On the 24th May 1864 Grant gifted Lee the kind of opportunity that rarely happens in a campaign: to wreck the other’s army.
After the bloodletting of May 5-12th, that cost Lee 22000 casualties and Grant 34000,'weakening both armies by 33% and 25% respectively, Grant again disengaged and moved South towards Richmond. Lee had followed and had been reinforced with 7 small Brigades from his capital.
Grant had inadvertentally straddled his large army across the North Anna river.
Lee saw the way to take advantage of his smaller numbers and punish the Federal II Corps, Grant’s best. He could throw 30000 men at the 24000 that were over the V in the river separating Grant’s two halves of his army. Hancock’s 24000 could not be reinforced, because of the V of the river, so he readied his assault.
On the afternoon of the 24th Lee fell violently sick with diarrhoea. He lay helplessly for hours while the opportunity to assault, before the Union commanders realised the sure situation were in.
The reason Lee’s defensive strike could not be undertaken was simple: the attrition of the last 19 days had robbed him of a subordinate able to manage it.
Time and opportunity passed. Grant and Hancock’s isolated Corps were extremely lucky.
We all know the loss of a quarter of Grant’s force would never have changed his resolve to “fight it all out, even if it takes all Summer”, but another battering would have diminished his potential to do so sooner.
How long do your board games usually last?
-
usually 2 or 3 hours :smile: I often play allies and try taking germany within 4 or 5 turns, which has never failed me sofar. Then Japan does a kamikaze on Moscow and loses all his forces in Asia. Then they give up :smile:
-
longest iv’e ever played was about 15 hours but usually they only take 3 to 5
-
I just got A&A Europe…but I have not had a chance to play yet…how long does a AA E game last?
-
I’ve found Europe to only be around 4 or 5 hours. I played one game that may have been close to 8, difficult to remember
-
I played a game of A&AE yesterday that took about 6 hours.
-
sorry…didnt mean to post that twice
-
i played a game of A&AE yesterday that took about 6 hours.
-
The fastest I’ve ever played is 4 hour for A&A, and 3 hour A&AE… Those were both in one day too… The longest is 15 hour (A&A) and then calling it…
-
Ha! i beat a friend of mine recently in 3 turns, 2nd turn took russia 3rd i took britain! :smile:
-
That’s kind of sad. Must have been terribly boring.
-
He was trying a “radical” new strategy. That is what happens….
-
My fastest game was a play-by-Email game. I was Axis and the Russians attacked ukraine with every thing available. When the dust settled I still had 1 Tank and 1 Fighter! Russia also atacked Manchuria with similar results. On germanys turn I took Karalia and the Caucasus with no losses. At the end of Japan’s first turn Russia had 4 units left on the board! He didn’t even take a turn for the US.
-
to short to remeber.
-
i’ve only played about 5-6 times but our games usually last 5 hours. sometimes we’re down to one axis and two allies and we just stop playing. there’s just something about the sound of dice rolling at 3am that makes me want to go to sleep.
-
man i like to try out radical new strategies but they never backfire quite that much.
-
My radical and new strategies always seem to backfire. Of course, thats the second time I use them. They work while they are still “Radical and New”.
-
Once I watched in horror as I played Japan (doing good too), and my friend played Germany….against my advice he moved just about everything out of Germany to make a strong push on Russia…big mistake. He lost Germany but gained it back…but too little, too late. Britains huge cash infusion made them a force not to be reckoned with. I was choked…and threw in the towel after round three.
My friend is well known amongst our group for taking huge risks by leaving the capitals vulnerable. argggghh…oh well…just a game. -
my radical strategies backfire too but I can at least stay in the game for 8 or 10 turns.
-
I took a guy out in two rounds once and had
a game go 79 rounds. It was a slugout!
-
I find ten turns about usual in a three or more player game. Usually less with radical strategies.
Suggested Topics
