All at Sea - Spanish & French Cutters & Topsail Schooners

'Sloop' - Carlos Parrilla Penagos

 https://www.carlosparrillapenagos.es/pintura-naval/

What would be described in the Royal Navy as a Cutter, this fine picture provided the inspiration for my Spanish model of these handy and fast little craft.

It was back in September that I concluded my three post series looking at scratch building a sloop/corvette from the Warlord model brig as part of a series of posts focussing on my small ship collection to allow me to create games summarised in the handy little booklet by C.A. Sapherson and J.R. Lenton which pulls together 100 Small-scale Actions covering the years 1793-1801 from the original source, 'The Naval History of Great Britain 1793-1815' by William James.

All at Sea - Let's Build a Sloop, Part Three

In that post I outlined my project to build a broad enough collection to allow me to create any of the one-hundred scenarios contained within it thus making a very handy solution to the occasional need to create a game with an historical background without too much effort and the summary of the spreadsheet I created for those scenarios is illustrated below showing the various types by nationality required.

My collection building plan for my small ship collection based on the vessels used in the Sapherson-Lenton scenario book, with ninety-six of the hundred collated, the other four I think being US -French actions from the Quasi War.

My collection had four obvious deficiencies outstanding, namely a topsail schooner and cutter for my Spanish and French, which would be remedied as soon as I had finished the other stuff I needed to get done, such as a few 28mm AWI British infantry and Indians, some 28mm Vikings, oh and a little Trafalgar game in Nottingham.

Those other projects safely navigated to completion, I turned my attention to these four small models.

A typical French privateer topsail schooner and just the sort of target to attract HM Brig Racoon

There are five scenarios involving a French schooner and three with a cutter, however as well as these there is another need for these models which involves the cruise of the 18-gun HM Brig, Racoon in 1803 in the Caribbean under her 'enterprising' captain, Commander Austin Bissel, who between the 5th to the 10th July captured four French vessels which included three schooners off St Domingo.

Then on the 11th July she captured the French brig Lodi off the disputed French island in the Leogane Roads after a half hour exchange of fire with both ships anchored on spring cables.

Then in August she was off Santiago de Cuba hunting French privateers operating out of Cuban ports, capturing two French schooners, the 3-gun Deux Amis and the 3-gun Trois Freres.

On the 17th August she met and destroyed the French 18-gun corvette Mutine off the Cuban coast, forcing the Frenchman to beach herself and become a complete wreck, with the action allowing another French schooner in company with the Mutine to make the best of things and escape during the fight.

Between the 13th and 14th of October the Racoon captured four French schooners and a cutter. The schooners were the Jeune Adelle and Liza, plus two others whose names were not recorded. The cutter was the Amitie (or Amelie), of four guns and six swivel guns.

The Jeune Adele and Amilie were part of a group of three naval vessels, including the brig Petite Fille.

William James in his inimitable style recounts the capture of these French vessels;

'On the 13th of October, in the afternoon, the Racoon, still commanded by the same enterprising officer, while cruising off Cumberland harbour (better known today as Guantanamo Bay) in the island of Cuba, observed several vessels to windward coming close alongshore, all of which, before sunset, hauled in towards the harbour. 

Having heard of the evacuation of Port-au-Prince, Captain Bissell anchored in a small bay, in the expectation of seeing those vessels pass him in the night. Daylight on the 14th discovered eight or nine sail, a few miles to windward, nearly becalmed. The Racoon instantly weighed, with a fine land wind, and proceeded in chase. 

At 6 h. 30 m. a.m. a brig, a schooner, and a cutter, all apparently full of men, hoisted French colours, and fired guns to windward. The brig attempted to get in-shore of the Racoon, and her two consorts, with the assistance of their sweeps and boats, endeavoured to join her. The land breeze, however, carried the Racoon within gun-shot of the brig; which, after receiving one or two broadsides, struck, and proved to be the Petite-Fille, French national gun-brig, having on board 180 troops, including about 50 officers of all ranks.

HM brig Racoon in action with the French schooner Jeune Adele and the cutter Amelie

Scarcely had the Racoon sent an officer and a small party of men to secure her prize, than the schooner and cutter, having got nearly within gun-shot, commenced firing. Calms and baffling winds prevented the Racoon from getting nearer until 10 a.m., when the sea-breeze set in. At 11 a.m. the two vessels bore up together, evidently with a determination to board the Racoon, the cutter steering for her bows, and the schooner hauling out to pass astern. 

The British brig shortened sail to receive her two opponents, but kept herself under sufficient command to counteract their design. When the assailants had arrived within pistol-shot, the Racoon fired a broadside at the cutter, who speedily returned it with long guns and musketry.

The Racoon then wore round and fired her opposite broadside into the schooner; and so, alternately, maintaining a running fight, and preventing either from boarding. This mode of engaging lasted more than an hour, both schooner and cutter keeping up an incessant fire of musketry; nor was it until she had been literally beaten to a wreck, and had lost many men in killed, that the cutter struck her colours. She proved to be the Amelie, a national vessel, carrying four carriage-guns, with (six) swivels, and upwards of 70 troops.

I have plenty of British brigs ready to stand in for the Racoon to refight her action with French schooner Jeune Adele and the cutter Amelie and to stand in for the Privateer brig Rover versus the Spanish privateer schooner Santa Rita as recounted by James below.

Having taken possession of the cutter, the Racoon crowded sail after the schooner, the Jeune-Adele, carrying six small guns and 80 troops; and which vessel, on being approached within gun-shot and fired at, surrendered without further resistance.

Standing in-shore to rejoin her first prize, the Racoon soon discovered that the Frenchmen on board, while the latter was engaging the cutter and schooner, had overpowered the prize-crew, and run the brig on shore among the rocks. Captain Bissell, however, got back his officer and men. The loss on board the cutter and schooner was about 40 in killed and wounded; that of the Racoon was only one person wounded, Mr. Thompson, the master, who in the early part of the action had received a violent contusion, which completely disabled him.'

The French commanders disclosed that they knew that Racoon was in the area and that the three French vessels had sortied from Cumberland Harbour with the intent to take Racoon by boarding, using their superiority in numbers. Bissell was of the opinion that had the wind remained as calm as it was early in the morning, they might have succeeded, though at great cost.

My interpretation of the schooner Jeune Adele and the cutter Amelie

I have always thought the cruise of HM brig Racoon, off St Domingo and Cuba in 1803, might make an interesting mini-campaign of linked games or scenarios using 'To Covet Glory' and these two models will certainly help facilitate that idea.

As well as the French, my Spanish collection was also in need of a similar reinforcement with three scenarios using a schooner and one a cutter, that being the action fought with 6-gun HM cutter George, commanded by Lieutenant Michael Mackay.

'Encounter in the Parana Guazu' - Carlos Parrilla Penagos
The 2-gun merchant sloop Mercedes, engages a British patrol in the Gazu River, June 2nd 1807.

William James described the action thus:

'On the 3rd of January, at 6 a.m., the British armed sloop or tender, George, of six guns (3 or 4 pounders) and 40 men, commanded by Lieutenant Michael Mackey, being on her passage from Demerara to Martinique, discovered on her lee bow, and at once bore down upon, two sail, which proved to be Spanish privateers; one, a cutter, of 12 guns and 109 men, the other a schooner, of six guns and 68 men.

An action immediately commenced between the George, then on the starboard, and the two privateers on the larboard tack. At the expiration of 40 minutes, the two latter evinced an intention to board. 

The helm of the George was instantly put a-lee, in order to preserve the weather-gage: but the sloop unfortunately missed stays, and, in the act of wearing, fell on board the cutter. The schooner having now gained a position on the George's weather-quarter, both vessels immediately grappled the sloop, and made two vigorous but unsuccessful attempts to board.

My cutter HM Entreprenante should make a good stand in for HM cutter George

Having, in these assaults, killed the George's sailing-master and seven men, and wounded her commander and 10 men, the two privateers, at the third attempt, carried the British vessel; but not without having paid dearly for their victory, their united loss amounting to 32 men killed, and many more wounded.

A more heroic defence than this little affair exhibits has seldom been witnessed. The George, at the moment her colours were struck, had lost more than half of her crew (8 dead and 17 wounded); that crew having been originally less by three-fourths than the number of her opponents.'

Another interesting encounter occurred between the British (or perhaps that should read Canadian) privateer brig Rover of 14-guns under the command of Captain Godfrey and the Spanish privateer schooner Santa Rita of 12-guns, in September, 1800, as described by James;

'On the 10th of September, as the British privateer-brig, Rover, of Liverpool, Nova-Scotia, armed with 14 long 4-pounders and 54 men and boys, under the command of Captain Godfrey, was cruising near Cape Blanco on the Spanish Main, the Spanish schooner Santa-Rita, mounting 10 long 6-pounders and two English 12-pounder carronades, with about 85 men, and accompanied by three gun-boats also under Spanish colours, and which, as well as the schooner, had the day before been equipped by the governor of Puerto-Caballo, on purpose to capture the Rover, came out from near the land to fulfil their orders. 

The privateer brig Rover out of Liverpool, Nova-Scotia
http://retireinliverpoolnovascotia.blogspot.com/2011/04/privateer-brig-rover.html
There is a brilliant ballad to the Rover linked on the blog above

The light breeze which had been blowing having died away, the schooner and two of the gun-boats, by the aid of a number of oars, gained fast upon the brig ; keeping up as they advanced a steady fire from their bow-guns, which the Rover returned with two guns pointed from her stern, and, as her opponents drew near, with her small-arms also.

Apprised, by their motions, that the schooner intended to board on the starboard quarter, and the two gun-boats (the third appeared to keep aloof) on the opposite bow and quarter, the Rover suffered them to advance until they got within about 15 yards of her: she then manned her oars on the larboard side, and, pulling quickly round, brought her starboard broadside to bear right athwart the schooner's bow; upon whose decks, then filled with men ready for boarding, the brig poured a whole broadside of round and grape.

Immediately after this, her active crew passed over to the guns on the opposite side, and raked the two gun-boats in a similar manner. The Rover then commenced a close action with the Santa-Rita, and continued it for an hour and a half; when finding her opponent's fire grow slack, the Rover, by the aid of a light air of wind, backed her head-sails, and brought her stern in contact with the schooner's side. 

The British crew then rushed on board of, and with scarcely a show of opposition carried, the Santa-Rita. The two gun-boats, seeing the fate of their consort, sheered off, apparently in a very shattered state.

Notwithstanding this long and hard-fought action, the Rover had not a man hurt; while, on board the Santa-Rita, every officer, except the commander of a detachment of 25 soldiers, was killed; the whole of the killed, as found on the deck, amounted to 14, and the wounded to 17. The prisoners, including the latter, numbered 71. These, being too many to be kept on board, were all, except eight, landed; the Rover's captain having previously taken from them the usual obligation not to serve again until exchanged. 

This was an achievement that did great honour to Captain Godfrey, his officers, and crew; and proved how well the hardy sons of British America could emulate their brother-tars of the parent country.'

So these last four 'small ships' pretty well conclude this little project, although I still have two Polacre and two Xebecs to add and they may well go on my Xmas list, whilst for the time being I return to some larger ship builds with my two Spanish first rates to finish off the Spanish Cape St Vincent collection and some other models that will have to remain 'TOP SECRET' for the time being, but will be revealed in due time, before I start work on some models for my mate Bob who has put in an order with JJ's Shipyard.

Still to come here on JJ's, mine and Mr Steve's battlefield walk in Devon and Cornwall, and I will have a Vassal update as both Jason, Steve M and I have been battling away in the Trafalgar Campaign in the GMT game 1805: Sea of Glory, started on Trafalgar Day and the Battle of Leipzig from Operational Studies Group which has now gone into the third day of battle as more and more troops arrive befor the city to settle the fate of eastern Europe.

More anon

JJ