AAR - 2015 August mission - I'm Envious Only of Glory by ShadowDragon

[ShadowDragon]

‘I’m Envious Only of Glory’

My version of the 2015 Campaign scenario, ‘I’m Envious Only of Glory’, by TexaS:

https://sailsofglory.org/showthread....y-of-glory-%92

It was a strange couple – a British frigate, the HMS Orpheus and a pirate 3rd rate ship-of-the-line, the Argonauta. It was not your usual fleet.

Aboard the Argonauta, Captain Hal Sparrow had a bad feeling about the mission. Being nursemaid for a far-too-young Royal Navy captain, just wasn’t a proper for a pirate. He paced back and forth on the quarterdeck…back and forth…back and forth…until the ship’s Quartermaster, Ogechukwukama, finally had enough of it.

“You know what Gabriel and Anamaria said….we need to do this to stay in Admiral Wellesley’s good graces. The whole Caribbean knows what the Admiral did to Longshanks”, the African said, referring to the recent destruction of Langshanks’ fleet of three sloops. We cannot afford to be at war with the French, Spanish and British. Then we would be in need of the mercy of the Americans." Oge shuddered at that thought.

“Yes, you are right, Oge, but why did the captain have to be called ‘Hotspur’ – even if he is the son of the Admiral or maybe especially because he’s the son of the Admiral. It’s like my mother’s cursed me with her aspirations of the stage. Oh, I’m sorry…it’s Shakespeare.”

“I well aware of Shakespeare, Hal.”

“Captain Hal, please. The crew might be listening.”

“Sail ho!”, came the hail from the masthead lookout.

Hal and Oge peered intently at the ship as it hove into sight.

“She’s French”, concluded Oge.

“That will make Gabriel happy if we can do some damage Amiral Lamontagne’s fleet, but with, uh….Hotspur here, perhaps we should give turn away. She’s got the weather gauge.”




While the Argonauta slipped to starboard, the Orpheus headed straight towards the Neptune.




“What is that idiot doing? Is he trying to engage the Frenchman one-on-one? A frigate’s no match for a proper ship-of-the-line. I make it out to be the Neptune. 80 guns?” Hal asked Oge.

“Yes, the Neptune….80-guns.”




Hal ran quick calculations in his mind….the wind had picked up carrying the vessels closer together even quicker.

“Together we’re more than a match for the Neptune, but if Captain Henry ‘Hotspur’ Wellesley continues on his path to destruction, the Frenchie can take us out one at a time.”

“Best to keep back and wait for an opportunity”, advised Oge.

“Aye. Helmsman, keep slipping to starboard.”




The Orpheus closed with the Neptune - her crew was ready to grapple, but she was bow-straight at the Neptune and had no guns to bear on her enemy. The captain of the Neptune was wiser and steered to larboard at the last to bring the Neptune’s forward battery to bear on the smaller ship. It wasn’t a full broadside, but the Orpheus suffered greatly – a fire broke out on the frigate.”




[Note: I did the boarding action a turn too soon but I don’t think it affect the games outcome….]

The captain of the Neptune could not believe his luck. The Neptune was grappled with the smaller frigate such that the Neptune’s guns could with no reply from the Orpheus – and even better the smaller ship’s captain was eager for a boarding action – one the Frenchman believed he could not lose.

Meanwhile, the Argonauta held fire. Hal wanted to be in position for a full broadside. He needed maximum damage on the Neptune to counter the foolhardy action of Captain Hotspur Wellesley.





When Hal gave the order to fire, the Argonauta was in a perfect position for a full broadside while the Neptune could only respond with her forward larboard battery. The Neptune’s foremast was struck. It swayed for a bit and then gave way suddenly. Sails fell on something hot and burst into flame.




The captain of the Neptune had to make short work of the Orpheus so that his ship could disengage with the frigate so that he could engage the Argonauta at advantage or failing that to make break for it – he recognized the pirate flag as one belonging to the fleet of the treasonous Gabriel and knew that French naval officers could expect no mercy.




The crew of the Orpheus fought bravely enough but the numbers were against them. Hardly had the action begun when Captain Hotspur Wellesley went down with a wound. The 1st Lieutenant took the opportunity to end the slaughter and ordered the colours struck.




The Neptune struggled to disengage with the Orpheus while the Argonauta positioned herself for another telling blow.




Again, Hal’s timing was perfect, the Argonauta had a full broadside while the Neptune could only reply with half her guns. With his ship on fire and grievous crew casualties from the fight with the British sailors, the Neptune struck, but she had done made the Argonauta feel her sting – a round had hit the Argonauta’s mizzenmast and it snapped in two.




Oge’s mind was calculating the prize money that an 80-gun ship would fetch when Hal cried out.

“Damnation! What devilry is this?”

A boat had been lowered from the Neptune was heading for the Orpheus. The French captain was surrendering to the British ship.

“She’s our prize, surely!” exclaimed Hal.

“Well, remember that when Amiral Lamontagne put a prize of 2,000 francs on the head of Gabriel?”

“Yes.”

“Gabriel responded with a prize of 20,000 francs on the head of Lamontagne. We don’t have Lamontagne and we don’t have the Neptune, but the thanks of Admiral Wellesley must be worth something. Another day, Hal….another day,” remarked the philosophical African.

“That’s Captain Hal! Maybe you’re right, but there’ll be the devil to pay for this. Mark my words.”


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