All at Sea - Scenarios for Light Squadrons and Single Ships

It was back in April last year that I presented a project that I had been working on and something that had been an idea long in the gestation period, principally waiting for a collection of models in the right scale to better present the level of actions I had in mind to write up as a collection of historical scenarios from William James' naval history, built around using Kiss Me, Hardy (KMH) and To Covet Glory (TCG).

JJ's Wargames - All at Sea, Scenario Design Thoughts for Alexander at Bay

The work at that time had progressed to and just beyond, Scenario 52, The Capture of the Alexander which was successfully play tested at the April 2023 gathering of the Devon Wargames Group, link below;

Devon Wargames Group - The Alexander at Bay, All at Sea with Kiss Me Hardy

Since then, other work intervened on the weekly routine of gathering the background material together to construct each scenario and then knit it together with the structure, that is itself a bit of a moving feast as ideas intrude on tweaking bits here and there.

That other work, included the Bantry Bay scenario and collection built last summer, swiftly followed by the commencement of the Camperdown collection started in October, this on the back of a bit of a catch up on other wargames related activities that had through necessity been put on hold during Carolyn's and my four month expedition to the Antipodes, a lovely problem to have I hasten to add.

The initial stage of the project was to design each scenario around a common structure, principally focussed on meeting and chase type engagements, with the obvious inclusion that one could very easily develop into the other depending on circumstances and events.

My draft copy of the first one-hundred scenarios collected from Mr William James's Great History at centre flanked by a free set of ideas for a generic scenario structure, 'Narrow Seas' published by Curs'd Captain on Wargames Vault, sadly no longer available and Sam Willis' informative look at the realities of warfare at sea during the age of sail that influenced my own thoughts about important aspects to try and model.

Since the posting of various AAR's covering my playtesting of scenarios as they were written, both here and on the DWG club blog, and my YouTube video presentation of the first action covered in the collection and indeed the first naval action of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, HMB Scourge vs the French Privateer Brig, Le Sans Culottes, the latter aptly named for a game based on KMH, I have had several enquires about progress on the project and what are my plans to make it more widely available.

In recent months, given my focus on the Camperdown work, my replies have been less than complete or definite as the project was on hold to allow me to break the back of the Batavian battle line, which has culminated this week with the last five ships of the Dutch line going into the rigging yard to be completed next week.

My Camperdown Project Planner

This leaves just the seven ships of the line in the British Windward Division to build, followed by eight other small British vessels, a mix of cutters, sloops and frigates and the remaining six Dutch light vessels, so a lot of light appearing at the end of this particular tunnel, and a fun one to be in as well.

James' Naval History of Great Britain can be accessed in the link below and is a wealth of inspiration for Age of Sail gamers looking for scenario ideas other than Pirates of the Caribbean.
https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~pbtyc/genealogy/Naval_History/Vol_II/P_367.html

Thus with the Camperdown collection nearing completion in the summer, I have turned my attention back to the Scenario Collection which has seen the addition of another six scenarios culminating in the completion this week of Scenario 84 - HM Hired Cutter Courier versus the French Privateer Cutter Guerrier 35 miles south east by east of Lowestoft, fought on the 23rd November 1799.

Scenario 84, Courier v Guerrier, 23rd November 1799, 35 miles Se by E of Lowestoft for To Covet Glory.

To quote William James;

'On the 22d of November, at 5 p.m., the British hired cutter Courier, of 12 long 4-pounders and 40 men, Lieutenant Thomas Searle, cruising oft Flushing, observed a suspicious sail bring to a bark. The cutter immediately hauled her wind in chase, and, as she passed the bark, learnt from her that the other vessel was a French privateer. The Courier thereupon crowded sail in pursuit; and on the 23d, at 9 a.m. Lowestoffe bearing northwest by west distant 10 or 12 leagues, succeeded in overtaking the French cutter-privateer Guerrier, of 14 long 4-pounders and 44 men, commanded by Citizen Felix L. Lallemand. A warm and close action ensued, and lasted 50 minutes, when the Guerrier struck her colours.

HMC Courier's SRC completed for To Covet Glory

The Courier had her master, Mr. Stephen Marsh, killed at the commencement of the action, and two seamen wounded, the Guerrier, four killed and six wounded. These as is evident without the aid of a tabular statement, were a well-matched pair of combatants; and the action was manfully sustained on both sides. Shortly after his capture of this privateer, Lieutenant Searle obtained that promotion, to which, by his previous gallantry on more than one occasion, he had fully entitled himself:'

Another famous single ship action to be included in the collection is Captain Thomas Cochrane's famous victory over the Spanish Xebec frigate El Gamo, in command of HM Brig Speedy, made even more famous in the following century by Patrick O'Brian imitating Cochrane's factual success with his character, Jack Aubrey's similar fictional one commanding the sloop Sophie, capturing the Spanish 32-gun frigate Cacafuego.

HMS Speedy, a Royal Navy brig under Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, capturing the Spanish frigate El Gamo off the coast of Barcelona, 6 May 1801. Painted by Charles Edward Dixon.

Thus with some very specific models required for some specific scenarios in mind and looking forward to bringing them to the table, I have turned my attention to conducting some more playtests and have placed an order with Only-Games for some test models to work with for the Camperdown project and the scenario collection.

Some very specific models ordered from the collection of 3D models produced by Henry Turner, namely the British brig HMB Speedy, (top right) a Spanish type 32-gun Xebec frigate (to model the Gamo) (bottom left) and the Dutch corvette Minerva (bottom right) to add a specific model to the Camperdown collection.
Only Games - Turner Miniatures

I have some other 3D models produced by my mate Jason, who ran off some small boats, and gun boats for me, that I intend to work on, as well as the models seen above.

Danish gunboats, gun platforms and a mix of ships boats with crews were printed for me by Jason last year and are a hint of future projects. 

My first impression of some early 3D age of sail models was not great, finding the ones I saw, some French 64-gun third rates, small against the Warlord options, often missing channels or chain plates to which the shrouds are attached to the hull. I know that is easily remedied with plastic card, but it struck me as an odd omission.

So preferring not to be an 'early adopter' I have watched the range of these models develop, and though still not sure about the mast and sail sets available for them, preferring plastic and card or even doing some scratch built wire options, the hulls seem to be getting better and so I have my test selection to work with and will post my impressions once they are built.

As regards the Scenario Collection and its completion and availability, I'm afraid its 'watch this space' and I will address that question once I am happy with the finished product for my own use. In the meantime there will be the usual play test AAR's and I will publish some of the AAR scenario plans in PDF as with the Bantry Bay Scenario previously, which includes all the ship record cards as well.

As always, more anon

JJ