All at Sea - Sercey off Sumatra, 9th September 1796

Picking up from where I left off last week when John and Bob joined me at Chez JJ to celebrate International Naval Wargames Day in style, fighting a couple of historic single ship actions using Kiss Me Hardy & To Covet Glory (KHM/TCG), see link to the post below if you missed reading the AAR's for those games.

JJ's Wargames- International Naval Wargames Day

I was joined this week by Nathan and Chas to help me playtest another of the historical scenarios from the fifty so far created for KMH/TCG which is a planned game to run at this year's Devon Wargames Group 'Clotted Lard' meeting in September, recreating the action between Commodore Richard Lucas commanding His Majesty's 74-gun ships, Arrogant and Victorious and Rear Admiral Pierre-César-Charles-Guillaume de Sercey commanding six French frigates attacking British commerce in the Straits of Malacca in September 1796.

Rear Admiral Pierre-César-Charles-Guillaume de Sercey

As explained in my previous posts, all the scenarios take their set up based on the information provided in William James' Naval History of Great Britain where he describes this action thus;

'Rear-admiral Sercey, . . . made sail for the straits of Malacca, with the intention, in the first instance, of destroying the British factory at Pulo-Penang. On the 1st of September the squadron made Pulo-Way, and Point Pedro, island of Sumatra, and afterwards captured two or three vessels in the road of Acheen. On the 7th, when cruising off the north coast of Sumatra, the squadron captured the country ship Favourite, laden with rum and rice; and on the 8th, at daybreak, while occupied in transferring several useful articles of stores from the prize to the frigates preparatory to the former's departure for the Isle of France, the squadron descried two large ships to leeward.

The setting for the action 'Sercey off Sumatra', 9th September 1796

It was just at 6 a.m., Point Pedro bearing west distant about eight leagues, that the two British 74-gun ships Arrogant, Captain Richard Lucas, and Victorious, Captain William Clark, descried the French squadron, bearing about south-west by west. At 10 a.m. Rear-admiral Sercey, having formed his squadron in line of battle astern of the Forte, tacked, with a light air from west by north, to reconnoitre the strangers. At noon the French ships hoisted their colours; and shortly afterwards the prize parted company and stood in under the high land of Pulo-Way. At 1 p.m. the Arrogant, who was considerably ahead of her consort, tacked to speak her; and, on arriving within hail about 2 p.m., Captain Lucas stated to Captain Clark, that he considered the strangers to be six large French frigates, and the seventh ship, the Triton Indiaman, their prize. Captain Clark, in reply, gave it as his opinion, that two of the ships were of the line. Captain Lucas subsequently went on board the Victorious; and it was agreed between the two captains, that they should dog the six French frigates, and bring them to action whenever it could be done with advantage.

A map from the period showing the norther coast of Sumatra and Point Pedro with the position of this engagement indicated when the British ships spotted the French to their south-west by west and with Point Pedro approximately 24 miles bearing west. Pulo-Way is the small island just off to the left of this position where the French prize took shelter to await the outcome of the encounter.

The leading French frigate, the Forte, had, in the meantime, approached near enough to count the ports in both British ships, and to ascertain precisely their force. Having done so, the French admiral, at 2 h. 30 m. p.m., tacked and stood away, as if to seek a less troublesome enemy. 

. . . On the 9th, at daybreak, the French frigates were again ahead of the two British 74s, steering to the eastward with * . . . our translation is more according to the spirit than the letter of the original.

‘very light airs; and the two rearmost frigates, being nearly within gun-shot, were carrying a press of sail to close their companions. The Arrogant and Victorious now edged away a little, to endeavour to cut off these two frigates, but did not succeed, owing chiefly to the calm state of the weather. At a few minutes past 6 a.m., finding an action inevitable, Rear-admiral Sercey signalled his squadron to put about together, intending to try for the weather gage. The frigates were soon reformed on the larboard tack, and, with the Vertu now as the van-ship, stretched on to windward of their opponents.’

Rear Admiral Sercey's squadron interpreted to the table

At 7 h. 25 m. a.m. the Arrogant, still with her consort on the starboard tack, opened her fire on the Vertu, at the distance of about 700 yards, and succeeded in discharging two broadsides before the French frigate, owing to her position, could bring any guns to bear. The first broadside, however, which the Vertu did fire, brought down the Arrogant's ensign. It was immediately replaced by a union jack. The frigates were formed thus: Vertu, Seine, Forte, Régénérée, the latter a little to windward of her second ahead and astern, Cybèle, Prudente, the last on a line with the Régénérée. As they slowly passed in succession, the frigates kept up a brisk cannonade upon the two 74s; the fire from one of which cut away the foretopsail yard of, and otherwise greatly damaged, the Vertu. At 8 h. 30 m. a.m., the rearmost French frigate, the Prudente, having got so far on the starboard quarter of the Arrogant as to be out of gunshot from her, the latter ceased firing.

Since ten minutes after the commencement of the action a calm had prevailed; and the Arrogant, even had she been in perfect order, would have found it difficult to wear. As it was, her foretopsail yard had been shot away; and so had the larboard arm of the maintopsail and cross jack yards, starboard arm of the spritsail yard, and the mizen topgallant mast. The main topgallant mast had also been shot through, and the main yard, mainmast, and bowsprit much wounded. Three of her boats had been rendered useless by shot; and all the larboard main rigging and stays were cut away, with the whole of the starboard or weather braces and yard tackles. Her sails, also, were in a shattered condition. Thus situated, the Arrogant was quite in an unmanageable state.

'The Victorious, who lay about a cable's length astern, and rather to leeward, of the Arrogant, . . .'
HMS Arrogant 74-guns, Commodore Lucas' flagship leads her consort Victorious 74-guns as the British third-rates bear down on the enemy and prepare to engage.

The Victorious, who lay about a cable's length astern, and rather to leeward, of the Arrogant, opened her fire, as the French frigates, after having discharged their broadsides at the latter, successively got abreast of her. At about 8 a.m. Captain Clark was wounded in the thigh and carried below, and Lieutenant William Waller took command of the ship. At 8 h. 40 m. a.m., which was soon after the Arrogant had, as already stated, ceased firing, the Victorious wore round on the same tack as the enemy, and brought her larboard guns to bear. At 9 a.m. she perceived a signal at the Arrogant's foretopmast head but, owing to the smoke and to the flags not blowing out, did not understand it. The signal, which was for the Victorious to come to again on the starboard tack, remained up about ten minutes, and was then hauled down without having been answered.

The two leading frigates had now stationed themselves on the larboard bow of the Victorious; and the remaining four lay from the beam to the quarter, at the distance of about 900 yards. The 74 sustained and returned the united fire of the six French frigates until 10 h. 15 m. a.m.; when, having received several shot in her hull, upwards of 40 of them between wind and water, had her three lower masts and bowsprit, as well as her yards and topmasts, badly wounded, and her rigging and sails very much cut; and finding that the Arrogant, whose distance already was nearly a mile and a half, still continued to stand on upon the opposite tack, the Victorious attempted, with a light air of wind, to wear and rejoin her consort.

No sooner was the stern of the Victorious, in wearing, exposed to the enemy, than three of the frigates advanced to rake her, and it falling a dead calm, continued pouring a destructive fire until 10 h. 45 m. a.m.; when, fortunately for the Victorious, a breeze sprang up from the northward, and enabled the latter to bring her starboard broadside to bear. At this time the Vertu, from the loss of her foretopsail yard, had dropped astern, and lay in the south quarter, and another frigate was observed to be sweeping and towing with boats in that direction. The latter was the Cybèle, proceeding, by signal, to take the crippled Vertu in tow. At 10 h. 55 m. a.m., this service having been executed, the French squadron bore up and steered west by north, under a crowd of sail; and at 11 h. 15 m. a.m. the Victorious ceased firing, the last of the frigates being out of gunshot.

The condition of the two British ships at the close of this long and tedious contest, as far as respects their masts, yards, rigging, and hulls, has already been described. It remains to show, what loss in men they each of them sustained. The Arrogant, out of a crew of 584, or thereabouts, lost one midshipman and six seamen killed, and 27 men wounded. Among this ship's damages should have been noticed, the disabling of one second-deck, and two lower deck guns, and the dismounting of one gun on the quarterdeck. The loss of the Victorious, whose established complement was the same as the Arrogant's, but who had sent away in prizes her first lieutenant and 90 seamen, amounted to 15 seamen and two marines killed, her captain, one midshipman, 48 seamen, and seven marines, wounded: making the total of loss on board the two ships 24 killed, and 84 wounded.

With respect to the damage sustained by the squadron of Rear-admiral Sercey, we can only gather, that three of the frigates, including the Vertu and Seine, were much cut up in hull, masts, yards, and rigging. That the remaining three frigates also suffered in some degree, will be evident from the following account of the loss incurred in the action. The Vertu had nine officers and men killed, and 15 wounded; the Seine, 18, including Captain Latour her commander, killed, and 44 wounded; the Forte, six killed and 17 wounded; the Cybèle, four killed and 13 wounded; and the Prudente, three killed and nine wounded: making a total of 42 killed and 104 wounded.

Strange sail on the larboard bow, Vertu and Seine beat to quarters as the British squadron bears down on their line.

Of the force opposed in this action it may be sufficient to state, that the two British 74s were of the common or 18-pounder class; the Forte, a frigate of 1400 tons, mounting 52 guns, including 30 long 24-pounders; the Seine, Vertu, and Cybèle all large 18-pounder frigates, armed like the Virginie: and the Régénérée and Prudente, frigates of the 12-pounder or 36-gun class. Consequently, the superiority of force, especially in men, the numbers there being about as 10 to 19, was on the side of M. Sercey. Judging, however, from the relative loss of the combatants, we should say that, had the state of the weather, and other circumstances to which we need scarcely advert, permitted the two 74s to manoeuvre and act in concert, they would, in all probability, have captured two, at least, of the six frigates opposed to them. Unless, indeed, the French admiral had put in practice a well-concerted plan of boarding; in which case, undoubtedly, his decided numerical superiority would have placed the two line-of-battle ships in great jeopardy. After the action the Arrogant and Victorious, the latter in tow of the former, proceeded straight to Madras, and on the 6th of October anchored in the road. The French squadron steered for Isle-du-Roi, in the Archipelago of Margui, and anchored there on the 15th. Here the frigates got themselves thoroughly stored and refitted, even to the renewal of their damaged lower masts. They sailed thence in the early part of October, steering first towards the coast of Golconda, and afterwards to the eastern coast of Ceylon.

Having, while on this station, been led to believe that he should get all the wants of his squadron supplied at Batavia, Rear-admiral Sercey proceeded thither; particularly as the Vertu, Seine, and another of the frigates required large repairs in their hulls. The delay occasioned by this step detained M. Sercey in port at a very critical season; and so far the action between his squadron and the two British 74s contributed to preserve from spoliation much valuable property in the eastern hemisphere.

So using James' as the foundation of this scenario I came up with the following table-plan, which translated into the setup pictures of the table prepared the day before our respective commanders were to see if they could improve on the results gained by Messrs Lucas and Sercey.

Given the conditions being light to no breezes at all at one stage, I decided to keep the possibility of a change in wind direction, but left out the 'Getting Choppy' chit which if pulled sees the sea swell become such that the two British third-rates would be compelled to close their lower gun-ports which would not have accorded to anything like the situation faced historically and would have no doubt seen the actual action postponed until better conditions had prevailed.

The set-up map interpreted to the table with Sercey's six frigate squadron in line ahead as the Arrogant leads Victorious towards the enemy line with a north-westerly breeze blowing from the camera view, allowing both squadrons to take advantage of a quartering wind.

This action makes for an intriguing little battle in that the stakes were very high for both sides to achieve a victory without sustaining heavy damage themselves, which would have forced a withdrawal to the few repair facilities to both sides, particularly the French, and with the sides well matched in terms of firepower and combat potential; seeing the French able to match the two British 74's with five of their heaviest 40-gun type frigates armed with 18-pounder guns.

The Virtu 40-guns leads the Seine 40-guns and Sercey's flagship Forte 40-guns in the first group of three ships, with the line slightly off set to the next three, to allow for Sercey's original plan to attempt to double any attack in line by the British squadron.

Any scenario writer will know, much like the military maxim, that 'the plan changes on first contact with wargamers!' and that is why it is so important to get to play-test as much as possible to see if you have maximised the environmental and situational drivers to challenge the players similarly to their historical counterparts.

After explaining to the players why the two forces were here and the imperatives placed upon them to win, but not in a Pyrrhic fashion, we diced off for commands with Nathan taking the role of Sercey and Chas upholding the honour of the Royal Navy as Commodore Lucas.

Both squadrons turn into wind looking for an aggressive advantage and with the French now operating in two distinct groups but well within Sercey's command range for signalling.

With both players naturally aggressive in their style of play, I observed this encounter with a doubtful eye as to whether either commander would observe the second imperative, and the opening moves only served to reinforce that early impression of likely outcomes as both commands brought their respective squadrons as close to the wind as they could without going 'in irons' and the rather conservative, with a small 'C', Sercey replaced with a 'let's go get em!' version, as Nathan split his line into two columns and sailed to meet the British force mid table.

The opening moves from the initial set-up revealed that neither player was prepared to sit back and await the other, with the French closing the range to their enemy rather more quickly that I had anticipated - Oh well, this is going to be interesting!

The range is still too far to open fire but the French are now in two distinct groups and Lucas is on course to attempt to attack them in detail, hoping to deal with the closer group before the latter one can intervene. This might be over sooner than I anticipated!

By sailing close to the wind the inevitable first exchange of fire would be delayed as both forces closed on a bow wind, but with Lucas moving away from the first group of frigates towards the second group, it offered up a chance for the British third rates to close on the second group, whilst leaving the other struggling to come up in support and perhaps defeat of the combined French force in detail.

Let battle commence, Arrogant opens fire with a medium range broadside on the Régénérée, returned by the French frigate, as the Victorious, following up weighs in with her four 9-pounder bow-chasers

Declining to tack to come up in support, the Virtu fires an extreme range broadside at the rigging of the closer 74-gun Victorious, to aid in the struggle going on upwind.

The Régénérée has fouled the Arrogant and has been grappled forcing the Cybèle and Prudente following to take avoiding action as the Victorious closes in leaving the other three French frigates powerless to intervene.

The chit driven activation used in KMH provided loads of gripping uncertainty, particularly with movement and firing and the order each was carried out in, producing the first close encounter as Arrogant got the drop on the Régénérée, to move across her bows and, in the close encounter generated, seeing the British third rate successfully grapple the frigate as it poured in a point blank bow rake.

The move brought the lead French frigate to a stop, forcing her consorts to take avoiding action and prepare to engage the Victorious, following up in close company.

Arrogant crosses Régénérée's 'T' and pours in a point-blank broadside whilst the British crew follow up with a cheer as the grappling hooks take hold,

As the boarding action commences the other French frigates prepare to encounter the Victorious closing fast.

Before they had got over the shock of the bow rake, the crew of the Régénérée were racing to grab their boarding pikes ready to defend their bulwarks, as a series of British grapples took hold followed by a cheer from the Arrogants, led by their Royal Marines scrambling to get onto the frigate's forecastle.

As this little action kicked off another was unfolding behind as the Cybèle found herself passing broadside to broadside at close rage with the Victorious whist the pursuing Prudente swung between the two British third rates delivering a short range stern rake to the Arrogant and bow rake to the Victorious as she passed only to be subsequently grappled by the Victorious, to begin a close embrace that was only likely to end one way.

Trailing gun-smoke along her larboard battery, the Cybèle escapes the melee in her rear as her consorts ahead cover her escape.

Fortunately for both British ships the Prudente was the weakest of the French frigates and her small battery coupled with Nathan's early abysmal die rolls meant that both British warships escaped with minimal damage and easily passed their follow up strike tests for being raked.

It's all up for Régénérée and Prudente with the latter on fire and strike tests awaiting. Round one to the British with two French frigates made prizes. Note the strike test marker on the Arrogant for being stern raked by the Prudente seen behind, now on fire, yet to be tested but subsequently passed, with 'flying colours'!! 

The same couldn't be said for Régénérée or Prudente as, left in the wake of the Cybele, which was now keenly pressing on with the wind to join the other surviving French frigates, she sullenly witnessed both her comrades haul down their colours as they easily succumbed to the British boarding parties supported by close in broadsides to encourage an early surrender, seeing the battered Prudente catch fire in the process of succumbing.

Perhaps at this stage of the game with two of the French frigates under new management with British prize crews eager to get their new charges out of the way of any return fire and with the crew of the Prudente very busy trying to put out the fire onboard when she struck, only succeeding as it turned out, with just two turns to go before she would have burnt to the waterline; I should take a moment to explain the Fleet/Squadron Point's Preservation Rules in force for the game and a mechanism I have used in other fleet or squadron engagements.

With the grapples cut and British prize crews aboard frigates Régénérée and Prudente, the latter still on fire, the two British third-rates prepare to fend off Sercey's counterattack and seal their own victory by forcing him to break off.

A copy of the briefing given to the players will hopefully suffice;

Squadron/Fleet Morale

Fleets never fought to the last ship, just as armies never fought to the last battalion. After a number of ships had been lost, one side would try to break off the action and retreat to the nearest friendly port. At that point, the victors would usually be too tired, too badly damaged, or too disorganized to pursue (common phenomena among land armies also). The battle would end with the victors in possession of “the field” and some of the enemy’s ships 

Battle Fleets Preservation Point Values (P.P.V.):

Each ship in a fleet or squadron has a preservation point value as follows:

Three-deckers 3

Flagships, regardless of ship size 3

Two-deckers, including 50s and razees 2

Frigates or corvettes 1

Smaller vessels ½

Preservation Level:

The preservation level of a fleet/squadron is the proportion of the total preservation point values the fleet can lose without trying to disengage and retreat. If not specified in the scenario, the level varies by period and nationality as follows:

British - 50%

French - 30%

These differences reflect both general national fleet morale levels and differences in doctrine (both the French and the British were more cautious before 1793; after that date, the British became increasingly daring in seeking decisive actions).

Whenever the total preservation point value of ships lost or dismasted exceeds a fleet/squadron’s preservation level, all the ships in that fleet/squadron must test take a retreat test and if passed repeat when a ship in the fleet/squadron takes a new level of damage (see Damage States) or strikes. The ship’s entire preservation level is counted if the ship strikes, sinks, burns up, explodes, or is captured by boarding. One less than the ship’s preservation value is counted if the ship is dismasted (loses all rigging squares). The extra point is added if a dismasted ship strikes, etc., later.

Retreat Test:

Roll a d6 and add the commander of that fleet or squadron Command Rating (CR). The Fleet or Squadron breaks and disengages on 4 or less. 1 is always a failure. Disengaged squadrons must move to exit the table and may not fire unless enemy ships fire at them and those ships are demoralised for level of victory assessment. 

Admiral/Commodore Command Rating (CR)

Inspirational +2

Intrepid +1

Patriotic 0

Lamentable -1

Both Commanders were rated Patriotic.

Game End Effects:

Winning side is the last side whose Fleet Morale breaks or the last side with an unbroken squadron on the table. If neither side has an unbroken squadron at the end of a turn then game is a draw.

Losing side – roll a d6 for any ships that have suffered Heavy Damage. They founder and sink on a 1 or are captured by the enemy if they have any ships of the same rate or larger that are not more than Light Damage.

Consult Endgame & Victory to determine if the victory was Marginal, Decisive or Resounding.

Thus the respective Fleet PPV's were calculated thus:

British Fleet PPV = Arrogant Flagship = 3 + 1 3rd Rate = 5 x 50% = 2.5

French Fleet PPV = Forte Flagship = 3 + 5 Frigates = 8 x 30% = 2.4

Sercey has regrouped his four remaining frigates, with the Cybele now bringing up the rear, and bears down on the victorious but somewhat battered British third-rates determined to salvage the situation.

With two frigates and two PPV's against the French, Commodore Lucas was in the driving seat, but still needed to knock out one more of the enemy frigates to cause Sercey's command to test to break off, and also having to be conscious that his battered ships, now faced three practically fresh opponents now bearing down on them to rectify matters.

As the two opposing lines closed the exchanges of close range fire started to take effect and the Victorious was the first to bring matters to a head as she grappled the Seine and boarded, only to be stern raked by Sercey's flagship Forte that prompted a following Strike Test which she passed, pressing on to capture the Siene's upper deck causing the Frenchman to strike and force Sercey to take the Retreat Test at the close of the turn.

The two British prizes make their escape as the final moves of the game unfold that produced such a climatic finale as Rear-Admiral Sercey salvaged his career and game with an unexpected victory, seeing the British third rates overwhelmed with a combination of combined boardings and a double stern rake from Sercey's flagship to silence the Victorious .

However, he passed the test rolling a '6' and getting the next fire chit out of the bag before the British could move, allowing the Forte to administer a second stern rake on the Victorious that this time was successful, in not only causing a Strike Test, but seeing the British third-rate fail it when the Strike test chit came out.

This left the Forte free to join the Vertu in a grapple with the Arrogant just ahead of the now struck Victorious, later to be joined by the following Cybele, with all three frigates combining to overwhelm the Arrogant and snatch victory from the seeming jaws of defeat, with the capture of the British flagship negating any retreat tests.

The struck Seine was deemed to have been recaptured as the Victorious struck so quickly that neither her crew or her prize crew had had time to cut the grapple leaving the former prize in easy reach of being repossessed.

The final Ship Record Ships reveal what a battering both sides had administered to each other which explains why I was unsure of calling the game either way through most of it, but still being surprised at the final result.

The Arrogant displays her battle scars with the 45% line on her Hull Damage boxes indicating a ship with Heavy Damage. I have included a key to reading Kiss Me Hardy ship stats to better able understanding the other ship record cards. I now calculate all the ship hull box definitions using the formula devised by Brian Weathersby in his Lardy Special article, 'Messing About in Boats'. 

An equally battered Victorious with relatively Light Damage to the hull on the 25% morale test threshold, but showing her rigging cut to pieces by the French fire that eventually saw her foremast go down after being stern raked twice by Sercey's Forte. 

Sercey's flagship barely has a scratch on her paintwork and was along with the Vertu, the least damaged of the French ships at the close, but her fire on the Victorious was decisive 

The Vertu had a key role to play as she manged to contain the Arrogant long enough for the Forte and Cybele to come up and force the British flagship to strike

The Cybele is noteworthy for being engaged throughout the action, surviving the first encounter and able to support the French counter attack at the close.

The final three French frigates are those that struck to the British squadron with only the Seine being recaptured at the close.

Prudente was lucky to get away having been badly damaged by a fire that broke out during her capture by Victorious, and her prize crew managing to douse the flames on a 1 or 2 with a D10 scoring 2 just before she managed to get off table. However with this amount of damage it would be a test of seamanship if she made it back to the nearby British base of Prince of Wales Island or Pulo-Penang as mentioned in James' account.

Thank you to both Nathan and Chas for producing a fantastic game that was cut and thrust all the way, with no quarter asked or given, but played in the usual spirit of banter, laughs in equal measure to go with the fun of the game.

Likewise Kiss Me Hardy performed magnificently to produce a fast flowing game with turns proceeding at a good pace and with the ever present uncertainty of the chit driven activation and testing sequence, that had its say many times throughout the game, with its last surprise giving Nathan his opportunity at a double stern rake on the Victorious to set up what seemed like an unlikely French victory.

I now feel confident that this scenario has bag-loads of potential for both players if they choose to be aggressive in their intent, however I'm not sure how either admiralty would have viewed the damage suffered by their respective commands given the scarcity of resources available for this out of the way naval theatre.

For those interested, all the models presented are from the Warlord Games, Black Seas range of Napoleonic era ships all based on my acrylic pill bases supplied by Fluid 3D, follow the link 'All at Sea Ship Bases' in the right hand column under 'Labels', and the sea cloth is from Tiny Wargames, see link, at the top of the right column under the Devon Wargames Group club banner.

I'm off to the Devon Wargames Group monthly meeting today to replay this scenario with another group of players as another warm up for Clotted Lard, so look forward to reporting on the outcome of that game on the club blog.

More anon. JJ

International Naval Wargames Day with Kiss Me Hardy & To Covet Glory (Boston v Ambuscade, July 1793) and (Pelican v Médée, September 1796)

 

Today, August 6th 2022, is International Naval Wargames Day, an opportunity to promote the pleasures of naval wargaming to the wider gaming community and encourage more folks to expand their gaming curriculum into this interesting area of our hobby.

In support of this worthy objective I got together earlier this week with John and Bob here at JJ's HQ to run a couple of historical small-ship engagements from the French Revolutionary Wars, with a few objectives in mind, namely to play-test some new scenarios I've been working on together with the setup rules and victory conditions that apply to them, as well as supporting today's initiative.

It's midweek and the room is prepared to welcome my guests, John and Bob, in readiness to support International Naval Wargames Day with some historical small ship actions prepared. The table dimensions are designed to set the stage in the closing stages of either a Chase or Meeting Engagement scenario.

Since my adventure into building a collection of 1:700th model ships from the Warlord Black Seas range of Napoleonic era model warships, as well as developing a collection to facilitate the big historical battles of the era such as Trafalgar and Cape St. Vincent, I was keen to also develop a collection of the smaller types to allow me to focus on the much more common types of naval actions that characterised the period, with small groups or single vessels ranging in size from luggers, cutters and schooners to mighty ships of the line encountering similar opponents, whilst engaged in patrols away from the main battle fleets.

When considering these historical smaller types of engagements often between single ships from each side, there are two references I turn to for inspiration, William James and his Naval History of Great Britain, copies of which are readily available on the internet, and a more recent tome by naval historian Dr Sam Wills and his marvellous book on the subject of warfare at sea during the eighteenth century entitled 'Fighting at Sea', a book I reviewed here on JJ's back in January 2020

JJ's Wargames - Fighting at Sea, Book Review

Small ship engagements in the age of sail present the naval wargamer with some interesting challenges to recreate in a scenario format, something I have been working on now for the last three years as my collection has grown and I have gradually put together a format for playing these games that has led me to complete 50 of an initial planned 100 scenarios themes for using with my preferred rules, Kiss me Hardy and the below the rate addition, To Covet Glory.

Those of us interested in the more intellectual side of gaming, namely reproducing the challenges faced by the actual commanders on the day, as best we can, and comparing our results on the table with those seen in the actual fight as a means of assessing victory or defeat; rather than simply pitching our model ships at each other in a duel to the death type of game, which bears little resemblance to the sea-fights described in the histories and takes little count of the restrictions and drivers placed on the actual captains involved, need a structure to base our games in, that help recreate those drivers on the players.

The front page of the scenario book I'm developing, that will allow me to select any one from a hundred of these historical match ups to play, as and when, with victory conditions and set ups based around the structure of the Meeting Engagement and Chase, that tended to characterise these small ship actions. 

Over the three years of pulling together these types of games and several rewrites of the various scenarios, I have gradually developed a structure of additional rules, based around defining these actions into two distinct types, Chases and Meeting Engagements, with the possibility that a scenario starting as one type could easily develop into the other depending on how things develop in the game.

The classic meeting engagement scenario, that is where both opposing commanders have decided, usually based on their observations, but sometimes by prior agreement such as in a classic 'War of 1812' duel situation, to meet their opponent in battle or were forced to face the other through an inability to escape, might see an opportunity through manoeuvre at a later stage, perhaps having caused enough damage to a stronger opponent, to permit them to break contact and thus bring on a potential chase if their opponent then decides to try and prevent their departure. 

Likewise in the scenario that sees an obviously weaker opponent identify his predicament and decide to run from the start, bringing on the classic chase situation, might during that evasion have the opportunity to briefly turn and deliver a damaging response that weakens the pursuer enough to allow the previous quarry to turn on the pursuer and convert the Chase to the Meeting Engagement.

Over this layer of situations is applied the other layer of considerations for the players, namely what does the scenario demand from me to meet the victory conditions, which will usually compare the result and performance against the historical outcome as a gauge for the level of success or failure. So not just a simple win-lose, blow my opponent out of the water kind of game - well that's the intention! 

Thus with James providing all the background information on each of the historical actions which describes the ships involved, why they were there and what happened during and after the actions; with his acquaintance with a lot of the naval officers he refers to, from his letters to them, and from personal interactions with them, adding all the colour and drama to his descriptions mixed with his gloriously biased and nationalist prose that seems somewhat bold in this day and age, I then can balance the historical reality of the problems faced by the commanders involved by stripping away some of James' colourful descriptions and referring to Willis' guide to what each opposing commander would have likely been trying to achieve.

Sam Willis' quote 'no situation perhaps more difficult and demanding so much caution as the occasional meeting with a doubtful ship.' was well illustrated in our first game, Boston vs Ambuscade, 31st July 1793. Both commanders approached their opponent with caution in the opening moves, unsure of the identity and fighting strength of the other and seeking out that key tactical advantage with 'a doubtful ship' .

Sam Willis has some great guiding quotes that I refer to again and again when working on these scenario set ups, for example, his opening paragraph to his chapter entitled 'Contact'.

'Any sea fight necessarily began with the meeting of two ships or fleets. It was a critical time: it tested the seamanship and decision-making skills of the officers, dictated the tactics that would be most effective, and provided opportunities for tactical advantage to be won or lost. 

It was also a particularly delicate situation for the captains concerned. A captain needed to exercise prudence to prevent a potential enemy from taking advantage of any inaction on his part, and also to avoid assaulting friends and countrymen. Hundreds of lives, great wealth, and personal and professional reputations were at stake. To compound matters, it is equally clear that the identification of friend or foe was not straightforward. To be good at it required experience and skill, intuition and judgement.

One contemporary with considerable personal experience of the navy and of combat believed that there was in fact 

'no situation perhaps more difficult and demanding so much caution as the occasional meeting with a doubtful ship.'

So to our first scenario which followed a player briefing explaining how they could win the scenario that included the possibility of breaking off the action should either feel that they were likely to lose more heavily than their historical counterpart and how to prevent a break off should the other feel inclined to press home the advantage.

Boston vs Ambuscade, 31st July 1793 off Long Island, USA

Boston vs Ambuscade, 31st July 1793 off Long Island, USA

This first scenario was a meeting engagement described by James:

'On the 31st, at 3 a.m., a ship, apparently large, was descried coming down before the wind, in the direction of northeast by east. The Boston immediately cleared for action. At 3 h. 30 m. a.m. the strange ship passed about three miles and a half to windward, making signals with false fires. At 3h. 50 m. a.m. the ship was discovered to be a frigate, under French national colours. The Boston now hoisted the same colours; whereupon the stranger ran up at her peak a blue flag with a white cross, and thus made herself known as the Embuscade.

At 4 A.M. the latter wore to the eastward, and the Boston set her mainsail; as did also the Embuscade. At 4 h. 45 m. a.m. the Boston tacked, hauled up her mainsail, hauled down the French, and hoisted English colours; and was passed by the Embuscade, at about a mile and a half distance.

At 5 a.m. the Boston again tacked; when the Embuscade bore up, and at 5 h. 5 m. a.m. ranged along the former's larboard and weather side. The Boston thereupon fired her larboard guns; which were promptly answered by the starboard ones of the Embuscade, as the latter lay with her main topsail to the mast. The Boston then wore, and, on coming to on the starboard tack, laid her main topsail to the mast also; and an animated fire was kept up by both ships. At this time the high land of Neversink, in the Jerseys, bore north-west, distant four leagues.

The approximate setting for our first action off Long Island, New York

At 5 h. 20 m. a.m. the cross-jack yard of the Boston was shot away; and at 5 h. 45 m. a.m. her jib and foretopmast staysail, with the stays themselves, as well as all the braces and bowlines, met the same fate; consequently, she had no further command of those sails. 

At 6 h. 10 m. a.m. her main topmast, and the yard with it, fell over on the larboard side, and the mizen derrick was shot away. At 6 h. 20 m. a.m. Captain Courtenay, and Lieutenant James Edward Butler, of the marines, while standing at the fore-part of the quarter-deck, were killed by the same cannon-ball. At this time, too, the mizen, mizen topmast, and mizen staysail were shot away; the mizen-mast was also expected, every moment, to go by the Table, and the only two lieutenants, John Edwards and Alexander Robert Kerr, were below, wounded; the latter with the temporary loss of sight in one, and with total blindness in the other, of his eyes, and the former by a contusion in the head, which rendered him senseless.

At 6 h. 40 m. a.m., finding that the crew were in some confusion for the want of officers to give orders, Lieutenant Edwards, although still suffering greatly from the stunning effects of his wound, came on deck, and took command of the ship. At 6 h. 40 m. a.m. the Embuscade dropped a little astern, with the view of putting an end to the battle at once, by a raking fire; and which the Boston, having no use of her sails, with difficulty wore round in time to avoid. On coming to on the larboard tack, the Boston could not use many of her guns, because the wreck of the main topmast lay over them. Thus circumstanced, with her principal officers dead or disabled, the British frigate put before the wind, under all the sail she could set; and at 7 h. 7 m. a.m. the Embuscade, who, to all appearance, was nearly as crippled as herself, stood after her.

At 8 A.M., however, when about four miles off', the French frigate brought to with her head to the eastward and was soon lost sight of by the Boston.

The scenario set up as the two frigates close, trying to confirm the identity of the other, with Boston initially flying French colours.

Besides the long-gun establishment of her class, the Boston mounted six of those useless monkey-tailed 12-pounder carronades; making her guns in all 38. Her net complement was 217 men and boys; but, having sent away in a prize her third-lieutenant and 12 seamen, she had actually on board no more than 204. Out of this number, she lost her gallant commander, the lieutenant of marines, and eight seamen and marines killed, her two remaining lieutenants (already named), one master's mate, two midshipmen (whose names we are unable to give), and 19 seamen and marines (the chief of them badly) wounded; total, 10 killed and 24 wounded.

The Embuscade was armed like her class-mate, No. 7, in the table below, except in having but two instead of four carronades.

Her established complement was not above 280 or 300, but Captain Bompart, while lying in New York, had augmented the number to 340, and his ship's company, for effectiveness, far exceeded the generality of French crews of the same numerical strength. Deducting the 13 absentees on board the Boston, 327 remain: out of which number, according to the New York papers of the day, the Embuscade had 50 killed and wounded.

This long and close-fought action was viewed, from beginning to end, by crowds of American citizens, standing on the Jersey beach. The superior size of the Embuscade attracted the notice of everyone; and few among the spectators, on observing the Boston haul off, were so prejudiced as not to admit that, to all appearance, the British frigate had no hopes left of bringing the combat to a favourable termination.

Although none of the Embuscade's masts fell during the contest, on her arrival at New York the French frigate had to take all of them out; and her yards, rigging, and hull must also have been considerably injured, or the Embuscade, doubtless, would have continued the chase, in order to consummate her victory. The Embuscade lay at New York, from the 2nd of August to the 9th of October, getting in her lower masts, and repairing the damages she had sustained by the Boston's fire.

The Boston, after losing sight of the Embuscade, had a very narrow escape. She was about entering the Delaware to refit in that river, when the pilot gave information, that two French frigates (believed to have been the Concorde and Inconstante) were lying at anchor opposite Mud Fort. No time was to be lost, and the British frigate, discharging the pilot, hauled up for St. John's, Newfoundland; where, on the 19th, the Boston arrived in safety.' (James' History Vol I)

With both players briefed to keep the details of their ships secret from each other, the only information they could go on once they had set up was that they faced a likely enemy frigate which would need spotting before any action against it could be taken.

John, who was commanding the HMS Boston, was really caught up in the lack of precise information, and not knowing precisely what was faced, suspecting that even the French Revolutionary colours on the other ship was just a ruse, along with the date of the action, to lull him into not realising his enemy was American and that we were in fact fighting a War of 1812 scenario, given our location off New York.

Both players have set their respective headings and positioned their ships within their twelve square inch set up corners, with Boston left and Ambuscade right of picture

As the range started to close, both captains attempted to keep their broadsides facing the potential enemy, but, given the use of order-cards restricting the players options to predesignate whether they intended to turn, tack or sail straight on, placed faced down on the table, and prior to movement, never knowing exactly what the other player would do in the next opportunity to move or, given the chit draw activation, who would get to move and possibly fire first, even if they did identify the enemy.

Thus the situation and most of the uncertainties facing Captains Courtnay and Bompart were gloriously captured as the two model ships closed, leaving both players uncertain who might get the drop on the other.

The fact was that neither player knew both frigates were fairly evenly matched, being 32-gun types and both with average crews but with the British 'Jolly Jack Tar' rating giving them enough of an advantage to likely prevent the French ship recovering from a well directed broadside at close range, particularly from a stern or bow rake.

Captain Coutney's HMS Boston gets the drop on Ambuscade, managing to get across her bow and deliver a first broadside bow rake at short range, putting the British ship in the 'driving seat' from the first exchange of fire.

It was the Boston that grabbed the initiative as John took advantage of moving second together with having his fire chit in hand, and being astern of the Ambuscade took full advantage of a quartering wind after spotting the frigate was the enemy and, hoisting his true colours, used her speed advantage to turn in across the bow of the Frenchman and deliver a first larboard broadside bow rake at short range.

The Ambuscade passed the strike test that resulted from her being bow raked and with a cheer from his crew Bompart sniped away at the Boston as the latter attempted to wear around to resume the fight at close quarters and bring matters to a speedy conclusion, no doubt with a follow up boarding action.

Captain Bompart now with a bit of sea room and with his enemy on a reciprocal heading sees his chance to avoid the likely inevitable loss of his ship following the damage he received in the first exchanges with the Boston 

As the two ships turned away from each other and with the range between them having taken on a more pronounced distance through several moves to bring broadsides to bear, Bompart realised the error Courtnay had made giving the Frenchman enough sea room to take the chance to break contact and fight another day, all be it surrendering the action to the British, but escaping with his ship damaged uncaptured.

Ambuscade shows her damage that has already reduced her starboard
battery to half effect at the moment she chose to make her escape

Thus as the next turn began and before sailing orders were placed, Bob announced his intention to break contact, seeing John countering with his intention to chase.

In a break off attempt, the quarry ship can have two attempts to break contact only needing to succeed in one of them to evade a pursuit, but if failing to evade on the second attempt, forcing the quarry ship to haul down her colours; recreating the crew and commander recognising their situation and now, having thrown guns and stores overboard in their vain attempt to get away, leaving them defenceless to offer further resistance.

Boston relatively unscathed when her quarry evaded her attempts to finish things.

The test is an opposed die roll with no movement, but based on the current speed of each ship at the moment of testing, which saw the Frenchman on a quartering wind, the fastest option, and the British frigate on an opposing heading facing a bow wind, significantly slower.

The potential movement in centimetres is divided by three to determine how many dice to roll with the rolled dice generating 1 point or 2 points based on the scores rolled, to which are added points for the distance between the opposing ships, their headings and other associated factors to produce opposing totals. 

Ambuscade makers her escape to live to fight another day and with battle honours even

In the end Bob's roll beat John's by four points indicating the Frenchman's successful breakoff.

However escaping is one aspect of these scenario set ups, but victory outcome still has to be measured against the historical outcome.

It's 1794 in our Revolutionary Naval War campaign and it generated just one action that needed resolution to see if alongside the Toulon A squadron occupying the Grand Banks sea area for 6 victory points, the French frigate could grab commerce raiding points as a bonus by beating or at least driving off the British opponent, prevented by the result gained here by HMS Boston.
https://jjwargames.blogspot.com/2022/05/all-at-sea-french-revolutionary-war.html

In the end given that Ambuscade escaped still only carrying light damage as was Boston, as in the historical longer fight both ships retired with similar damage levels so leaving honours even when the respective victory points were added up, but as this was also a campaign action as part of our KMH French Revolutionary War Campaign meant that Boston had successfully stopped the French from claiming commerce raiding points for their occupation of the sea area off Halifax.

Pelican vs Médée, 23rd September 1796 25 miles NW of La Désirade Island, Guadeloupe

Our second scenario was another meeting engagement described by James:

'On the 23d of September, at daybreak, the island of Désirade bearing south-east by south distant six or seven leagues, the British 18-gun brig-sloop Pelican, Captain John Clarke Searle, mounting sixteen 32-pounder carronades and two long sixes, found herself close on the lee beam of an enemy's frigate. Not over-desirous of engaging where the odds were so decidedly against him, Captain Searle made sail to the north-west, and was followed by the frigate; who, having the weather gage, and sailing remarkably fast in the prevailing fresh breeze, rapidly approached the Pelican.

Pelican vs Médée, 23rd September 1796 25 miles NW of La Désirade Island, Guadeloupe

Having away in prizes her master and several of her petty officers and seamen, the brig could not muster, at this time, more than 97, out of her established complement of 121, men and boys; and some of the seamen appeared to hesitate about engaging a ship of such evident superiority of force.

But, when Captain Searle called to their recollection the frequent occasions on which they had distinguished themselves while under his command and expressed a hope that they would not sully their well-earned reputation, nor place less confidence in him than they had been accustomed to do, the fine fellows gave three cheers, and at once declared their resolution, rather to sink with their commander than forfeit his good opinion.

As soon as she had made all ready, the Pelican, to the great surprise, no doubt, of all on board the frigate, shortened sail and at 7 a.m., the French 36-gun frigate Médée, having arrived within gun-shot, opened her fire. The brig reserved hers until her carronades could reach with effect. Having at length got within the proper distance, the Pelican commenced a very brisk fire, and kept it up until 8 h. 53 m. a.m. ; when the Médée, whose crew appeared to be in some confusion, hauled on board her main tack, and made off to the northward under all possible sail. Having had every brace and bowline, all the after backstays, the main-stay, several of the lower shrouds, the topsail ties, and other parts of her rigging, shot away, her sails very much torn, and her mainmast, main topsail yard, and fore yard a good deal injured, the Pelican was not in a condition for an immediate pursuit ; and the Médée, being thus left to herself; soon ran out of sight. With all her heavy damage, the Pelican had no person killed, and only one slightly wounded.

Now thoroughly up to speed with calculating victory requirements and how to control an action once in a position of superiority to prevent any escapes, and on the back of a fortifying lunch, we commenced playing our second scenario, that given the significant differences in the two ships involved, very much emphasised the need for not revealing the strength of them to the opponent.

The decks are cleared and the models in position for our second scenario, HM Brig-sloop Pelivan vs French frigate Médée

This scenario took us a few play throughs to test the victory conditions, given the outcome achieved by Captain Searle and his robust 'Pelicans' as they turned to meet the Médée in this interesting Meeting Engagement.

Given the fact that the French 40-gun fifth rate was unable to prevail against the British brig armed with short range carronades, I rated Médée's crew as poor which meant her sailing qualities caused her to turn at the same rate as a 3rd rate ship of the line, whilst the elite Pelican was quite capable of tacking perfectly on a sixpence and waltzing around her larger opponent.

As the exact wind conditions and set-up are unspecified in James' account, this scenario requires the wind to be established using the table below with the Pelican set up first, two 'gates away from that through which the wind is blowing, then placing the Médée on the opposite gate, with the players setting up within twelve inches of said gate and on a heading of their choice towards an opposite gate of their choice.

Likely wind options for this part of the Caribbean

However should the French captain suspect the Pelican of being armed primarily with the short-range, hard-hitting, 32-pounder carronades, he would have an opportunity of taking apart the brig's rigging and masts from a relatively safe range, preventing any likely escape and allowing the brig to be easily overcome once in a crippled state.

The players were learning fast to behave like their historical counterparts by assuming nothing and approaching cautiously, prepared to break off just as readily as being prepared to engage and assessing the enemy based on how well they sailed or not as was the case of the Médée whose manoeuvring was hard to disguise.

The victory conditions generated by Searle and his formidable crew are a tough ask to replicate seeing the Pelican gain a decisive victory and administering heavy damage to the Médée before she made her escape.

As in all these games, until a suspected enemy is identified as being such, any approach has to be cautious as even a brig that spots first and gets its firing chit first with an opportunity to blaze away at close range can cause a lot of hurt, particularly one such as Pelican with a very nasty sting if not handled with care.

In the end Bob running the Médée got the first spotting success, clearly identifying the Pelican as an enemy man-o-war and getting in a telling medium range broadside to open her account

The Médée successfully identifies Pelican as a British brig and opens fire

With the Frenchman using his advantage of range and ability to hit masts and rigging at the longer ranges, Médée sought to use her speed advantage to keep the brig at distance whilst she sought to damage her ability to manoeuvre, whilst John replied with some very accurate sniping from the 6-pounder bow chasers until finally able to close, through being able to turn and tack more effectively than the French frigate, allowing the carronades to finally bear but, unfortunately for him, only with a partial broadside, as the frigate managed to keep its main mast out of the brig's broadside arc.

The Pelican snipes away with her 6-pounder bow chasers as she strives to outmanoeuvre the big French frigate into carronade range.

The scenario produced a long cat-and-mouse struggle as the Pelican moved into the fifty percent damage bracket forcing strike tests on every additional hit, but with the Pelican's elite fervently-determined crew unlikely to strike unless raked into submission or beaten into it by a French boarding action that was by no means certain to be won by the larger French crew.

In the end John tried to force such a boarding action but failed by one on the score required as the Frenchman fended off the attempted embrace, leaving us running out of time to continue play and assessing the result as a likely drawn fight, but seeing a minor French victory given John's inability to match that of Captain John Clarke Searle and his Pelicans.

Having chased the Médée around the table for several turns, John attempted to grapple and bring on a boarding action to avoid the Pelican from taking death by a thousand cuts as the frigate contented itself in picking away at the brig's battered hull and rigging. However with the sun dipping, and an immediate result unlikely, we called the game in favour of the Médée.

The likely butchers bill for the respective surgeons is borne out by the two ship record cards, with the Pelican seen below having taken a lot of hits on her relatively small hull from Médée's main deck battery of 12-pounders and her rigging much cut up as well.

However the hull of the Médée has been given a working over by Pelican's 6-pounder bow chasers and a partial broadside of 32-pounder carronades, which coupled with her poor crew attributes explains why Bob was quite keen to avoid being grappled.

Despite the disparity in tonnage 369 tons for the Pelican versus 1150 tons for the Médée as illustrated in the hull boxes for each model, the Pelican could deliver a punch well above her weight with a 369 ton broadside versus Médée's 290 tons and this disparity together with the crew qualities made this a fascinating little action which when glanced at by the average gamer might at first not seem to offer much in gaming potential.

We all agreed that the way the scenarios are set up, driving the players to behave more like their historical counterparts and bringing out the potential for the better sailed vessel to overcome a much larger but poorly sailed enemy means that no one scenario is likely to be much like another and I am looking forward to testing more of them at club going forward.

JJ's Wargames -Off the Bahamas, June 4th 1742

Additionally, based on the feedback from the chaps who played in my previous 'All at Sea' adventure, testing a scenario designed by Chris Stoesen for his forthcoming War of Jenkins Ear scenario and campaign book, link above. I got to try out my adjusted Ship Record Cards that illustrate this post, complete with a redesigned Ships Fighting Abilities section including deck plan to indicate where the various batteries of guns are positioned. 

Thanks to John and Bob for getting to grips with the games and various set-ups. There efforts produced much entertainment and really brought the scenarios to life and helped me work though the ideas behind them.

I'm moving on next to play-test another one of the scenarios, recreating an action in the Indian Ocean from 1796 between two British 74-gun third rates and six French frigates, entitled Sercey off Sumatra, that will be my presentation game for Clotted Lard in September.

https://www.nmrn.org.uk/events/naval-wargames-society

Then in October I'll be running The Leeward Line scenario which I and some of the chaps from Devon Wargames Group will be taking to the Naval Wargames Society meeting at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton on the 15th October, just in time for Trafalgar week - so if you fancy coming to that you can come and see part of the the collection in action and say hello.

More anon - JJ