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

[Dr.Maturin]

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.


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.




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”.




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.



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).



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).




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!



To be continued.