Battle - 1720 - December 16 - The Invasion of Jaqueme

Ships in Action:
ALLIES:

Captain Joseph Fletcher - 'Alexander' Fourth Rate

 Captain Virgil Kyle - HMS Pellinore ('Valiant' Third Rate)

-17 other British ships, split up between two group of colossals, and one group of fourth rates and frigates.

ENEMIES:

-French fleet of 12 ships, mostly colossals.

Action Setup:
Upon arriving in the battle's ready room, I was relieved to find a number of competent and steadfast captains in the room along with me, not the least of which was our very own Lord Fletcher! We went about splitting off into three groups, and once done, we proceeded out of the ready room at the appointed time.

The Action Itself:
Upon entering the battle, we were relieved to see that the French had not matched or exceeded our numbers, bringing only 12 ships to defend their port. No doubt realizing that the French would not risk a fight on the seas themselves, having such an undermanned flotilla at their disposal, our battle commander, Captain Brogsitter, had us form a line blocking off the entrance to the bay leading to the port of Jaqueme, in order to cut off the only other route to victory for the French. Upon taking our positions, we proceeded to wait for 20 minutes for the French to make their next move. I allowed the men to have a spot of tea while they waited, and I spotted Captain Scotting's men fishing off the side of his Triumphant. Unfortunately, I do not believe they caught anything.

Approximately ten minutes before the port was to 'open', which would allow the French to enter the town (could they get to it), the French began the slow sail towards our forces. We initially thought that they might actually engage us ship-to-ship, but they instead made full sail for the fort, intent on taking it in land combat. As they docked inside the fortress, we formed a cordon around the fort, which would prevent them from escaping and making for the port, the critical target. They refused to leave the fortress, however, no doubt hoping we would come in after them. We did not.

While we stood guard (and fished) outside the fortress, Captain Fletcher and his lighter group of four fellow captains (one of their number disconnected earlier in the battle, by accident) entered the port in force, and systematically defeated all resistance. I suppose Lord Fletcher and his fellow captains deserve an honorary appointment to the Royal Marines now, don't they?

The Result:
Victory, of course. No ships were sunk on either side, but it was an enjoyable outing, nonetheless. I believe one of Captain Scotting's men caught a flounder at the conclusion of the battle, as well. Huzzah!

Lessons Learned:
This battle didn't teach many lessons in the way of battle tactics, but it did highlight the importance of being familiar with the ruleset of offensive and defensive port battles, and knowing enough about this ruleset that you can use it to secure a tactical advantage for your side, and ultimately victory.

After all, the best battle is the one that is won without bloodshed, right?

NPCs don't count, by the way...

Visuals
The following are pictures of our line of battle as we approached the port, and took up position outside it. The ships between us and the port are the 'Royal Marines' on their way to assault the town. Lord Fletcher is in the Alexander with the squadron's battle ensign flying from it.

Isn't regimentation a wonderful thing?