SAILS OF GLORY

We all got a bit hooked after just one game of this using basic rules. We decided to have a second game the following week at the club adding in more of the rules.

The scenario.

 Two French ships, the Genereux and the Berwick were anchored off the Portuguese coast having conducted a successful raid. One third of their crews were, however, still ashore. Both ships are 74 gun 3rd Rates and the anchorage was protected by shoals.

Two British ships HMS Defence, 74 guns, and HMS Terpsichore a 32 gun frigate were patrolling the area in the hope of intercepting the French raiders. The latter was commanded by one of the fleets newest frigate captains, Captain Carl 'lanky' Wilsonblower fresh from victory in his first action having been instrumental in taking out a French 74 only a week ago.

The weather

 The French ships were facing North in a Westerly wind. A sea fret affected visibility. We called this phenomenon a 'Pardew' but fortunately it was soon gone. 

 The opening dispositions, French at the top followed by some close ups of the ships.



 The French sight the British ships through the Pardew. They immediately recall their shore parties.

The British close on the Ftench. 

Terpsichore peels off in a South westerly direction.  

She is clearly heading for the Southern entrance to the anchorage. 

Defence closes on Berwick. 

and gives her a broadside. Terpsicore swings to the East. 

Berwick springs a leak and has minor sail damage. 

Both French ships abandon attempts to bring aboard their stranded crewmen and make sail. Terpsichore  rakes the Genereux

Genereux gets 4 hits and suffers hull damage. 

Both French ships are now underway but Berwick is hit again this time the rudder is damaged. 

Genereux is now under full sail.

Genereux fires on Defence causing some damage to the hull and some crew casualties. Meanwhile her crew have made some repairs to the rudder. The crew of Defence are busy reloading and unable to return fire.

Terpsicore stands off the fight.

Berwick preparing to return to the fight.

The battle between Genereux and Defence continues.Genereux loses 2 masts and many crew while Defence springs a leak, and is set on fire damaging sails and losing crew.

The crew of Defence tackle the fires successfully and fix the mast. The guns are reloaded.

Genereux has fixed her rudder.

Terpsicore rakes Berwick which returns fire as best she can.

Berwick takes crew casualties, springs a leak and takes hull damage. Berwick had loaded with chain which luckily fell short causing no damage to the British frigate. Unfortunately the two ships failed to avoid a collision with Terpsicore hitting Berwick amidships. Being the much bigger ship the latter suffered no damage but the British ship sprang a leak and took hull damage.

The two ships become entangled and while attempting to disengage sail damage to the Berwick resulted, this being the second sail damage the ship was now restricted to no more than battle sails. Terpsicore suffers more hull damage.

By this time the crews of both ships had reloaded, Berwich with chain and Terpsicore with ball and exchanged broadsides once again. Again the British frigate got lucky and suffered only losses to the crew. Berwick had additional crew casualties and hull damage.

At this point we called it a day. Looking at the accumulated damage on the ships boards it was clear the British ships had inflicted the greater damage on the French so a British victory was declared. These boards are well thought out and give a good representation of naval warfare with the ships ability to fight being gradually degraded by crew losses and battle damage. 

The French ships were hampered by lack of crew due to one third being ashore and their delay in making way ensured that the outgunned British ships could land the first blows. 

We are still learning the rules but the game has had  such a positive impact that the club is purchasing the stater set, shore battery sets and several ships including some of the big boys for both sides.

We would certainly recommend this game to anyone with an interest in Naval warfare.

Thanks for looking in.

Mick.