AAR: At War Again - Chance for Glory or the Grave
Captain Frederick Wentworth entered the after cabin of HMS Victory where Commodore George Croft was enjoying an unusually good bottle of Claret recently captured from the French ship Imperial.
"You sent for me, sir?" Wentworth offered.
"Ah! There you are. I was about to write out your orders for you, when this gentleman told me he already had them written and they are for you alone to open, and at sea! Can you believe it, Wentworth?"
Wentworth only then noticed the slim man in a brown coat standing near a corner behind him. He approached with an intense stare that made Wentworth feel uncomfortable.
"I do not." Wentworth said hesitantly, "And who may you be?".
"I am Mr. Smith and that is all you need to know." the man said to introduce himself in a whiny voice.
"All spies, and all persons whatsoever, who shall come, or be found, in the nature of spies, to bring or deliver any seducing letters or messages from any enemy or rebel, or endeavor to corrupt any captain, officer, mariner, or other in the fleet, to betray his trust, being convicted of any such offense by the sentence of the court martial, shall be punished with death..." Wentwoth quoted from the Articles of War.
"That is about the enemy's spies." Smith replied sourly with an emphasis on "enemy" making him seem even more whiny.
"How can I tell one from the other if I can't even read my orders before I sail?"
"Come now, belay that talk. We must be friends. It is the French that should get to taste our sharp tongues and swords. Let us have a drink and then part as friends. I know of your orders from friends of mine in the Admiralty. I think you will be pleased." Commodore Croft said pouring glasses.
"These things should never leave their intended audience. How can we keep secrets if every admiral tells all his friends!" Smith whined on.
"What should we drink to?" the admiral interrupted.
"To your new flagship! To Victory!" Wentworth concluded.
To the Admiralty
It was during the night to the seventh, helped by a fortunate fog, I took HMS Indefatigable as ordered, into the bay using only topsails, to establish the enemy's strength and if possible take any present ship or ships as prize.
The initial set up. I taped thread to the mat to get the squares.
"By the deep fourteen." the leadsman announced in a strong voice.
After much hushing he instead whispered in an unnatural voice "By the mark thirteen."
"Two points to larboard." Wentworth said in a very low voice to the Master, Mr. Weston.
"Still no sign of any ships, sir." came silently from the lookouts.
Revealed the middle chit and made a slight turn to cover the outer squares.
"By the deep eight." came still awkwardly whispered and was then followed by a "And sand."
A splash followed by,
"By the deep six."
Another splash followed by,
"By the mark five."
More quickly came another splash.
"A quarter less five, sir."
"Off the larboard bow, sir. I thought I saw something in the fog."
"Hold soundings."
As soon as Wentworth saw the faint dark silhouette of a frigate he commanded in a whisper,
"Two points to starboard. Steady as she goes."
"She's a small 'un, Captain."
I used the "entangled" chits to mark ships and "sail" for empty squares. Embuscade found.
Soon there was a new whisper heard
"There's another ship, larboard bow, sir."
"Continue starboard turn." Wentworth whispered steadily.
Unité found and ships placed on the table.
As the Unité disappeared in the darkness and fog Wentworth ordered soundings to start again. He wanted to know and would be delighted to mark the charts and let the admiralty know everything of note about this harbour.
"By the mark ten."
The splashing and callings of the depth continued and was noted down.
"A third frigate to starboard, sir."
"Hard starboard and tack as quiet as you can, men. We do not want to make ourselves known just yet."
After a continued turn the last ship Hermione was found just outside the town.
View from the Indie.
Tacking close by.
"We have searched and measured the whole bay, sir. Surely there can't be another ship or sand bank in it."
"I believe you are right. Now we will make ourselves known. Set a course so we will rake the stem of the Unité with our double shotted starboard broadside, concentrate muskets on Embuscade and we will board her moments after. Reload the starboard guns with grapeshot to subdue Unité if she survives the initial broadside. Lieutenant Dashwood, you lead the boarders and take command once you've carried her."
Moving in for the kill.
After having identified three frigates in the bay, we initiated the action at two bells in the morning watch, by raking Unité and soon after boarding Embuscade.
A devastating broadside. If Indie been a third rate instead it would had had a good chance of sinking Unité in one blow. Now she was only crippled.
"Tha's... That's devastating, sir. The smashers cleaned the deck, sir." the Master said in astonishment. The otherwise common cheers when serving a hard blow to the enemy was not heard. Perhaps they were still keeping silent from having done so for hours.
"Reload men!" Wentworth shouted at the top of his lungs as if to break the spell.
"Unité and Embuscade have both cut their anchors, sir. They're trying to get under way."
"...starboard! Don't let Embuscade get away. Boarders ready! Marines keep firing!" Guns further away and their effect on Indefatigable drowned his first words, but his intentions were clear.
"The third frigate is firing, sir" came from a midshipman.
Hermione joined the fighting sooner than expected by firing from long range.
"Boarders away!" Wentworth commanded as soon as boarding hooks were secured, adding a "Good luck Mr. Dashwood."
"As soon as Mr. Dashwood and his men are across, cut away and turn into the wind. Make sure to tack as soon as possible or we will run aground."
"They carried her, sir!"
"Starboard broadside... Fire!"
"That swept the deck. She has struck. Hard larboard! Turn through the wind! Soundings!"
"And a half three."
"We're gonna make it." the Master, Mr. Weston exclaimed, more in the hopes of making it true than actually believing in it.
"Wait until the eggs are in the basket, Mr. Weston." Wentworth said having the same doubts.
"And a quarter three." the leadman announced.
"Brace! All hands brace!" Wentworth cried out.
"We've got men in the masts, sir. We're in the middle of a tack!" Mr Weston said with dread.
Apart from a slight touch of sand that carried away the fore topgallant mast whilst tacking, we had no trouble turning and engaging Hermione.
Mast damage was definitely the worst damage possible to get at this point.
"Report!" Wentworth demanded.
"Fore t'gallant mast came down bu' landed in the drink, sir. Don't think a man, lost, sir."
"Just left some copper in the sand, then, apart from that mast." Wentworth summed up. "Men! Keep at it! Cut away that mast! If we fail this tack we will be lost!"
"Ready starboard guns. Here she comes."
Once again their ears and the ships were battered by the great guns.
Randomly selected the card for second turn in red due to broken mast. Starboard would have been bad and would be another touch of ground. Instead forward arc fire from both frigates.
"'Er fore top mast's down! Let's see 'er make tha' turn now!"
"Marines! Fire!" Wentworth shouted, but the marines of both ships were more concerned of holding on than picking off targets, the Hermione heeling of her dragging mast and Indefatigable reeling from being freed of hers.
Even the defenders had trouble avoiding the banks in the early dawn.
"She'll run aground, no doubt." Mr. Weston stated.
"Unless she uses our newly plowed furrow." Wentworth commented.
During the following exchange of broadsides...
...the Indefatigable was not much damaged.
"Wentworth! We will head out to sea." Lt Dashwood's shout came to Wentworth while the ships passed each others, both tacking. Wentworth headed back for the Hermione. He needed to defeat her to be able to put a prize crew on Unité.
"She's going to rake us."
"No Mr. Weston. She will not turn enough to give her full broadside and we are partly shielded by the Unité." Wentworth answered, "If I have appreciated the situation correctly." he added to himself.
"Hard Starboard!" and continuing "It is no use giving them the opportunity."
While leaving Mr. Dashwood had a slight run in with the town battery having some effect but several of the prize crew got wounded and could not help in tacking out to sea. Great care was taken and Mr. Dashwoods exemplary seamanship alone saved the ship.
"We still have our double shotted larboard broadside. Let's make it count, Mr. Weston."
continuing "Take us close enough for boarding."
"She has struck!"
Having supplied both Unité and Hermione with prize crews, led by 2nd lieutenant Carter and Midshipman Martin respectively, the Indefatigable herself was very short of hands dearly needed to tack out of the bay.
"What are they doing? They will collide and surely sink each other if they keep this up."
After nearly colliding, which would have sunk both prizes, Mr Martin fell off letting Mr. Carter have a try to tack out of the bay while avoiding the batteries.
Due to the earlier damage to the foremast and rigging the Indefatigable came under fire from the town battery and exchanged balls that killed even more of the precious few crew left.
I proceeded out to sea without further incident and after much skillful tacking of both respective acting captains and crews, the two frigates followed.
I would like to especially mention lieutenant Dashwood, who in the boarding of Embuscade led his men with courage and dash making the Nelson manner come to mind.
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A superb demonstration of seamanship sir. Bravo.
Originally Posted by Union Jack
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