Action - 1720 - October 8 - Ambush off of Turtling Bay

Ships in Action:
ALLIES:

Virgil Kyle - HMS Thorn ('Algiers' Refit Polacre)

-2 Other British ships, one a third-rate Valiant

ENEMIES:

-4-5 Pirate vessels, sailing multiple Pirate Hercules, and one sailing a captured Tigre

Action Setup:
Upon setting sail away from Turtling Bay following my successful patrol with Captain Leo Davis, I was suddenly presented with an urgent hail from a fellow Brit, Captain Freitag. Apparently, he had been accousted right outside of Turtling Bay by multiple pirates, intent on capturing his vessel! I quickly ordered the ship be turned about, and I sailed with all haste to his aid.

The Action Itself:
Upon entering the battle, the situation I witnessed was most dire. 3-4 enemy vessels, including pirate-refitted Hercules', were battering the poor 3rd-rate with dismantling shot, intent on boarding and capturing the vessel. I was presented with a dilemma - What could I do to help? After all, I was sailing a woefully under-armed and under-armored vessel, which was nowhere near equipped to handle such heavily armed and armored opponents. Looking over my crew, however, I saw my answer. I put up every sheet of linen I had, and made directly for the pirate vessel perched astern of the besieged Valiant, a captured Tigre frigate. If this Valiant were to fall, the pirates would pay a hefty price - in blood!

Despite withering fire, I closed on my target. I scraped between her and the Valiant's stern, and immediately commenced boarding the scurvy dog! What followed was a harrowing fight, but my men and I came out triumphant!

TAKE THAT, YOU BLOODY BASTARD!!!

The Result:
...Unfortunately, though, this story does not have a very happy ending. Upon reentering ship-to-ship combat, my vessel was quickly sunk, and I watch helplessly from a piece of flotsum as the Valiant was demasted, boarded, and ultimately captured. A fellow captain who had showed up to help was also sunk, a fact which only made me feel more dejected. It was a black day, indeed. The pirates had won.

However, all is not lost. Although they had achieved their prize, they paid a hefty price for it! Also, after the battle, the remains of the Thorn were recovered from her shallow grave, and towed back to safe harbor in Turtling Bay. I have plans in place to bring her back into active service, eventually. The Thorn shall sail again, and mark my words, pirates will once again fear her name!

Lessons Learned:
I learned multiple lessons in this battle, some of them more important than others. The first thing I discovered was that I have apparently perfected my fighting style to the point where I can win in boarding combat, possibly even when outnumbered. If anybody utilizes dirty fighting in their swordplay, I believe I can provide some tips to help them come out on top, as I did. Of all the fights I've been in, this was my first boarding combat against another player in which I came out on top. It's about time!

The second lesson is far more important. It is my opinion that you don't just fight the battles you can win - you fight the battles that need fighting! Outnumbered? Bah! Outgunned? Bah! If the battle needs fighting, you fight it! We may not have been able to protect that Valiant, but we fought regardless. Because we did, the pirates were made to pay dearly for their victory.

So, never give up, never surrender, and fight to the last man if you must! Do this, and you shall never lose, even if you are cut down. They may take your ship, they may take your life, but they can never take your honor! And who knows? You may even be able to take a few of your enemies down with you! Huzzah!