Skirmish at La Mona

[Baron Quertier]

Skirmish at La Mona (The battle of Masts)

My dearest friend,

I am writing this letter to you from my secret lodgings at La Mona, I wish to inform you of a battle that was fought yesterday just to the east of the island. Hopefully you can use it in your campaign to rouse more support for us back in the French territories.

Captain Francis Tabernac and myself had rendezvoused off the coast before sailing into La Mona to meet Captain Grim DeGrim. Not long after our first drink in the a Four Masted Tavern did Mr Tabernac receive a message from our counterparts in the DRUNK squadron. They were on their way and wished to rendezvous before setting sail and harass Danish shipping.

Four of their number arrived lead by Drunkensloth, three in Renomee style Frigates and one in a Corvette very similar to my own Thunder child (cerb). We received word that another DRUNK captain was also en route and was in the ponce area to the east. So it was agreed that we should go meet him. Our own ABC ships departed first making the Van of our force whilst the DRUNK captains formed the rear.

La Mona hadn't even dropped of the horizon yet when a force of Danish- Norwegian ships came speeding out of the harbour and caught up with the DRUNK ships. Our ABC vessels immediately came about and set all sail towards the point of contact. It was plain that a slogging match would not do for us. With only seven vessels (5 Renomees and 2 Cerbs) and the enemies force made of eight vessels of various class, four heavy frigates (trincs) three frigates (1 belle poule, 1 surprise, 1 Renomee??) and one corvette. (Cerb), we were in a desperate position from the start. We would have to fight a running battle.

The enemy had the wind advantage too, and we engaged in battle with our formation in disarray (ships pointing in different directions), and the enemy drew onto us. Thunder Child was separated and chased away early on by two of the heavy frigates until one turned away to join the main group fighting my comrades. I saw the captain of the heavy frigate wave his hat to me through my spy glass and I returned the gesture before my stern chasers hid the view in smoke. Our strategy was to use our manoeuvrability to our advantage and aim at the enemies masts. It appeared that they wanted prizes and were therefore doing the same. Thunder child and the heavy frigate captained by Black Pearl were locked in a circle chase, I was trying to get back to my comrades whilst he punished my sails. We tried quick repairs to gain us a knot or two and he released a devastating broadside that severely damaged my port side. The carpenters report stated that another like that would send us under. After trying to manoeuvre away a well aimed shot carried away our my fore mast and my ship was now at the mercy of a rapidly approaching heavy frigate, my men prepared to repel boarders but another devastating broadside of grape threw my crew into disarray and reduced our number dramatically, there was a curious pink mist around my vessel and several of my lads had simply vanished in the hail of grape shot.

It was now that I knew my ship was finished and reading the signals from our squadron another of our number was floundering and couldn't stay afloat much longer. Another grape volley from point blank range further reduced my numbers.

Black pearls crew attempted at boarding, but I still had just enough speed to knock away his grapples, then his vessel slowly overshot and I heard him curse in vexation from across the narrow strip of water, but alas I had too few crew to set sail and pull away, I couldn't even strike my colours due to it being blown away so I turned toward my enemy and locked my own grapples onto his vessel inviting my enemy aboard with a salute from my quarterdeck. Black pearl was very gentlemanly in his praise and turned a blind eye whilst my surviving men and I manned a boat and made way back to La Mona. It was from this boat that I watched the rest of the battle.

Whilst thunder child had been playing cat and mouse with black pearls vessel. Much had been going on amongst the other ships locked in combat. One DRUNK ship captained by captain Belize had sunk after taken terrible punished from multiple enemies. The rest of our small squadron had succeeded in forming a tight formation where they could mutually support each other and were delivering well aimed shots on the enemies masts of which several were brought down. Our own ships had taken damage also but were still in good shape and for a brief moment there was a small amount of hope and enthusiasm that with the enemy being dispersed as they were, our ships could gain some kind of victory over the enemy. However Captain Francis Tabernac had lost the majority of his main mast and only his mainstay was still set, he could have quietly slipped away if he wished but decided to stay. After taken hits from a pair of Heavy Frigates his foremast and mizzen mast came crashing down. His vessel now resembled a Viking longboat, the irony was not lost on us. His vessel was left to the mercy of captain Tekert in his heavy frigate. But captain Tabernac was able to deliver several broadsides on two enemy ships as a floating battery before captain Tekert came in to board. It was around this time that captain Ingeman Ulfgard of DRUNK signalled that his vessel was no longer able to continue fighting and withdrew. Francis Tabernac and Tekert had boarded and counter boarded each other no fewer the 3 times before captain Tabernacs vessel was overcome.

Our three surviving ships were still putting up a grand fight, and the Danish- Norwegian vessels were strung out with the majority missing masts. A couple had set all available sail and left the battle area. Drunkensloth's vessel had suffered terrible damage as finally his main mast fell into the sea and he signalled that his ship was taking on water. He was successful at bringing down Black pearls mainmast first before abandoning ship. Drunkensloth's rearguard action meant that only one enemy vessel still had all three masts and that vessel had suffered terrible damage and wouldn't take much more. It also allowed for Grim DeGrim and Reiwok both to pull ahead and get out of range of the enemies guns.

Although for our small squadron it was a clear defeat with four of our seven vessels taken or sunk, for us personally it was a victory for morale and prestige. Our first sizeable battle with everything in the enemies favour from the start. The Danish- Norwegian captains honoured us with signals of praise and a fight well fought. We signalled the same and that we shall meet them again no doubt.

Kinds regards

Your old friend

Martin W Morey de Saumarez

A fine battle all round. Thank you to the Danish- Norwegian captains for their part in it

[Johannes Zoutman]

A good read! Thank you, sir.

[Grim DeGrim]

An excellent battle.  

While out gunned, and out numbered, we fought to our fleet's strength - speed (sorry cerberuses!).

In an effort to segregate their fleet to gain the upper hand, demast was the call.

One Renommee spawned in pointing at the enemy fleet, in the irons (Je suis désolé Belize).

 

DRUNK was exemplary.  Our opponents equally so.

Mutual courtesies exchanged in local chat.

 

While in defeat, it was the kind of fight that keeps you logging in.  

After all, this is a game about Naval Action.

[DrunkenSloth]

It was a good fight indeed, the Danish players involved were a great example of how to treat your enemy, even though cannon balls flew that day no insults did.