Union Jack
02-10-2015, 16:07
Sir Henry Boneville, commodore of the squadron, sat with his captains around the table listening once more to Captain Keel tell of his luck in sinking the Spanish 74.
12824
The squadron
“Well done Sir, again well done. Now one of those prisoners was carrying dispatches sown into his coats lining. Your coxswain should be well rewarded for finding them too Captain Keel. I will send him a bottle to wet his whistle. The dispatches inform us that the Spanish will muster their ships into one force, meet with a convoy off Bilbao and sail for Cadiz and then to their lands in the Americas. We must stop them or delay them. I’ve sent word to the Admiral and hopefully he will reinforce us or we will join him to crush the Spaniards before they can muster their full force.” The commodore paused for breath and to let his words sink in.
“I am ordering Mars, Orion and Renown to cover these ports. Gentlemen you must delay, capture or sink any Spanish men of war that attempt to sally out of these ports. I will retain Britannia, Northumberland and Belleraphon, I know Keel but your ship is under strength. Beaver, once she has returned from delivering my dispatches to the Admiral, and Success will maintain contact with your ships and myself. Now any questions? One further matter I intend to reinforce the three ships with compliments of marines taken from the rest of the squadron.”
There were none and the dinner carried on until near midnight when the captains repaired aboard their respective ships. The dawn saw the squadron break up as the three 74’s sailed to cover the enemy ports.
A day later and HMS Renown, captained by William Swift approached the port of Mundaka, on the northern coast of Spain. Swift was a man of decisive action. He had decided to land a party ashore and storm the battery on the Isla de Izaro covering the entrance to the port on a small island. The renown would wait, hove too, for the Spaniards to come out.
12826
Renown’s arrival was known. She had been observed sailing towards the port. The Spanish commander knew the ships in harbour had to leave for Bilbao the next day. He only hoped they could slip past the enemy ship. The 74 and 32 gun frigate would leave on the morning tide.
A night action
Lieutenant Dawson peered into the dark. He was leading two of Renown's boats.
12825
He had with him marines from HMS Belleraphon and a few from Renown with sailors needed to man the battery on the island. His eye was true for just after midnight the boats scrapped ashore on the beach.
12827
Leading his men from the front he was surprised to see no sentries, either they were indoors or asleep, no matter. Within an hour the battery had been stormed and the garrison under lock and key. The two sentries were asleep! Luck was with them. He spent the remainder of the night ensuring that both batteries were loaded. Tomorrow he would only have enough to load one not both. The signal was given to the Renown by hooded lantern that all was secured.
Swift hove the Renown too. Tomorrow would be the day, he was sure of it.
Enemy in Sight
As dawn broke a cry broke out from the mast head, “Sail Ho. Two ships leaving port. A 74 and a frigate by the looks of them”.
12828
Swift asked the direction that the 74 was sailing and was rewarded that the Renown was facing the right direction to take her on. The battery could cover the frigate.
12829
The Renown slowly picked up speed. Swift could see the 74 was trying to break out of the northern channel whilst the frigate was heading for the eastern channel.
12830
BOOM, the shot echoed from the land as the battery on the island opened fire on the Spanish 74. The Spanish captain was too far out to try and tack back to port now. He would have to brave the fire of the battery and the English ship attempting to cut him off.
12831
Renown opened fire as the battery on the island fired too. The Spanish 74 reeled under the impact. Masts, spars, rigging were falling all around him, crew lay writhing on the floor. He had to clear the English ship and hopefully get back into port.
12832
HMS Renown cut across the Spaniards bow as musket balls peppered both ships. Captain Swift looked on as crewmen were cut down along the length of his ship. He only hoped they were doing more damage to the Spaniard.
“Prepare to repel boarders”, he shouted as he saw a collision was inevitable. Lt Dawson shouted to the eastern battery “lads, don’t let the frigate get away, Renown is on her own now”.
The Spanish crew were stopped in their tracks by musket fire and the ferocious English counter attack. The attack was that ferocious it spilled back aboard the Spaniard. In the end the hand to hand fighting was one sided. The Spanish Captain hauled down his colours and surrendered.
The Spanish frigate had tacked across the wind and managed to elude major damage from the battery to escape to the south.
2 hours later the landing party returned. “Guns spiked, charges laid in the magazines sir. We also have 80 prisoners.” Lt Dawson reported.
“Well done Dawson, well done. As you have done such a sterling job, I have one more for you. Take your landing party straight over to the prize. I’ll have your orders written before you set sail for England.”
Dawson was gobsmacked. He had 30 sailors and 15 marines to help him sail the captured 74 back to England. Within 3 hours the prize was sailing over the horizon back to England. Captain Swift sailed back to join the squadron and made his report.
Summary and Butchers Bill:
Captain Swift: RTP/2pts
Renown: RTP
More pictures of the gunnery.
12833
San Leandro takes a battering
12834
Musket fire can be deadly too.
12835
The frigate is engaged by the shore battery
12836
4 rounds of boarding and the San Leandro strikes. (A close, hard won fight).
12837
Final shots at the escaping frigate.
1. With 2 plus 2 crew off the ship I only counted the 4 boxes from the right as active on the battery. Made for some very slow firing.
2. I also diced to see which ship Dawson would engage. He chose the 74!
3. Diced to see which of the 3 British 74's this action would be by.
4. With 2 crew missing and casualties taken during the firing the hand to hand was very close indeed.
5. Hope you enjoy playing it as I did.
12824
The squadron
“Well done Sir, again well done. Now one of those prisoners was carrying dispatches sown into his coats lining. Your coxswain should be well rewarded for finding them too Captain Keel. I will send him a bottle to wet his whistle. The dispatches inform us that the Spanish will muster their ships into one force, meet with a convoy off Bilbao and sail for Cadiz and then to their lands in the Americas. We must stop them or delay them. I’ve sent word to the Admiral and hopefully he will reinforce us or we will join him to crush the Spaniards before they can muster their full force.” The commodore paused for breath and to let his words sink in.
“I am ordering Mars, Orion and Renown to cover these ports. Gentlemen you must delay, capture or sink any Spanish men of war that attempt to sally out of these ports. I will retain Britannia, Northumberland and Belleraphon, I know Keel but your ship is under strength. Beaver, once she has returned from delivering my dispatches to the Admiral, and Success will maintain contact with your ships and myself. Now any questions? One further matter I intend to reinforce the three ships with compliments of marines taken from the rest of the squadron.”
There were none and the dinner carried on until near midnight when the captains repaired aboard their respective ships. The dawn saw the squadron break up as the three 74’s sailed to cover the enemy ports.
A day later and HMS Renown, captained by William Swift approached the port of Mundaka, on the northern coast of Spain. Swift was a man of decisive action. He had decided to land a party ashore and storm the battery on the Isla de Izaro covering the entrance to the port on a small island. The renown would wait, hove too, for the Spaniards to come out.
12826
Renown’s arrival was known. She had been observed sailing towards the port. The Spanish commander knew the ships in harbour had to leave for Bilbao the next day. He only hoped they could slip past the enemy ship. The 74 and 32 gun frigate would leave on the morning tide.
A night action
Lieutenant Dawson peered into the dark. He was leading two of Renown's boats.
12825
He had with him marines from HMS Belleraphon and a few from Renown with sailors needed to man the battery on the island. His eye was true for just after midnight the boats scrapped ashore on the beach.
12827
Leading his men from the front he was surprised to see no sentries, either they were indoors or asleep, no matter. Within an hour the battery had been stormed and the garrison under lock and key. The two sentries were asleep! Luck was with them. He spent the remainder of the night ensuring that both batteries were loaded. Tomorrow he would only have enough to load one not both. The signal was given to the Renown by hooded lantern that all was secured.
Swift hove the Renown too. Tomorrow would be the day, he was sure of it.
Enemy in Sight
As dawn broke a cry broke out from the mast head, “Sail Ho. Two ships leaving port. A 74 and a frigate by the looks of them”.
12828
Swift asked the direction that the 74 was sailing and was rewarded that the Renown was facing the right direction to take her on. The battery could cover the frigate.
12829
The Renown slowly picked up speed. Swift could see the 74 was trying to break out of the northern channel whilst the frigate was heading for the eastern channel.
12830
BOOM, the shot echoed from the land as the battery on the island opened fire on the Spanish 74. The Spanish captain was too far out to try and tack back to port now. He would have to brave the fire of the battery and the English ship attempting to cut him off.
12831
Renown opened fire as the battery on the island fired too. The Spanish 74 reeled under the impact. Masts, spars, rigging were falling all around him, crew lay writhing on the floor. He had to clear the English ship and hopefully get back into port.
12832
HMS Renown cut across the Spaniards bow as musket balls peppered both ships. Captain Swift looked on as crewmen were cut down along the length of his ship. He only hoped they were doing more damage to the Spaniard.
“Prepare to repel boarders”, he shouted as he saw a collision was inevitable. Lt Dawson shouted to the eastern battery “lads, don’t let the frigate get away, Renown is on her own now”.
The Spanish crew were stopped in their tracks by musket fire and the ferocious English counter attack. The attack was that ferocious it spilled back aboard the Spaniard. In the end the hand to hand fighting was one sided. The Spanish Captain hauled down his colours and surrendered.
The Spanish frigate had tacked across the wind and managed to elude major damage from the battery to escape to the south.
2 hours later the landing party returned. “Guns spiked, charges laid in the magazines sir. We also have 80 prisoners.” Lt Dawson reported.
“Well done Dawson, well done. As you have done such a sterling job, I have one more for you. Take your landing party straight over to the prize. I’ll have your orders written before you set sail for England.”
Dawson was gobsmacked. He had 30 sailors and 15 marines to help him sail the captured 74 back to England. Within 3 hours the prize was sailing over the horizon back to England. Captain Swift sailed back to join the squadron and made his report.
Summary and Butchers Bill:
Captain Swift: RTP/2pts
Renown: RTP
More pictures of the gunnery.
12833
San Leandro takes a battering
12834
Musket fire can be deadly too.
12835
The frigate is engaged by the shore battery
12836
4 rounds of boarding and the San Leandro strikes. (A close, hard won fight).
12837
Final shots at the escaping frigate.
1. With 2 plus 2 crew off the ship I only counted the 4 boxes from the right as active on the battery. Made for some very slow firing.
2. I also diced to see which ship Dawson would engage. He chose the 74!
3. Diced to see which of the 3 British 74's this action would be by.
4. With 2 crew missing and casualties taken during the firing the hand to hand was very close indeed.
5. Hope you enjoy playing it as I did.