Fort Lampsinberg, Jan 1666

 During the night, Captain Stedman was ordered to take his Schooner to the west side of the island to scout the Dutch fort there. Captain Searle had his men repositioned the captured 9lb into the street facing the fort (r), while other men prepared fascines, behind which his men could fire on the fort from cover. His vessel also repositioned itself to bring its guns closer to the fort... 

The sun rises and both the Barque and Fort fire a volley. The Dutch shot falls short into the ocean, and while one of the Buccaneer guns strikes the wall of the Fort, it doesn't penetrate...

The Dutch SW Bastion gets the initiative and hits the Buccaneer emplacement in the town, killing one of the crew! With only two gunners left, it can't reload. 

But its first shot (already loaded) is incredibly destructive. It penetrates the wall, and the Dutch fail all three saves! The crew is wiped out!

The first Freebooters fire on the Fort's SE Bastion, but make no kills as the Dutch roll their saving throws. A Dutch Militia unit fires but miss everything...

A second Freebooter (r) unit scores two hits...

And the Dutch fail two throws!

A second Dutch Militia unit and then another Freebooter, both fail to score any hits. It was nevertheless, a bloody first turn...

A hit on the Barque! Didn't affect the crew, but it was the first point of damage to the ship...

Following the small success, the Dutch keep Lady Luck as the Freebooters miss another volley. But then it begins to turn disastrous for the Dutch. The Barque returns with a Broadside, and gets a Lucky Hit (a roll of 10 on the initial roll scores this) and the result is Debris with no save. A Militiamen goes down (c)...

It just becomes a torrent of bad luck now. First the Buccaneer 9lb (reinforce crew) fires and scores...a Lucky Hit, and more Debris which takes down another Militiamen. As some Sea Dogs and Freebooters rush the walls with ladders, a Freebooter volley gets through and a second Militiamen is hit! This results Searle accumulating 2 Strike Points. That causes the Dutch Commander to roll a Strike Test...and he fails! The Flag is hauled down. Probably a good thing as the Buccaneers are on the verge of getting in over the wall; not something you want during a siege! 

Note some of the married gentlemen (l)are standing guard outside the barracks...

Some very lucky and timely shooting ended this fight suddenly, but it was an enjoyable little engagement. On to the next adventure! Aaarr!

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?