Turtle vs. Eagle, later in August, 1776
This is a continuation of the preparations for the submersible attack on HMS Eagle. To read about the first two practice runs, look here: https://www.sailsofglory.org/showthr...05-August-1776
What follows is the third test of the Colonial submarine Turtle. Sergeant Ezra Lee was successful on the first experiment and learned a lot about piloting the novel craft. On the second practice, the submarine easily reached the target. Only a failure of the torpedo screw to bite into the ship’s hull rendered the test less than perfect. It is now less than 2 weeks until the Moon and tide are right for an attack on the British flagship in New York harbor.
Sergeant Ezra Lee’s skills with maneuvering the unwieldy submersible Turtle improved with each practice, and each time for the next test, its inventor, David Bushnell, would come up with a bigger challenge for the submariner. Once again, darkness had fallen and the vessels were positioned for the evening’s activity. Tonight, the sloop Sally and her secret weapon were located near the east bank of the Hudson while 4 cables away and obliquely downstream, the target, the merchant ship Molly Malone, had been anchored further out in the current. This arrangement was the most like what was expected during the actual attack. Ezra pulled the Turtle’s hatch closed and settled on his perch. In mere minutes, the ebbing tide would reach the anticipated speed for the planned attack on the British and the trial run would begin. It seemed like only a moment before a thump sounded overhead and he was cast off.
Initially, Ezra suffered from a sense of disorientation as he worked the waterscrew’s treadle. He knew that it was driving the Turtle forward, but his inner ear told him that he was going sideways. He was thankful that for this evening’s mission Bushnell had left out the defending launch which gave the sergeant a chance to focus on learning to maneuver in the crosscurrent.
In the darkness, with his viewpoint inches above the water, it was hard for Ezra to tell if the current was sweeping the submarine down the river or if he was maintaining a reasonable course to the target. The only practical thing seemed to be to put his back into it and treadle until he was exhausted or he found the Molly Malone.
The current relaxed its grasp on the Turtle and Ezra’s inner ear. The butterflies in his stomach subsided somewhat, and a lucky glance through the forward viewport hinted at a distant darkness that must be the Molly Malone. It seem as though his efforts had paid off and he was coming in up current of her.
A slight course change downstream seemed prudent. The current was moderating, and if he didn’t compensate, Ezra would miss the target and end up in New Jersey.
Even with the diminishing current, the thought of submerging and suffering the further reduction of visibility was unappealing. “Unappealing but necessary,” Ezra thought. If he didn’t dive, he was just attacking using a complicated rowboat. He opened the petcock to flood the ballast tank and the Turtle submerged.
Slack tide was approaching, and then it was here. Ezra continued to treadle, but his legs were beginning to ache. While the tide overall had gone slack, an occasional eddy still threw the Turtle off his bearing. As he briefly porpoised the Turtle to check his bearings, he realized to his horror that he had overshot his target and was now west of the Molly Malone. Wondering if he really still had the strength, Ezra put the helm over to starboard and treadled for all he was worth.
With a solid thump, the Turtle collided with the Molly Malone’s hull. Panting and muttering curses, Ezra spun the torpedo screw’s crank...and it bit. He allowed the submarine to settle and the mockup mine pulled free of its harness. Still holding the screw’s crank he rested his forehead on his arm. He was done.
He was just too tired to do anything, but it was all part of the plan. The floodtide had begun, and the submerged Turtle drifted with the incoming tide as it carried her clear of the Molly Malone.
With a couple of minutes of rest, Ezra rallied and got the submarine underway again.
In the final minute with no reserves of Exertion remaining, Ezra brings the Turtle back to the surface more than a half a cable from the Molly Malone – Success!
One more practice and then the real mission…
This practice mission had some good nuances. When I first started out, I thought that there didn’t seem to be much to it, just full speed ahead. Timing the approach with the current soon changed that, and the anxiety of possibly missing the target was real. Eric’s suggestion of allowing Ezra to recover Exertion Points by resting was a great idea and added a layer to the strategy. You can see 15 minutes in where he teeters on the brink of exhaustion, then drifts for two minutes. I think I have the mechanics of the game pretty balanced. Each game so far has had its nail-biting moments. My confidence for sinking HMS Eagle is not so great, but Ezra is very optimistic.
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