Somewhere south of Isle de France, 1782

[Dobbs]

Even though tacking an Indiaman in the heat of battle wasn't a tactical maneuver that he would typically think a good idea, at this moment it seemed like what was needed. Captain Tenley gave the command and the Dutchess of Cornwall swung her bluff bow into the wind. As the French frigate turned downwind, the Indiaman's broadside roared.



In her ponderous way, the Dutchess bore of on her new tack. As her sails began to draw, the frigate threw another broadside at her.



The ships continued to circle. Tenley's crew lobbed another broadside at the frigate. So far the Dutchess had been managing to hold the upper hand, though not in a way that couldn't change in a moment.



The Frenchman swung into the wind and delivered a painful blow through the Indiaman's stern galleries. It hurt, but at least it was not a full-on rake.



Hoping to take the French captain unsuspecting, Harold gave the order to throw the Dutchess back into the wind.

In her own surprising maneuver, the frigate feinted out of the wind instead of finishing her tack, making the range long for the Dutchess of Cornwall's broadside. Even so, her guncrews cheered as the mizzen t'gallant mast teetered for a moment, then fell to deck with a crash. It was the least effective mast hit that could be made, but at least it was a constant visual reminder that the Indiaman's shots were telling.



Dutchess crossed the wind, but lay with no way on. The French frigate opened the range while licking her newest wounds.



As the Indiaman began to move on the new tack, the Frenchman once again luffed up, and delivered a raking broadside. One shot smashed into the cutwater below the waterline. Overhead, another shot shredded the neatly furled maincourse sail. Harold surveyed the damage. It wasn’t good, but it could have been a lot worse.



Harold shook his head. This French captain knew his business and was pressing his advantage. The frigate could tack and come out of the wind and still have way on. Tacking an Indiaman was like dancing in lead boots. The Dutchess was barely moving at two knots, but he was going to have to throw her into the wind again anyhow and hope for the best. The helmsman put the helm down. The yards swung and again the ship ponderously luffed up. The gun captain saw his opportunity and the broadside spoke.

The telling rake struck the Frenchman cruelly. The beakhead dissolved under the flight of nine pound shot. The broadside continued to wreak havok down the length of the ship, savaging her gun crews. As an exclamation point on a brutal sentence, the mizzen topmast snapped at the crosstrees and the topsail dropped into the water to starboard, pulling like a sea anchor.



The Dutchess of Cornwall hung into the wind.
She had no way on at all and her sails lay all aback against their masts. The foretopsail was braced around to get her bow to swing to port, but it hadn't started to happen yet.

Dragging her fallen yard, the Frenchman came on.



The Dutchess was beginning to turn. As she turned, the backed foretopsail yard began to swing, and as the ship turned enough for the sails to draw, one by one, the foretopsail, maintopsail, and mizzen topsail billowed then filled with a crack. The sails were now drawing, but it would still be a few moments before she started to move.

Meanwhile, the French frigate, still burdened by her fallen mast, sagged off to leeward. She was going to pass close, but at least the Frenchmen weren't going to be able to board.

The two ships were almost abeam of each other when the Frenchman fired and the Dutchess' crew responded in kind.

Tenley noted that the French broadside was getting pretty ragged. He had a brief moment of satisfaction that his crews were still firing as a battery, then the French shots hit. It didn't feel bad, but the carpenter’s boy was suddenly on the quarterdeck, saying that the pumps were falling behind the incoming water.

As the frigate swept by, it was obvious that the exchange had been at least even.

20 - The painter completely forgot to paint this picture of the battle. Luckily, nothing particularly dramatic happened. Both ships turned downwind. The French frigate cleared the wreckage of her mast, and the Dutchess of Cornwall began to accelerate.





After the last close pass, the frigate had turned onto a starboard broad reach. It took a while for the Dutchess to get some way on and swing her bulk around in pursuit and by then both sides were running their guns out again. For the most part the exchange just threw some splinters around and sent a fresh batch of men off to the orlop deck.



Yes, it must be! The French were quitting the field of battle. Even with the mizzen damage she was faster than the Dutchess of Cornwall. Now that she was beyond long range, men could be seen climbing the ratlines to drop the remaining t’gallants and courses.

Captain Harold Tenley turned to the bosun. "Mr Ajax, you may tell the crew to secure the guns. Please tell the carpenter that when he has stabilized the leaks, the bulkheads can go back up. Once the work is done, let the crew know we'll splice the mainbrace. Oh, and send someone to let the passengers know that it's safe to come out of the hold."