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by E.R. Bickford

Production:Lise’ Patterson & Chris Dickson

© 2013 Decision Games

Bakersfi eld, CA.

Pedregal: Santa Anna at Bay

Torrejon’s Cavalry, with the Army of the North in defensive positions to his immediate north. The rest of the Army of the East is deployed in the village of Coyoacan, and Santa Anna’s HQ is in San Angel, with the Army of the South.

The US player must eliminate all of the Mexican Army for victory. The Mexican player will try to prevent this and to keep the US south of the Rio Churubusco. Ideally, the Mexican player would like to capture Gen. Scott’s supply source at San Augustin.

The center of the map is domi-nated by the Pedregal and the volcano Zacatepec. The volcano is impassable and the lava beds are impassable to the Mexican forces. The US player can traverse the beds with diffi culty. Additionally, Gen. Scott has three engi-neer leaders: Mason, Lee (Capt. Robert

AAR of Pedregal: Santa Anna at Bay

It is 19 August 1847. Gen. Winfi eld Scott has the US Army positioned to the south of the lava bed known as the Pedregal. His plan is to break through the Mexican Army’s position to the capital. Scott has a supply source based in San Augustin where he has the 3rd Division and the Volunteers bivouacked. Meanwhile the 1st Division, led by Gen. Worth, is maneuvering along the Acapulco Road around the eastern side of the Pedregal. This advance is into Bravo’s Army of the Centre, which is in an improved position.

Meanwhile, Gen. Twiggs has the 2nd Division marching west along the trail between San Augustin and Padierna. Waiting there is Gen.

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Pedregal: Santa Anna at Bay

E. Lee) and Beau (P.G.T. Beauregard). With the aid of these engineers the US Army increase the likelihood of successful maneuver through the lava beds. They are also useful in charg-ing protected hexes and improving the efficiency of trail movement.

Turn 1: 19 August 1847, 12:00 noon

The US player has the initiative and is the first player. Gen. Worth marches with the US 1st Division into contact with the Mexican Army of the Centre. Col. Garland’s Brigade has the left and Clarke’s Brigade has the center. The 1st Dragoons is deployed on the right flank. Worth attacks the Mexican forces in San Antonio. The Mexican infantry is routed and the village is captured by the US forces.

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On the other side of the battlefield, Gen. Twiggs and the US 2nd Division encounter a Mexican cavalry screen south of Padierna. The US player attacks the enemy and manages to disrupt the Guanajuato Activos.

Gen. Pillow and the US 3rd Division march out of San Augustin along the Acapulco Road. These are out of enemy contact though. Gen. Scott’s opening has managed to dislodge the Army of the Centre at San Antonio.

During the Mexican turn, the player attempts to activate Santa Anna and his headquarters. He needs a die roll of one. This fails. Santa Anna and the Army of the South remain quiet in San Angel. Meanwhile Rangel’s Brigade marches from the village of Coyoacan toward the bastion at San Mateo. Due to its low movement rate, it doesn’t quite get there.

Turn 2: 19 August 1847, 1:30 PM

Back at San Antonio, Garland’s Brigade leads an attack against the Mexican position. The Mexican infantry bat-talion is eliminated. Another battle erupts at Padierna. The Mexican 2nd

Cavalry is defending in the village against Gen. Twiggs’ Division. Another of Santa Anna’s cavalry is eliminated.

Gen. Bravos attempts a counterattack at the position near San Antonio. This fails and the US 1st Division breaks through. Meanwhile, the Mexican forces occupy the bastion at San Mateo. Then the Morelia and San Blas’s troops head toward the village of Churubusco. A defensive position needs to be built up on the eastern flank. The village and bastion will have to be strong points.

Turn 3: 19 August 1847, 3:00 PM

Gen. Worth has the 1st Division launch an attack against Gen. Anaya’s 6th

Brigade. The Mexican forces become disrupted and are forced to retreat near the edge of the marshes. Beau works on bringing a unit through the lava on the western side of the field. This outflanks the Mexican position at Padierna.

The Mexicans try to regroup. Gen. Bravo’s position is paralyzed near San Antonio. His troops are unable to flee from contact with Worth’s Division. (The Mexican troops have compara-tively low movement allowances.)

Turn 4: 19 August 1847, 4:30 PM

The US player wants to capture San Antonio. Col. Garland’s Brigade resumes its attack against the Army of

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Pedregal: Santa Anna at Bay

the Centre’s artillery battery, which is limbered and finally retreated. Clarke’s Brigade assaults Bravo’s Independents and these suffer some casualties, but remain stalwart in their defense along the marshes. Pillow’s Division runs through San Antonio and straight into Bravo’s center, which is defended by the National Guards. This formation routs under fire. On the other side of the field, the engineers work a path through the lava to circumvent the ravine.

The Mexican player needs to relieve the beleaguered units in the face of Pillow’s attack so Gen. Perez’s Brigade advances on the US 1st and 3rd Infantry Divisions. The attack of the 4th Light and 11th Line allows the artillery bat-tery to escape and the hole in the center is plugged by the 1st and 2nd Light. On the other side, the Celaya Battery fires on the US troops which have

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crossed the ravine. This is ineffective and Smith’s Brigade is unharmed.

Turn 5: 19 August 1847, 6:00 PM

Just north of San Antonio, the US Army resumes its attack on Gen. Lombardini and the Army of the East. Worth’s 1st

Division is split holding both flanks while Pillow’s Division has the center.

The 4th Light and 11th Line Infantry units are pushed back by Garland’s Brigade with artillery support. Then in the center, Caldwalader’s Brigade and Magruder’s Battery strike, and the 1st and 3rd Light Infantry are routed.

Near Padierna, the US forces led by Gen. Twiggs have bogged down. Nonetheless, the Mexican 7th Cavalry is forced to retreat under fire from Smith’s Brigade. Gen. Shields leads the Volunteer Division from San Augustin toward the fighting along the ravine.

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Pedregal: Santa Anna at Bay

The Mexican player decides to launch a counterattack against Smith’s Brigade which has a foothold on the hills near Padierna. Gen. Valencia coordinates the attack and as a result, the US troops fall back in retreat. (To do this, they passed a morale check.) Then Santa Anna sends part of Gen. Canalizo’s Cavalry Brigade to the east of Coyoacan, to prepare for a charge against Worth’s advance infantry.

Turn 6: 19 August 1847, 7:30 PM

It is now twilight. This has several effects that will slow down the attack. First, the line of sight is reduced to one hex. This makes artillery less useful and hidden movement more effective. Also the morale checks are more difficult to pass.

Undeterred by the descending dark-ness, US Generals Worth and Pillow

decide to press their attacks. These go well and the Mexican units are routed. The Victoria and Hidalgo battalions retreat towards the Rio Churubusco, as does the Independent battalion.

In the fighting across the ravine near Padierna, Smith and Riley’s Brigades force the 3rd and 8th Cavalry to retreat. In the meantime, Gen. Shields and the Volunteer division advances toward Padierna along the trail.

The Mexican forces focus on recovery and removing their disruptions, rather than launching any preemp-tive attacks or counterattacks. The position near the bastion at Ansaldo is holding up better than the area on the opposite side, near the Churubusco.

Turn 7: Night of 19-20 August 1847

Both sides focus primarily on repositioning. This is the time for the Mexican troops to escape enemy ZOC. There is no fighting.

Turn 8: 20 August 1847, 6:00 AM

Turn eight is a twilight turn as it occurs during the dawn hours. On the western side of the battlefield, Gen. Shields orders the Volunteers to attack the Activos. The Mexican Brigade falls back and the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment advances along the trail. Unfortunately, Gen. Shields is killed in the fighting.

Over near Ansaldo, Pillow and Worth resume their attacks on the position of the Army of the East. The Mexican Independent Brigade is defending along the Acapulco Road. It is hit

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full strength by Pillow’s 3rd Division and routs across the Churubusco River. Worth also attacks and Col. Clarke’s Brigade drives the 4th Light backwards. Meanwhile, Garland’s Brigade and the 3rd Dragoons hold Canalizo’s cavalry at bay.

During the Mexican player’s turn, the 4th Light and 11th Line launch a coun-terattack against the US 1st Division. This is repulsed and the Mexican units fall back in retreat. The Canalizo Cavalry Brigade also flees to the rear.

On the western side of the map, the Activos also attempt a counterattack against the 2nd Pennsylvania. The US infantry regiment is on the trail in light woods to the east of the Mexican bastion. This attack is also repulsed and the Mexican unit falls back to safety in a retreat, relatively unharmed.

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Pedregal: Santa Anna at Bay

Turn 9: 20 August 1847, 7:30 AM

The US player attacks the Mexican units in the protected position on the easternmost crossing of the Churubusco River. Pierce and Cadwalader’s Brigades strike and this leaves the Mexican 1st and 3rd

Light Infantry disrupted. Pillow’s Division also attacks near the ford in the center of the river. This forces the enemy to retreat.

On the western side, the Volunteers secure more of the trail while the 2nd Division attacks the protected position along the hill. This is only marginally successful. Nonetheless, the Mexican Center Artillery Battery becomes disrupted and is isolated.

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The Mexican player scrambles to reassemble a defensive position. The Army of the North has managed to put together a defensive line along the position from San Geronimo to the bastion at Ansaldo. It looks impres-sive. We will see how it holds up.

Turn 10: 20 August 1847, 9:00 AM

Gen. Pillow orders both Pierce’s and Cadwalader’s Brigades to attack the 1st

and 3rd Light Infantry again. This time, these units are routed and Pierce’s Brigade captures the eastern ford. Gen. Worth’s Division attacks the 4th Light and the 11th Line along the river banks. The Mexican units suffer casualties but maintain their position. On the western

side, the Center Artillery Battery is routed after a sustained attack by the Volunteers. Still, the Mexican Army of the North has proven formidable.

Turn 11: 20 August 1847, 1030 AM

The US forces continue to punish Santa Anna’s Army. Worth’s Division focuses another attack on the 4th Light and the 11th Line. This formation is already reduced from prior combat. This time it is completely eliminated. Then, in the protected area near the Acapulco Road, Pillow’s Division assaults the Victoria and Hidalgo Brigades. This unit has its back to the river and it is eliminated.

On the western map, Smith and Riley’s Brigades attack the 10th Line, which continues to defend the hills near Ansaldo. The Mexican troops are hit and end up routing toward their line of communication. Next, the Volunteers attack the Activos which suffers disruption as a result.

The Mexican forces dig-in to their positions. Gen. Valencia’s Army of the North is making it difficult for the Volunteers and Twigg’s Division in the west. Lombardi’s Army of the East, on the other hand, is falling apart. Santa Anna is trying to salvage his line of communication with the cavalry.

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Pedregal: Santa Anna at Bay

cavalry back. Col. Riley captures the village of San Geronimo.

Turn 14: 20 August 1847, 3:00 PM

Both Riley and Smith are outflank-ing the enemy position near San Geronimo. The Mexican infantry are successful in fighting a delaying action and continue to retreat toward Santa Anna’s headquarters. The garrison in the bastion at Ansaldo is holding out successfully against repeated attacks.

Turn 15: 20 August 1847, 4:30 PM

The fighting continues in the same locations. Along the Churubusco, the Mexican Army fights a successful delaying action. The casualties are negligible and the US Army is spread thin. It is getting late in the day.

Turn 12: 20 August 1847, 12:00 noon

Gen. Worth attacks Martinez’ Brigade on the center ford near the village of Coyoacan. The Mexican troops scurry across the creek. Another attack near the bastion causes Morelia and San Blas formations to rout. The Volunteers inflict several casualties against the Army of the North and Twigg’s Division advances on the far left flank. The clock is ticking though. Although the Mexicans are falling apart, the US forces are tiring. The Mexican player works on his defensive position. There are no counterattacks.

Turn 13: 20 August 1847, 1:30 PM

Gen. Pillow has a battalion guarding the eastern bridge now. Meanwhile he orders an attack against the bastion at San Mateo. The garrison holds out against the infantry assault. Toward the center, the engineers under Capt. Mason, manage a crossing of the Churubusco. The San Patricio Battery is caught out of position and is destroyed.

Gen. Lombardi attempts a coun-terattack against the forces which have crossed the Churubusco. This is repulsed and the Mexican forces fall back onto their LOC (Lines of Communication). In the west, the Volunteers manage to penetrate the Army of the East’s position along the path. Then Riley’s Brigade strikes the 10th Line and drives the

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Turn 16: 20 August 1847, 6:00 PM

This is the last turn. The US manages to extract one more casualty from the Mexican Army. For the most part, Santa Anna is getting fortunate with the combat results and is fighting a delaying action onto his LOC. The US has won the battle tactically, but not strategically.

Summary

Since the US player has not eliminated all of the Mexican forces from the map he doesn’t win the automatic victory. Several of Worth’s infantry units are across the Rio Churubusco, which precludes a Mexican Victory. This places the whole affair into the realm of a drawn battle. The US player has collected 9 VP in enemy casualties and the Mexican player has 3 VP. The US

player has the edge, but to win a drawn battle requires at least 10 VP total, so he is one short for this. Scott was as close to winning as possible without actually succeeding. Both sides lose I guess.