AAR: Duty and Daring - Danger and Determination

[TexaS]

Captain Frederick Wentworth had been lucky. He had managed to take Océan, a 120 gun, first rate ship of the line with his heavy frigate HMS Indefatigable. Sure, the battery he took with the extra detachment marines did lend him a most valuable hand, and the leeward shore had made the enemy vessels maneuvering very limited, but he had done it. He had done the impossible.

But now his luck had changed. After sending the carpenter and his mate to see to the price, his own ship had still some damage from the battle. The price on the other hand, was still in a much worse state. There had been fires aboard her that had to be repaired at a well stocked port. Several guns had been not only dismounted, but knocked around so much they could not be fired with any safety and a few had exploded in the fires. The sails and rigging had been hastily repaired to allow the ship to be taken out to sea, not an easy task as evident by the good try Contre-amiral Alphonse Bissette had given it. To top it all off, as he headed for the nearest friendly port, a storm had approached from sea. To avoid the brute of it Wentworth had decided to lay a course closer to the shore, but the hard winds still made the price loose not only her main- and foremasts but her damaged rudder gave too. The weather had eased up, but the Océan was drifting towards the leeway shore. Without her boats, which had been used by French sailors to easily reach the nearby land at the time of capture, she was helpless.



Set up.

- "Mon dieu! My ship! My dear Océan!" Bissette exclaimed as he came out onto the quarter deck to see Captain Wentworth. She's not yours anymore, my good admiral, Wentworth thought to himself, and I will lose her too if I don't act quickly.



- "Set sail for the Océan! Ready a tow cable and a trowing rope." he commanded into his speaking trumpet. "We will have to catch up." he added to himself.
- "What was zat?" asked Bissette caressing his bandaged arm but standing steady from years of experience in the heavy sea.
- "Nothing, sir! I was just trying to make out how quickly she runs. It must be at least four knots. That hull acts as if a sail itself. It's a good thing we're closer to the shore than her and not that far behind. This way we can catch up and pull her to safety."



Turn 1. No enemy.

- "Catch her as we pass on the leeward side!" Wentworth ordered Midshipman Robert Martin.
- "Ay, ay, captain." he answered and left for the forecastle.



Turn 2. No enemy.

- "Throw the rope!"
- "Pull in the cable!"



Towing cable successfully attached.

- "Secure the cable!"



Turn 3. Still no enemy.

- "Close-haul us, Mr Weston." Wentwort said to the master but continuing to his guest he offered "Now that she's secured in tow we can go below and have some tea, if you please, sir."
- "Zat would be a delight, monsieur."
Wentworth could not help feeling a warmth for the middle-aged French admiral. He was a caring man and an inspiring leader and that made him the worst kind of enemy; the kind you don't want to fight.



Turn 4. Enemy appeared. As I was using Indie, although slightly wounded, I decided to upgrade the 74 a little.
I used the "experimental" stats for a Tonnant-Class 80 gun ship.

- "Sail ahoy!" came from the top.
- "Where about?" Wentworth asked, but seeing the ship well hull up he didn't wait for an answer;
- "Beat to quarters!" adding "Dashwood, take down the name of the look out." before remembering that lieutenant Dashwood was on the Océan now behind him.
- "It's Dick Musgrove, sir" he heard Mr. Martin, who had returned to the quarter deck, say behind him.
- "I'm not interested in his name. Write it down for later." he answered but shouted "Ready the larboard guns. Fire as you bare. I want to get windward of that ship."
- "It's a Tonnant-class but I don't know her name. Are you familiar, sir?" Wentworth said offering his glass to the contre-amiral.
- "It is ze Alexandre, I believe, sir." he answered without taking the glass. "Her Capitaine de vaisseau, Charles-Leon Babineaux est un très bon ami à moi." he continued with excitement adding a "Excusez-moi. I got carried away. 'E was supposed to meet up wiz me."
- "De rien." Wentworth answered "I'm sorry to say we will have to fight him. You are welcome to stay on deck as long as you don't interfere in any way, sir, but you will be safer below deck."



Turn 5.

- "She turns! She turns into the wind! She's tacking! We'll be able to rake her." Mr Martin could not hide his excitement.
- "We should be so lucky." Wentworth said doubtingly "Fire as you bare!"



Turn 5. Firing.

- "I sure would like to keep her at a distance," Wentworth muttered "but we will have to get some speed and then we will have to ease off."
- "Two point to larboard." he shouted.



Turn 6.

- "She failed her tack, sir!" Mr Martin said excitedly.
- "She was under fire, which we will be in any second now. Are you sure you want to stay, sir?" he asked Bissette.
- "Yes. Do not worry for my security. It will be worse coming home to France, monsieur."



Turn 6. Firing. The tow held. French damage is 3, 2, 2 Crew, Crew, 0

As the French ship turned from her failed tack, her side lit up and was covered in smoke. She fired at Indefatigable, but as French gunners often do she fired high. There were still some damage and from the scream at least one man seriously hurt.
- "The Océan, sir. She's firing!"
- "Good man, Dashwood!" Wentworth exclaimed "Give her a good thrashing with those big guns."