8 Attachment(s)
AAR. August 17 Scenario. Under False Colours.
August 17 Scenario. Under False Colours.
Preamble.
Attachment 32030
East india House.
The shareholders, and the Board of Governors of the Honourable East India Company had been putting pressure upon His Majesty's Government, as only High stake holders with their immense influence in the City of London's monetary interests could do.
Attachment 32029
The reason for disquiet, was the depredation being made on their ships and trade goods in the East Indies and its sea lanes. Want of Frigates was a cry often heard from the Royal Naval establishment, and with these resources stretched to breaking point in the now global war with the French the convoys of goods which were the lifeline of the British Empire were coming under increasing threat from Privateers, local pirates, and even the Corvettes and Frigates of the French, Spanish and Dutch navies.
Attachment 32031
This was especially true of the sea routes from the Cape to India and India to China. Based on the Isle de France and Isle de Bourbon between the Cape and Madras the French had an excellent base of operations.
Attachment 32034
Attachment 32036
Also the Dutch possessions in and around the Malay straights gave sanctuary to all and sundry.
Attachment 32035
With the end of the Monsoon season convoys of Merchantmen would soon begin plying there way through these dangerous waters loaded with vast fortunes in goods and specie bound for the markets of Europe and the United States.
Attachment 32032
With no Royal Navy ships available in the area we, therefore, find Captain David McBride and the crew of HEIC Frigate Nottingham picking its way through the many islands and sandbars of the Malacca Straights in search of predatory enemy vessels, or wayward merchantmen.
Attachment 32033
Any of these ships quite possibly sporting the colours of any convenient navy to confuse other shipping.
Not an easy task for McBride with which to deal if international incidents were to be avoided.
Bligh.