AAR. June Solo mission "Intercept" Captain Mc Bride.
Twixt cup and lip.
For once Captain David McBride was in no doubt as to his orders.
The usual convoluted and verbose communications from Bombay Castle, had for once been most specific.
"Intercept the French Frigate Proserpine…….. and detain the V.I.P. that you will find on board."
There followed a list of coordinates describing the route which the Frenchman would take. How on earth the Company Directors at the Castle had come by such detailed information David could not imagine.
Anyway the proof that they were accurate was there before him. From his Quarterdeck, In the early dawn light, he could clearly see the Frenchman as he stole Eastward, hugging the coastline and thus trying to conceal his presence.
" Well Monsewer you are nicely trapped between the coast and the Devil in the form of my 40 gun Frigate." He remarked to himself, knowing full well that the faster French ship could out sail him. David was pleased that the ship's Captain had tried subterfuge rather than trying to gain more sea room.
Noticing a slight shift in the wind as they closed,
David gave the order to change the Nottingham's heading two points to Port in order to close even faster on the Frenchman.
No sooner had he done so than the French frigate altered its own course as if to cut astern of the Nottingham.
"Got you now my boyo."
The British Frigate came hard a Port.
"Fire as you bear." At point blank range the double shotted first broadside scythed into the bows of the Frenchman reaping hell fire and destruction, as the carronades ripped it apart from stem to stern.
David was, however, disappointed to notice that no masts fell, as he was hoping to cut the speed of his adversary to match his own.
As the two ships drew apart, the Proserpine's feeble double shotted reply, was indicative of how badly mauled she had been by the British ship's onslaught. One more pass and a boarding party would surely settle the matter.
As if to help in this enterprise the French ship still partially out of control, as the Captain frantically tried to restore order to his decimated crew, came up into the eye of the wind and was taken aback.
Even better, as the Nottingham came about in pursuit, the wind backed a further few degrees, allowing her to tack smartly with her full crew in control, without suffering the same results as the Frenchman.
As the French tried to regain top speed, the Nottingham started what looked to be a long end chase.
in this fitful wind would the two ships be able to weather the distant headland without being forced to tack once more?
The French Captain had obviously decided not, as he came about to Starboard once more.
As soon as David saw the Frenchman's sails shiver, he also gave the order to come about, and being on the shorter radius closed with the Proserpine again.
For the second time the French captain tried to cut across the wake of the Nottingham.
David was now faced with a dilemma. he was in a perfect position to deliver another rake, however, he had noticed a figure in Army Uniform upon the Poop deck talking animatedly to the French captain and one of the helmsmen.
This was undoubtedly the VIP which the Orders mentioned, and sweeping the decks with Grape would inevitably endanger his life.
David reluctantly ordered his guncrews to stand down, and instead put the helm hard a port in an endeavor to board the Frenchman.
With an alacrity he had not previously shown, the Frenchman now put up his own helm and sweeping past the side of the Nottingham, added insult to injury by peppering the decks with musket fire, which again for obvious reasons David dared not order returned by his Marines.
Now fully reloaded with Double shot, and well to windward, the Proserpine gave David a farewell salute from its broadside guns.
Although not devastating, it had now rendered Nottingham's crew to a very depleted state, and incapable of guaranteeing a successful boarding action.
David could not outrun it, and seeing his quarry in danger of slipping through his fingers, had to take one last gamble.
Bringing the Nottingham about, he ordered the so far unused broadside to open fire again at short range.
The devastation to the Proserpine was horrific, and at long last the mast for which David had been hoping, fell alongside the ship and started to drag it around towards the Nottingham.
In one desperate attempt to stave off defeat the French returned what fire they could muster.
Feeble though it was, a falling block struck David down on the quarterdeck moments before the French colours came fluttering down on their own ship.
When David's Second Lieutenant and Captain of Marines stepped onto the French ship to accept its surrender, there was not one Officer left to carry out the Office on the Ship.
The Master's mate eventually took on the role. Amongst the fallen was discovered the body of the V.I.P.
As David recovered in his cabin, his head swathed in bandages, he reflected on the Picric victory, which had gained him a floating hulk as a prize, a concussion, a decimated ships crew, and a dead VIP. Well at least he did not manage to carry to fruition whatever plan he ha in mind.
Maybe an examination of his papers would be forthcoming.
Whatever the outcome David was sure that he would not get a warm welcome from the board of Directors when he docked in Bombay.
Bligh.
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On reflection, I'm not sure if that is a better thing or not.
Originally Posted by Bligh
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