AAR. The battle of Cape Ortagal.

**Bligh** · 10-26-2021, 08:57

My own tribute to Trafalgar Day, was to set up a re-enactment, not of the battle itself, but of the aftermath fought on the 4th of November between a British Squadron under the command of Captain Sir Richard Strachan, and the ships under the command of Rear Admiral Dumanoir le Pelley who had escaped from the Battle of Trafalgar with most of the French part of the Van under his command during the battle...

The action started with the sighting of the French by the British Frigate Phoenix commanded by Captain Thomas Baker. Dumanoir gave chase, and Baker drew them onto the British Squadron. Strachan then began a pursuit of the French which stretched out over the next night.
On the morning of the third of November Strachan was joined by the extra frigate Santa Margarita, and the chase continued. It went on all that day and the next night with the British gradually adding extra ships to the squadron as they caught up. Two of the frigates, closed on the rear of the French squadron at about 5.45 on the morning of the 4th of November and the battle commenced.

**Bligh** · 10-26-2021, 09:00

The positions of ships as shown on map one.

**Bligh** · 10-26-2021, 09:02

The pursuing British Frigates opened fire at long range on the French rear.

**Bligh** · 10-26-2021, 09:03

Scipion takes serious damage from HMS Revolutionairre and a small conflagration starts.

**Bligh** · 10-26-2021, 09:04

And Mont Blanc also takes damage from HMS Santa Margarita.

**Bligh** · 10-26-2021, 09:05

Their reply from the stern chasers is insubstantial.

**Capn Duff** · 10-26-2021, 13:43

Great action Rob, will cross this one off my Doncaster list

**Bligh** · 10-26-2021, 15:35

I was actually going to do this at Doncaster next year Chris.

Rob.

**Baxter** · 10-26-2021, 15:50

What a marvellous AAR. Very well fought indeed. It is a bit of a bother to me though that those British ships have French and Spanish names. Presumably they were captured at some point? They should have all been renamed with proper English names eg. HMS Alfie, HMS Roast Beef etc etc. What do you think?

**Diamondback** · 10-26-2021, 18:08

Either captures or named in memory of prior captures.

**Bligh** · 10-27-2021, 00:49

If you have a look here, you can find out all about the captains the battle and at the bottom the Battle order. Hover over the ships names and click and it will take you to the ships biography.

https://sailsofglory.org/showthread....ight=hms+namur

Rob.

**Bligh** · 10-27-2021, 01:05

Thank you very much for the Rep Gary, I am glad you enjoyed my Trafalgar tribute game, even if the ship names were a bit of a confusion. Strange to say, but when the captured French ships were taken into service they were all given English type names save HMS Mont Blanc.
Unfortunately none were given the epithet HMS Roast Beef, or HMS Yorkshire Pudding for that matter.

Rob.

**Baxter** · 10-27-2021, 01:30

Just joking. Mind you, saying Bellerophon caused a lot of problems amongst the unwashed as you have pointed out.

**Bligh** · 10-27-2021, 02:59

Originally Posted by Baxter

Just joking. Mind you, saying Bellerophon caused a lot of problems amongst the unwashed as you have pointed out.

Be wary about what jokes you make Gary. They may return to bite your bum.

**TexaS** · 10-28-2021, 01:05

Nice battle. Really well done!

**TexaS** · 10-28-2021, 02:01

About the names, by the way, British sailors had their own names for ships with names they thought were hard to pronounce.

Vincy Joe, Billy Ruffian, Eggs and Bacon, Belly Squeaks, Jenny Rooks, Polly Infamous, Andrew Mackay, Dead Nose.

Can you figure out which name hides behind the descriptions?

**Bligh** · 10-28-2021, 03:14

I know that Billy Ruffian is Bellerophon, and suspect that Polly Infamous is Polyphemus, as for the rest ?

Rob.

**TexaS** · 10-28-2021, 03:20

Those are correct, Rob, but I suspect you can guess which is Lord Nelson’s favorite ship.

The French ones may be a bit harder.

**DeRuyter** · 10-28-2021, 11:07

Originally Posted by TexaS

Those are correct, Rob, but I suspect you can guess which is Lord Nelson’s favorite ship.

The French ones may be a bit harder.

Eggs and Bacon = Agamemnon?

**Diamondback** · 10-28-2021, 11:01

Vincy Joe is Vincejo, Belly Squeaks is Belliquese, Andrew Mackay is Andromache, Dead Nose is Dedaigneuse. Jenny Rooks = Genereux?

**DeRuyter** · 10-28-2021, 11:11

Great AAR Rob.

I ran this battle some years ago at a US show. If I recall correctly I applied post Trafalgar battle damage to several of the ships.

My only concern is that the frigates caused too much damage. I think this would be a good situation to apply Dobb's weight of shot rules!

**Bligh** · 10-28-2021, 12:31

Yes Eric I agree,
and to think that I nearly left the frigates out until I re-read the action and found out what difference they made. I decided not to deprive Formidable of the guns they cast overside whilst scarpering from Trafalgar. It's a good job that I didn't otherwise the battle would have been over even sooner.
Rob.

**Bligh** · 10-28-2021, 12:36

Tomorrow i will start dropping in the ship cards for this action in case anyone fancies having a go at it. At the moment I'm clearing up after this weeks game which I ran today.

Rob.

**Argo** · 10-28-2021, 14:55

Great AAR, an inspiration for future games

!

**Bligh** · 10-28-2021, 15:16

Thanks Achim. If it encourages anyone to get started on the write up of their own games it will be well worth the effort.
Rob.

**Dobbs** · 10-28-2021, 15:18

Yep, great AAR, Rob!

I was also surprised at the amount of damage the frigates delivered. Eric, the only thing about my weight of shot rules is that it applies to 12pdr frigates or smaller. I think all the ones in Bligh's engagement were 18 pdrs.

The French should have turned enmass and devoured the frigates before the English 74's could get there.

What am I saying!? I'm responsible for a number of lost 74's.

**Diamondback** · 10-28-2021, 18:24

Santa Margarita should be a 12pdr IIRC, I'll have to doublecheck.

**Bligh** · 10-29-2021, 12:51

Yes DB. she is a 36 gun 12 lbr.

Aeolus is a 32 gun 18 lbr.

Phoenix a 36 18 lbr.

As far as I know after her capture by the British Revolutionnaire became a 38 gun 18 lbr. but from 1803 she replaced her top deck 18 lbrs. for 32 lbr. Carronades.

Rob.

**Bligh** · 10-29-2021, 13:03

...

**Bligh** · 10-29-2021, 13:04

...

**Bligh** · 10-29-2021, 13:05

...

**TexaS** · 10-29-2021, 00:32

You got them all.

I have thought about the difference between frigates and ships of the line before. In the Battle of the Nile there was an incident that clearly showed the power difference and that is hard to recreate in Sails of Glory.

**Comte de Brueys** · 11-03-2021, 00:38

Brilliant reenactment, Rob.

Thank you for this historical based scenario.

**Bligh** · 11-03-2021, 01:27

Thank you for the Rep my dear Comte. If you can make Doncaster next year, I'm hoping that you will do me the honour of commanding the French Fleet in the Action.

Rob.

**Vagabond** · 11-16-2021, 03:54

Rob I don't know if it's my internet connection being slow but I can't see any of the later pictures you've posted.
Cheers

**Bligh** · 11-16-2021, 04:23

Where does the problem start John?
Rob.

**Vagabond** · 11-16-2021, 04:40

Originally Posted by Bligh

Where does the problem start John?
Rob.

I can see HMS Caesar but no pictures after that.

**TexaS** · 11-16-2021, 04:43

Same for me.

**Bligh** · 11-16-2021, 13:04

Can you see HMS Courageux now chaps.
If so I will amend the others, but it may take a day or so because it is a bit of a rigmarole to do.

Rob.

**Diamondback** · 11-16-2021, 14:18

Courageux shows fine here!

This is a good "bite-size" mixed engagement; I've tried to suggest Ares look at it as a small-scale developmental model for working toward The Big One.

**Bligh** · 11-16-2021, 15:26

Goodon all fronts DB. it would be great to see that come to pass. Also, now I know why the pictures failed I can get the others put back.
Thanks for the feedback.
Rob.

**Bligh** · 11-17-2021, 13:37

...

**Bligh** · 11-17-2021, 13:39

......

**Bligh** · 11-17-2021, 13:40

...

**lankin** · 11-17-2021, 22:40

thanks a lot, now it works for me.

**Bligh** · 11-18-2021, 00:43

That's good to hear Lankin. I now know how to avoid that one in future.
Rob.

**Vagabond** · 11-18-2021, 09:34

Rob they all work for me now.

Thanks for rectifying it, does this mean you can post pictures normally now or are you still 1 post at a time?
Cheers

**Bligh** · 11-18-2021, 09:56

The failure to post viewable pictures was my feeble attempt to rectify the problem John. I'm afraid I am back to having to post and then save the attatchment in order for the pictures to show up. I could see them fine but obviously no one else could.

Rob.

**Vagabond** · 11-18-2021, 10:19

I was having a similar problem to you but on the Wings site, I would post all my pictures exactly as I had previously done and it would show them where I expected but also dump them all on the bottom of the post as well.
I then started posting following MikeeMagnus procedure and that worked but it was laborious. I then tried a post using my original method and miraculously it worked and has done for the last 6 months. I haven't changed anything, I'm sure it was the site.

Stumptonian Pete had a similar problem but he found a specific code had changed, once he amended it he's had no problems since, you could ask him what he did and it might solve your problem, alternatively I could find Mikes instructions to me and send you a link so you could see if that helps.

**Bligh** · 11-18-2021, 12:14

That would be very handy John. I was getting the same problem on Wings, but have not posted any pictures there for a while. Maybe I should try again. This process only works if I delete the original, and as you say the pictures then group, so I can only post one at a time which is very time consuming, and is putting me off doing long AARs more than once a month or so.

Rob.

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