View Full Version : AAR. A hard nut to crack off Madagascar.
Back in the Indian Ocean for the monthly solo game. A bit late because of the Trafalgar game.
Reports had arrived at Bombay of French incursions and merchant ships going missing in the area of Madagascar. As a Consequence, Captain Thomas Hardie of the HEIC Frigate Cornwallis, accompanied by the EIC Sloop the Earl of Mornington was dispatched to patrol the Mozambique Channel in the hope of intercepting the commerce raiders.
After several fruitless weeks of searching, a chance encounter with a local fishing boat provided them with the information they needed. Following a severe storm the fishermen had spotted a French Frigate accompanied by a larger vessel sheltering in a secluded cove whilst apparently carrying out repairs to the storm damage incurred by the larger ship.
Armed with this intelligence, Hardy immediately dispatched Mornington to reconnoitre the bay prior to an attack on the enemy ships.
Making a rapid passage, Mornington cruised by the bay two evenings later, and observed not only the two ships, but also camp fires ashore and in an old abandoned fort on the headland. Armed with this information, Mornington’s captain George Simpson rendezvoused with Cornwallis, and the two captains laid their plan of action.
On the following evening both ships approached the bay, and Mornington made a detour to the next bay along the coast where she could land the Bombay Marines from both ships, to undertake a clandestine march and dawn attack on the old fort, in order to remove it from the game.
The Marines were disembarked in the early hours of a moonless night and silently marched toward the fortification.
Their progress went totally unremarked by the French, and one sole picket was silenced without any alarm being raised.
The Marines reached the walls of the fortification totally undetected.
Just as they were about to launch their assault, a shot rang out from the wall of the fort.
Undeterred both ships company of the Bombay Marine, led by their officers launched themselves at the fortifications most neglected wall.
The French ships were now alerted to the danger by the firing coming from the fort, but dare not send reinforcements for fear of reducing their ships complements still further with some aboard the second ship and others already manning the fortifications.
As dawn began to lighten the sky, the two HEIC ships, now reunited, entered the approaches to the bay, also aware form the sound of small arms in action that things had gone awry.
Nevertheless with the wind holding steady on their fore quarter they continued with their plan of attack.
By this time fighting between the land based forces had been going on for some time and the Marine were starting to make inroads on the garrison’s smaller force.
Rounding the headland at the entrance to the bay the two ships pressed on toward the waiting French Frigate riding at anchor with a spring on the cable. This was the most tricky part of the plan and Hardie did not want to act too precipitately and jump the gun before it was too late for the French to react.
Consequently he held straight on toward the French Frigate as if to invite a raking broadside from him, whilst signalling to Simpson to take the much more fragile Mornington on a circuitous path around the perimeter of the bay and out of direct line with the enemy guns. Cornwallis was to play the part of the sacrificial goat in this drama.
Meanwhile the struggle for the fortifications still raged on without much advantage being gained on either side.
With Mornington now well on the way to her objective, Hardie gave orders for Cornwallis to come about as it entered long range from the French Frigate and out of range of the fort although he expected it to be in the hands of his Marines by this juncture. Whatever the situation, it was now far too late for the French to manoeuvre on their spring to interfere with the Mornington who continued merrily on its way, with Simpson knowing full well that the French were now fixated on the rapidly revealing broadside guns of the Cornwallis which presented a much greater threat than the small sloop.
Deftly Cornwallis’s Master rounded to and dropped anchor.
Within seconds of each other both ships opened fire with a full broadside creating havoc amongst the crews on each other’s decks, and to masts and sails alike.
As he manoeuvred towards his allotted station and the smoke cleared it appeared to Simpson that the French Frigate bore apparently no damage.
On swinging his glass toward Cornwallis he was appalled to see the state of her.
Her main topmast hung at a precarious angle, bulwarks were holed in several places and a plank had been sprung on the waterline abaft of the foremast.
With nothing to be done, Simpson continued towards the gap twixt the shore and the Frenchman’s stern, whilst the two protagonists frantically reloaded in order to resume the contest.
As soon as he was on station, anchors were let go both fore and aft demonstrating to the French what a precarious position in which they were now placed because of ignoring the little midge to their side whilst focussed on the wasp to their front.
Before they had too much time to reflect on this all three ships guns spoke at once.
Cornwallis made further inroads into the French crew and sails.
Whilst their reply took out another section of the fore deck and the splinters from the scantlings accounted for several of the crew.
However, by far the most effective fire came from the little sloop as she raked the French stern with a double shotted broadside from her popguns, proving that the little gnat had a sting in her tail.
For some unknown reason the fort gunners now came to life and realizing that Mornington was just within range took a pot shot at her which was either very lucky or very well aimed, insofar as it missed the adjacent French frigate and took out a mast and also holing the Sloop.
This was, however, to prove the garrison’s swansong for a few minutes later the fort finally fell to the Bombay Marines, who immediately set to securing the magazine and searching the cells where they came across and liberated an interesting number of prisoners.
This did not preclude Mornington losing more men, however, because small arms fire from the tops and deck of both ships continued intermittently. As the cannon smoke cleared, her hands could now make out the name of their antagonist emblazoned on the remains of taffrail which was the only remaining part of the stern. It immerged that she was the Frigate Proserpine.
Another broadside was now delivered from Cornwallis although a somewhat depleted one due to the damage she had already suffered.
Return fire from Proserpine was similarly curtailed, although causing rudder damage and holing Cornwallis below the waterline.
Mornington was the next to fire with her few remaining guns.
This was accompanied by a rather desultory fusillade from the tops of both ships again.
However it was to be Cornwallis who had the last say in the affair, as she fired one more stuttering volley, and took the fight out of the few Frenchmen still standing on her deck.
With that a junior officer, the only man who was left standing on the quarterdeck, stepped forward and with his dirk cut the flag halliards thus signifying her surrender.
Expecting to now have a fight on with the larger ship repairing in the inner bay, the two HEIC ships now discovered what the Marines had known since opening the cells in the fort and releasing the ship's crew who it turned out were from the HEIC merchantman Ganges sitting in the harbour and taken by the Proserpine some days before the storm savaged both ships.
After a further week spent in repairing all the ships to at least some semblance of seaworthiness, it was a rather relieved Captain Hardie who led his little flotilla of ships out of the anchorage and back to Bombay, knowing that at least the first part of his mission had been a success, if a somewhat bloody one.
Butcher’s Bill.
French and prize.
British.
Vagabond
11-05-2021, 02:32
Another fine action Rob, I wonder if the French Captain regrets not blowing the sloop out of the water with a raking broadside before entering a slugging match with the frigate. C'est la guerre.
I started to read your report this morning and the initial pictures were so dark I couldn't see them. Then I realized I had the brightness turned down on the tablet from reading your previous game last night. Once I turned it to daylight settings all was revealed. :shock::smack::wink:
Thanks for posting the game, I do enjoy reading them.
Cheers
Yes John, it was a very dark night with no moon. :wink: I drew for the French Captain's reaction as soon as he realized that the Sloop was making for the gap he had left so that his anchor spring could be deployed. He had decided that if he worked his spring covered by the Fort he could destroy the Sloop, but not get back to prevent the Frigate getting in the first telling broadside free whilst he was springing back with his first fire advantage already used up to boot, so he chose the course of which we see the result. (Shades of the Nile I fancy.) As it happens the fort should have been in our hands before the fight started, but they put up such a strong resistance that it took most of the game to shut them up. As soon as the Sloop was in range they gave it a pasting as you saw, but by then the damage was already done, and before they completed reloading the fort had only enough troops left to fight and not reload. It was a close run thing.
As you will see from this weeks game when I get around to posting it, I seem to be developing a perchant for close run things just lately.:shock:
Rob.
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