AAR: Our ships were British oak, and hearts of oak our men - and nerves of iron.

[TexaS]

The signal "All captains come aboard" had been hoisted from the mizzen mast of the first rate ship of the line, HMS Queen Charlotte and a course of action had been decided and delegated. It was followed by a dinner that had reached the desserts. Commodore Croft, the host of the evening, turned to Harrington.
- "Your capture did save us a lot of trouble, Harrington! Now we have an idea of what the french is up to. Pity Castor has that infernal leak. You have to make sure to get it repaired properly. You never know when that can come back to haunt you. And congratulations on your price. I'm sure the navy will take her into service and pay you handsomely." He laughed heartily, thinking of how it would provide himself with a nice sum.
- "I will, sir, but I'm afraid it's hard to do out of port. We were holed below the waterline, but the carpenter assures me he can repair it. He has done wonders before. Just give me a few days and she will be ship shape again, sir."
- "Well, we will have to act now. As you cannot join in I will have to ask for your marines. The harbours from where the french fleet will set sail will get a ship of the line and some the support of a frigate but sadly we'll run out of ships of the line before harbours. This makes me send you, Captain Wentworth alone as you have both in your Indefatigable." he said turning to Wentworth and chuckling to himself before continuing "It's a minor harbour with a tricky inlet and I expect no big trouble there and the marines will come in handy as there's a battery you could make good use of, if you take it."
- "I'm infinitely obliged, sir!" Wentworth said "I will fill your expectations, sir."
- "Gentlemen. Remember that we can't let those ships gather. Now, let's take control of THIS port." Croft said reaching for the bottle.


The squadron

I chose my HMS Indefatigable as the ship to play.

- "I hear the captain wrecked his previous ship, the small sloop HMS Asp, in a useless attack. No survivors." said seaman Richard Musgrove, or Dick as he was known.
- "That can't be! He hasn't done anything like that during these last good six months he's held this command." his friend complained.
- "He's just waiting for the chance. Why do you think there's all those marines in the boats heading for us?"
- "Stowe that chattering!", the Lieutenant's booming voice cried over the crowd. The seamen all straightened, and soon strained to see the captain returning from commodores ship with the new orders. Climbing up the side and onto the deck Wentworth's appearance revealed nothing. They all saluted him as he headed for his cabin with a "Lieutenants with me".

They stood looking at the charts on the table between them. Pointing to a small island in the inlet to the harbour, Wentworth said:
- "If we could take this battery by a night action, we could surprise any enemy ship trying to leave. We could lay the Indefatigable behind the island out of sight. When the battery opens up on any french ship trying to leave, we use the confusion and set sail for a furious attack."


Boat in the water

I chose to only use the 2 complimentary marines.

It was a dark, cloudy night, but no fog as there had been . A few men of the crew and the marines worked hard at the oars. Straining his eyes Wentworth could just make out the battery. There was no light! Perhaps they were all asleep? If he was right this would be an easy assault he thought, checking his pistol for the ninth time. His seamen were in the water pulling on the boat before the thud of the bottom hitting the sand. They were joined by marines and they all went ashore. Wentworth checked his pistol again and motioned for the marines to follow him, while the seamen stayed with the boats.


Landing party attacking

I rolled a 6 and the landing party was successful.

He had been right. The battery had only one guard and he was asleep with an empty wine bottle beside him next to the guns. It was not long before marines had secured the gun crews and were checking the stores. A furnace! The possibility for heated shot pleased him considerably. Wentworth ordered the furnaces be lit and their first shot should be heated shot, but as soon as the action started they should use ordinary ball. He felt that reloading times were very important and knew of the catastrophic consequences of crews not used to heated shot being careless in the heat of battle.


Initial positions. I ended up moving the french ship a little further out.

I had hoped for a 74 and a 32 or two 32s with the possibility to perhaps catch both.

The word spread aboard that there was a signal from the battery. The french were trying to break out.
- "Captain, sir, a signal from the fort. A ship of the line, if I've read it right, sir." said lieutenant John Dashwood.
- "Very well! Prepare to set sails. Raise anchor! Do we know which way she's coming?"
- "Not yet, sir."


The three decker visible beyond the island.

The Indie started with no sails, setting backing sails straight ahead, unsure of which way the french ship would go.

- "I can see sails past the island. It's the southern side, sir."
- "Set a course for east-southeast."
- "Ay, ay, sir. East-southeast it is, sir."
The sails seen beyond the island were huge, the masts appeared taller than on HMS Queen Charlottte. Wentworth hurried up to the bow as the Indefatigable slowly filled its sails. He raised his glass to his eye, studying the appearing three decker that was majestically moving as close to the wind as she could. He felt a chill down his spine. He lowered the glass, there was no need for it. It was an Océan-class, and it was closer then he'd ever seen an enemy first rate. The Océan itself, if he wasn't mistaken, not easy to be when there's only three known to have been built and the other two lost, Orient exploding at the Nile and Commerce de Marseille captured in Toulon. He knew that even though his frigate had thicker hull sides than any other frigate, it was still only a frigate. "I cannot flee without a fight, but I have no chance to win broadside to broadside." he thought to himself. Quickly evaluating his options a plan started forming in his head. "She is sailing against the wind in a tight space and she'll have to pass in front of the battery. If she catch fire from the heated shot and if I could rake her... then perhaps I could make her turn back." He knew he had to try.



Turn 1, French do a red turn out of the wind. I decide to ignore the risk of running aground.

- "Set full sails!" he said loudly on returning to the quarterdeck. "As soon as we have cleared the island come to east southeast by east and make sure the larboard guns are ready to fire."
- "Are you going to attack a 120 gun first rate ship of the line with a frigate, sir?" Dashwood asked in disbelief.
- "Look how she turns into the wind, just to fall off again as if a failed attempt at tacking. See how heavily she sails. There's our chance. She has to fight against the wind in front of a leeway shore and we can combine our fire with the battery. We carry 24 pounders, not the light guns of ordinary frigates. We can hurt her."
- "If you say so, sir."



Turn 3, Fire between battery and the first rate. The french ship had to turn into red and back to avoid running on ground.

The battery fired it's first salvo and the heated shot struck home. Wentworth could see a faint glow in the huge ship.
- "That's the way to do it!" he shouted "Now let's see what we can contribute. Prepare to tack immediately after the broadside!"
Wentworth heard the command "Run out your guns!" and prepared to give the order.
- "Fire!" It wasn't a raking broadside, but he had to turn before the coast and he didn't want to get too close to the giant.
- "Hard starboard!" Wentworth shouted as soon as the last gun had fired. As the wind blew the smoke from the guns away he noted that the broadside didn't have much effect on the large ship.



Turn 5, Not having a correct battery made it able to fire at the ship, but the range too far to fire back. Not very good, but I thought it wouldn't matter as the first rate would leave the arc for the rest of the game anyway.

HMS Indefatigable turned nimbly into the wind and completed her tack without incident. The crew rushed to the starboard battery as fast fast they could.


Both ships tacking.

Turning hard away from the enemy into the wind.

- "Ready starboard broadside!" Wentworth roared as the ship turned. "FIRE"
It was too early for a massed fire and only the rear most guns could be brought to bear.


Firing.

Turn 6, Rear arc for Player and fore arc for AI. According to rules It shouldn't fire hoping for a better position.

- "Continue a starboard turn. I want the whole broadside to bear!"