Captain Searle at Tobago: Jan 1666

As part of our Buccaneer Campaign, I will weave as many historical events into our story as my research can uncover. This study is certainly one of the main reasons for my enjoyment of historical-based campaigns. One of the first included in our Timeline, is an English raid onto Dutch Tobago. Something I would have never guessed is that Latvia (yes that Latvia!) had established a colony on this island prior to the Dutch. Conflict with the later arriving Dutch eventually turned control over to that Maritime nation, at least temporarily. Now in 1666,  a famous Buccaneer named Robert Searle, along with a not so famous cohort named Stedman, took 60-some Buccaneer 'friends' to sack the colony. Seeing that England and Holland were once again at war (Second Anglo-Dutch War), Governor Modyford of Jamaica (who was actually trying to halt English Buccaneer raids on the Spanish with whom they were at peace) was supportive. An 8-gun Barque Longa under the personal command of Captain Searle, accompanied by the 6-gun Schooneer with Stedman aboard, arrived off the harbor of Lampsinsstad. This was the Dutch capital, located on the eastern shore of Tobago, while the town of Jacobsstad (the original Latvian settlement) was on the western shore.

The town of Lampsinsstad on the left, with Fort Lampsinsberg on the right...

Located on the town's waterfront, is a 9lb gun/crew. The panicky townsfolk are fleeing for the protection (?) of the fort...

More of the townsfolk...

I like the calm looking gentleman on the left...

The fort holds 4x 9lb guns in four bastions. It is garrisoned by four Militia units, all Inexperienced!

Following a quick stop (very quick!) to consult with the commander of Fort Lampsinsberg, Governor Beveren has his carriage move into the interior and eventually to Fort Beveren (old Courland/Latvian Ft Jacob) on the west coast. Brave man that Gov!

This is an Old Glory miniatures that comes with the removable roof so as to see our Governor and family...

What might the Militia be thinking as they witness the rapid exit of their governor? (top center)

As Stedman's Schooner closes the range, the Dutch 9lb at the harbor front opens fire, but misses...

Likewise, the Schooner positions itself, anchors, and fires its first broadside, ineffectively as well...

Meanwhile Searle has his Barque closes on the Dutch Fort...

Stedman and two of his units now embark onto their Longboat with the expectation of landing at the enemy dock...

The Dutch 9lb again misses while the Longboat maneuvers to come about...

Stedman's men fire off their second volley...

...and the first casualty...

A Dutch 9lb opens fire but the shot comes up short...

Another volley from Stedman's Schooner misses again as well...

Searle takes a gamble and attempts to tack into the wind directly in front of Fort Lampsingsgard...

The Longboat containing two units of Buccaneers are approaching the dock...

The Dutch at the harbor, target the Longboat but miss this too! Great shooting on both sides this...

A second 9lb at the Fort also misses...

A hit is finally scored by Searle's Barque, but the Dutch defenders make a successful save...

The Longboat pulls up alongside the dock, having been fortunate not to be blasted apart...

Another hit on the Fort, but another saving throw by the Dutch...

As a band of Freebooters climbs onto the dock, their ship fires ineffectively yet again!

Stedman's Freebooters move along the dock and unleash their first volley...

And what a volley it is...two of the remaining gunners are downed and the third routs from the battle! The 9lb is also unharmed (the gunners were about to spike it)...

Meanwhile, the Dutch of Fort Lampsinsberg miss another shot as two of Searle's Freebooter units  climb aboard one of their Longboats...

The small group of Stedman's Sea Dogs that went aboard their Longboat, disembark and secure the jetty. One of the attractive points of the Rules Blood & Plunder is how effortlessly the naval connects with the shore and vice versa...

Stedman's Landing party moves ashore...

Searle is adding two Longboats filled with three units of Freebooters and one Sea Dog as reinforcements...

Both the Dutch and Searle's gunners score one hit, but neither do any damage...

Before sunset, two more ineffective volleys by both sides rung out, as Searle and his men put ashore for the assault on Fort Lampsinberg...

Freebooters from Stedman's ship (r) are returning to their ship, as others move into town...

The sun soon sets and Searle plans the next stage of his attack on Tobago...

A Frenchman Sighted

 Following the defeat of the illegal Logwood Cutters, my ships (along with Piraguas and prisoners) reached the safe harbor of Puerta Cabellos. There I turned the captives over to the local authority and replaced my lost sailor with a new recruit. Leaving the Piraguas to be maintained in my absence, my Barks then continued on their patrol eastward along the coast towards Santa Catalina, which the English have taken to call Old Providence. Not two days out, sails were sighted to the north...

It's a Fluyt flying French colors, another trespasser of Spanish waters! I order the lead Bark to close range, while the trailing Bark is ordered to come up behind the French ship prior to boarding. I will use my cannons to damage her rigging to slow her down then close in and take her! This is the enemy...Her Captain (center) must be anxious to make up his mind...attempt to run, or strike...

She runs! Following a couple of turns of maneuvering, my lead Bark as well as the Frenchman volley their cannons! His strike my spars/sheets so that must be repaired. My crews place a full hit upon his rigging. My consort pushes hard to gain on the Fluyt. A fair start...

I order my Soldados to take a ranging shot, and it is no surprise they score no hits. At least it gives the French Captain something else to worry about!

As my ship slowly closes the range, we get our second volley...and what shots they are! Four hits including a Critical on his sails. That will slow him down to 3"...

The first casualty is also inflicted. Good shooting!

I'm actually surprised he has not struck his colors. I order the Soldados to again bring fire upon these trespassers, but no hits again...

He dares to fire again on my ship! Only one cannon fires and misses (His second gun could not be reloaded due to the casualty, and the Frenchman was moving another group of sailors to take over the gun position)

He sails on so we must continue to punish him. While he unfortunately repaired the damage done to his

sails/spars, we put two more Critical Hits on him. Another sails/spars and a hit to his sheets. A second Frenchman goes down as well. When will this Captain get it into his head he must surrender!

As my Bark kept getting closer to the Frenchman, I knew I was now taking a massive gamble. Could I sail around the bow of the Fluyt and not get rammed by the heavier ship? I ordered the attempt to be made, and even though we experienced a short slackening of the wind, my ship's master pulled off the maneuver...barely missing the bowspirit of the Frenchman. My gunners then poured a most devastating blast into the ship. To close for a rigging shot, both guns smashed into the hull , with a Lucky Hit as well that knocked one of his cannon off its carriage. 

Much more destructively however was the fact the Frenchman failed all four of his saving throws! Four crewmen (50%!) were blown over! And even if they had wanted to continue, my vessel was now on the other side of where the Frenchman's manned cannons were located...

The Captain now faced up to the facts of the situation. With his crew badly damaged, the ship hurt, he lowered his flag...

Now to board her and count the valuable treasure, some 250 pts in our system. That will come to 73.5 for the Captain's share! Possibly a new ship, guns, more crew?

 

An Unexpected Enounter

 As a Spanish Corsario Sloop was cruising NW through the Florida Straits another Sloop belonging to the Brethren of the Coast, appeared out of the NE. The Corsario Crew consisted of 2x 3 Trained Corsarios; 7 Trained Marineros; along with a Master Gunner and a Sharpshooter. The Brethren have 4 Trained Zeelieden; 3 Trained Zeelieden; 4 Trained Kapers; and a Sharpshooter as well. (Wonder if these Captains figured on someone choosing that option?)

Corsario on right with the Brethren (Flying a neutral Danish Flag) on the left...

Closeup view of the Corsario Sloop...

And a view of the Brethren's Sloop...

With the Wind Advantage, the Corsario gets in the first lick, its Broadside scoring one hit. The Brethren on that deck however succeed their save both to Casualty AND fatigue...

The Brethren Captain orders a hard turn to port, but can't quite bring his guns to bear. That will have to wait until next round...

The Brethren maneuver for a partial broadside...and they get a hit and a casualty! The Brethren don't gain a fatigue however. 

Then the Brethren Kapers (with their Sharpshooter) score another casualty and a fatigue. Things were looking good at that point...

The Corsarios answer with a volley of their own and drop a Zeelieden!

The two sides then exchange a broadside. The Brethren bring down two Marineros (but no fatigue), but the Corsarios get three kills. Worse yet, their first ranging shot results in a Lucky Hit...a fire breaks out on deck! (Blood & Plunder provide many game tools, inc dice with various damage markers). Time perhaps for the Brethren to escape to fight another day...if they can...

To add fuel to the fire (so to speak), the Corsarios' muskets (and their Sharpshooter) bring down yet another Zeelieden, wiping a unit out! The Brethren have one Strike Point (various events such as 25% casualties reward an opponent these, which can lead to the end of a fight) while the Corsarios now have two. If the Brethren hadn't stuck down three Corsarios, it could have been all over.

The Brethren Captain orders the Sloop to escape into the wind as his surviving Zeelieden fail to put out the fire! The Corsarios miss with another musket volley. A roll is now made to see if the fire spreads...and it does! If at least one of these is not put out by the end of the next turn, the ship will be destroyed! 

The two Sloops maneuver, the Corsario attempting to rake the stern while the Brethren work to refuse that as well as escape...

The Brethren move their Sloop to forestall the Corsario ranking their stern just in time. As it is the cannon volley drops one of the Kaper and further damages the ship itself...

The Brethren were able to gain some space but the Corsario may have at least one more try to slow her down...

At the end of the round, the Brethren extinguished both fires! In the next round,  the luck of the Brethren returned and they activated first. This enabled them to sail 'off the edge of the board' thereby ending the game. They lost this fight, but lived to fight another day. Avast my maties, may you make all of your saving throws!

A Buccaneer runs Down a Merchant Bark

 Our English Buccaneer out of Tortuga headed out looking for victims. After only two days of moving through the area, sails were spotted to the north heading their way. It was an English-flagged Bark. That didn't stop Aaar Captain Dirtbag (quite the name) to order his men to close. Both ships appeared to be of the same speed, but the Buccaneers eventually closed the range as the Bark tried unsuccessfully to sail past him.

The Captain commanded a Privateer Sloop manned by 7 Experienced Sea Dogs; 6 Inexperienced Sea Dogs; and 4 Inexperienced Freebooters. The Sloop carried 6 6lb cannons. The unfortunate Merchant was crewed by two groups of 6 Inexperienced Sailors each; and 4 Inexperienced Militia, carried 4 6lb guns.

After several turns of maneuvering, Captain Dirtbag ordered the cannons to open fire. And what a volley it was, scoring three hits inc a Lucky Hit. (rolling a 10 on 10d) In Blood and Plunder, each Lt Gun gets two more dice per hit, and with these, he scored two more 10s! Hits on the Sails and also Sheets did just what he wanted...it slowed the Bark down. Now the Sloop had a slight advantage in speed. A fantastic start...

Now that the chances for flight had been reduced, the Merchant Captain ordered his guns to fire, but to no avail...

As the range closed, Muskets from both ships (Sloop above) blazed away, but no hits were scored...

The Buccaneer Freebooters fire a second ineffective volley...

The Merchant sailors succeed in repairing damage to the sails, but then a second destructive volley. Again a Lucky Hit (another 10) scores another point of damage to the sails, slowing it down once again...

But now, the Buccaneers successfully grapple with the Bark and pull themselves together to storm across the gunwales...

The Buccaneers successfully cut down an opponent but for two rolls for saves by the Merchant crew, it would have been far worse...

The Buccaneers continued their assault, cutting down four and routing the fifth Sailor...

The Merchant crew counterattacked with a second unit of Sailors, inflicting the first two Buccaneer casualties...

The Freebooters and Militia exchange musket and swivel fire. One Buccaneer goes down but they gain no fatigue, while three Militiamen are lost (and the fourth routs!). Again saves are made so there is no fatigue. The Merchant Captain needs to make a Strike Test, and by using his last doubloon (you get three a game, and they act as a free re-roll) makes the save. This crew, down over 75%, is fighting to the death...

The Merchant Sailors fight desperately, and take down two Buccaneers. They do pick up one fatigue...

But more Buccaneers pour over the gunwales, and take down more Sailors, leaving three while their Captain still on quarterdeck to right) looks on glumly. Can this go on?...

The bloody fight continues as two Buccaneers and one Sailor are lost...

The Merchant Captain and his last sailors are attacked...and the Sailors are lost!

The Captain fails his Strike Test, and he surrenders. Can't image what the Buccaneer Captain is going to do next!

A victory for the Buccaneers! Game system continues to be loads of fun. If you are interested in this amazing period, check out Blood and Plunder at Firelock Games. Avast you maties...set set!