Battle - 1721 - April 25 - Another try on Cartagena

Ships in Action:
British Fleet

Captain Nathan Blatchford, HMS Heartsease, Reason-class 4th-rate

14 other British ships, consisting mostly of heavy frigates with a few 4th-rates and one Couronne Mastercraft 2nd-rate.

Spanish Fleet

18 Spanish ships, mostly heavy frigates with one 3rd-rate.

Action Setup:
The battle took place on the Stingray Island map, Britain was attacking.

After cruising the waters off Cartagena, I recieved orders to proceed with all possible haste to the rendezvous of the Fleet that was to launch an attack on said port. When I arrived I was saddened to find that no other captains from the Squadron were able to attend, and also that the Fleet did not have its full complement of vessels. I was assigned to White Group with two 4th-rates, a Couronne Mastercraft and a 5th-rate.

The Action Itself:
With the wind strong on our larboard quarter we set course NW and immediately spotted the enemy dead ahead, heading SE. In all the commotion of encountering the enemy so soon (we had yet to beat to quarters at this point) my newest addition to the midshipmen's berth managed to drop the signal-book over the side, rendering us unable to interpret the singals that was now being furiously hoisted and repeated down the line. As the Fleet set course SW, the enemy did the same, racing to take away from us the weather-gage. After some hundred yards (mere minutes after the first sighting) the tips of the two lines opened fire on eachother, and I could hear the Master telling the helmsman that things were looking rather grave but not at all impossible, with the enemy being roughly equal in numbers of guns and not having a great advantage in manouverability. As the two lines were about to allign, it became clear that the Spaniards would cross our heads first with their frigate fleet. As the Heartsease's gun-crews were carefully aiming their guns on the nearest spaniard, the foremost ships of the Fleet suddenly put their helms hard a-starboard. Cursing under my breath I yelled for the Master to do the same, and looking N I saw a lone enemy 3rd-rate lagging behind the enemy line. It was my impression that the Fleet was to cut this lineship off, sinking it and perhaps come down on the sterns of the remaining Spaniards, but I wondered at the method as it soon became clear that the Fleet was becoming more a blob then a line.

The Spaniards took this opportunity to have a smaller group race E to rake the sterns of our aftmost ships (Including the Heartsease) while the remaining Spaniards on our larboard side would turn and head N to keep our line in place. The enemy 3rd-rate was able to rejoin the Spanish fleet before we could get between them. At this time a massive ammount of round-shote came ripping through the Heartsease's gundecks from the stern, but my gun-crews kept at it without flinching, firing broadside after broadside on the nearest Spanish ships. Looking through my looking-glass however, it became clear to me that we were not causing any decisive damage to any of the ships we were firing at, and the few Spaniards who did have a few gunports smashed together was soon blocked by their comrades. Blood was now flowing from our scuppers, and it was clear that the poor Heartsease was knocked about something cruel. The Spanish group in our wake was now coming up on our starboard quarters, raking the rear of the British Fleet as they did so, and it was now clear that the British were no longer manouvering to engage but rather to retreat NW. As flaming debris from a nearby British ship came raining down on deck, the only surviving carpenter's mate informed me that it was a matter of seconds before the lower gundeck would be flooded. Seeing to my papers, I ordered the men to get into the boats.

The Result:
Spanish victory.

The British lost 8-10 vessels, the Spanish lost none.

Lessons Learned:
The usual lessons: Blocking eachother works, concentrated fire works.

Battle Schematic:


As the Fleet set course SW, the enemy did the same, racing to take away from us the weather-gage.



After some hundred yards (mere minutes after the first sighting) the tips of the two lines opened fire on eachother and it became clear that the Spanish line would cross our heads first.



''The foremost ships of the Fleet suddenly put their helms hard a-starboard, and looking N I saw a lone enemy 3rd-rate lagging behind the enemy line. It was my impression that the Fleet was to cut this lineship off, sinking it and perhaps come down on the sterns of the remaining Spaniards.''



''...but I wondered at the method as it soon became clear that the Fleet was becoming more a blob then a line. The Spaniards took this opportunity to have a smaller group race E to rake the sterns of our aftmost ships while the remaining Spaniards on our larboard side would turn and head N to keep our line in place.''



The Spanish group in our wake was now coming up on our starboard quarters, raking the rear of the British Fleet as they did so.



The British, with the enemy on their stern and larboard side, retreats NW.