Battle of Plum Bend

After several months away from the front, our tame reporter reported for duty on the Mississippi river in May 1862. It had been suggested that I dust off my ACW naval collection and run a game of Peter Pig’s “Hammerin’ Iron”. Rather than use the Peter Pig game set-up system, I opted to write my own scenario and found an interesting historical setting of the battle of Plum Bend. The Federal Western Flotilla was pushing up the Mississippi as part of the so-called “Anaconda Strategy”, facing both shore forts and the Confederate River Defense Fleet (note American spelling of defence!). Early morning of May 10th saw the Federal flotilla in position to trying and bombard Fort Pillow into submission. Mortar rafts were in position together with the ironclad USS Cairo as guard-ship,

with the three other Federal ships at anchor upriver. The Confederate flotilla attacked out of the early morning mist. It was a fairly asymmetric game, with the Federals having more heavily armed and armoured ironclads, and the Confederates tin-clad rams but the benefit of surprise. The main problem for the Confederates was that their strategy relied on Chris and Tony’s close co-ordination. They were doomed from the outset.

The game initially proved pretty even. The Rebels managed to sink the USS Cairo through a combination of shore battery fire and a well-judged ram attack, and then Tony ran through the defenceless mortar rafts. The Union managed to sink the weakest Rebel vessel the General Sumter, and also immobilise Chris’ flagship the CSS General Bragg which continued to drift downriver gamely firing away whilst sinking lower and lower in the water.

However, by the end of the game Tony’s CSS General Sterling Price was high-tailing it back up-river leaving the burning CSS Little Rebel to face three large, powerful Union Ironclads.

Tony of course claimed victory for his massacre of the Union mortar rafts, but as with much of the Union juggernaut there were many more rafts to replace them, whilst the Rebels had effectively lost two precious ships and another was highly likely to succumb to overwhelming force.

I hope everyone enjoyed it. As we were re-learning the rules no doubt mistakes were made, and I’m still not sure about the “direction of ram” situation. Phil suggested a “house-rule” which I might adopt. Next up I need to add some sandbars plus I have found some unpainted packs of torpedo boats and strings of mines which will add some more tactical complexity to the game. I also see that Mr Pig has added some more ships to his collection. Could be expensive!

Simon