A small diversion.

[Bligh]

or The sacrificial lamb.

Here was a little game which I played against Captain Kiwi a couple of weeks ago when we had a spare morning.

38886


The plot was to lure a rampaging French Frigate which was preying on merchant traffic into a trap with the Armed merchant ship Rose used a a sacrificial lamb. It happened that this was not the way things turned out at all, as will be explained to you anon.

38885


The Spanish fort at this time of the war was an allied one and thus the Anglo American force expected the French to steer well clear of it.

Andy opted to play the French.

The best laid plans are only good until the first shot!............ to be continued.

Bligh.

[Bligh]

A Small diversion.

38958

Fort Castile.

Fully expecting the French to steer well clear of the Spanish forts the British Admiral set his ambush.


38959

Trailing his coat outside the offshore islands was the armed Merchant ship Rose.
Meanwhile lurking behind the island on the landward side were the two Sloops of war HMS Swan and the USS Atlanta.

38960

The British commodore was most put out when the French Frigate having hove into sight and obviously smelling a rat, ignored the bait and turned towards the Spanish shore.

38961

He then chose to hug the coastline heading toward the Spanish fort.

38962

Taken by surprise the fort was only able to get a single shot off at him as he rounded the next headland.

38963


By this time after a hurried flurry of signals the Anglo American force, their plans all awry had recalled the Rose and decided to descend en mass upon the Frigate in the bay.


38964

By this time the impudent Frenchman had anchored below the fort where its guns could not bear.

38965

The Allied attack went in with USS Atlanta anchoring across the bow of the French Frigate whilst Swan .opened upon its Port beam damaging her rudder.

38966

The French replied hitting the HMS Swan and decimating her crew.

38967


Atlanta now raked the Frenchman, taking down his fore-top mast and hitting his crew hard.

38968


Realizing that his position was untenable the French captain raised his anchor and headed toward Atlanta. This allowed Rose to move up and get off her opening broadside, cutting down even more of the French seamen.

38969

The Spanish Fort now settled the matter with its second volley of the game and the French struck their colours.

38970


Unfortunately one near miss struck the Atlanta and caused several crew casualties.A friendly fire incident.(Our zero overshoot rule.)

38971


Here we see the untenable situation in which the French Captain discovered himself at the end of the battle with the Spanish hurriedly preparing heated shot.

38972

38973

Rob.

[Bligh]

The Butcher's Bill.

38974

38975

38976

38977

Rob.

[Naharaht]

Thank you for the great A.A.R., Rob! :thumbsup: Did you have some special rules for concealing the sloops from Captain Kiwi's bird's eye view as a player? I noticed that you made extensive use of your laser pointer.

[Bligh]

Thanks Dave.
You can position your two hidden ships after a number of moves by the enemy. Say three for an example. His brief was to take the merchant ship, so i expected him to take the bait, but we have been playing so many years he expects the unexpected.
Have you read any of the solo AARs? Not many people seem to have read or commented on them for the last couple of years.

https://sailsofglory.org/forumdisplay.php?50-2018-Solo-Campaign

Rob.

[Fabbe]

Thanks for this fine AAR, with nice photos, scenery and props. I'm curious about two things that you mentioned in the AAR. One question is about the fort's guns not being able to bear - at what range were they able/unable? The other is your zero overshoot rule that caused the friendly-fire incident. How does this work?

[Bligh]

Good morning Andrew.
We have a rule for guns as follows:- If the battery is at sea level it can fire at the usual distances as fir ships until the ship is within musket range on the ruler. If the guns are on cliff tops they get extra range out to sea up to one and a half rulers distance, but over a ruler they only have half effect rounded up. So for instance a battery with say five A's at long range at extra long would only have three A's. Once a ship is at chain shot range, the guns cannot depress to hit.

For overshoots, if another ship is within chain shot range and directly in line behind the one fired at, any misses ie 0 chits are redrawn as A chits to see if the ball hit the non targeted ship.

Rob.

[Capn Duff]

Another xcellent report there Rob, really enjoyed reading it

[Bligh]

Thanks Chris.
Andy and I enjoyed it, and the outcome was somewhat unexpected.
Rob.