Rainbow Brigade, Ep. 5, Maryland my Maryland

[The Exorcist]

3. Richter: set up artillery on top of Nicodemus hill, SE of Gardner iot bring out fire on enemy infantry marching sough towards Jackson (Vulcan)

The normally obedient and taciturn Richter has something to say about that;

"I have to protest, strongly.
My guns do not have the range or accuracy that Gardener's guns do, and giving us a parallel mission from the same ground is not going to work very well either., not with a dozen guns firing from the same patch of ground.
I want your permission to go on in with the infantry. If Vulcan is the place of importance, let us go there. That is the kind of fight this unit was designed for."

[TacCovert4]

OOC: We need a bit of a description of the road. Elevated? Sunken? How wide?

Good catch, wondering if someone was going to mention it. It's a sunken road, deep enough that the body of a wagon is mostly in cover while the cloth top is exposed.

[T. A. Gardner]

I would suggest that Major Richter's battery be moved up with the center of our line and into that sunken road, so long as his cannon are still able to fire canister at short range. Otherwise, given he has howitzers, he can fire from cover and better support the advance as his guns only have maybe 1,000 yards range at most and maybe half that with reasonable accuracy. My rifles can easily fire to double that distance with some degree of accuracy so it makes sense to have them emplaced on an elevation with long fields of fire.

I would think the sunken road would be a near perfect line for us to establish our initial position and them let the Yankees batter themselves to destruction trying to take it. It also represents a serious obstacle for our cavalry to cross when engaging the enemy directly. Doing that in other circumstances might be acceptable, but I doubt it is something they should try when riding down on the enemy.

My suggestion would be:

[Cheetah772]

Holden will take the Badgers to a position south of Major Bird's position, protecting the Rainbow's right flank. They will march to the sunken road, using the bank on east side as cover from small firearms and artillery attacks. Better check that small house that's directly in front of the Badgers' line.

[TacCovert4]

Update warning....my intention was to update no later that Tuesday, but since virtually all players have given orders that would get us into the next orders phase, I plan to update before I go to bed.

I'll be out of state starting tomorrow afternoon for Lady Tac's father's funeral, not expecting to get back before sometime on Monday Night or Tuesday. So while I'll have my phone and maybe can answer some questions, I won't be updating or giving any long explanations until I return.

[Pruitt]

I would suggest that Major Richter's battery be moved up with the center of our line and into that sunken road, so long as his cannon are still able to fire canister at short range. Otherwise, given he has howitzers, he can fire from cover and better support the advance as his guns only have maybe 1,000 yards range at most and maybe half that with reasonable accuracy. My rifles can easily fire to double that distance with some degree of accuracy so it makes sense to have them emplaced on an elevation with long fields of fire.

I would think the sunken road would be a near perfect line for us to establish our initial position and them let the Yankees batter themselves to destruction trying to take it. It also represents a serious obstacle for our cavalry to cross when engaging the enemy directly. Doing that in other circumstances might be acceptable, but I doubt it is something they should try when riding down on the enemy.

My suggestion would be:

If we use this plan I suggest the Tarheel Legion gets posted behind Finch's unit. From there they can hit anyone trying to come down that hill and outflank him. We can then go wherever we are needed.

Major Pruitt, Tarheel Legion Cavalry

[TacCovert4]

September 17th, 0530hrs

(OOC: Rainbow is on the defensive, which means that to some degree the Yankees will determine pace......unless you do something to change that)

General Sennef lays out his initial plan, and some companies and battalions move out immediately for their positions. Others consult their Brigade Commander and offer suggestions as to better placement for their troops, a quality which few other brigades possess. From atop Nicodemus Hill, Major Gardner peers out into the morning twilight, specifically glassing the hill to his North, and spotting what he believes to be some movement, maybe an artillery battery?

(OOC: This also gets all Rainbow units on map....far easier for all of us to understand both the scale and where things are when the units are on-map.)

MAP

(OOC: Next Update planned for Tuesday....length will be determined by what Rainbow does....or will it be determined by what the Yankees do?)

[Colonel Sennef]

Importance of Recce and Mission driven Command

General Sennef realises once again the importance of reconnaissance which presented Rainbow with new information on the nature of the road. As it seems to provide Rainbow with a pre-fab trench running from north to south over Rainbow’s part of the battlefield, General Sennef makes a few adjustments to his battle plan, helped by his much appreciated suggestions from Rainbow's subordinate commanders, see map.

“
SICKLE elements remain the same but will position as follows:
The small hill north-west, just east of the Potomac River will be occupied by Pruitt acting as dragoons.
South of Pruitt, hidden in and protected by the sunken road, will be from north to south:
Bates company
Leroy’s Tiger Rifles

VULCAN elements:
Finch’s stays as planned in the grove and the farm, digging in.
south of Finch, respectively,
Richter’s battery, well protected in the sunken road.
Bird in the sunken road
Holden in the sunken road
with Gardner remaining on Nicodemus Hill

Sennef’s Saddle Blazers and Freeman Orleans Blues making up the Swing Units / Reserve.
Freeman moving SW of Finch to be shielded from observation.
“

[Senorankka]

With the new orders from General Sennef arriving, Colonel Bates scratched his head and sighed in defeat. Yet again he couldn't get a chance to skirmish with the enemy. Realising the tactical advantages the road provides them, he knew the value in these orders. Straightening his back Colonel Bates lead his men to the new position.

Arriving to the road, he made sure that the Irregulars start immediately digging in into the side of the road and preparing the positions. He send few NCOs to report his exact location to Pruitt and Leroy just in case. Carbines were prepared, pistols and dirks taken out. Bates Irregulars were ready to repulse any attack.

[Capt AFB]

The GJ moved into the sunken room. The extra protection and limits imposed by the width of the road has the battalion form into two ranks instead of three, widening the battalion frontage.

Maj Bird and Cpt Frumm dismount their horses and give the reins to Cpt Dyers. They join their troops on the road.

The Quartermaster Sergeant and his storeman, helped by the three civilian cooks, unload six ammo boxes behind each company in the sunken road. A barrel of water is also dropped behind each company.

Cpt Dyers, with the extra horses, and the GJ wagon then move behind the wooded area to the North of the GJ position.

OOC: Are Richter's guns high enough to shoot over the edge of the sunken guns? Is the width of the road provide enough space for the gun to recoil?

[T. A. Gardner]

The battery on arriving on Nicodemus Hill will deploy in good order and load shot. The crews are told once they've loaded to kneel or sit and remain still, if possible, to reduce our standing out to Yankee observers if there are any. I and my officers survey the ground ahead of our advancing troops for signs of the enemy.

[Capt AFB]

The GJ moved into the sunken room. The extra protection and limits imposed by the width of the road has the battalion form into two ranks instead of three, widening the battalion frontage.

Maj Bird and Cpt Frumm dismount their horses and give the reins to Cpt Dyers. They join their troops on the road.

The Quartermaster Sergeant and his storeman, helped by the three civilian cooks, unload six ammo boxes behind each company in the sunken road. A barrel of water is also dropped behind each company.

Ammo boxes and water barrels are pushes against the East wall of the sunken road to offer some protection against enemy fire, ease of access and as a step to help the GJ over the wall if required.

To refuse any information to any observing enemy, officers and troops take off their green jackets and caps (so not to be identified as Rainbow's Green Jackets) and are directed to sit down inside the sunken road. Some use their coat as a pillow trying to catch some sleep, other used them as a seat to chat or play cards. Talking is kept to a low murmur.

Two sentries, standing on ammo boxes, keep watch of the field to the East. Both wear floppy hats to protect them from the sun, no green caps allowed. One sentry is stationed between A and B companies, and the other one at the left (North) of C Company to confuse any Yanks that may deduce that an enemy is hiding in the sunken road and sentries are placed in the center of their unit, a common practice.

A group of 30 soldiers with a 1st Lt, all in shirtsleeves, no jackets or caps, but keeping their weapons, are sent to Finch and Richter's positions to help build fortifications. with the orders to quickly return at the first sign of Yankee movement against Rainbow's main defensive line (Vulcan.)

Maj Bird, Cpt Frumm, company commanders and the sergeant-major sit together in the sunken road, themselves showing the example and not wearing caps or jacket, go over contingencies that they face during the upcoming battle.

[TacCovert4]

September 17th, 0600hrs.


As Rainbow moved into its positions along the road, and men dug out ramps for Richter's guns to fire, the dawn broke, and the morning mists began to clear. From atop Nicodemus hill, Major Gardner could clearly see a field battery in large part equal to his own, setting up on a slightly lower hill. He could also spy a pair of guns that appeared to be larger, could they be a 20lb Parrott battery? The Yankee gunners appear to be moving about quickly, and officers are glassing the woods and Rainbow's positions. Gardner spies what's likely a battery commander on horseback looking right back at him through binoculars.


Along the line, officers carefully glassed as their men worked to improve their hasty position but keep a low profile. Colonel Bates and Major Pruitt, looking North, saw several mounted units appearing on that front..a screen, or the vanguard of an assault? Major Finch and Major Leroy saw something else, movement in the scattered trees near the base of the northern hill, green-clad men in numbers filtering through the sparse treeline. And further West, Bird saw a battalion size force move off the hill to the front of the artillery...again, is it the vanguard of an assault on the woods or just a battalion protecting its divisional battery?


As it becomes full light, Major Gardner is approached by a captain on horseback. "I was ordered to bring my guns here per General Sennef, and you're the first artillery officer I seen, so I'm here". Major Gardner turns to see three Ordnance rifles with crews finishing their climb over the crest of the hill to his position. It appears that the pieces are in place for the inevitable fight to come. General Sennef sits astride his mount, waiting to see what the opening moves will be before he commits any more of his pieces onto the board.


https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1...it?usp=sharing

[Pruitt]

My Cavalry was supposed to set up on that little hill to the North where the Blue unit is now. I don't have enough men to take on a couple of regiments of Infantry when I am out in the open.

Major Pruitt, Tarheel Legion Cavalry

[TacCovert4]

Unfortunately I was typing this up last night when the site was down, so I was having to do everything by memory. As far as that hill, those mounted units would have appeared the moment you started heading for it from your current position....and I doubted that you were in favor of a direct attack just to gain some very slightly higher ground. Hence you held off.....