23 Attachment(s)
AAR - June 2015 Mission At War Again by ShadowDragon
At War Again
My version of the 2015 Campaign scenario, At War Again, by spiessbuerger:
https://sailsofglory.org/showthread....n-At-War-again
Captain Hal Sparrow stomped into the Peg-Leg Tavern in the pirate haven of Puerto de Liberetad and angrily tossed his battered captain’s tricornered hat on the table.
“What’s the use of being a pirate if you can’t pillage, burn and generally commit mayhem, I ask you?”
“Who has been chewing on the edges of your liver, Hal?” enquired his 1st mate, Oge.
“The boss – Gabriel. And it’s Captain Hal Sparrow,” responded Hal. “There’s raid on a port that supposedly has three of the Spanish frigate just waiting to burned to the waterline, but Gabriel’s taken the Argonauta. That should have been my ship – my mission – but, he says, ‘Three women you don’t touch – Anamaria, the Hermione and the Argonauta’. One, maybe two, but three – trust a Frenchie. ‘Your job, Jack, is to get the San Agustin to Puerto de Liberatad for repairs before the Ros-Bœufs take her over’. A first mate could have done the job – no offence, Oge – plus my name’s not Jack. He’s confusing me with my infamous, nefarious and ne-er do well great uncle.”
Gabriel peered into the foggy harbour. The job should have been Jack’s….er, Hal’s, but after the Battle of the First Shot there were rumours going around that he had held the Orient back. That would never do – it wasn’t cowardice but simply a profit and loss calculation. Piracy is a business; a glorious death ‘for King and Country’ got you nowhere but dead as a pirate – and there’d be no grand funeral for you either. No one had seemed to notice that the Orient destroyed half the Spanish squadron – with a little help from the Agamemnon but nothing from that Cunningham. Not surprising since Cunningham claimed the victory over the Santa Ana was English [editor’s note – Cunningham is a Scot, but those Continentals can’t tell the difference] but what can you do when his uncle is a, la-di-dah Earl.
Attachment 53027
Gabriel had the Argonauta steered for the middle of the channel. There were forts and it the garrisons were awake it was better to be at long range or, best of all, out of range.
Attachment 53028
The Argonauta, with backing sails set, slowly edged into the foggy cove – as silent as the fog itself. The crew uttered not a word – Gabriel had threatened that any of one them gave ship’s presence away…well, I won’t repeat it, but apparently it had something to do with soprano choirs. The first Spanish frigate came into sight – the Diana. Nothing had stirred in the Spanish forts or on the Diana. The Argonauta had complete surprise.
Attachment 53029
Gabriel had determined to wait until they found all three frigates or until the fog lifted and they could no longer keep their presence hidden.
Attachment 53030
The next ship they found was the Mahonesa – again all was quiet. The Mahonesa was well separated from the Diana, which made some sense but it also meant they could not easily provide mutual support.
Attachment 53031
As they turned to exit the cove there was the Sirena with her bow pointed directly towards the Argonauta. It was a perfect raking shot – and at close range. The fog was beginning to lift and Gabriel could hear the sounds of a crews of the Mahonese and Diana beginning to stir. He gave the order to fire – cannonballs from 36 guns crashed down the length of the Sirena. The havoc was terrible – seldom had a ship’s crew suffered as much from a broadside as had the Sirena’s. Blood flowed as water through the scuppers. The Sirena was finished.
Attachment 53032
The remaining two frigates, the Mahonesa was closer and underway. Rushing to the aid of her sister ship she exposed herself to a raking broadside from the Argonauta’s battery on the port side. While the Mahonesa’s crew escaped the losses of the Sirena, the Mahonesa did not – two fire broke out. While the crew gallantly fought the fires, despite the presence of a powerful enemy ship of the line, the Mahonesa would eventually burn to the waterline.
Attachment 53033
The left only the Diana, unless the Argonauta came under fire from the forts that guarded the harbour. The Diana was outmatched and could hardly expect to win but her captain and crew would not let the loss of their sister ships go unavenged.
Attachment 53034
Both ships swung around so as to be able to fire with the guns on the other side.
Attachment 53035
A second round of broadsides saw a cannonball small the foremast of the Diana. The Diana’s reply amounted to a couple of guns of the starboard, stern battery – but enough to damage the wheel of the Argonauta and injure the helmsman. Oh, not again, thought, Gabriel.
Attachment 53036
The crews of both ships hurriedly effected repairs. The ships would need those repairs to exit the harbour as a strong breeze was blowing into straight into the harbour.
Attachment 53037
Until those repairs would be competed the wind had mastery of both vessels.
Attachment 53038
The Argonauta won the competition and turned into the wind to deliver another blow to the Diana.
Attachment 53039
Her exit blocked by the Argonauta, the Diana turned to sail further into the cove. She replied to the Argonauta as best she could – which, unfortunately, for the injured Argonauta’s helmsmen that meant another cannonball, which saw him to the pearly gates – well, he was a pirate so likely it was the other direction.
Attachment 53040
Finally, one of the harbours forts came into action but the garrison apparently had had a night of celebration and too much brandy as the fort’s shots did little damage to the Argonauta. The Argonauta’s gunners, on the other hand, were experienced veterans and the return fire hit some powder. The ensuing fire threatened the fort’s main ammunition supply.
Attachment 53041
Encouraged by one of their forts joining the fight, the Diana turned to rejoin the fight but was created by another of the Argonauta’s broadside. The Diana struck her colours – she was out of the fight.
Attachment 53042
The fort’s garrison struggled to contain the fire; and, with a final salute of the Argonauta’s guns, its commander hauled down its flag.
Attachment 53043
All that was left was for the Argonauta to exit the harbour without coming under fire from the other port. With a bit of tacking, the open sea was before the Argonauta. A pity to leave the Sirena behind, thought Gabriel, she was the least damaged frigate but putting a prize crew on board and having that crew get the Sirena out of the cove without being sunk by harbour’s defences seemed more like a plan for the prize crew to be captured and hanged by the Spanish. He had hoped to prove – perhaps only to himself - that he was no coward but it had been too easy. A silent attack against an unprepared enemy with a bit of luck would likely not convince those who thought of bravery as a charge into a valley of death – oh, wait, that’s a different war and in the future from the time of this tale.
Attachment 53044
A fun game with a lot things falling the way of the Argonauta – frigates separated to be dealt with one at a time, bows pointed for raking shots and the best of the special damage. With the breeze blowing into the confines of the harbour it also wasn’t much of a test of the AI as there weren’t really options on some turns.
On to the next mission. Maybe Hal Sparrow….er, CAPTAIN Hal Sparrow will have a go for that one….or maybe Horatio Attenbridge for the Royal Navy.
Attachment 53045
Attachment 53046
Attachment 53047
Attachment 53048
Attachment 53049
