Buccaneer Escape

Yesterday was International Naval Wargames Day, so it was required that I play some sort of game. In fact I ended up spending most of the day in Sydney visiting family (and Ikea), but I did manage to fit in a quick game before bedtime.

I used the vessels that were still on the table from my Orinoco River scenario from the other day, but set them up as a simple intercept scenario. Three French buccaneer vessels, Vieux James, Perle Noire and Requin have left a narrow inlet heading for the open sea.

An identical force of three Spanish vessels is trying to intercept them - Belen, Cisne and the gunboat Fama.

The wind was wildly changeable, and the buccaneers had to go wide around the two small islands between them and their escape. The Spanish ran between them, aside from the Fama, which was wrong-footed and also went the long way around.

Requin opened the firing, to little effect

Cisne returned fire, and damaged the buccaneer gunboat

Requin made a desperate run across the bow of Cisne in order to escape, and in the confusion there was a collision. Unable to turn out of the way Belen also collided with Cisne. All three vessels took damage.

Cisne boarded Requin which struck.

Perle Noire ran aboard Belen

Vieux James joined the melee, and a furious boarding action ensued.

Belen struck, and Perle Noire moved to engage Cisne.

Cisne cut grapples and moved to safety. And by now the gunboat Fama was in action, damaging Perle Noire's rigging with its opening shot.

Perle Noire was slowly escaping, despite its damaged rigging, but Cisne engaged.

Vieux James forced Cisne to strike with a shot from its chasers.

This now left the Spanish with just the gunboat Fama. It chased Pearl Noire.

Pearl Noire was making slow progress, but managed to badly damage Fama with a shot from its stern-chasers. Then, for reasons unknown, it struck.

This left the French with just Vieux James, which quickly made its escape, Fama firing one last shot as it fled

So whilst the Spanish lost two vessels (and Fama was badly shot up as well) the French lost two of their vessels as well. So a bit of an inconclusive result. I'd probably call it for the Spaniards, though.

Stats:

The ships: Q3 C3 - Square Rigged, Shallow Draft, Chaser Guns
The gunboats: Q3 C2 - Lateen Rigged, Bow Guns, Sweeps, Shallow Draft