36 Attachment(s)
AAR. Mission 10 Becalmed.
It was a fitful wind as HMS Concord sailed into the straights between Pine Cay and Ellis Cay bound for a rendezvous with Admiral Jackson's Squadron. Having spotted the Spanish Flagship accompanied by a Frigate the day before Captain Charles Dymock could now report their position to the Admiral, and the British Squadron could take them by surprise at sea.
The plan fell apart like a wet Log book. On rounding the headland, the wind died completely, and Dymock was forced to deploy the boats, to prevent the tide from sweeping them back the way they had just come.
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No sooner had the boats started to make headway, than the masthead lookout spotted another sail making heavy weather in the opposite direction.
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Within a few minutes it had been made as a Spanish Frigate coming from the direction of the British Squadrons position.
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"Have the hands piped down for breakfast Mr Ince. We will be an hour and a half crossing swords with the Don in this calm."
"Aye, aye Sir." Replied Nathaniel Ince, Charles's First lieutenant.
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The going was as slow as expected, but just as the next headland was breasted, a cat's-paw was seen on the water moving toward the Concord.
"Call in the Boats Mr Ince, and trim the sails if you please. Mr Johnston bring her two points to starboard."
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The boom of the Spaniard's guns followed by the sighing sound of shot showed the Captain that his move had been forestalled by the Don's Bow chasers, despite it's still being under tow.
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Too high to do any real damage, it plucked several hands from the Foremast shrouds, and flung them to the deck like so many rag dolls.
Then the wind arrived, and for the first time in two hours foam started to cream under the bow of the Concord as she headed to cut the wake of the Spanish frigate.
Still under tow the Dons were not able to manoeuvre and took a full broadside on their Starboard Quarter on the uproll, from Concord as she passed.
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Taking hull damage, she replied with the few guns she could bring to bear, and again aiming too high wrought havoc among the men in the Tops.
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At last the wind reached the Spanish Ship, and withdrawing her boats, she started to forge ahead, but not in time to prevent Dimock from completing his Stern raking move.
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The range was now longer than anticipated, and only achieved some damage to the rudder.
Both ships now started to come about in an attempt to gain the weather gauge.
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The wind continued to behave for both Captains, although gusting from different directions on both sides of Pine Cay.
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Then, quite suddenly the wind dropped on the Spaniards side of the cay, and he was taken aback as the wind veered.
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With no course but to relaunch the Whalers, he was caught once again by Dymock's reading of the situation.
Continuing to come about, and preying that the wind would hold, he crossed the Spaniard's bow.
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"Fire as you bear." was drowned out as the ships rolling volley started to ripple down the side of the Concord.
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This time doing severe damage to hull and towing boats as well.
The Spaniard, now under way again, was no slouch either, and as both Captains maneuvered
dexterously to clear the looming mass of Ellis cay, he repaid the raking, with a stern on broadside of his own, albeit a somewhat weakened one.
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Again several men fell on the deck of the Concord including the Captain of Marines, who was taken below to the Surgeon.
"Warm work Mr Ince." Remarked Charles. "Aye sir." Replied Ince noncommittally, as he ruefully picked up the remnants of his Spy glass.
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With their maneuver complete, and the wind still holding, both ships bore away in order to come about once more with some sea room at their beck and call.
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The Don, sailed a bit too close to the wind on his tack and was brought up in irons.
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"Wear ship." Dymock used the wind to tack successfully , hardly slowing at all.
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Then the wind changed once more, and bore down on both ships from the South, directly across the passage.
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Taking advantage of the change, the Spanish captain came about bore down upon Dymock once more.
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With the wind holding and having the weather gauge, Dymock advanced to meet him and board if he could.
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This was his chance to prevent the Spaniard escaping with his information about Admiral Jackson's position.
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Cutting in towards the Spaniard Dymock altered course three points to Starboard at the last minute.
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The two ships closed together inexorably.
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Unfortunately for Dymock as the two ships scraped alongside each other the Dons were able to fend off the British ship, and quickly cut the lines of the few grapnels which bit into the Spanish bulwarks.
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Although getting the better of the fire fight, and mauling the Spanish ship even further, Dymock had now lost so many hands, that he called to the Master to bear away.
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The two ships slowly parted company
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Setting a course for the Squadron, he just cleared Pine cay.
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Now the race to bring the news to their respective Admirals was on, and despite having the weather gauge once more, it was too close to call who would be first home.
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Both ships reached the horizon at the same time and gradually lost sight of each other's top masts.
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What their respective Admirals would do with the news remained to be seen.
Bligh.
