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View Full Version : An Affair in Morocco part four ( The downside to the Sɪˈrɒkoʊ!)



Bligh
05-20-2021, 12:34
Characters introduced into the story thus far.
Algerine and Moroccan Persona.
The Dey of Gizzanoffa: Kamel Mudanyaei.
His Vizier: Amin Giffar.
The Dey’s: Admiral Kulin Bey.
The late Captain of the Al Mukabir: Camel Mujadine
The new Captain of the Al Mukabir: Rashid Suleiman

American persona.
The Squadron commander: Commodore Silas Goldberg.
The captain of USS Constitution: David Frazer.
The captain of USS Essex: Andrew Millington.
First Officer: Paul Swift.
Sailing Master: Hezekiah Bramley.
Essex’s Captain of Marines: Davy Weiss.
Essex’s Master Gunner: Hamish Fyffe.
Essex’s Master Carpenter: Amos Grady

The captain of USS Syren: Lieutenant Gregory Hardman.
Lieutenant Guy Falconer.
Sailing Master: Simeon Prentice.
The Captain of USS John Adams: Cyrus Gregory
John Adam’ First Officer: James Stone.
John Adams’ Gun Captain: Will Bridewell.

New Persona introduced for Sɪˈrɒkoʊ (Part four)
Captain of the USS Schooner Enterprise: Lieutenant Andrew Sterett.

Meanwhile at the other end of the blockade.

Lieutenant Andrew Sterett was in a truly foul humour. At the far western end of the American cordon, not only had he failed to apprehend any of the Moroccan pirates vessels, but during the storm he had not only lost his best anchor, but also contact with the next ship along the chain. Now in the fog his ship the schooner Enterprise had drifted and ended up on a sandbar off the coast.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 12:36
As soon as the fog lifted he had put boats into the water with his best bower anchor in order to attempt to warp the ship off the bar.
Thus far he had been markedly unsuccessful.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 12:37
Now the wind had finally picked up and Andrew was hopeful that the breeze would aid the toiling sailors as they rowed the anchor out once more.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 12:40
The next attempt rocked the ship slightly, but the suction of the wet sand still held it fast.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 12:43
David was about to call the boat in until the sand had dried out, when his attention was drawn to the distant sound of gunfire!
Grabbing the perspective glass, he ascended the ratlines as far as the crosstrees and focussed on the smoke cloud in the distance. As it cleared a ship came into view heading toward Enterprise.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 12:47
It was obvious that the fire had come from a small island fort further down the coast, and had obviously been aimed badly as it was too far to hit Enterprise from where it was situated.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 12:49
What it had done, however was alerted him not only to the fact that it existed, but also to the ship creeping up on him.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 12:52
As the enemy closed, another effort was made to free Enterprise from the trap in which it was ensorcelled. Although the ship was felt to move, it did not escape the clutches of the sand.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 12:56
With inevitability, The Enterprise's nemesis drew nearer, although a second salvee from the fort was closer to hitting the approaching ship than it was to Enterprise. With this second failure to battery ceased fire.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 12:59
As it approached the captain of other vessel, which was now easily recognisable as a Lateen rigged Polacca, seemed to be shaping a course to pass between the sandbars and coming across the stranded sloop’s stern would rake it with devastating results for Enterprise and her crew.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:02
Another effort at freeing his ship had just ended in failure, and David was just about to recall his crew to at least prevent their boat being run down by the enemy.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:11
The enemy ship was just about to navigate the sandbar, when..........

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:14
........at the very last minute, with a final effort by the men on the bars of the capstan, the ship slipped off the bank which had held it imprisoned for hours.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:20
David could not fathom what motivated the Polacca’s captain’s next move.
If it was a feeling that he could not clear the sandbar, or that he had seen Enterprise free itself, but he suddenly put his helm hard over to pass inside the sand bank, as if to cross the Enterprise’s bow before it could make headway.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:22
His move came a second too late as David had already initiated the raising of the anchor and retrieval of his ship’s boat.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:24
At this moment the wind also chose to veer; now coming from the South East, which helped both ships to shape a better course to avoid the shoals.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:25
Having won her anchor, and with the boat’s crew safely aboard,
David ordered the sails set and for the ship to be brought hard a starboard.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:27
Before this could be achieved, however, both ships had to endure each other’s opening broadsides.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:30
Both ships sustained considerable damage, although Enterprise received slightly less, as she was provided more of a stable gun platform, not yet being underway.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:31
Whereas, the Polacca was heeling and firing higher in order to avoid burying her broadside in the sandbank.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:34
Nevertheless, at such close range both ships were severely hurt.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:35
Enterprise finally managed to get steerage way and turned hard a starboard.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:37
Not, before having the indignity of being stern raked from the Polacca’s forrard battery, which fortunately missed her.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:39
Enterprise continued her turn to port, gathering speed in order to be able to tack across the wind.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:40
This proved to be the seminal moment in the battle, as to avoid a bow rake, the captain of the Polacca mirrored David’s move.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:42
Caught in stays, he was forced to let go all sails to prevent himself running onto the self same sandbar on which the Enterprise had spent so much of her day. David was quick to capitalise upon his opportunity. Ordering his guns to fire as they bear, he unleashed a devastating rolling broadside.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:44
This reduced the Polacca to an absolute wreck, which had also caught fire.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:45
Even so, in her death throws, her captain made a last defiant gesture by returning fire with those few guns which were still serviceable.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:46
Inadvertently by this act the Polacca’s crew had sealed their own doom, as a lucky shot disabled Enterprise and destroyed her only remaining seaworthy ships boat, thus rendering her quite unable to render any assistance.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:49
As a consequence of this final act of bravado, the Polacca was doomed, and very soon her charred stern was all that remained above the surface of the waves.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:51
Enterprise, herself, was in a parlous state, and it was the following day before she could be jury rigged to limp away in search of her compatriots in the American squadron. Fortuitously, having observed the demise of the Polacca, no other vessels had the temerity to sally forth from the harbour to engage with captain Sterett’s brave boys.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 13:53
BUTCHER'S BILL.

Continentaleye
05-20-2021, 14:01
Excellent narrative Rob. I almost felt as if I was onshore watching the story unfold. A close thing indeed for the Americans. Well done sir!.

Bligh
05-20-2021, 15:34
I feel sure that if the AI had not changed the Polacca's course at the last moment, ands it had passed through the sand bar to rake the stern of the Enterprise the outcome would have been very different for the US ship.

Rob.

Comte de Brueys
05-21-2021, 01:20
Excellent AAR, Rob.

I like the spyglass pictures of the incoming ship the most.

Lucky outcome for the US sloop. :salute:

Bligh
05-21-2021, 03:57
Thanks Sven.
After a year or so using Photoshop to turn those upside down, i suddenly realised that by taking them using the camera upside down I could save myself the trouble.

Rob.

Bligh
05-21-2021, 03:58
Just spotted the Rep Anthony and Sven. Thanks very much.:drinks:

Rob.

TexaS
05-21-2021, 14:37
Very nice to see an excellent AAR. Well done! :hatsoff:

Bligh
05-21-2021, 15:20
Thank you Jonas.
Rob.

ShadowDragon
05-31-2021, 17:05
Excellent AAR...excellent ships...excellent terrain. :hatsoff:

Bligh
06-01-2021, 00:44
Thank you Paul and also thanks for the Rep points.
I am just working out where my June mission is heading.

Rob.

Vagabond
08-21-2021, 20:23
Sorry to be so late to the party! An enjoyable read and a nicely thought through small action.
As you said it might have bee a different outcome if the Polacca had continued through the gap and managed to carry out their original intention to carry out a stern rake, but history is full of what might have been.
:hmmm::hmmm::hatsoff::hatsoff::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Bligh
08-22-2021, 05:26
Thanks for the comments and the rep for this game John.

Hope to hear from your French old salt with another of his tales before too long. I love those yarns.

Rob.