October Solo Mission AAR. Aye eye spy.

[Bligh]

Preamble.
Historical background.



While Bonaparte was scheming for the conquest of India, the British ascendancy there was confirmed, and the British dominion extended by the Governor-General, Lord Mornington, better known as the Marquess Wellesley, the elder brother of the still more famous Duke of Wellington. The rule of Sir John Shore, the successor of Cornwallis, had been deficient in firmness, and the native powers, especially Mysore, were developing hopes of overthrowing the British, when Mornington arrived in India just as Bonaparte was preparing to sail for Egypt. Tippu, the Bhonsla, and Sindhia all had forces under French officers; and Tippu at least was in active correspondence with the French commandant at Mauritius.




Tippu's father had usurped the sovereignty of Mysore not forty years before, and Tippu himself was a fanatical Mohammedan ruling by the sword over subjects who were for the most part Hindus. The inevitability of the forthcoming war with Tippu was emphatically a war with a dynasty, not with a state; and it was necessitated by the plain fact that Tippu was in alliance with France for the purpose of destroying the British power and threatening Madras.





Mornington acted promptly. He applied immediate pressure to the Nizam of Hydrabad, who dismissed his French officers and accepted in place of the force which had been maintained a British contingent - that is to say, a sepoy army with British officers - theoretically for the defence of his dominions against the aggression of native powers; for the maintenance of which force he ceded territory, a system known as that of "subsidiary alliances." Similar pressure was brought to bear upon Sindhia, and then Mornington proceeded against Tippu. All that was now required was inside information about Tippu's intentions as regards the use of his army and its dispositions.
It was these factors which found HEIC Nottingham at anchor in a small bay on the coast of Mysore and with Captain David McBride anxiously awaiting the arrival of Mornington's secret agent.




Bligh.

[Bligh]

October Solo Mission AAR. Aye eye spy.

Riding at anchor in the bay and aware that the spy had not arrived on time for the rendezvous, Captain McBride lost no time in provisioning the Guns in the two redoubts on the Island commanding the exit to the Bay.





His cutter, meantime, waited at the beach on the mainland to cover the arrival of the agent.
Early on the second morning, the masthead lookout reported the arrival of two enemy Frigates moving along the coast presumably in search of the fugitive spy or on a report from the locals that HEIC Nottingham had been spotted in the area.




As the agent still had not materialized, David McBride gave orders to prepare the ship for action.





The first salvee was, however, delivered by the Marines manning the main island battery.




It was carefully aimed and did considerable damage to the oncoming Frigate which coincidentally just happened to be named Courageuse. Whilst several balls missed, her rudder took a hit, a fire started and several men fell.





Minutes later the second battery opened on Unite, with less resulting damage, but both batteries had now shown the French their intent to fight vigorously in defence of the bay.




Unitie now came about in order to weather the Island and enter the bay.





The spy had annoyingly still not materialized, so David was forced to remain at anchor although he had taken the precaution of adding a spring to his anchor cable.





Unite still out of range came on into the bay.





McBride now used his deft Captain ability to move Nottingham to a more advantageous position using the spring.




As Courageuse cleared the Marines Batteries angle of fire they withdrew towards their boats, and Nottingham prepared to take up the action.





Before she could act, she came within range of Unitie and received a Broadside at long range.





Unitie herself taking another barrage from the second battery before its gunners also retired towards the boats.





By far the most serious damage was that done by the Gunners of HMS Nottingham who delivered a double shotted short range first broadside into the forrard Port bow of Courageuse killing many of her remaining crew and starting new fires in two separate places.





Her return fire was totally ineffective as most men were already desperately trying to deal with keeping the ship away from the rocky coast as she paid off into the wind, and in fighting the fires.




Meantime, David was recovering his first boat load of Marines.





Now safely out of the line of fire from the Island Unitie's Captain dropped anchor in a position whence his rear batteries could play on the Nottingham's bow with impunity from its return fire.




Nottingham finally saw its second boat load of crew members leaving the island as it still waited for the spy to arrive.





Finally as the boat arrived a signal gun fired from the shore announced the arrival of the agent and the Cutter could return to the ship.





Eventually the stricken Courageuse cleared the headland with smoke and fire billowing towards the sky.





She was then rent by a series of small explosions as loaded cannons started to discharge.





finally a massive cataclysmic eruption signaled that the fire had reached her magazine.





As the pall of smoke cleared only the stern and bow remained above the surface. Of her crew there was no sign.





Massive hunks of debris rained down around Nottingham and her boat crews as they made fast alongside. Luckily no one was seriously injured although one man had his shoulder dislocated by a falling block and several more were disabled by flying splinters.





With that David cut his cable and got under way pausing only to pick up the last of the gunners as he passed the island.

He was now under fire from Unities guns once more.





Whilst McBride recovered the last of his crew, Unitie's Captain decided that his best recourse was also to get under way before he could be put to a disadvantage.








Rounding up he did serious damage to Nottingham's bow as he passed and fired a measured rolling broadside on the down roll.





Coming about right smartly McBride delivered a return volley with the first rounds from his Starboard guns. Again double shotted, it was almost as effective as his fire on Courageuse, excepting that this time only one fire was started.





Continuing his move David now managed to come alongside, and not only entangle Unitie's bowsprit in his cathead, but grapple her into the bargain.








As the boarders went over the side, a protracted struggle for command of the deck of Unity proceeded.




At first no one could gain the upper hand.




The fight continued first one way and then the other until finally the Unity's Captain fell on his own Quaterdeck.





Next the First Officer was shot from the Tops.





A wounded second Officer finally surrendered the ship to McBride, although David was also wounded by a stray bullet which creased his forehead as he led his men on to victory.








With both French Frigates now out of the running, Nottingham, with it's prize in tow and the Viceroy's agent safely on board could head back to Madras. McBride, with his head swathed in bandages hoping that they did not encounter any further French Cruisers en route.

Bligh.

[Bligh]

Butcher's Bill.

1. Ships name………………………….HEICS Nottingham.
Type of Ship………………………...48 gun Super Frigate.
Captain's name……………………..David McBride.
Returned to port (RtP)………………Yes
Captured (C) ………………………..No
Killed in action (KIA…………………No
Wounded in action………………….Yes





Total hull boxes undamaged………6
Total crew boxes undamaged…..5
Total burdens of all enemy ships sunk or captured 6
Did the Nottingham meet its goals? Yes.








Bligh.

[Cochrane]

Well, I really enjoyed that Admiral! Jolly fine tale in the best tradition of the navy. I could not help but notice that I have a whole new language to learn - a new way of thinking almost. Not to mention the need for totally different terrain features. How refreshing. Thanks for the inspiration. Rep drifting in on the tide.

[Cochrane]

PS I've been browsing through the files and have come across a few containing solo rules info. Could you let me know what rules you are using for this campaign please. Thanks in advance

[Bligh]

Firstly thanks for your comments Mike.
The rules we are using are Herkybird's from the same stable as his Solo Aircraft rules.
You may also find this thread of use to you.

https://www.sailsofglory.org/showthr...Campaign-Rules

Rob.

[Cochrane]

Great. Thanks for the "heads" up (although, perhaps I shouldn't use that expression in the navy!!!) :)