tennessee"


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:34 am 
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Rich Walker</i>
<br />Not that Ken's suggestion is bad, but we don't want the A/I to micro-manage. IF you arty is in danger, move it yourself.

Lt. Col. Richard Walker
I Corps
Army of the Mississippi
2nd Brigade, 3rd Division
"Defenders of Tennessee"
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

The problems is you can't. There is no way within game terms to tell the difference between a line of infantry 500 yards away being in defensive line or preparing to attack. The artillery typically did not attempt to withdraw until it was threatened which in game terms means almost adjacent infantry (< 200 yards away). The old board games handled this in their defensive fire phase. At that time units that passed a morale check could withdraw. But it is a complex problem for the AI to handle.

LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:36 am 
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Finally got to the end of the book and a summary of how effective at least the artillery was against artillery and defending itself. This is for the whole three days which included losses during the route of the I and XI Corps and their retreat from West and North of Gettysburg back to Cemetery Hill. The overrunning of the III Corps which was supported by a number of artillery battalions from the reserve. And, of course the great bombardment before Pickett's charge.

Both sides lost about 10% of their artillery crews, 737 Federal and 610 Confederate. Hunt reported lossing 881 horses which were probably the main cause of guns being disabled. Federal gunners fired 32,781 rounds of ammunition or 270 round per gun. Which was one third of their ammo. The Confederates fired 22,000 rounds (150 per gun) which was more than half of their ammo.

The more telling statistic is guns lost. The Confederates lost eight guns from damage and none from capture. The Union lost seven guns to the Rebels by capture. Considering the numerous counter battery duels and bombardments that took place and the overrunning of three Corps, the artillery managed to not get itself in harms way very often.

Another set of telling statisics on how the guns used come from two sets of batteries, Wilkeson-Bancroft and Stevens-Whittier.

Wilkeson-Bancroft two batteries defended Blocher's Knoll on the 1st and help cover the retreat through Gettysburg. The rest of the battle it was positioned on Cemetery Hill facing north. It fired the following:

616 Solid Shot (45%)
488 Spherical (43%)
158 Case Shell (11%)
18 Canister (1%)

Stevens-Whittier's batteries got a little more up close to the enemy infantry. They were on Seminary Ridge on the 1st and attacked by Pender's division. The rest of the battle it was on Stevens Knoll between Cemetery and Culp's Hill where it was also engaged by infantry. Its ammo expenditures were:

384 Solid Shot (39%)
380 Spherical (39%)
112 Case Shell (11%)
103 Canister (11%)



LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)


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