Action - 1721 - September 6 - A Long but Successful Chase

Ships in Action:
British Vessels:

Captain Lord Fletcher - HMS Bude, Tigre Mastercraft 5th-rate frigate

Commodore Lord Middlemore - HMS Challenge, Sleek Hercules 5th-rate frigate

Captain Robert Raleigh - HMHV Tracer, Minerva Mastercraft 5th-rate frigate

Captain Sir Nathan Blatchford - HMS Javelin, Tigre Mastercraft 5th-rate frigate

Captain Charles Irons - HMS Goodhope, Tigre Mastercraft 5th-rate frigate

Captain Joel Scotting - HMHV Disco Fever, Discovery 5th-rate frigate

Captain Jacob Elston - Macedon 4th-rate Ship of the Line

Pirate Vessel:

Boneey K'Vort - Captured Oliphant Indiaman

Action Setup:
After successfully blockading Irish Point, the squadron under Commodore Lord Middlemore headed E in chase of a pirate fifth-rate. The squadron had earlier in the day given chase to several enemy ships without being able to run them down, and the Commodore had therefore directed privateer captain Robert Raleigh to rendezvous with the squadron with his Tracer, a notoriously fast privately owned vessel, in the hope that the next enemy should not get away so easily. While spread out around the expected route of the pirate 5th-rate seen earlier outside Irish Point, a sail was spotted hull-down to the SE. Straining my looking glass at the sail now crossing my bow some 30 miles out, there was not a doubt in my mind that I was looking at a certain Indiaman reported taken by pirates not long ago. While preparing my signal of asking for a course of action, "Enemy of inferior force SE" and Giving chase broke out above the Bude as Lord Fletcher gave chase to intercept the vessel. Quickly clapping my glass to I ordered the appropriate sails be lowered and set course due S in an attempt to come up on the pirate's starboard side, and soon the Bude and Javelin were followed by the Tracer and Captain Elston's Macedon.

Unfortunately, Lord Middlemore's newly assigned signal midshipman, a first voyager, was on duty when Lord Fletcher's signals were repeated, and by the time he had deciphered them the squadron ships were already hull-down to the SW, leaving too vast a sea-room for the Challenge to cross in order to take part in the chase. Lord Fletcher therefore assumed command of the squadron.

The Action Itself:
The wind was at this point blowing steadily from the W, and as a course SSW would enable the pirate to reach the Yucatan, with it's numerous creeks and hiding places for smugglers and the like, he put on all the sails the Indiaman could handle and raced across the water with the squadron in his wake. We were gaining slightly, and the thoughts of prize-money caused the British crews to tend to their duties with extra zeal. The pirate wished to get clean away however, and setting every sail available, disregarding the extreme strain this put on his rigging, and throwing stores and water overboard, his speed increased perceptibly. As the chase wore on a new sail was spotted hull-up to the N, and when the private signals had been exchanged and she gave her number, she turned out to be the Disco Fever under privateer captain Joel Scotting. After offering his assistance Captain Scotting became temporary part of the squadron, who were no longer gaining on the pirate but were slowly losing to the Indiaman's reckless cracking-on.

Focusing my glass on the fleeing pirate, his hull in the process of disapperaing under the horizon, I cursed under my breath. "How he cracks on." I said to my First, "Even with the Tracer, that worthy vessel - did you see how she flew by us not two minutes ago? - Even with the Tracer outrunning the rest of us three to one, we shall never catch up with him at this rate." To larboard the Bude was racing past with a great press of sails, clearly gaining on the Javelin. "His Lordship will loose a spar any minute now" the Javelin's Master grumbled behind me, "His sails will part as sure as day the way he presses on like a madman, or I am an old French fart." Suddenly one of my midshipmen, assigned to the top to get a better view of the chase, was heard yelling on the top of his lungs. "On deck! On deck, there! The pirate has split his mainsail, sir! And both his topgallant spars have parted like twigs!", and focusing again my glass on the chase, I could see with my own eyes the truth of this wonderful news. Already I felt the Javelin gaining on the pirate, and it was clear to every man and boy aboard that the Bude would soon sail past him on the crippled Indiaman's larboard side while the Tracer would soon have him in range of his forward chasers. Looking behind me I could see Captain Irons standing tall on the quarterdeck of his Goodhope, speaking enthusiasticly to his officers as he had no doubt just been told of the pirate's misfortune and grasped the favourable position of the squadron.

The pirate refused to give up though, and as a last resort he altered course to reach Turtling Bay, the Bude having forced him to pass to the N of Puerto Cabezas. At this point Captain Raleigh came within range with his forward chasers, and as the Bude made his charge from the pirate's larboard side, a well-aimed shot from the Tracer shot away the pirate's mizzen topmast. The pirate was now losing several hundred yards a minute to the charging British ships, and presently the complete squadron was furiously firing broadsides of dismantling shot at the Indiaman to make him lose headway completely.

Captain Scotting manaeuvered the Disco Fever closer to the now dismasted pirate in order to board him, grapples and cutlasses at the ready. But a cornered pirate vessel, her crew doomed to hanging if captured, should never be underestimated. As Captain Scottings first grapples hooked on to the side of the Indiaman, the pirates utilized everything in their posession to cut the grappling ropes, fend off the Disco Fever and discourage the British boarding party with furious fire from their swivels, forcing Captain Scotting to quit his attempt. Seeing this I moved the Javelin closer and directed the boarders to their positions, ordering the guns to be drawn and reloaded with grape. The Tracer was closer though, and Captain Raleigh manaeuvered to hook on to the Indiaman's starboard side. Unfortuneatly, the Tracer was met with the same treatment as the Disco Fever as was forced to abandon his attempt at boarding. Every ship of the squadron kept up a steady fire on the pirate however, and as the Javelin hooked on to the pirate's starboard side, fired a broadside of grape and boarded in the smoke, the resistance was much reduced amongst the Indiaman's crew. The pirates would rather die fighing than hanging from our yardarms however, and it was only when every pirate was lying dead or wounded on the deck that the Jolly Roger was hoisted down and the White Ensign came racing up the flagstaff.

The Result:
A brand new Indiaman that is rumoured to be bought by the East India Company and a fair ammount of prize-money! Also, one of the first victories of the unofficial Battlegroup Ares, considering that four of the participating Captains are assigned to the battlegroup.

Lessons Learned:
Having a ship that is capable of catching fast enemies is a huge advantage.