Florida theatre, part 1 (December 1842-June 1843)
Florida theatre, part 1 (December 1842-June 1843)
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]As mentioned above, the US invaded (East) Florida from St. Augustine and Pinckney [OTL Jacksonville] with 30k troops (10k regular, 20k militia), and swept the defenders before them, seizing most of the peninsula by the end of January, or so. While the token thrusts at West Florida were held off.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Their supply situation from the US to Pinckney is great – there's a rail line (even if it is cut occasionally by British raiders). Further, the St. John's River and its tributaries give reasonable access to much of the eastern part of the peninsula. However, anywhere off the good water road is difficult to maintain. The initial movement can be supported by sea, and they set up bases all the way down the east coast to Biscayne [OTL's Miami], but once the Royal Navy gets into gear, and reinforcements arrive at the RN base in the Barbados, the various US forts have to be supplied by land, and small coastal craft, which makes them very isolated. Thus, instead of having, say 12 forts with 2.5k troops in each, you have, say 4 outlying forts with about 1k, 4 closer forts with 2k and then some much bigger forts at the heart. Remember, too, that you have large parties of men working on communications (mostly roads) between the various forts, which reduces the number available in each. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The Spanish had, very deliberately, not built up its positions in Florida much at all, as they didn't want to 'provoke' the US. (Remember, they believed that Clay's belligerency would be completely directed toward Britain – as it should have been.) There was some strengthening of fortifications in West Florida (e.g. Mobile and Pensacola), as the US had tried to take those areas in the War of 1812, and there was some fear they'd try again. Actually, Don Carlos was more worried about the British than the US there, but the end result was that West Florida did end up being strong enough to hold off (Pensacola) or defeat (Mobile) the US probes sent there. (And remember, that these were basically probes – if they had taken the cities, fine, if not Clay could say he tried.)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Spain was shocked by the US attack on it. The US would have more than enough on its plate taking on the British Empire, and unnecessarily adding opponents was foolish, so foolish Don Carlos simply didn't believe the first reports. So, Spain wasted some time on diplomacy and trying to check facts before engaging in a major effort. (The fact that it takes a month or so for news to travel each way is an additional problem.)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]So, it's the late January before the situation really sinks in at the Spanish court, and they start seriously preparing for war. On 24 January 1843, Spain takes action: 1) she declares war on the US, 2) the Regent sends messengers as fast as possible to Lisbon with instructions for the ambassador there to sign agreements with Portugal (and, later Britain and the League), 3) the army is ordered to prepare troops for shipment overseas, and 4) a massive recruitment drive for new troops is instituted and 5) instructions are sent to the Caribbean colonies (Puerto Rico, Cuba, Florida) to prepare for war and massively increase recruitment there. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Few army units are immediately ready for shipment overseas, and there hasn't been any groundwork for raising new troops. It takes until mid February (which is actually pretty fast) for the first few Spanish regiments to board ship heading to Cuba. Other regiments are readied for the move, and the quartermaster corps goes into overdrive, trying to figure out how to support what may be a major army across the width of an entire ocean. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Cuba has 8k troops resident[1], and when orders arrive in late February, 3k are packed up and shipped to Florida. That, of course, takes some time, but Pensacola gets 2k extra defenders and Mobile 1k by early March. The US besiegers of Pensacola try to hold out for a while longer, but give up by the end of the month.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Spanish troops.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The first (existing) troops set sail for Cuba in mid February. More are sent across as they can be readied for overseas deployment as as supplies and support can be prepared. It takes time to raise new troops and train them, so it is getting into June before the newly raised troops are trained and ready to ship overseas. By that point, League shipping (British and Portuguese, mostly) is also available to carry larger numbers of soldiers and supplies across the ocean than the Spanish could do on their own.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]By June, Spain has shipped enough troops overseas and raised enough local troops that she can move from the defensive to the offensive. 5K troops from Europe have landed in Florida[2], together with 5k troops from Cuba. Added to the 5k troops raised in West Florida, this force is able to take on the US in East Florida, as they can hit individual spots, and the US has to try to defend the entire peninsula. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Most of the European troops descend on Key Biscayne [3] and set up a force across bay from the US Ft. Biscayne [OTL Miami]. After building a fort there, and accumulating supplies, they attack the US fort on the mainland. That fort, isolated and low on supplies, falls on July 7. Meanwhile, troops move out from Pensacola, some overland, some sea-borne, and move into the west side of the Peninsula, the (mostly black and Indian) troops moving overland to OTL Tallahassee, and a mixed sea borne force landing in Spiritu Santo Bay (OTL Tampa Bay).[4] By the end of July, Spain is control of each of these locations, and is skirmishing with US forces. However, the US logistics to each are miserable, and there is not much they can really do to contest the Spanish hold. OTOH, the Spanish have to be careful what THEY do, so as they don't over-extend themselves. If THEY tried attacking overland to e.g. OTL's Orlando, they would be wiped out, as they advanced at the end of a long logistics trail into areas where the US held strongly and were close(r) to their base of supply. The US still out numbers the Spanish/Allied forces significantly (so far the US has about 30k while the Spanish have 15k in the theatre). But, on the periphery where the Spanish have attacked, they can concentrate locally superior force. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]One major advantage for the Spanish now is that their new bases can be used to supply the blacks and Seminoles already in Florida. They had received some support already (by the Brits if nothing else), but with active support bases, they can be far more effective.[5] Similarly, if there are safe bases for their families to retreat to, the locals will far more willing to take chances.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Fighting together, and the help that the League provides in terms of supplies and especially shipping thaws relations between Spain and the League states considerably, although they are still very much co-belligerents, not allies.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]1 OTL there was 7k at the start of the 10 Years War in 1868. Here, there has already been a slight increase, due to the increased tensions (again, with Britain as much as the US). [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]2 actually under 4k actually land in Florida. By now, negotiations with the Brits have progressed well enough that the two cavalry that came over in the first wave are sent to Tejas in exchange for a West Indies and an EIC regiment which land at Tampa Bay. However, since those troops are swapped, the number added to the Spanish force is the same. Note, too, that all of these European troops are pre-existing ones from before the war. While the newly raised troops are finally ready to ship, actually getting them on ships and then across the Atlantic will take a month or two. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]3 European Spanish troops are aimed initially at Key Biscayne because the ocean breeze is healthier for non-tropical (especially European white) troops. Obviously, they're not going be able to maintain that as a greater and greater proportion of the Spanish forces will be from Europe, but for now that's how the troops are allocated.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]4 note that none of Miami, Tallahassee, Tampa, or St. Petersburg had been founded yet, so none of them exist iTTL, at least by that name. There are US forts recently established in (or rather, near) each of those locations, but they all have bad supply connexions to the US and so are 'easy' to take. Tallahassee is a Seminole name for the area, so that stays. Miami is currently Ft. Biscayne, and the two forts on Spiritu Santo Bay are named for their colonels.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]5 one might have asked why didn't the Spanish wait until they had even more overwhelming force (like the newly raised troops that will be available in, say, two more months). Part of the answer is that they're ready to start now, why wait? And another part is that by grabbing footholds on the Florida peninsula, they a) make the locals far more effective, b) increase their standing with the locals (if the Seminoles and blacks were only getting supplies from Britain, it would heavily undermine Spain's ultimate control.), and c) by making the locals more effective it wears down the US force, so that when the Spanish do take on the US's main body in Florida, it will be a lot easier. [/FONT]