AAR December mission. Last bite of the cherry. Cpt. David McBride.

PREAMBLE.

The Refit.

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Captain McBride mopped his brow as he waited in the anteroom at Bombay castle. It was sweltering even here in the shaded rooms of the HEIC, and with the Monsoon only a month or so away, no time to be sitting toying with his dress sword and awaiting the pleasure of the Chief Secretary.

Finally a clerk approached. McBride stood expecting to be ushered into the Board room to meet Governor Duncan. Instead the clerk merely proffered David a sealed packet sealed with red wax, together with a quill pen to sign the register indicating that he had received it.
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Hardly glancing at the official seal and coat of arms of the Company within the outer cover

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McBride ripped the package open, and read the few lines written there. His orders were to disembark his Bombay Marines and make sail with immediate effect for Calcutta, there to have his ship undergo a complete overhaul, including the addition of Carronades to his upper gundeck.

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Any shipping encountered on the voyage were to be challenged and brought to action if they proved to be hostile.

Short of Marines, McBride just hoped that any vessels he chanced upon would not be a swarm of Malay Pirates who would probably outnumber him ten to one.

Bligh.

AAR December mission. Last bite of the cherry. Cpt. David McBride.


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Having disembarked the Marines at the Gun Warf below the fort, David set sail for Calcutta, the home port of the HEIC Nottingham.
Sailing with a fair wind, the ship made good time to the Southern most tip of India, although no ships other than British Sloops, or Company merchantmen were sited.


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It was harder going beating up between India and Ceylon, but having turned the corner, the wind veered, heralding the start of the monsoon season. David did not fancy having to navigate the unpredictable Hooghly river up to Calcutta in the Monsoon and instructed the Master to set all full sail in order to outrun this upcoming change in the weather.


It was early on the second morning after this that the hail from the lookout informed him of a sail sighted due East.


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Hoping for a fat French merchantman, David instructed the helmsman to
turn in order to investigate this unexpected sighting. The Nottingham was beat to quarters and stripped down to fighting trim. It was soon clear from the deck that she was not a merchant but a Frigate, and as she came about to display her already open gun ports that the colours being displayed were Spanish.


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With no more ado both ships passed bow to bow and saluted each other with a broadside.


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The aim of both ships was good, and each one lost men and took other damage as well.


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Although Nottingham seemed to weather it better, her all teak construction absorbing the enemy shot with fewer splinters maiming the sailors.


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David now ordered the Nottingham to come about, and with shortened sail she achieved a position across the stern of what could clearly be seen to be the Spanish fourth rated Ifigenia.


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However, neither ship had as yet reloaded and the chance to do serious damage was lost.

McBride wished for those Carronades awaiting him at Calcutta.


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Ifigenia was now taken aback, but this actually benefited her by bringing some guns to bear sufficiently to rake the Nottingham.


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No great damage was sustained but more hands fell on the Nottingham's Forecastle. A loss she could scarcely afford without her Marines aboard.


The turning movement continuing now allowed Nottingham to come head to wind, and David took the opportunity to use his first double shotted Starboard broadside at close range to discomfort the Spaniard further, by bringing down her Main Top Gallant.


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With both ships hardly underway and swinging wildly thy came together by the bow.

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entangled, and in the turmoil both captains gave the order to board the enemy.

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A fierce melee now took place swarming across the decks of both ships.


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Finally Nottingham's crew just got the better of the Spanish, and her captain was forced to strike.

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The bad news as far as McBride was concerned was that with a prize crew aboard the Spaniard, he had hardly enough men to man his own ship, and thus both were forced to head for the Hooghly without the chance of taking any fat merchantmen as prizes.

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Afterword:- As luck would have it the next ship drawn to replace the captured Iphigenia was indeed a French Merchantman.

Bligh.

Butcher's bill.


I think this speaks for itself.

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Rob.

Oh,OH. This aint looking good or am I reading too much into the preamble?

Not so bad as you might have expected, but worse than I wanted when I wrote the Brief.
I expected us all to end the year with at least a brace of fat merchantmen each. My first draw would have to be a B Frigate with a better than useless Captain. I have taken out 74s with Nottingham. I think it is high time for that refit.
Rob.

Close, could have been a lot worse. You might all be languishing in a Spanish dungeon as 'not everyone expects the Spanish Inquisition!'

Bad luck, atleast you didn't run across a 74 or 100. A frigate is no small prize though.

As I mentioned Hugh, i have with a lucky move taken down a 74 with Nottingham, but a First rater is certainly one to run away from, unless it happens to be on a reef at the time.:happy:
Rob.