Action - 1720 - November - 22 - Stalking the Florida Strait

'''On the morning of November 22nd, 1720, the Squadron sent several brave captains to stalk the waters of the Florida Strait in preparation for the port battle against the pirates at La Isabella. The intention was to patrol for hapless pirate smugglers and gangs, but instead several opportunities presented enemy captains to be engaged in open-seas combat, resulting in resounding victories for the Squadron and the Crown!'''

First Action: The French Slip Up Off Cayo de Marquis
British Captains in Action:

Captain the Lord Joseph Fletcher, Naval Officer, Raa-class Mastercraft 36-gun scout frigate

Captain Virgil Kyle, Naval Officer, HMS Aquila, Mercy-class 46-gun naval frigate

Captain Lewis McLain, Naval Officer, HMS Raptor, Falcon-class 32-gun naval frigate

French Captains in Action:

Swann Capitainne, Privateer, Dauntless-class 46-gun heavy frigate

French Naval Officer, Minerva-class Mastercraft 49-gun pursuit frigate

The Action:

Alerted by French activity in the sector, Captains Fletcher, Kyle and McLain arrayed themselves to cover as much area as possible to engage an unwary French captain. As it happened, two such Captains led by the privateer Swann Capitainne had singled out McLain's HMS Raptor as an easy target. They engaged him as he sat in his patrol box northeast of Cayo de Marquis. The French were unaware, apparently, that two much more powerful British vessels were waiting nearby.

McLain led his pursuers straight toward his reinforcements. The French, realizing the seriousness of their situation, fired away at the Raptor, determined to sink at least one of the Royal Navy's frigates. The Raptor was lost in this action; a fitting end to fine ship that had served its captain well. Meanwhile the combination of the crushing broadsides of 18lbers from Kyle's Aquila and the fantastic rate of fire put out by Lord Fletcher's Raa-class quickly overwhelmed the lighter armor of both of the enemy frigates, avenging the Raptor in spades with the defeat of a pair of fifth-rate 44-gun warships.

Second Action: The French Slip Up Again
British Captains in Action:

Captain the Lord Joseph Fletcher, Naval Officer, Raa-class Mastercraft 36-gun scout frigate

Captain Virgil Kyle, Naval Officer, HMS Aquila, Mercy-class 46-gun naval frigate

Captain Leo Davis, Naval Officer, HMS Unicorn, Deliverance-class Heavy 40-gun heavy frigate

Captain Lewis McLain, Naval Officer, HMS Hunter, Athena-class 28-gun pursuit frigate

French Captains in Action:

Swann Capitainne, Privateer, Hercules-class Heavy 44-gun super-frigate

French Naval Officer, Minerva-class Mastercraft 49-gun pursuit frigate

The Action:

While Captain the Lord Fletcher and Captain Kyle remained on station, McLain rushed to fetch another vessel from Port Royal and Captain Davis was approaching the Florida Strait from the Yucatan. The French were hardly resting on their laurels. The privateer Swann Capitainne took out a Heavy Hercules-class frigate to replace his Dauntless, and his French Navy companion quickly refit the Minerva-class for battle. They came out of Cayo looking for revenge and found the same three British captains who attacked them before, soon joined by Captain Davis.

The resulting battle saw the French quickly and thoroughly beaten, with no losses or even significant damage to the ships of the Squadron. The French Privateer was offered quarter but he made no attempt to surrender his vessel, and on Lord Fletcher's orders he and his ship were sent to the bottom.

Third Action: McLain Duels a Pirate
British Captains in Action:

Captain Lewis McLain, Naval Officer, HMS Hunter, Athena-class 28-gun pursuit frigate

Pirate Captains in Action:

Rancid Jacks, Cutthroat, captured Cerberus-class Heavy 26-gun scout frigate

The Action:

After the French were forcibly ejected from the area, attention turned to a pirate captain that had been shadowing Captain Kyle for some time. Wary of the British guns, he stayed clear of the battle area. But Captain McLain was able to goad him into a duel in his smaller, lighter pursuit frigate HMS Hunter. With an advantage in speed and firepower but a disadvantage in armor and turn rate, McLain was able to pour dismantling shot into the pirate's sails from range while avoiding most of the enemy's fire. The Hunter's armor was battered, but the pirate's sails were torn to ribbons. It was soon clear that the pirate was at McLain's mercy. As per the rules of engagement, no quarter was offered to the pirate and so McLain and his crew boarded the crippled frigate and handily defeated the enemy on his own decks.

Fourth Action: Catching a Smuggler Near La Isabella
British Captains in Action:

Captain Virgil Kyle, Naval Officer, HMS Aquila, Mercy-class 46-gun naval frigate

Captain Leo Davis, Naval Officer, HMS Unicorn, Deliverance-class Heavy 40-gun heavy frigate

Captain Lewis McLain, Naval Officer, HMS Hunter, Athena-class 28-gun pursuit frigate

Pirate Captains in Action:

Robb Themall, cutthroat, captured Bermuda-class Mastercraft 14-gun sloop

The Action:

By this time, Lord Fletcher's duties had called him elsewhere but Captains Kyle, Davis and McLain carried on lurking the Florida Strait, looking for targets of opportunity. One soon presented itself - a hapless smuggler had managed to run aground in the darkness down the coast of Cuba from La Isabella. Seeing as how he was a pirate in a stolen vessel likely as not loaded full of stolen goods, he was dutifully defeated with casual effort, concluded by Captain Kyle boarding the vessel to confiscate its cargo of rum. This cargo was never seen again.

Fifth Action: A Pirate Caught Fleeing La Isabella
British Captains in Action:

Captain Virgil Kyle, Naval Officer, HMS Aquila, Mercy-class 46-gun naval frigate

Captain Leo Davis, Naval Officer, HMS Unicorn, Deliverance-class Heavy 40-gun heavy frigate

Captain Lewis McLain, Naval Officer, HMS Hunter, Athena-class 28-gun pursuit frigate

Pirate Captains in Action:

Jonathan Smythe, cutthroat, captured Minerva-class Mastercraft 44-gun pursuit frigate

The Action:

A pirate was soon seen trying to break out of La Isabella. Anticipating such efforts, the Squadron was in position to intercept him. Commanding the quickest ship, McLain kept pace with the enemy frigate and slowed him with dismantling shot, allowing Kyle and Davis to close in range to deliver their powerful broadsides. The pirate soon lost his headway and was surrounded by the Squadron, and was summarily demasted, decrewed, boarded and burned.

Sixth Action: Another Pirate Caught Fleeing La Isabella
British Captains in Action:

Captain Virgil Kyle, Naval Officer, HMS Aquila, Mercy-class 46-gun naval frigate

Captain Leo Davis, Naval Officer, HMS Unicorn, Deliverance-class Heavy 40-gun heavy frigate

Captain Lewis McLain, Naval Officer, HMS Hunter, Athena-class 28-gun pursuit frigate

Captain Koff Ill, Privateer, Hercules-class Sleek 44-gun super-frigate

Pirate Captains in Action:

Dread Eye, cutthroat, captured Minerva-class Mastercraft 49-gun pursuit frigate

The Action:

Nearly a repeat of the previous performance, made easier by the presence of the British privateer Koff Ill and his quick and powerful Sleek Hercules-class frigate. The pirate was boarded by Captain Davis and the ship was burned.

Seventh Action: A Pirate Interloper Caught in the Strait
British Captains in Action:

Captain Virgil Kyle, Naval Officer, HMS Aquila, Mercy-class 46-gun naval frigate

Captain Leo Davis, Naval Officer, HMS Unicorn, Deliverance-class Heavy 40-gun heavy frigate

Captain Lewis McLain, Naval Officer, HMS Hunter, Athena-class 28-gun pursuit frigate

Captain Koff Ill, Privateer, Hercules-class Sleek 44-gun super-frigate

Pirate Captains in Action:

Sule Rule, cutthroat, captured Hercules-class 44-gun super-frigate

The Action:

This was the most difficult pirate encounter of the day. A pirate was spotted preying on French merchants, and a trap was laid by the four captains covering both ends of the Strait. The pirate ran east when he saw what danger he was in, and was intercepted by Captain McLain. The quarry would not be snared easily, however. As it happened he was in an excellent position to flee the fight and the Squadron had to close the range and slow him down quickly before he made an escape.

Captain McLain, in a now well-practiced role, was ordered to run the pirate down with the Hunter, pull alongside and force him to alter course. Normally this would be suicide for a thin-skinned pursuit vessel to go broadside-to-broadside with a 40-gun super-frigate, but the pirate in desperation was dumping his guns over the side to lighten the ship and gain precious speed. McLain was able to overtake the pirate, cross his bow, and force him to attempt to maneuver around the Hunter. McLain kept changing tack and forcing the pirate to do the same, until finally in frustration the pirate rammed the Hunter and boarded her. McLain and his crew held their own on the deck until the rest of the Squadron caught up and sank the pirate's frigate out from under him with concentrated fire on the vessel's stern.

Following Action
Other pirates were pursued but these escaped without injury to either side.

The total tally of these actions was three French fifth-rate frigates defeated (one of those twice), three pirate captured fifth-rate frigates defeated, one pirate sixth-rate captured frigate defeated, and one pirate captured sloop-o-war defeated.

Only one British vessel was lost in these engagements - Captain McLain's sixth-rate frigate HMS Raptor, which in any case was near the point of retirement.

The actions of this morning resulted in Britain gaining a significant tactical advantage going in to the port battle for La Isabella.

Lessons Learned
The value of effective pursuit tactics in battle and tactical positioning on the open see was demonstrated in repeated actions.