This scenario is based on the action described at the end of the novel 'Battle Smoke' by Adam Hardy, featuring his hero, George Abercrombie Fox. It was written for the first edition of the 'Form Line Of Battle' miniatures rules, but the nature of this type of wargaming makes it fairly easy to convert for use with other rules as well. I originally designed it for Avalon Hill's board game 'Wooden Ships and Iron Men' for example.
Ideally this scenario should use the optional rules for Crew Quality and Ship Classification.
Early in 1800 Fox is first lieutenant of the Hector (80), under Captain The Honourable Percy Staunton. Although fearless, Staunton is no seaman, but has the brains to recognise it. He therefore defers all naval matters to Fox, with whom he has served before, recognising his exceptional abilities. This effectively leaves Fox in command of the ship.
Towards the end of the novel, the Hector is returning from Gibraltar in company with three other ships of the line, the Sheringham (74), the Bridchester (74), and the Tyrian (64). She is flying the flag of the hard-drinking, hard-living Rear Admiral Richard 'Black Dick' Cloughton. The squadron sights sails to windward, which quickly turn out to be a combined squadron of seven French and Spanish ships of the line. With a superior force of enemy ships to windward, Admiral Cloughton orders the British squadron to prepare for battle.
It is at this point that the Admiral is taken ill. By means of threatening looks and a little blackmail, Fox contrives to cover this up from the captains of the other British ships, and effectively places himself in command of the whole squadron. By careful calculation and anticipating a change of wind, Fox out-manuevers the enemy squadron, and seizes the weather-gauge and the initiative. Claiming that he will settle for no less than four prizes, Fox closes for battle ...
Brtitish
Hector (80) - Inferior 2nd Rate, Heroic crew (Flag)
Bridchester (74) - 3rd Rate, Good crew
Sheringham (74) - 3rd Rate, Good crew
Tyrian (64) - Inferior 3rd Rate, Good crew
Treat a 'Heroic' crew as a 'Good' crew except that it gets a +2 modifier on firing rather than a +1.
Combined Squadron
Note: only the Indomaptable and Regazona are named in the book. I have created names for the other ships, so please feel free to change them.
French
Indomptable (80) - Inferior 2nd Rate, Average crew
Parisien (74) - 3rd Rate, Average crew
Zodiaque (74) - 3rd Rate, Average crew
Jacobin (74) - 3rd Rate, Average crew
Spanish
Regazona (112) - 1st Rate, Poor crew
Cabadonga (74) - 3rd Rate, Poor crew
Filipino (64) - Inferior 3rd Rate, Poor crew
N 4 3 2 1
^
G F E D C B A
The ships are as follows:
1 - Hector
2 - Bridchester
3 - Sheringham
4 - Tyrian
A - Indomptable
B - Parisien
C - Regazona
D - Cabadonga
E - Zodiaque
F - Jacobin
G - Filipino
All ships are heading East. The wind is from the North North West.
Indomptable and Tyrian should be lined up about 60cm apart (extreme firing range). Each ship should be about 5cm from the one in front with the following exceptions:
The gap between Parisien and Regazona should be 10cm.
The gap between Zodiaque and Jacobin should be about 7cm.
The British squadron tacked together and engaged the rear four vessels in the enemy line, matching ships of equal size against each other. The Cabadonga and the Regazona narrowly avoided colliding after fire from the Hector caused the first rate to lose a mast. Hector engaged the Cabadonga who blocked the Regazona preventing it from joining the battle. After forcing the 74 to strike, Fox turned his attention to the first rate and raked her. She soon caught fire and exploded, closely followed by the Cabadonga. By this time the two lead enemy ships, Indomptable and Parisien were working their way back into the battle, and the Hector moved to cut them off. At this point elements of the British Channel Fleet arrived, and the two French ships fled. The Bridchester, Sheringham and Tyrian each forced their opposite number to strike.