View Full Version : AAR. NvN. May Scenario, Hit and Run.
29981
Rear Admiral Sir Jushua Pound stood framed in front of the Stern windows of his Cabin.
Surrounding the table in front of him were the captains of his Squadron.
29986
Commander George Farthing of the Frigate Concorde looked as if he were about to speak again, but before he could add anything to his report the Admiral broke in.
" Well gentlemen as you have heard young Farthing has done a thorough job. Not only tracking down part of the French Squadron, but also charting the shoals in the river estuary where they are in hiding.
29984
We must now act promptly to prevent them from slipping away to join the rest of the Squadron. To that end I intend dispatching Captain Sterling in Bellerophon, and Captain Porter in Phoenix to deal with the French Admiral's Flagship and the two 74s, whilst the rest of the Squadron continues to seek out the rest of the frog ships and bring them to battle. The most important thing is that you disable the Flagship, and do as much damage as possible to the 74s as you can. It is far harder for them to get spares and repair masts than for us with our bases scattered all over the ocean. Damage will prevent them escorting troop ships for a good deal of time, and will hand us the advantage in the whole Indian Ocean from the Cape to Calcutta.
Any further questions gentlemen? Good. Then I will ask my steward Blenkinsopp to open the Port."
29982
With that the briefing ended and the real work of the evening commenced.
Bligh.
May Scenario, Hit and Run.
29987
Silently in the early hours of the morning HMS Phoenix and Bellerophon tacked silently into the river estuary where the enemy ships lay.
29988
Feeling totally secure the French Admiral had set no guard boats nor extra watch. No hint of the Frigate Concorde's visit of three nights earlier had even been noted so carefully had Commander Farthing taken his soundings of the navigable channel.
29989
Within 30 minutes of entering the estuary the two 74s were passing the moored French Ships on the far side of the river.
29990
fighting against the offshore night wind they began to stealthily change course to bring them opposite their foes.
29992
29991
Even as they turned, the tide began to ebb, and carry them even nearer to the enemy as they fought to cross it. The wind had also begun to veer and drop somewhat in strength, prior to the onshore morning breeze replacing it.
29993
29994
Time was of the essence, and at every moment Captain Porter in the leading ship Phoenix expected a warning to be raised on one of the French ships as he slipped past them in the pre dawn.
29995
Quietly and with hardly even a slap of her halyards Bellerophon followed in her wake.
29997
The wind was now almost a mere whisper and at right angles to the two ships Port sides.
29996
Indeed Bellerophon was starting to lose position on the Phoenix but Captain Sterling dared not call for extra sail to be set so close was he to the rearmost French 74.
29998
29999
The silence was not to last, however, for at that instant Porter drew alongside the French Flagship.
29999
"FIRE AS YOU BEAR." Rang out and the French Flagship took the full brunt of a double shotted first time broadside from the Phoenix, without even having its gun ports open.
30000
As the balls entered the packed sleeping sailors hammocks in the tween decks many of the occupants never lived to witness that morning's dawn.
As the smoke cleared, Porter was astounded to see the devastation which his broadside had caused. he could see at least three gaping holes on the waterline, the poop and ships wheel were a shambles, and in addition to sails damaged, as he watched a flicker of flame took hold below decks. The result of some lantern being knocked over onto a cut down hammock no doubt. He could only imagine the havoc as half wakened and stunned sailors tried to come to grips with the wreckage and disorder.
30001
Behind him the ripple of fire along the side of Bellerophon, was metering out the same sort of punishment to the second ship in the Line the 74 Commerce de Bordeaux.
30002
As the French Flagship struggled to get the fire and leaks under control Porter brought his ship up into the eye of the wind ad across the stern of the Imperial.
30003
As he was doing so Bellerophon opened upon the flagship.
By this time ,however, some enterprising French officer had collected enough men to load run out the guns and reply.
In the exchange both ships were badly mauled.
30004
Nevertheless, the raking broadside, when it came from Phoenix, was simply the last straw for the French crew on the Imperial, and with their Admiral hit, and the colours shot away,
the still stunned survivors surrendered without being able to get a single shot off at the Pheonix in return.
30005
By this stage of the action, both the undamaged Duguay Trouin and the wounded Commerce de Bordeaux had cut their cables and were attempting to come about in the now strengthening ebb tide and natural flow of the river as the onshore breeze gradually strengthened.
30006
The wind also forced the British ships to come about in opposite directions as the Belleraphon was taken aback and could not follow its compatriot inside the stern of the stricken French Flagship.
30007
In their attempt to get underway and deal with the opposing current and wind direction the two French ships now came together, suffering damage but fortunately for them not becoming entangled.
30008
30010
The Gunners on Duguay Trouin being unharmed managed to get a raking broadside off as they collided, and thus Phoenix received its first damage of the action.
30009
Even as men fell, the foretopmast came down, and the wheel was damaged, Porter felt himself well served to have taken out the enemy flagship for so little cost to his men and vessel.
There was still much to be done, however, before a victory could be claimed.
The collision of the French 74s had worked in the British favour by slowing them down, and as they got underway once more, Bellerophon's captain was enabled to repay the Duguay Trouin for its effrontery to rake the Phoenix. As it reloaded his Port broadside rippled out in retribution.
30011
More structural damage was done than anything else and Trouin was still relatively unscathed.
30012
As he attempted to clear the area, Captain Porter added a few telling rounds at extreme range which added to the Frenchman's discomfort.
30013
As he came about Duguay Trouin was able to give a feeble reply to Porter with his forrard battery. Out of all proportion to the effort, the French Captain was able to damage the rudder and also the mainsail of the Phoenix.
30014
Bellerophon and the Commerce de Bordeaux now took up the running and exchanged broadsides, and both sustaining hull damage, although the Frenchman also lost several hands to a ricochet from alongside.
30015
As this duel was taking place Porter had come about, and tried for conclusions with the Duguay Trouin.
30016
The fact that Porter was using his Starboard Broadside for the first time weighed heavily in the exchange, and despite the fact that the French had had time to load double shot, the Phoenix simply overwhelmed her and she was forced to strike due to having taken so much damage.
30017
That now left Phoenix free to join with Bellerophon in her pursuit of the Commerce de Bordeaux.
The French Captain having witnessed the fate of his two compatriots, and realizing that the jig was up, made off at full speed upriver to the safety of the nearest town.
Had the two French 74s not collided the outcome would undoubtedly have been a very close run thing.
Bligh.
The Butcher's Bill.
Ships name………………………….BELLEROPHON.
Type of Ship………………………...THIRD RATE.
Captain's name……………………. Stirling.
Returned to port (RtP)…………..RTP.…………
Captured (C) ………………………..
Killed in action (KIA…………………
Total hull boxes undamaged….…5……
Total crew boxes undamaged…..6.…
Imperial struck to Stirling's Bellerophon
Ships name…………………………...PHOENIX.
Type of Ship……………………….....THIRD RATE.
Captain's name……………………....Porter.
Returned to port (RtP)……….......RTP…………
Captured (C) ………………………..
Killed in action (KIA…………………
Total hull boxes undamaged..…..4……
Total crew boxes undamaged…..6..…
Dugay-Trouin struck to Porter's Phoenix
.........11................. Total burdens of all enemy ships sunk or captured
........yes................. Did the squadron meet its goals?
Bligh.
Union Jack
05-15-2017, 13:58
Well done Sir. Short, sharp and not too bloody. Unless you're the French that is.
:cannonboom::takecover::surrender: (In French of course).
I have to admit that the wind and tide effect had a lot to do with the outcome Neil.
However, I am never one to look a gift horse in the mouth.:happy:
Rob.
The Butcher's Bill.
Ships name
.BELLEROPHON.
Type of Ship
...THIRD RATE.
Captain's name
. Stirling.
Returned to port (RtP)
..RTP.
Captured (C)
..
Killed in action (KIA
Total hull boxes undamaged
.
5
Total crew boxes undamaged
..6.
Imperial struck to Stirling's Bellerophon
Ships name
...PHOENIX.
Type of Ship
.....THIRD RATE.
Captain's name
....Porter.
Returned to port (RtP)
.......RTP
Captured (C)
..
Killed in action (KIA
Total hull boxes undamaged..
..4
Total crew boxes undamaged
..6..
Dugay-Trouin struck to Porter's Phoenix
.........11................. Total burdens of all enemy ships sunk or captured
........yes................. Did the squadron meet its goals?
Bligh.
Your scores have been entered. I assumed that Sterling was leading the pair and gave him the extra point. If this is incorrect then let me know. Sorry for the delay.
Thanks Bob you are quite correct.
No apology needed. We are moving forward a bit slowly this year due to circumstances.
Rob.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.2 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.