InvUSA1863 Part2 Those Sneaky Russians

Elite Russian Troops line up in San Francisco...lol

The Mayor of San Francisco stood on the quayside clutching a small Russian Flag in his left hand.  The noise of the band playing & the throbbing mass of spectators brought him to his senses.  It had been a month since the British & French had landed troops in the Eastern USA.  Things were not going well for the US.  Lincoln had himself written to him, the visit of the Russian Fleet was now of major importance.  The Russians had not allied with the rest of Europe, it was hoped an alliance could be forged with them.  The Mayor was to ply Admiral Kalashnikov with all possible temptations.   

The Russian ships glided into San Francisco harbour with ease.  Strange, thought the Mayor, they seemed to be coming in at a great speed.  Then again I’m not a sailor, what do I know.  The sound of the US coastal battery boomed out, a five gun salute.  The crowd roared with pleasure, people waved their Russian & US flags.  The lead Russian ship approached the quay, the broadside that belched out brought death & destruction to the massed crowds.  The Mayor stood dumbfounded, that’s not supposed to happen he thought.  His world was turned literally upside down as the explosion knocked him to the ground.  He stood up, his ears ringing with the blast.  Again he stood dumbfounded, he looked down, his right arm was gone, but he still clutched the little Russian flag in his left hand.

People were screaming, running & pushing others all around him.  That’s not supposed to happen he thought.  He looked up, Russian sailors were pouring off the lead ship.  Again he thought the same thing as one of the Sailors charged towards him with bayonet rifle raised, screaming some strange war cry.  The mayor’s life slipped away into blackness as the bayonet took him full in the chest.  His last sight was that of his left hand clutching a little Russian flag...      

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Part two of our epic campaign, the Russians have landed on the West Coast of the USA.  San Francisco has been taken with relative ease.  The Russians now push on, a small US force takes a stand at 'Spanishtown'.  The Russian Advance Guard, 2 Brigades of Infantry & one of Cavalry head straight for Spanishtown.  In support, part of  the Russian Fleet with a Naval Brigade of Infantry.  Against this the US has two Brigades of Infantry with supporting Cavalry and dug in Artillery.  Two more Infantry Brigades will be reinforcements.  Can the US forces hold?  Again we'll be using DBACW rules.  We have added allowances for the Russian troops.  Normally Rifled Infantry would have a combat factor of +3.  For the Russian Infantry for instance, we gave them a fire factor of +2 as they are poor shots, but a melee factor of +4.  We've also 'butched up' the combat factors of Medium Artillery to +4 instead of +3.  I took the US forces while the horrors took it in turns to be the sneaky Russians...

The Battle of Spanishtown

The view from the US lines

Go those Russians....

The US Artillery was dug in

The US Artillery finds it's range early on

US reinforcements race to the front

Poor PiPs for the Russians & the attack is haphazard.

Russian Cossacks plough forward

US Cavalry block their advance

Russian Light Infantry hold the Orchard

The 1st US Western Brigade sends them back

Nice view across the battlefield

The Russian Hordes advance

Cossack versus US Trooper!!!

The Russian Naval Troops land...

Pissed geezers everywhere...

The Russian guns have taken a battering & are 'Badly Shaken' 

The US guns force back the Russian column

Evens in the Cavalry clash.

More Russian troops join the battle...

I send a US Brigade to force the invaders into the sea...

The battle is in full swing.

A cheers goes up, first blood to the US!

The Russians advance, with fire support from the fleet.

PiPs are better & the Russian Columns are moving.

The horrors howl as the Russians take out some US Infantry

The Russian Sailors go for the high ground.

Reinforce the line!

The US Cavalry withdraw & dismount...

AAaarrghh! Those pesky Russian ships find their range....

Russian Steamroller...

Strike two

WayHay! Russian Infantry blasted at close range.

A tough fight!

No! The sneaky Russians are fighting through...

Boom! Russian Horse Artillery!

Forward!! For the TSAR!!

Raaarrgghh!!!!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

I close the US line, in a last ditch bid...

That flank is looking weak....

'Remember San Francisco!' CHAAARRGGEE!!!

Poor, just poor....

The Russian ships are at it again...

Forward!

Rahoo! The US troops strike back.

However the Russian Cavalry are ready to pounce...

Cossacks pounce!!

Down go the Infantry & to make matters worse, so does the Brigadier....

Final overview.

Oh dear, a poor show from yours truly & the US forces.  The horrors are howling, their head on tactics proved fine.  Even though we've played a few, this was our first 'big' game using the DBACW rules.  The attrition rules really played a part, there was lots of recoils & units going into 'shaken' 'badly shaken' status.  In DBACW you can use PiPS to counter this effect.  It worked well, some units had to be retired, like the Russian Artillery early on.