AAR March Scenario. After the Storm. Or "For the French the Storm just goes on"!

AAR March Scenario: After the Storm

Preamble.
I was short of space which limited my playing area (see 1st photo) such that on two occasions ships left the visible playing area. I allowed for this and tracked their movement while ‘off table’ until they were able to return to the visible area. Secondly in looking at the rules again when I had finished I think I may have made an error in using a Ship-Sloop for the extra enemy ship when I perhaps should have used another Frigate? Due to storm damage I considered that the French Fleet would generally not be able to do better than two sails speed.
French (enemy) ships rolled a D6 as instructed with the following result: Genereau = 1,
Courageuse = 6, Carmagnole = 2, Alligator = 4 and the corresponding number of A damage chits were applied. A D6 was rolled again giving 4, 4, 3, 4 results thus all French ships chose the ‘Fight’ option.
Attachment 21681

Report to their Lordships of the Admiralty compiled by Captain Jacob Strawn, Commodore (Acting).


Move 1. French Fleet turn together into the wind.
HMS Sybille, in an effort to stay on station and, at the same time avoid colliding with the Flag, HMS Goliath, turns too close to the Fort and takes 7A damage. (422CC00). She cannot reply as she is double shotted and therefore out of range.
French Fleet all, except Alligator, reverse course while trying to turn across the wind.
Attachment 21682
Attachment 21683
Attachment 21684

Move 2. Alligator reduces speed from S2 to S1 thus enabling her to effect a much tighter turn
behind her consorts. HMS Sybille is having a bad day as she now does collides with
HMS Goliath and is still in range of the fort guns who ,luckily for her, are busy re-
loading. Capt. Strawn on Goliath sends a message to Sybille’s Captain to “repair on
board when the action is concluded”.
Attachment 21685
Attachment 21686


Move 3. Alligator again turns into the wind and this time manages to put herself at the mercy
of HMS Terpsichore’s opening double shotted broadside and takes 4 + 1 B (bonus)
damage (64331C). She replies with her own first double shotted broadside 1 + 1 B
damage (21CC). This exchange leaves Alligator a drifting wreck with all hull boxes
lost and she strikes.
Attachment 21687
Attachment 21688

Move 4. Captain Strawn on Goliath can not resist going alongside Alligator to inspect his prize
money, sorry, his prize and send a boarding party to take the Sloop in charge. He will
stay there alongside Alligator for all of move 5. Meanwhile the French Fleet have
again turned back into the wind with, this time, a bit more success. (At this point
Courageuse has gone ‘off table’ due to afore mentioned lack of full playing area
available but her position track is logged and she will be found at 1.1/2 base widths
from her ship card).
Attachment 21689
Attachment 21690

Move 5. HMS Terpsichore has reloaded her starboard broadside with single ball shot. The
French Fleet are still head to wind and have had a hard time avoiding collisions with
each other. (Courageuse is now back on to the visible playing surface). Things
suddenly look very bleak for HMS Terpsichore who takes full double shotted
broadsides from both Courageuse and Genereau while firing her own broadside into
Courageuse. ( Damage inflicted during this exchange of fire is: Terpsichore – 41CC
from Courageuse and 6520000 from Genereau and loses 4 hull boxes and 2 more
crew boxes. Courageuse takes 2C00 but had 2 points already so lost another hull box
and 1 more crew box).
Attachment 21691
Attachment 21692
Attachment 21687

Carmagnole gets caught up in the excitement of the moment and unleashes a full
broadside against HMS Sybille. She is dismayed to see her shot fall short as she had
forgotten she was double shotted and therefore out of range. Her Captain is in-
consolable when it is realised he could have put a partial broadside into the already
hard hit Terpsichore. His First Lieutenant is in for a severe talking too I fancy, for
giving the open fire order against the wrong target!
Attachment 21693
Attachment 21694

To be continued.

Part 2


Move 6. HMS Goliath and Alligator, under her prize crew, both get underway. HMS
Terpsichore reduces speed to 1S and turns into the wind. Carmagnole, and Genereau
both increase speed from S1 to S2. HMS Goliath sends her opening double shotted
broadside into Genereau (@ + 1 bonus) while HMS Sybille does the same to
Courageuse (also @ +1 bonus).. HMS Terpsichore is double shotted on her port
broadside and can not fire. (Genereau takes 433311C0 and Courageuse takes 43C0).
Attachment 21688


Move 7. HMS Terpsichore, Courageuse, Carmagnole and Genereau all reload broadsides.
HMS Goliath and Alligator both increase speed to S2. HMS Terpsichore once again
finds herself head to wind. Alligator, meanwhile, in trying to avoid coming into range
of the fort, also turns head to wind and braces for the expected fire from the fort and is
surprised when the fort’s guns stay silent. The battery commander in the fort either,
does not know that Alligator has struck or realises that any shot directed at the sloop
is liable to cause more French casualties than British. Genereau runs into the stern of
Carmagnole. Courageuse fires her rear broadside into HMS Goliath and both
exchange musket fire. Goliath takes 1B + 2E musket while Courageuse takes 3E
musket).
Attachment 21695
Attachment 21696


Move 8. HMS Goliath and HMS Sybille reload broadsides. Alligator, now jury rigged by well
trained veteran British tars of the prize crew, increases speed to S3 as do Goliath,
Sybille and Terpsichore. Carmagnole makes a complete mess of trying to cross the
head wind and is forced at speed into the rock strewn shore at the base of the Island
and from the look of her she will probably never sail again. Stranded on the rocks and holed
below the waterline she is destined to get smashed and broken by the waves which constantly
crash against this shoreline. (She receives 5B damage). 4422C0.HMS Goliath and HMS
Sybille fire raking broadsides into Courageuse stern while Genereau replies with a long range
rear broadside into Goliath. (Courageuse takes 6 + 3A damage from Goliath and 3 + 1A from
Sybille = 43311CC00 and 42C0 respectively. Goliath takes 3a from Genereau = 11C0).
Courageuse strikes! HMS Terpsichore drops a boat and sends a prise crew to take possession.
Attachment 21697
Attachment 21698

Move 9. Genereau still unable to cross the wind now stands in to the channel which runs
behind the Island, drops her boats and is towed further toward the bend in the
channel where she is effectively trapped as HMS Goliath takes station at the fort end
signals Terpsichore and Sybille to block the channel entrance. Captains repair on
board Goliath for a conference where it is decided to do as much damage repair as
possible overnight and on the morrow to send Sybille will attempt to enter the channel behind
Genereau, who can not turn due to her size, and when in range Sybille will lay out
kedge anchors and swing herself broadside on across the channel from where she
should be able to rake Genereau’s stern at will without reply. Genereau must either
strike or sink.
Attachment 21699
Attachment 21700


HMS Goliath 1 crew box.
HMS Terpsichore 4 hull boxes & 4 Crew boxes. Ouch!
HMS Sybille 2 hull boxes & 2 crew boxes.
Attachment 21701

Generau 3 hull boxes & 1 crew box. Trapped and in danger of capture or
destruction.
Courageuse 7 (all) hull boxes & 5 crew boxes. Surrendered and taken as prize.
Carmagnole 3 hull boxes and 1 crew box. Badly damaged, holed below the
waterline, stuck firmly on the rocks with no chance of being
salvaged. Even getting her guns and stores ashore would be virtually
impossible.
Alligator 5 (all) hull boxes & 2 crew boxes. Surrendered and taken as prize.
Attachment 21702

Sirs, I have the honour to remain your most humble servant.
Captain Jacob Strawn, Commodore (Acting).

Copy to Capt. Bartholomew Smithly aboard HMS Queen Charlotte.

Please note that I uploaded the wrong photo for move 6 above. Should have been this one. Apologies.
Attachment 21703

Very nice battle!

Some difficult manoeuvring there and as a result some unfortunate fire from the fort and that fine French frigate destroyed.

It turned out very well in the end. I hope the good commodore is not to upset at the captain of the Sybille.

Great action Reg, rep gun jammed at present. Will fire a broadside yourway when next able.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TexaS

Very nice battle!

Some difficult manoeuvring there and as a result some unfortunate fire from the fort and that fine French frigate destroyed.

It turned out very well in the end. I hope the good commodore is not to upset at the captain of the Sybille.

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Given his overwhelming victory Capt. Strawn was in gracious mood and nothing more was said on the matter.

An overhelming victory indeed, well done! :thumbsup:

Nicely done, looks like I performed the worst so far!!

The Admiral will have harsh words for my Captains indeed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Torrence

An overhelming victory indeed, well done! :thumbsup:

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The deciding factor, without a doubt, was the wind direction and the fact that the French Fleet entered the playing area at the top end. They just could not turn into and across the wind and for most of the game did what the wind wanted rather than what they wanted.

A trivial matter such as a small table caused a lot of your woes Reg.
With a greater angle for the French to start in they could sail a couple more points off the wind to weather the tip of the island. As it was they had to try and tack, in a confined space.
The action was well fought and most enjoyable to follow.
One small matter of interest. Prizes should not be sailed with the Fleet whilst a general action is in progress.
This was Admiralty standing orders from about 1700 onward. It prevented ships from disrupting the battle line by perusing prizes, and also getting prizes between ships and masking off fire. That is one of the reasons why so many captured ships managed to re-hoist their colours and make off near the end of a battle. Ships could drop boats for boarding, but every prize crew dispatched deprived the ship of fighting resources.
Nelson was very clever to get around this rule, when he used one ship to which he was already attached to use as a springboard attack and board another alongside it. he never actually left the Line of Battle.
Having said this, the Admiralty regulations were often disobeyed in the heat of an action.
Rob.

I believe that Captain Strawn is a great admirer of Lord Nelson. I will say no more apart from broken rules if you win are very different to broken rules should you lose!

Onwards and upwards Reg. Great AAR, keep them coming. Examination rep Canon powder still damp. Will try again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dr.Maturin

I believe that Captain Strawn is a great admirer of Lord Nelson. I will say no more apart from broken rules if you win are very different to broken rules should you lose!

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Indeed they are Reg. Indeed they are.
And as the Admiral on station you have a say in proceedings. It's the way you phrase your Dispatches to the Admiralty that counts. As Nelson said when asked about the competence of Captain Berry. " He is my right arm."
Rob.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bligh

A trivial matter such as a small table caused a lot of your woes Reg.
With a greater angle for the French to start in they could sail a couple more points off the wind to weather the tip of the island. As it was they had to try and tack, in a confined space.Rob.

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Hi Rob
IO take your point about the starting point of the French Fleet but if you remove the first in line, this being the 'extra' ship which was a very nible sloop which was able to handle the wind, then the second in line is about the same distance from the island as shown in the scenario brief, more or less?
Thanks for the Rep.