Naval Chronicle - 03 - June, 1721

Foreword
The Naval Chronicle now moves into its third month, and the wealth of details on past months' actions and battles has grown substantially. Captain Blatchford wrote an impressive account of the Squadron's efforts to fulfill the orders of the Admiralty as directed by Captain Sir Robert Middlemore, and I look forward hopefully to similar events this month.

The Squadron finds itself in a precarious position as many Senior Officers have moved on to other offices in Europe and beyond. The editor asks all Captains of the Squadron to hold fast and support the decisions made in what will be an eventful month. The Squadron will stand firm and we will continue to serve His Majesty the King and further Britain's interests in the Caribbean.

Enjoy!



Awards
The Senior Officers have discussed and voted in accordance with the rules of the Squadron for those medals that are to be distributed this month. They hereby announce this month's awards:

Captain Aidan Pryde, Esq.

Mr. Pryde did on June 19th engage 3 French players in the defence of a Britsh 1st rate commanded by a Jonathan Archer near Spanish Town. They sank two of the french players and nearly boarded the 3rd until its escape. As I was not there, this is hearsay, but I trust Mr. Pryde's account and believe him to have earned this medal.

Captain Sir William Benbow

Sirs, I would like to make mention of Captain Sir William Benbow, recognizing him for a contribution which I think warrants note.

Returning to action after a spell on land, I found my arsenal of ships sorely unfit to tackle the enemies of the crown, who have since armed themselves to the teeth. I was further disheartened to find the collapse of any central dockyard which could provide me with a ship, and though I had funds, I knew I could not look to the public markets for what I wanted.

Running into Benbow at The Grapes I told him of my misfortunes and that I was looking to obtain a new, sleek Herculese-class vessel, and knowing Benbow used to run his own shipyard, I inquired as to the possibility of making one.

He had one ready for me the next day.

I realize that the simple act of shipbuilding has not historically warranted commendation in the SGS, but I believe it noteworthy that a dedicated captain keeps his dockyard running at trim efficiency, largely on his own, while the rest of the society's economic ventures (including my own) are in shambles.

He got me back in to action much faster than I otherwise could have, and for that I nominate William Benbow for citation.

Nominated by: Captain the Baron James Maddox

Promotions
The senior officers have voted on this month's promotions, in accordance with the rules governing the Squadron, and have seen fit to promote the following officers:

Captain Seth Seaborn

Captain Robert Middlemore

Captain J. R. Lapenotiere

Captain Werner Hoffmann

Captain Nathan Blatchford

Captain Roderick Morrow

Captain Jake Langston

Captain Titus Wallenstein

Captain Spencer Graves

Captain Charles Morley

Captain Matt Ryan

Captain Mort Wilkes

Recruits
The following Captains have joined our honourable Squadron. We bid them welcome and look forward to sailing alongside them into the fray of many a battle to further the interests of His Britannic Majesty's Royal Navy:

Reginald Cunningham

Morganis Horrs

Nathan Mandrake

Edward Maynard

Matt Ryan

William Whitlow

Mort Wilkes

Ships Launched
The following ships have been launched and commissioned to Captains of the St. George Squadron:

Services and businesses
Here follows a list of the major shipyards, plantations, mining industries, etc., present in the Caribbean which offer their services to the Squadron.

Lao's Provisionings
Mr. Lao is the owner of Lao's Provisionings; a professional supplier of ship provisions for shipyards and individuals alike. Famous for his Mr. Lao's Chicken, he is well-known on the lower deck for providing both tasty and healthy food for British seamen.

Contact: Kai Chang Lao

Cowan Drydocks
Cowan Drydocks are most known for their production of the Navies work horses. They produce the best quality frigates and regularly supply ships to sail the seas. They prefer to build ships that can be completed quickly to free up dock space, although can also, of course, build the larger Ships of the Line when the need is great.

Contacts: James Cowan

Pepys Naval Contracting
Our contracting business has been in operation in Turtling bay for close to 2 years now and we are quite experienced at build ships of all classes and sizes. We have built a second rate, three third rates and numerous small ships. We are one of the few firms that stock Lineship Bundles and operate on a contractual build basis. Please inquire or Samuel Pepys or William Benbow if you need to hire use for a building contract!

Contacts: Samuel Pepys & William Benbow

Fletcher Ironworks
Captain Walter Fletcher is proud to present his most excellent Ironworks. Situated in Puerto Cabezas, Fletcher Ironworks is built as the Navy Board Business Page Model.

Available to satisfy all your Iron needs.

Contacts: Walter Fletcher

WSW Shipyards
Ladies and Gentlemen of the SGS I would like to offer the sevices of WSW's shipyards should you be needing any assistance in the production of ships and outfittings please direct ingame mail to Emlyn Thomas with your requirements. To all SGS members i offer the terms of agreememnt that are:

Our pledge to you is to build and place your new ship with you within 24 hours of your order being placed all ships will be priced at the rate of cost+tax+structure upkeep+15 dubloons/hour for labour+10%. We can also outfit these ships with the best permanent outfittings available upon request.

We pride ourselves to be able to complete all orders with this expediance and to date have completed orders for Dirty Nellie, Robert Middlemore, Mort Wilkes, Captain Davies, Captain Morrow.

We have a vast stock of reserves available for ready use allowing us to complete these orders within the time frame above so feel free to drop me a line.

Contacts: Mark Jones & Emlyn Thomas

Lord Fletcher's return
Lord Fletcher has returned to the Squadron and retaken the helm. Viscount Seth Seaborn kept the Squadron's course steady during his absence and deserves great praise and the highest esteem for doing so. Also, during the month of June two other Senior Officers have rejoined the ranks of the Squadron. Viscount Bernard Richards and Earl Dai will now, together with Lord Fletcher and Viscount Seth Seaborn, form our newest rendition of the Senior Officer's Board. Stability is key, and the editor, for one, has no doubts in the leadership of the Squadron.

The Squadron Order of Battle
Captain Sir Robert Middlemore has finalized an excellent list of the ships available to the Squadron. The Squadron Order of Battle clearly displays the weight and importance of our Squadron in the Caribbean. At the end of each month information regarding the size and strength of our fleet will be drawn from this list and recorded in the Chronicle. The editor strongly suggests that all Captains add their ships to this list.

Naval Engagements
Here follows a summary of all engagements, actions and battles, in which our British ships have taken part during the month. For ship-to-ship duels and flotilla actions, the result column depicts the damage given to each ship. Critical damage in this column represents that the ship sank but lost a point of durability rather than being lost forever.

The red text depicting losses is also used in tables summarizing Port Battles. The black number under each column gives the amount of ships of that class present, and the red number in brackets gives losses from that group.

If any Captain finds any errors in the following account, feel free to edit the erroneous details.

June 1st
Battle of Orleans:

June 5th
Battle of Portobelo:

June 6th
Engagement off Santiago:

June 7th
Battle of Spanish Town:

June 9th
Battle of Port of Spain:

June 11th
Engagement off Spanish Town:

Battle of Maracaibo:

Battle of Caracas:

June 12th
Battle of Santo Domingo:

June 14th
Battle of Riding Rocks:

Battle of Spanish Town:

June 15th
Battle of Cartagena:

Battle of Orleans:

June 16th
Battle of Irish Point:

June 18th
Battle of Basseterre:

Battle of Puerto de Principe:

Battle of Bridgetown:

June 19th
Engagement off Portobelo:

Battle of Portobelo:

Battle of Port of Spain:

June 22th
Battle of Santo Domingo:

June 24th
Battle of Spanish Town:

June 26th
Battle of Belize:

June 28th
Battle of St. John's:

Battle of Maracaibo:

June 29th
Engagement off Matthew Town:

Ships Launched in Europe
The following ships were launched in Europe this month: