AHC: Decisive American Victory at Germantown

Redhand

Banned
Simply come up with a way for this to happen and than reflect on what its results could mean for the greater scope of the war.
 
I'm working on something with an earlier ARW victory for the US that involves this, I think along with a better showing at Brandywine would be better.

However, one of the keys would be no fog - on a different day the Americans would have a clearer picture of enemy forces. I don't know if you can get a decisive victory, but you can get the type where the British are forced to march through heavily rebel New Jersey and get blasted by farmers hiding behind haystacks, farmhouses, etc..
 

Redhand

Banned
I'm working on something with an earlier ARW victory for the US that involves this, I think along with a better showing at Brandywine would be better.

However, one of the keys would be no fog - on a different day the Americans would have a clearer picture of enemy forces. I don't know if you can get a decisive victory, but you can get the type where the British are forced to march through heavily rebel New Jersey and get blasted by farmers hiding behind haystacks, farmhouses, etc..

No fog might make the attack coordinated but there would be less of a chance of a British rout like what almost unfolded. Avoiding the fortified house and keeping all attack columns from merging unnecessarily might lead to a big American win.
I think if the forward elements of Howe's army were defeated in detail before any reinforcements arrive could lead to a decisive victory as its is likely that the reinforcements would be badly mauled in such a case.

A British retreat through New Jersey would be like you said absolute hell and would be about as awful as trying to go from Boston to Springfield in Patriot New England.
 

Dirk_Pitt

Banned
Hmm... A victory here or at Brandywine would have massive implications.

Howe literally abandoned the Northern campaign in order to take Philadelphia, which led to the Battle of Saratoga. It was a major loss of face for Howe OTL even though he captured Philly. If Howe fails to capture the city then this and Saratoga could be the one-two blow to British morale that could end the war.
 

Redhand

Banned
Hmm... A victory here or at Brandywine would have massive implications.

Howe literally abandoned the Northern campaign in order to take Philadelphia, which led to the Battle of Saratoga. It was a major loss of face for Howe OTL even though he captured Philly. If Howe fails to capture the city then this and Saratoga could be the one-two blow to British morale that could end the war.

Him failing to capture the city might just be the end of his army. Retreating to Head of Elk could be done but there is no way that they couldve stayed there as their supply situation was poor until the Delaware was opened. Moving on Baltimore might have been an option, but if they decide to winter there, New York post-Saratoga would've been vulerable (its fortifications at this point are nowhere near their 1781 levels), and losing New York would probably mean the end of the war.
 
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