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View Full Version : Frigate Action off of Guadeloupe (4 on 4)



Aaron
12-27-2017, 18:45
In testing islands I set up this quick action off of Guadeloupe.

OOB:
British: HMS Unite, HMS Concorde, HMS Sybille, HMS Amelia
French: Sybille, Prosperine, Dryade, Carmagnole

The french frigates lay at anchor in a bay off of Guadeloupe. Upon spotting 4 strange sail the crews reel up the anchor and lay on canvas.
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As the strange sails grow near in line ahead formation with no signs of hailing or changing course the french move to interdict.
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HMS Unite leads the formation with HMS Concorde, HMS Sybille and HMS Amelia following respectively.
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The french change from line abreast to form two lines passing along the Royal Navy formation.
For the french the Dryade followed by Sybille make up the northern squad while Carmagnole trailed by Prosperine make up the southern squad.
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Dryade and HMS Unite breaks the still in the air as both exchange fire at long range, resulting in both ships taking light damage. A solid shot cracks Dryade's mizzen mast and sends the crew off in a furry of actions.
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Aaron
12-27-2017, 18:47
Carmagnole and Prosperine (bottom) hold fire until Unite is dead in their sights and fires both of their broadsides to murderous effect. Unite returns fire at Prosperine while HMS Concorde (2nd in line) fires an early starboard shot at Carmagnole and a port broadside across the bay at Dryade (top). While Dryade reloads and clears the broken yards, Sybille (right) provides covering fire directed at Unite to add insult to injury.
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HMS Unite (right) takes on heavy flooding and becomes unmanageable with the broken rigging, drifting south. Unite flags the remaining ships to continue the fight that Unite is lost.
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The north squad fires south at their respective targets while the south squad concentrates fire upon Concorde, the now acting lead ship. HMS Concorde and Sybille fires all batteries towards the the north and south ships.
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Thunderous echos of cannon fire is heard by small coastal towns along Guadeloupe's shores.
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Fishermen pause to watch the action, which is becoming quite common in these parts.
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Aaron
12-27-2017, 18:51
HMS Unite strikes her colors. HMS Sybille’s broken mast forces the ship to drift leeward into the midsts of the southern squad which breaks down the British formation. Concorde flags for Amelia to turn leeward and to overwhelm the southern flank.
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HMS Sybille and Prosperine collide while exchanging cannon and musket fire. (common bug is that they stack, still elusive to fix).
Both Carmagnole and HMS Amelia fires into the fray between HMS Sybille and Prosperine. With a crash HMS Sybille is left completely dis-masted and retires. In the northern squad smoke is seen rising from the french Sybille, set ablaze from HMS Amelia's volley.
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The ships' wake scribes a swirling collapsing circle as the ships converge and lay match to powder.
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HMS Amelia fires an ineffective continuous shot at Carmagnole (left) as their wakes cross. Prosperine (top) is taken aback in the attempt to get clear of the shamble of rigging left on the HMS Sybille whom is out of the action. HMS Concorde (right) is bearing west sailing, with the wind off her starboard beam, in hopes of reentering the fight.
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The French northern squad is running with the wind to join their southern squad. The crew of the french Sybille is putting the final spray of water upon the blaze.
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Aaron
12-27-2017, 21:39
The surviving Royal Navy ships combine fire (bottom), punching holes under the waterline of Prosperine and forcing her to strike her colors. Confusion amongst the French Northern squad left one ship (top) without sail to avoid collision. Carmagnole (left) swings windward to rejoin the other french ships.
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Concorde (bottom) beats windward and once she clears the hulks finds herself looking down the barrels of two french frigates (left) while head on. Hold Fast!
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Cannons shred through the bow of HMS Concorde doing damage to hull and crew but is still quite capable of action.
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HMS Amelia (lower ship) looses a deadly wall of shot into Carmagnole while she rests in irons; delivering a crippling blow which induces fires and flooding upon the crew inside. Crew dive overboard and make for the boats as she is sure as lost. HMS Concorde (in the middle) rakes Sybille (top), delivering a punishing blow to her for heading headlong into the fight. The tide may have just turned for the better. Carmagnole's trapped crew fires off one last volley of the rear batteries into HMS Concorde to clear the way to exit out through the smoking gun ports.
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Aaron
12-28-2017, 05:43
HMS Concorde (center) turns hard to starboard to miss Dryade (lower-center) as she muscles her way between the two remaining British vessels. HMS Amelia (bottom) turns windward to present her broadsides to her foes. Steady boys and get those guns loaded.
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The French ships fire off their volleys into the floundering royal navy ships, sending wooden fragments about the decks as men dive for cover. The frogs on the crippled Prosperine huddle alongside the ship's railing, cheering is heard from the heads peering over the stark white hammocks along the side, half ignorant to the spreading flames below deck. The cracking sounds of a mast quickly follows the dying echo of cannon fire. All eyes look south to witness the men of HMS Amelia rushing forward to escape the falling yards and men. The crew of Amelia were prepared for such an occasion and quickly restored the mast to some semblance of a sail plan. To lose the mast while taken aback would have been fatal with an enemy ready to pounce.
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Due to the quick actions of the crew of HMS Amelia, she was able to remain on station, allowing the gunners to aim at the passing Dryade (right). The Royal Navy answers fire with fire, and with a display of fine marksmenship, they sent their steel shot true into the hearts of the wooden homes of the french. Bone and wood both crack with the concussive hammering of the payload. This is an all out brawl, a fight to end all fights. May no man engaged in action today be found guilty of cowardice in the ensuing court affairs.
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The ships posture for their final assaults as an eerie lull in thunderous cannon fire is heard throughout the northern bay of Guadeloupe. The sounds of shot being rammed home is heard throughout the gun decks.
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The bird's eye view of the action of Guadeloupe. The french southern squad destroyed, the northern squad battling it out with the determined English. The brave and the weary, the dying and the dead, all sharing the same time and place. All of the carnage owned by the shareholders for bulging sugar profits enjoyed by the faceless individuals that lay asleep 40 days east in Europe. But for the men here and now, seeing only red in the heated battle, are fighting only for their brethren, both the living and the dead.
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Aaron
12-28-2017, 10:12
HMS Amelia and Dyrade (bottom) exchange fire while performing hull repairs. Dryade loses a mast with no spares and is thus fouled, headed helplessly leeward. Can the RN put the crippled beast out of its misery?
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Sybille (top) fires on HMS Concorde (middle) as HMS Amelia and Dyrade (bottom) drift together in grappling range. The men without cannons to fire aboard each ship clutch axes and cutlasses, ready to extract blood upon the cannon crews.
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Here at turn 20 the men prepare to board as the marines head up into the masts with muskets.
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Aaron
12-28-2017, 11:55
HMS Concorde and Sybille (top) square off with one another as the other two ships initiate a grapple. Unfortunately HMS Amelia masks any shots that Concorde could place in the hull of Dryade.
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Dryade and Amelia fire broadsides and muskets at point blank range before the battle enraged crew engage. Amelia marines are better shots and even the odds before grappling commences.
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The ships have an even number of men and an even number of attacks. Sounds of metal on metal and the occasional pistol shot rings out.
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A well thrown grenade lands amid the British marines crossing over to the Dryade and are blown overboard between the battling ships. The French deal an amazing 4 out of 4 hits to the unlucky lobsters while only taking 2 hits in return.
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(note: an HMI selection bug presents itself and I am forced to enter the attacks manually using the backend form, lucky the battle can keep going)
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Sybille (top) fires at HMS Amelia (bottom) to help his teammate as HMS Concorde fires a broadsides northward into Sybille, both ships now about equally damaged. Dryade's helmsman (a trusted cook amongst the crew) handles the crippled ship and gives the gunners a steady shot of grape that smashes through the rear windows of HMS Amelia which peppers the crew and cattle.
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Both HMS Concorde and Sybille turn hard to starboard and run ahead of the wind to support their respective ships. HMS Amelia (center-bottom) swings larboard as the skilled helmsman of the Dryade puts the ship into irons to parallel the HMS Amelia and fires more grape into the ship. HMS Amelia aims the remaining cannons below the waterline and sends shot smashing through Dryade's hull, water pouring into the hold. HMS Amelia's crew cannot hold up to the canister shot and lowers the flag, just maybe they did enough to sink the Dryade, giving their mates a shot at final victory.
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Aaron
12-28-2017, 13:08
Dryade's gun ports sink below the waterline due to the rushing water, the pumps sit underwater and unused.
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All that remains out of the eight are two frigates, both equally damaged. Sybille sits windward, starboard aft off of HMS Concorde's poop deck. The gun crews of both ships at the ready with loaded cannons.
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Aaron
12-28-2017, 16:47
This is the final sequence of the battle. These are pretty self explanatory. I will comment when required. I hope you enjoyed the battle and this shows how much fun and the back and forth-"ness" that this game came offer.
(As noted earlier, there was an HMI bug 3/4 of the way though that would not deselect a ship therefore you will see some lines on screen that I could not dispense of for AARs)

(Concorde loses mast)
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Mast repaired as the cat and mouse continues around the hulks
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Brit lays in wait for a rake against the french ship
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Brit fires but with only a handful of functional guns the damage in not enough
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French decides to pass leeward for a quick shot
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leaving out a few rounds of maneuvers.. ships move in a clockwise circle while reloading.
(Fire on the french ship, there is hope for the brit?)
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Starboard guns ready to fire!
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Why won't this bloody ship strike already?!
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Brit tries to circle counter-clockwise to bring the loaded port side to bear... but the french will not having it.
(Close match, only one hull remains for victor)
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The end...
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Bligh
02-11-2018, 13:03
Don't know how I managed to miss the final part of this Aaron.
However, it seems as if everyone else did as well hence no comments.
It is looking the real deal in no mistake shipmate.
Well done.
Rob.

Aaron
02-11-2018, 16:32
Many thanks for the encouragement!