Last weeks game with the lads was a Napoleonic naval affair.
Set somewhere around some islands in the sunny Caribbean.
The British Royal Navy were sailing home, after several months at sea, commanded by Captain Ogilvie on board HMS Dreadnaught together with HMS Defiance and HMS Orion.
Looking through his telescope, Capt Ogilvie could see three ships directly ahead of his small fleet.
He could see a French flag and a Spanish flag.
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| The British fleet. |
The two fleets were heading straight towards each other.
As they passed many shots were fired with no serious damage being inflicted.
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| The Spanish ship Princine de Asturias leads from the Berwick and Le Redoutable |
The Royal Navy turn and now with the wind at their backs chase after the enemy.
The French and Spanish ships split up. The Princine de Asturias turns to port, looking to go around the island. Le Redoutable went to starboard and turned
through the eye of the wind to head back for another go at the British. The Berwick however carried on for a while before also turning and heading back toward the British fleet.
It was at this point when things started going wrong for the British fleet. Capt Ogilvie run his ship onto the rocks!
HMS Defiance following close behind only just managed to avoid the same fate. HMS Orion having seen HMS Dreadnaught run aground then decided to go around the island.
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| HMS Defiance and Le Redoutable exchange shots as they pass each other for a second time. |
Fire breaks out on Le Redoutable but is quickly put out.
The commander of the French ship "Le Redoutable" saw an opportunity for easy pickings and sailed his ship to the rear of the stricken British ship aground on the islands rocks.
Meanwhile behind the island the Spanish ship and HMS Orion pass each other with guns blazing!
The Spanish ship is on fire and now has to divert some crew from it's guns to help fighting fires. This allows HMS Orion to send in another volley as they pass.
HMS Defiance and Berwick trade shots as they also pass each other.
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| HMS Orion |
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| The Princine de Asturias |
HMS Orion joins in the fight with HMS Defiance against Berwick. Together they take out the rudder of Berwick. She is now sailing away from the fight.
Meanwhile the French are still taking cheap shots on the poor old Royal Navy's HMS Dreadnaught.
And now here comes the Spanish to have a go as well.
HMS Defiance and HMS Orion both carry on, having seen the Berwick off, and head towards the damaged HMS Dreadnaught. The French and Spanish ships fire at the leading British ship, Orion, so effectively that all the crew are now either dead or so badly wounded that they are unable to carry on. HMS Orion drifts off into the sunset taking no more part in this fight. HMS Defiance decides that it is now time to make her escape.
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| The Berwick with no rudder and almost at the edge of the world! |
So the Royal Navy had to abandon two of it's ships to the victorious French and Spanish navies.
Rumour has that Capt Ogilvie was the first one off the ship as soon as it hit the rocks. He was last seen running off with some of the local inhabitants.