8 Attachment(s)
Cape Ann, 1814 / Gift Scenario from Blutarski / The Miniatures Page
USS CONSTITUTION versus HMS JUNON and HMS TENEDOS
Off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, 3 April 1814
<<< HMS JUNON & HMS TENEDOS >>>
INITIAL CONDITIONS
Time 7:00 am
Location 42 deg 30 min N Latitude; 70 deg 0 min W Longitude
Approximately 30 miles East of Cape Ann
Weather Visibility: Approximately 8 miles
Barometer: Slowly falling
Wind: N at WF 1
Wind Trend: Backing counter-clockwise
INITIAL SITUATION
CONSTITUTION is heading W on a Beam Reach at SS VII, bearing E from JUNON approximately 8 miles distant.
JUNON is heading SW on a Quarter Reach at SS VI, bearing W from CONSTITUTION approximately 8 miles distant.
TENEDOS as for JUNON, stationed approximately 1 mile on JUNON’s port bow.
BRITISH ORDERS
You are to bring CONSTITUTION to action and take, burn, or sink her. She is one of that class of large American frigates that have proved such a vexation in this war. The Admiralty estimates her to be of approximately 1500 tons, with very stout scantlings for her class, carrying 24-pounder long guns on her gun deck and 32-pounder carronades on her spar deck. Admiralty orders prohibit British frigates from engaging heavy US frigates singly; if one of the frigates under your command should become disabled, do not attempt to engage singly unless the opponent is herself seen to be crippled or lamed.
JUNON and TENEDOS are both 18-pounder 1100 ton frigates in fit condition. Armaments of both ships are the same: twenty-eight 18-pounder long guns on the gun deck plus sixteen 32-pounder carronades and two 9-pounder chase guns on the weather decks. JUNON is a Fast sailer with a Veteran crew. TENEDOS is an Average sailer with an Average crew.
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USS CONSTITUTION versus HMS JUNON and HMS TENEDOS
Off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, 3 April 1814
<<< USS CONSTITUTION >>>
INITIAL CONDITIONS
Time 7:00 am
Location 42 deg 30 min N Latitude; 70 deg 0 min W Longitude
Approximately 30 miles East of Cape Ann
http://encarta.msn.com/map_701511442/cape_ann.html
Weather Visibility: Approximately 8 miles
Barometer: Slowly falling
Wind: N at WF 1
Wind Trend: Backing counter-clockwise
INITIAL SITUATION
CONSTITUTION is heading W on a Beam Reach at SS VII, bearing E from JUNON approximately 8 miles distant.
JUNON is heading SW on a Quarter Reach at SS VI, bearing W from CONSTITUTION approximately 8 miles distant.
TENEDOS as for JUNON, stationed approximately 1 mile on JUNON’s port bow.
AMERICAN SITUATION
CONSTITUTION is (of course) a heavy frigate with stout scantlings. She carries a battery of thirty 24-pounder long guns on the gun deck, plus twenty-two 32-pounder carronades and two long 24-pounder chase guns on her spar deck. Although normally classified as a Very Fast sailer, CONSTITUTION is returning from a four month cruise in the West Indies, laden with prize cargo and in material need of a re-fit. She is therefore classified as an Average sailer for this scenario. For the purposes of this scenario, CONSTITUTION effectively carries an unlimited supply of dismantling shot.
Your goal is to make your way through by whatever means to refuge in either Marblehead, Salem, or Gloucester.
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BATTLE REPORT
USS CONSTITUTION versus His Majesty’s Frigates JUNON and TENEDOS
off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, April 3rd, 1814
0700 – 0848 hrs
Returning home from a lengthy cruise in West Indian waters, the American 44-gun frigate Constitution, laden with prize cargo and her sails showing the effects of the harsh tropical clime, was about forty miles ENE of Cape Ann at 7am, on a westerly course under easy sail with a light wind out of the north, when her lookouts espied two strange ships ahead fine on the port bow, distant about eight miles, sailing in company upon a SW heading. Constitution immediately hauled her wind and came close-hauled upon a WNW course. The two unknown sail, clearly frigates of some sort, immediately wore in reply and settled on a close-hauled heading ENE.
At 7h 15m the wind backed from N to NNW, forcing Constitution to fall off onto a W heading. The two strangers, originally separated by about a mile, took the opportunity to close one another, with the southernmost ship sharpening up to a NE close-hauled heading and the northernmost ship shaping an easterly course to fall in ahead of her consort. This attempt to close up was in process when, at 7h 54m, the wind shifted back to N, forcing the two ships to once again fall off upon an ENE close-hauled heading. At 7h 55m, Constitution took advantage of the discomfiture visited upon her mysterious opponents as a result of the wind shift by turning Constitution sharply to the SSW and making sail.
At 8h 16m the wind shifted back to NNW, favoring the efforts of the two opponents to get into line within supporting distance of one another. Constitution marked the NNW wind shift by altering course to SW in attempt to out-run her pursuers, who responded by wearing in succession at 8h 30m and taking up a paralleling SW course. By this time, the two ships were definitely made out to be a pair of 38-gun British frigates, HMS Junon and HMS Tenedos.
0848 – 1120 hrs
With the wind blowing light to moderate from NW-WNW, Constitution and her shadowers, about three miles distant, ran SW on the quarter reach for several hours. It was evident that, due to her weather-worn sails, Constitution was being outpaced by Junon, while Tenedos seemed to have no difficulty keeping up with Constitution.
At 10h 30m Junon bore up and ran down before the wind to close with Constitution. Tenedos, having lagged astern somewhat during the run SW, cut the corner and succeeded in reducing the gap between her and Junon. Constitution remained on her SW heading, with Junon and Tenedos on a steadily converging SSW heading. By 11h 20m, the range having fallen to less than a mile, Junon and Constitution reduced sail in preparation for an engagement while Tenedos kept up a cloud of sail.
1122 – 1136 hrs
At 11h 21m, the wind shifted from WNW to NW. In a surprising move, Constitution suddenly turned up into the wind to tack at 11h 22m, followed immediately by Junon at 11h 23m and Tenedos at 11h 24m. Constitution took up a NNE heading close-hauled, with Junon and Tenedos doing likewise.
1136 – 1148 hrs
The wind shifted back to WNW at 11h 36m and Constitution pinched up to a close-hauled heading of N. At 11h 40m, the wind backed to W and fell to a light breeze. Junon, the faster ship, and Tenedos, also now at fighting sail, bore up to cross the bow of Constitution who continued heading N, now upon a beam reach. At 11h 48m, as the two British frigates crossed from her port bow to the starboard, Constitution turned to a close-hauled NNW course. Constitution was within long range of Tenedos’s starboard broadside. But Tenedos withheld her fire, seeking a shorter range and greater effect.
1148 – 1156 hrs
At 11h 50m the two British frigates turned S with the apparent intention of firing their initial broadsides together into Constitution from both port and starboard. However, Constitution managed to get in the first fire, discharging a massive broadside of dismantling shot into the starboard bow of Tenedos at 11h 54m. At 11h 56m Constitution altered course to N and fired a second broadside into Tenedos. Tenedos’s main topgallant mast was shot away and much standing and running rigging was cut. Constitution’s dismasting fire, necessarily aimed high, did not have much effect upon the hull of Tenedos.
Tenedos replied with her starboard broadside at 11h 55m, but the fire was poorly directed and had little effect. At this point, Tenedos wore away downwind and temporarily absented herself from the action.
Meanwhile, Junon steadied on a S heading on the beam reach, closing rapidly with Constitution and apparently intent upon trading en passant broadsides at close range.
1158 – 1206 hrs
After firing the second broadside into Tenedos, Constitution’s gun crews ran to the port side battery to receive Junon. At 11h 58m, Constitution yawed to starboard and poured her port broadside into the bow of the approaching Junon at half musket shot distance. With Constitutions long guns loaded with dismantling shot and her powerful carronade battery double-shotted, great execution was visited upon Junon. Fully a quarter of Junon’s broadside was disabled; her sails and rigging were torn and severed, and her fore topmast was left badly injured.
At 11h 59m Junon curved under Constitution’s stern and returned the salutation with a double-shotted broadside into the hull of her opponent at pistol shot range. Great execution was wrought on the American gun decks and Constitution’s mizzen topmast was shot away altogether. With Junon wearing under her stern, Constitution turned sharply up into the wind to avoid being raked. Junon delivered several further broadsides into Constitution’s stern as she clawed away close-hauled to the NNW in the light westerly breeze.
By 12h 6m both Junon and Tenedos had completed wearing round to the port tack and went in chase of the fleeing Constitution.
