All at Sea - Fourth Rate Ships of the Line

Spithead Anchorage - Geoff Hunt
The Fourth-Rate Ship of the Line, Leopard 50-gun in the foreground of the vessels commanded by Patrick O'Brian's character, Captain Jack Aubrey, left to right Ariel 18-gun sloop, Polycrest experimental 24-gun sloop, and on Leopard's starboard side Boadicea 38-guns, with the Baltimore built armed-schooner, Ringle, extreme right. Fiction mixed with historical fact can be a good source for scenarios for this most inadequate of warships from the age of sail era. 

The Fourth-Rate ship of the line is an interesting class of ship in the age of sail as despite its obvious inadequacies of performing a role in the line of battle, it suffered from others to perform the role of scout, commerce raider and patrol ship, and I think the comment from 'The Line of Battle, The Sailing Warship 1650 - 1840' sums up the role of the fourth-rate pretty well, from its conception, referring to the English concern about attacks against their trade in the early 1690's and the decision to revive the class since its previous fall from grace in the 1650's;

'The two-decker Fourth Rate of 50-guns, largely neglected since the 1650's, was revived. There was no great discussion about this, but it seems that it was seen as the ideal ship, able to serve in the line of battle or as a cruising and patrol vessel as required.

In fact it was inadequate in either role, a typical attempt to reconcile impossible differences, but more than thirty were ordered in the 1690's.'

Fast-forward to the 1790's and the inadequacies of the fourth-rate were only exacerbated by the developments in naval ship design seen in the Seven Years War and later American War of Independence with the 74-gun and later 80-gun third rates, pushing the previously dominant 64-gun variety into rapid obsolescence thus making the role of a 50-gunner even more of an impossibility in the line of battle amid such powerful opponents, and also in that time seeing the role of the frigate and its powerful improvements in armament and capability come to dominate the role of cruising and patrol.

That said when the various wars were concluded and the sea-going nations went back to peace-time fleets, the cost effectiveness of the fourth-rate as a policing, power projecting alternative to their more expensive line of battle third-rates was enough to cement their survival, often found amid the ranks of the minor sea powers and sent out to act as flagships to support the patrol forces in the colonial possessions, by the larger powers such as Spain and Great Britain, in areas of the world where they were less likely to run into many larger opponents and thus be the biggest fish in a much smaller pond.

So these recent additions to the Warlord Games Black Seas range very much facilitate the building and fielding of those forces seen in the early war when the large powers were still building up their main fleets and thus these smaller ships of the line still appear in some of the small ship, light squadron engagements, and for those fleet engagements in the 'quieter' parts of the world where the opponents could get away with these ships taking their place in the line of battle, or when needs demanded, with the Battles of Camperdown 1797 and the Nile 1798 two classic examples with Fourth Rates appearing on both sides in the former.

The three models showcased here, two British and one in Dutch colours make a welcome addition to the collection with the latter model a bit of a proof-of-concept build, designed to see if the conversion to an earlier rigging layout with a lateen rigged mizzen would be a painless build and the good news is it was and is.

 

At the time of writing I have just composed three scenarios based on accounts by William James in his Naval History of Great Britain and thought I would use those to illustrate the kind of scenarios I plan to use these models in along with some of the larger fleet actions I'm planning to do.

William James is one of the great sources of scenarios 
for this period of naval history and with his works freely available
on the net provides a superb resource for the age of sail gamer
interested in playing historical encounters from this era.

The first of James' accounts deals with the action between the British fourth-rate, Romney 50-guns and the French frigate, La Sibylle 40-guns, fought off the island of Miconi, modern day Myknos, on the 17th June 1794;

'On the 17th of June, while the British 50-gun ship Romney, Captain the Honourable William Paget, having under her charge one British and seven Dutch merchant vessels, bound from Naples to Smyrna, was passing between the small islands of Tino and Miconi in the Archipelago, a frigate, with French national colours and a broad pendant, accompanied by three merchantmen, was discovered at anchor in-shore of Miconi.

The Eastern Mediterranean - Romney 50-guns versus La Sibylle 40-guns, off the island of Miconi, modern day Myknos on the 17th June 1794.

The British frigates Inconstant, Leda, and Tartar, from whom the Romney had, on the preceding day, been detached, being still in sight from the mast-head, Captain Paget directed the convoy to join them; and the Romney, hauling to the wind, was presently at anchor in Miconi road, within a little more than a cable's length of the French 40-gun frigate Sibylle, chef de division, or commodore, Jacques-Melanie Rondeau.

In the hope to save the effusion of blood. Captain Paget sent a message to the French commander, desiring him to surrender his ship. This Commodore Rondeau refused, alleging that he was well acquainted with the Romney's force, that he was fully prepared, both with men and ammunition, and that he had made oath never to strike his colours. By the time the Romney’s officer had returned to his ship the Sibylle had placed herself between the Romney and the town of Miconi, which obliged Captain Paget to carry out another anchor, and warp the Romney farther ahead, in order that her guns might point clear of the town.

At 1 p.m. the Romney, being abreast of the French frigate, and secured with springs on her cables, fired a broadside, which the Sibylle instantly returned. The action thus commenced lasted, without a moment's intermission, for one hour and ten minutes, when the Sibylle, being quite in a defenceless state, hauled down her colours, and, with the three merchantmen, was taken possession of by the Romney.

The Romney, when she commenced action, was 74 working men short of her established complement; consequently she had on board only 266 men and boys. Of these the Romney lost eight seamen killed and 30 (including two mortally) wounded.

The Sibylle commenced action, as deposed to by three of her surviving officers, with a crew of 380; of which number she lost her second-lieutenant, captain of marines, and 44 seamen killed, and 112 officers, seamen, and marines (including nine mortally) wounded.

The fact of the Romney’s being so short of complement had, it appears, reached the ears of M. Rondeau; who, knowing, on the other hand, that his own ship could muster at quarters upwards of 100 men, and those effective hands, more than his adversary, was sanguine enough to hope for that success which his bravery so well merited.

Action of the Romney and La Sybille and three armed vessels, June 17th 1794 off Miconi - J. Livesay (NMM)

The Sibylle, although she mounted but 26, had, like other 40-gun frigates, ports for 28 guns on her main deck, and actually fought through her aftmost port one of her guns from the opposite side, a measure which, from her stationary position, was not at all inconvenient. The force of that shifting-gun will accordingly be computed. On her quarter-deck and forecastle the Sibylle mounted 16 long 8-pounders and two brass carronades, 36-pounders, making her total number of guns 44. In the official letter the 8s and the carronades are called 9 and 42 pounders, but no such pounders are known in the French service. The mistake, which is a very frequent one, arises from adopting the denomination assigned to an English gun of the nearest apparent calibre in preference to that used by the French.

The Romney, as I have her for this scenario using Kiss Me, Hardy, 'not, in reality, a very decided overmatch for a French 40-gun frigate' as James would have it, and I would agree up to a point, but as I always say, 'it's not the size of the dog in the fight that counts, but rather the size of the fight in the dog' and a Jolly Jack Tar crew represents that factor.

The Romney does not appear to have been supplied with carronades; consequently her 50 long guns, as particularised in the first annual abstract, were all that she mounted. From this statement it appears, that a British 50-gun ship of those days was not, in reality, a very decided overmatch for a French 40-gun frigate. Some allowance, however, is to be made for the advantage which a two-decker possesses over a one-decker in the power of concentrating her fire. . . . '

The next action recounted took place thirty miles south-west of Round Island or Ile Ronde, Mauritius on the 22nd October 1794 between the two British fourth-rates Centurion 50-guns and Diomede 44-guns and a French squadron composed of the frigates Cybele 36-guns and Prudente 32-guns together with the corvette Jean Bart 18-guns and Courier, a brig of 16-guns;

'On the 22nd of October, at 11 a.m., Isle-Ronde, off the northeast extremity of the Isle of France, bearing north-west by west nine or ten leagues, the British 50-gun ship Centurion, Captain Samuel Osborne, and 44-gun ship Diomede, Captain Matthew Smith, descried and gave chase to four strange sail in the west, steering to the northward with the wind easterly.

 

These proved to be a French squadron, composed of the 40-gun frigate Cybele, 36-gun frigate Prudente, 20-gun corvette Jean-Bart, and 14-gun brig-corvette Courier, under the orders of Commodore Jean-Marie Renaud, in the Prudente. This officer, having put to sea from Port-Louis purposely, as was stated, to fight the two British ships, of whose names as well as force he was already apprised, suffered no long chase ere he hove to in line ahead; his own ship, the Prudente, leading, followed, at little more than a cable's length, by the Cybele, Jean-Bart, and Courier.

The British ships now edged down to take their stations; the Centurion placing herself abreast of the two frigates, with the greater part of her broadside bearing on the Prudente, while the Diomede took a similar position between the Cybele and Jean-Bart, directing her chief attention to the Cybele.

The Indian Ocean - Thirty miles south-west of Round Island or Ile Ronde, Mauritius, 22nd October 1794,  British fourth-rates Centurion 50-guns and Diomede 44-guns versus a French squadron composed of the frigates Cybele 36-guns and Prudente 32-guns together with the corvette Jean Bart 18-guns and Courier, a brig of 16-guns.

At 3 h. 29 m. p.m. the French commodore, having hoisted his broad pendant, and all his ships their colours, opened a fire within half musket-shot; and the cannonade presently became general. Having, from her close position, bore the brunt of this firing, the Centurion soon became very much damaged in her sails and rigging; whereupon the Prudente, at 4 p.m., with every spar standing, and with her sails and rigging not materially injured, bore up and ran to leeward out of gun-shot, signalling her comrades to do the same.

According to the French commodore's account, this was, in order that the squadron might repair damages and be able to obtain the weather gage, an excuse, a contradiction in itself, for had his object been that which is stated, he would have fore-reached upon the disabled Centurion and then tacked; it certainly is something new in naval tactics, to bear up in order to get to windward. 

The Cybele made sail ahead, and, firing at the Centurion in passing, brought down the latter's mizen topmast and fore topgallant mast; but being herself much cut up in sails and rigging, and being also retarded in her flight by the calm that, as usual, had succeeded the heavy firing, was compelled to sustain an action, broadside to broadside, with the British 50.

The Diomede, whose signal to carry all possible sail was about this time ordered to be made, but the flags for which " could not be found," lay at some distance to windward, firing occasionally at the Cybele, as well as at the Jean-Bart and Courier; but these ships, in obedience to their commodore's signal, soon bore up and joined the Prudente.

The Centurion and Cybele continued closely engaged; and at about 5 h. 15 m. p.m., the latter's main topgallant mast was shot away. Just at this moment a light air sprang up, and the Cybele, taking advantage of it, edged down towards the Prudente; who, with the corvette and brig, had wore, and was fast approaching to her support. At 5 h. 45 m. p.m., just before she joined the Prudente, the Cybele's wounded foretopmast fell.

Both the Diomede and Centurion had wore in pursuit; but the latter had suffered so much in her masts, that Captain Osborne was compelled to put her head to the sea, to prevent them from falling overboard.

The Prudente, as soon as the Cybele joined, took her in tow; and all four vessels, carrying as much sail as they could set, steered to the westward, followed and fired at, until dark, by the Diomede; whose shot, however, in reference to any visible effect produced by them, appear to have fallen short.

The Centurion lost three seamen killed, or mortally wounded the gunner and six seamen severely, and 17 seamen slightly wounded. The Diomede does not appear to have sustained any loss.

The Prudent*) lost 15 men killed, and 20 wounded; the commodore among the latter, and his first and second lieutenants among the former. The Cybele lost her first-lieutenant and 21 petty officers and seamen killed, and 62 wounded, 37 of them dangerously. The Jean-Bart had one man killed, and five men wounded. The Courier appears to have shared the good fortune of the Diomede. . . .'

H.M.S. Leander - Geoff Hunt
The Portland Class 50-gun Leander took part in the Nile Campaign of 1798 that saw Nelson's dramatic victory over the French fleet, during which Leander raked the Peuple Souverain and Franklin in the battle.

The third and final scenario taken from James is that covering the action between the Leander 50-guns and the French 74-gun Genereux fought in the wake of the Battle of the Nile at which both antagonists participated.

The Battle of the Nile 2nd August 1798 showing the positions of Leander and Genereux during the battle at which the latter would make her escape. Both vessels started the battle in the rear of the opposing lines.

William James set the scene and depicts the account of this action fought five miles south west of Crete in the Mediterranean on the 18th August 1798;

'At the close of our account of the Battle of the Nile, it was stated that the British 50-gun ship Leander, Captain Thomas Boulden Thompson, had sailed on the 6th of August, from before Alexandria, with Rear-admiral Sir Horatio Nelson's despatches, addressed to the commander-in-chief on the Mediterranean station.

On the 18th, at daybreak, being within five or six miles of the west end of Goza di Candia, the Leander discovered in the south-east quarter, standing directly for her, a large sail, evidently a ship of the line; and which, although the Leander lay becalmed, was bringing up a fine breeze from the southward. The Leander being upwards of 80 men short of complement and having on board several that were wounded in the Nile action, Captain Thompson did not feel himself justified in seeking a contest with a ship so superior in point of size and force; and therefore took every practicable means to avoid it. The Leander's inferiority of sailing, however, rendered an action inevitable; and it was only left to steer such a course, as would enable her to receive her powerful adversary to the best advantage.

Eastern Mediterranean - Leander v Genereux 18th August 1798

That adversary was the French 74-gun ship Généreux, chef de division Lejoille, bound to Corfu, and armed with the addition of two brass 36-pounder carronades on the forecastle, making 80 guns in all, while the Leander's force consisted of only 22 long 24-pounders on the lower deck, the same number of 12-pounders on the second deck, six long 6-pounders, on the quarterdeck and forecastle, and two, or rather one, for the other had been dismounted at the Battle of the Nile, 12-pounder carronade on the poop, total 51 guns.

At 8 a.m. the Généreux, still retaining exclusive possession of the breeze, and having by way of deception hoisted Neapolitan colours, approached within random-shot of the Leander, then steering, under every stitch of canvass she could spread, with the wind on the larboard beam. The French 74 now changed her colours to Turkish; but, from the first, her national character had been known. At 9 a.m. the Généreux ranged up, within half gun-shot, on the Leander's larboard and weather quarter. Finding that an action was inevitable, the Leander shortened sail, and hauled up until her broadside could be brought to bear. The Généreux now fired a shot ahead of the Leander and the latter immediately replied to it by a broadside.

A vigorous cannonade thus commenced on both sides; and the two ships continued nearing each other, keeping up a constant and heavy fire, until 10 h. 30 m. a.m., when the Généreux evinced a disposition to run her opponent on board. Such was the shattered state of the latter's rigging, sails, and yards, and so light the breeze, that the latter could make no movement to evade the shock. The French 74, accordingly, struck the British 50 on the larboard bow, and, dropping alongside, with a crash that bent double several of the Leander's lower deck ports, continued there for some time.

The Leander was now totally ungovernable, having her lower yards on the booms, and no stick standing, save the bowsprit and the shattered remains of the fore and main masts

A spirited and well-directed fire, however, from the Leander's remnant of marines, stationed on the poop, and commanded by the sergeant (no officer having arrived on board to succeed Lieutenant Robinson killed at Tenerife), and from the small-arm men on the quarterdeck, prevented the crew of the Généreux, numerous as they were, from taking advantage of the juxtaposition of the ships; and the Frenchmen every time they attempted to board, were driven back with loss. Meanwhile such of the great guns of both ships, as would bear, continued in full activity.

HMS Leander weighs in at just under 1,053 tons BM equating to the 46 hull/damage points and was armed with 22 x 24-pounder long guns on her main gundeck, 22 x 12-pdrs on her upper deck and 4 and 2 x 6-pdrs on her quarterdeck and forecastle respectively. 

After an interval of calm, a light air sprang up, still from the southward; and the Généreux, being from her lofty sails the first to feel its effects, forged ahead, and disentangled herself from the Leander, now lying with her mizenmast over the starboard quarter, her fore topmast over the larboard bow, and both her lower yards on the booms. The Généreux, soon afterwards, coming up in the wind on the starboard tack, the Leander, who by the aid of her sprit-sail had succeeded in wearing, was enabled to luff under the stern of her antagonist. The opportunity was not lost, and the Leander deliberately discharged into the Généreux every gun upon her starboard broadside, which the wreck of her spars did not cover.

The breeze again died away, and the sea became as smooth as glass ; but no intermission took place in the mutual cannonade : it continued with unabated fury, until 3 h. 30 m. p.m. By this time the Généreux having, by the aid of a light breeze, paid round off upon her heel, stood athwart the hawse of the Leander, and stationed herself on the latter's larboard bow. Here, unfortunately, the greater part of the guns, the foremost ones in particular, lay disabled with the wreck of the fallen spars. This gave a check to the Leander's firing, and the Généreux took that opportunity of hailing, to know if the British ship surrendered.

The Leander was now totally ungovernable, having her lower yards on the booms, and no stick standing, save the bowsprit and the shattered remains of the fore and main masts: the ship's hull was also cut to pieces, and her decks were strewed on every side with killed and wounded. The Généreux, on the other hand, having lost only her mizen topmast, was gradually passing along the Leander's larboard beam, as if intending to take up a position across her stern. In the defenceless state of the British ship, what other reply to the question of surrender could be given, than an affirmative? It was given, by holding out a pike with a French jack at the end of it, and the Généreux took possession of 

her comparatively insignificant, but far from easily-won prize: not, however, by a boat, for the Leander had left the Généreux no boat in a situation to take the water, but by the French ship's boatswain, and one of her enseignes, or midshipmen, after they had swum on board.

An action so celebrated, and so truly creditable to the weaker party, we are happy to be able to illustrate with a diagram.

In this six hours' close and bloody conflict, the Leander lost three midshipmen (Peter Downs, -------- Gibson, and Edward Haddon), 24 seamen, one sergeant (Dair), and seven private marines killed, her commander (badly, in three places), Captain Berry (slightly *), two lieutenants (Watkinson Bridges Taylor and William Swiney), her master (Michael Lee), boatswain (Mr. Mathias, badly), one master's mate (John Leckey), one midshipman (Mr. Nailor), 41 seamen, and nine private marines wounded-total, 35 killed and 57 wounded. This was a full third of her gallant crew; for, having left one lieutenant, one midshipman, and fifty men on board the prizes of Aboukir bay, and been originally short of her complement, the Leander had commenced the action with only 282 men and boys, including her 14 wounded in the Nile battle, and, we believe, her two passengers, Captain Edward Berry and a Mr. William Hill.

The Généreux, having received on board a portion of the Timoléon's crew, † as well as, on the day previous, when she parted company with the Guillaume-Tell, a number of men from her, had commenced the action with 936 men and boys. Of these, according to the information given by some of her officers to the late officers of the Leander, the Généreux sustained a loss of about 100, including her first lieutenant, killed, and 188 wounded; sufficient in amount, even admitting it to be slightly overrated, to prove that the 74's thick sides were not impenetrable to the 50-gun ship's comparatively light, but liberally bestowed, and well-directed shot. Some of the crew of the Généreux were even killed upon her orlop deck ; and nothing but the smoothness of the water saved the French ship's foremast, which had been struck by 23 of the Leander's shot and was left at last with only one shroud of a side to support it. 

COMPARATIVE FORCE OF THE COMBATANTS.
		LEANDER	GENEREUX
Broadside-guns	No.	26	40
	lbs.	432	1024
Crew	No.	282	936
Size	tons.	1052	1926

Where is there a single-ship action which has conferred greater honour upon the conqueror than in this instance lights upon the conquered? Such a defence is unparalleled, even in the British navy, where to be brave is scarcely a merit. Nothing, however, is without its alloy. Captain Thompson had the misfortune to be compelled to yield up his brave crew and himself to, we are sorry to say, a man who, by his subsequent treatment of his prisoners, disgraced both the profession he served in, and the country that employed him.

* By "part of a man's skull, which was driven through his arm."- Naval Chronicle, vol. xv., p. 180.'

These three examples of British fourth-rates in action illustrate that these 'black-sheep' of the ship of the line ratings played their role during the French Revolutionary War, when they were still to be found serving on station around the globe, and if you are looking for further inspiration for getting these models out on the table, look no further than the collected novels of the fictional characters portrayed by the likes of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester, with the former having his key character Captain Jack Aubrey commanding the 50-gun HMS Leopard, as illustrated superbly by Geoff Hunt in the header to the post.

Captain Horatio Hornblower played by Gregory Peck in the 1951
Warner Brothers film 'Captain Horatio Hornblower, RN'.

Likewise no less a personage than the legendary Captain Horatio Hornblower, ends up in action with the Spanish 50-gun fourth-rate, Natividad, when, in 1807 whilst in command of the 36-gun frigate HMS Lydia, he is sent to the Pacific to aid a Spanish grandee, a certain Don Julian Alvarado, who calls himself, 'El Supremo', in his bid to overthrow the Spanish authorities, with Spain now in alliance with Napoleon.

The ever so slightly 'bonkers', El Supremo played magnificently by Alec Mango

To aid the mad El Supremo, Hornblower has to capture the Spanish 50-gun Natividad and to hand over command of it to the rebel leader, which he does, only to discover that the situation has changed during his voyage to the other side of the world and the British government is now in alliance with Spain against Napoleon, and thus to set matters right he must either capture or destroy the most powerful vessel in the area, El Supremo's Natividad; commanded in the film by a young Sir Christopher Lee, in the role of Admiral Don Cristobal de Crespo, 'a ruthless acolyte of El Supremo who will fight to the bitter end', the quote coming from Nick Skinner's scenario based on the action from Forester's book, The Happy Return, first published in 1937.

The 50-gun Natividad and 36-gun Lydia prepare to fire as she bears

The full version of Nick's scenario for this fun little action is to be found in the 2006 Christmas Lardy Special, in the link below.

Too Fat Lardies - 2006 Christmas Special

Needless to say I will be showcasing some Spanish fourth rates in time and, I think, my own version of El Supremo's Natividad.

A First Edition of The Happy Return published in 1937 

My third fourth-rate has been composed very much with a fleet action in mind and the building of my Dutch Camperdown collection, which has started with a couple of frigates and a brig as covered in my post back in July 2021

JJ's Wargames - All at Sea, Revolutionary War Batavian Dutch

The Batavian-Dutch were one of the minor naval powers who still used fourth-rates at the time of the French Revolutionary War of which they employed four and a 44-gun razee at the Battle of Camperdown.

A chart of the coast of Holland illustrating the position of the Battle of Camperdown fought 11th October 1797 in the shallows off the coast of North Holland.

Somewhat anachronistically for the period, the Dutch ships of the line were still rigged out with lateen mizzens, laced and hooped to the mizzen mast, whilst the frigates appear to have been modernised with the gaff arrangement more typical for the period. I should thank fellow DWG clubmate Steve W. a.k.a. Capt. Steve for highlighting this fact to me, which has saved me not incorporating this look for my collection.

The Dutch 56-gun Deflt depicted in action during the Battle of Camperdown, illustrating her lateen mizzen to good effect.

The inspiration for this particular model came from several illustrations depicting the 56-gun Delft, commanded by Kapitein ter Zee Gerrit Verdooren van Asperen at Camperdown, during which she put up very stiff resistance at the back of the Batavian-Dutch line.

She along with the Dutch third-rate Hercules were captured at the battle, but the Delft would sink whilst being towed back to Britain and as a mark of the respect held for the fight put up by the Delft, the Hercules was renamed HMS Delft in her honour.

The Delft is shown here in this depiction of the Battle of Camperdown bringing up the rear of the line

I spent a bit of time thinking about the best and easiest way to model the look of my Batavian-Dutch and incorporating their lateen mizzens, ranging from using plastic sprue to cocktail sticks, which all meant more messing about than was required.

In the end the solution was obvious and relatively simple, keeping the look of the yard to the scale of the model by simply taking the two gaff sections provided with the plastic frigate's mast set, removing the mast brackets and welding them together with liquid cement to produce a very robust yard that you can see here.

To make sure the pattern of the mizzen lateen sail was the right shape, I printed out paper versions of the sail set and cut that to shape to use as a master before trimming the card sails that comes with the kit.

Finally, as with the merchantmen that I worked on previously back in July 2021, see link below, I resorted to the dressmaker pin, suitably shortened to act as my flag staff, which completes the look of the rig.

JJ's Wargames - All at Sea, John Company's Indiamen and Packet Ships

As well as facilitating the build of my Dutch ships for this particular project, I aim to use this modification to convert the Warlord range of third, fourth and fifth rate models to build my Hughes v Suffren collection of models which I plan to be the last project to complete my All at Sea collections.

Delft was a 56-gun fourth-rate of some 1,048 tons BM, with a length of 144 feet, 7 inches and a beam of 40 feet 10 inches.

Her armament consisted of 22 x 24-pounder long guns on her main gun deck, 24 x 12-pounder guns on her upper deck and 8 x 6-pounder guns on her forecastle and quarterdeck.

I have the Deflt ship card showing her here as an Average Sans Coulotte rating, but given her battle performance will be revising that to Elite, as she and several others of her Dutch sisters gave Duncan's British fleet a hard fight that should be modelled in their stat-lines, particularly with their gunnery abilities.

The Warlord resin model combined with the plastic mast set from the fifth-rate frigate work really well to produce a nice looking model that compliments the rest of the range.

The metal parts, which include a range of stern galleries and figureheads require a bit of filing and filling to get them to fit snuggly to the hull, but if you have a modicum of modelling skill I don't think that is any real problem to overcome.

Next Up on JJ's - Lots to come, with my work progressing on my 'Bantry Bay - 1796' scenario to be run at Clotted Lard next month, plus the final batch of models, for now, completing as I write for Jack's collection with the rigging of his Spanish squadron and more adventures in Australia and Dartmoor to update you on.

More anon

JJ