Duel - 1721 - April 25 - Pirate engaged off Irish Point

Ships in Action:
Captain Nathan Blatchford - HMS Javelin, Mastercraft Capricieux-class 5th-rate, 44

Captain Henry Hasenfuss - Mignone-class Privateer Indiaman, 46

Action Setup:
Having found myself outnumbered by the Spanish in the waters off Cartagena, I set course N then NE to enter the contested waters near Irish Point. As a simple ruse de guerre I was at the time disguised as a Dutch merchantman, reducing the watch on deck, putting off the uniform coats and flying the Dutch colours and sails. With Irish Point on my starboard beam and the wind on my starboard quarter, my lookout informed me of a merchantman hull-up in the NNW with a suspiciously large number of gunports. Setting new course to gain the weather-gage, every looking-glass on the quarterdeck was strained on the strange sail, and as soon as the Jolly Roger was spotted on its mainmast we set all available sail to get between the pirate and the wind. The pirate wished the weather-gage for himself however, and as the two vessels came within range the Javelin had the eastern wind two points off the starboard bow and the pirate fine on the larboard bow. The SGS colours ran up the ensign staff and the correct uniform was donned.

The Action Itself:
The pirate headed SW to gain from the wind, the Javelin did the same and the vessels alligned for an exchange of broadsides. I had ordered the gundeck to be loaded with bronze round-shot and the topdeck 8-pounders to be loaded with bar, and the crew cheered as the first broadside hit its mark. It soon became clear, however, that the pirate was in posession of the better gunnery, and as soon as he had fired his next broadside I began to wear to starboard in an effort to present my undamaged larboard broadside and rake him in the process. He would have none of it though, and headed S (I was now heading N). Here followed a line of furious attempts at raking, including one attempt by me to block and board, but the pirate was the most successfull. Looking at the pirate's more or less undamaged broadsides and my own ravaged hull, I came to realize that I could not defeat him, and that my clear and present duty was now to get the Javelin and her crew home safely to fight another day.

Briefly presenting my stern to the pirate I set all available sail and manouvered to have the wind fine on my larboard quarter. Looking back at the pirate I noticed with relief that he had no bow-chasers, but I knew from experience that pirates favoured fast vessels and that escaping the engagement would be dificult. The carpenter reported that he had plugged the holes he could find, but she was still taking in water, that the hull could not take any more punishment and that the next enemy broadside would surely send the Javelin to the deep. Ordering men off the guncrews to man the pumps and jettison the water, I looked anxiously back at the pirate. To my extreme satisfaction I noticed for the first time that her rigging was torn up and hanging in numerous places, spars knocked away, and that we were slowly gaining some 50 yards per minute. Smiling, I set course for our escape point, and just before the engagement ended the pirate sent after us a sullen broadside at extreme range, one 14-pounder (to the extreme displeasure of the First Lieutenant) shattering the starboard rear lantern.

The Result:
A brisk engagement and a narrow escape. Indeed not a victory but under the circumstances not a complete defeat!

Lessons Learned:
This was the first ship-to-ship duel in which I did not sink right away, or was dismasted, boarded and defeated after a couple of broadsides. Idealy it should have been a victory, but you can't have everything.

I have learned that:
 * Loading dismantling shot on the upper tier will in some circumstances work very well.
 * I should never turn into the wind (I lost headway once during the engagement because of this, giving him free room to manouver around to my already damaged broadside which in turn forced me to retreat).
 * Using Overhauls saves ships.
 * I finally have a ship that is useful in duels (especially compared to ships I have sailed into the red earlier).