GAME TURN NINE

Administrative

Ed ealexan1@nycap.rr.com rejoining the game is now active
He will be converting an npc to a player character
Lieutenant James MacDonald
First of the Watcher

Ian iancoleman@stuartcoleman.fsnet.co.uk has gone on Half-Pay

Something to Shoot For

Rates of Fire
HMS Shannon 38 four broadsides in five minutes vs USS Chesapeake
Collingwood's HMS Dreadnought 1805 three broadsides in 31/2 minutes
USS United States vs HMS Macedonian
In a three hour action the US Ship fired 70 broadsides to the UK frigate’s 30

The Illustrated Companion to Nelsons Navy Blake & Lawrence

Rumor Mill and Grapevine
You've heard through papers, gossip ect.. Colonel Farthingdale served in Spain under Wellington and Lady Farthingdale has a scandulous past. Colonel Farthingdale has connections with the Horse Guards Brigade; he served as a staff off in the Peninsula Campaign in Spain. It is said Wellington considered him a pain in the rear, but has to humor him due to his political connections both in London and Lisbin Portugal. Farthingdale is incompetant military but does have the right connections to get men and supplies. His wife is a former Lady of the Evening who passed herself off as a noble and he didn't find out about it until well after the wedding. HBN follows this line with Farthingdale wanting a Command in the Americas and his wife travelling around as she pleases

LORDS OF THE ADMIRALTY

Gentlemen,
This is your chance to have some direct influnce over the course of the game. Orders from Whitehall will arrive at Bermuda and be carried by the Crab to Rear Admiral Medicus to be acted upon. You are all members of the First Lord's staff. Napoleon has been defeated so considerable assets are now available to be redeployed. This will take time and we need to keep the Americans off guard until the full weight of our resourses can be brought to bare. To that end we need to commence attacks with the forces immediately available. Area of Operations will be limited to the Maryland/Virgina Coast as other forces are striking along the entire eastern seaboard. Using the forces below suggest a plan of action

Naval Assets
One Ship of the Line 74; Three Frigates 44, 32, 28; Two Sloops 22 and 18, One Brig 12, One Bomb Vessel 12, and One Schooner 6, 2 Armed Transports, 18 Contracted Merchant Ships; adequate supplies for two months
Ground Forces Under command of a Brigadier
1200 Infantry, 100 Dragoons, 8 Light Artillery Pieces; 200 Marines plus Squadron Assets; Adequate supplies for two weeks operations ashore

The First Sea Lord has several ideas of his own, but wants your input. Keep in mind while we control the Marines, the Army forces are a joint venture.

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With the forces at the disposal of the Brigader General, I propose an offensive against Norfolk. By taking it, it essentially would eliminate the two main naval bases to the South, Baltimore included, as the blockade could be extended across the mouth of the Chesapeake. It would also provide a major roadstead and advanced base of operations for not only naval, but army offensives as well.
Jim

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Here's what I'd like to see...

The naval forces blockade Norfolk with say the 74, two larger frigates,and the bomb vessel, to soften the defenses preparatory to an amphibious operation. The smaller vessels would be used for scouting, taking merchanters attempting to run the blockade, and protect our own supply lines. Take this port, much of the Virgina/Maryland seaboard falls--taking Norfolk would put the British forces in a position from which they would cut
off several port cities.
Tom

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Information is what is needed for the forth coming offensive; and the Bermuda Squadron has been sent to gain some. What is known is that two frigates are basing out of Baltimore theUnited States 44 and Constellation 38. Baltimore is well protected by Fort McHenry. Several privateers are operating out Norfolk big fast schooners mounting 10-20 guns. The port has some shore batteries. Ground forces fluctuate but will be within 75% of historic figures.
Gunther / GM

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Gopher Island, conveniently placed off the area of operations for us to establish a base on. Here we should be able to find wood and water and maybe some fresh food, to sustain the squadron whilst it continues its recconaissance of the area and supplies the information the Admiralty and the First Sea Lord want. We need, therefore, to try to find a sheltered anchorage, preferably away from any large areas of habitation and with fresh water at hand. I believe that the bulk of the army forces should be put ashore here , to protect the anchorage from landward attack. We should thoroughly "recce" the island once the land forces are ashore to see if it is inhabited

Pete

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I would offer a very similar approach to what Peter offered, I would use Sewell's Point this site becomes famous during the civil war as the place where the ironclads squared off. Fort Wool will not be established until 1823.My thoughts are that we land the troops here at the same time place our artillery at the mouth of the Chesapeake. Our ships will then have free run. We effective will fight THE BATTLE OF CRANEY ISLAND before it happens. If we could take this very lightly defended Fort. We would have a great base of operations and a very tough nut for the Americans to crack with the navel support that we would have in the area. We could also use Craney Island to wreak havoc on the surrounding towns (big money in that part of the world). If we are more ambitious and want to take a crack at Fort Norfolk, who knows what could happen? A big factor here is surprise if they expect us and can reinforce their position we would be in deep trouble if not we may have the edge. Alternately we go a little further south and land the troop using some unnamed costal town as a beachhead we could strike out attacking the merchant and any US war ships while the land forces beat up on Virginia militiamen.

Ed

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Hornblower’s Navy Trivia

1) What was Sir Harold's last command prior to achieving flag rank?
Ok this question had several possible answers depending on if you based your answer on his rank as Commodore or Rear Admiral. The info I was trying to bring out here is Sir Harold has risen through the ranks rapidly. This has been through a combination of merit and connections. He served as a Commodore during Trafalgar but was only a Post Captain prior to being promoted to Rear Admiral obviously he has been in and out of favor
(2) Who was the first Captain of the Watcher? Based on the info available Captain Drowd Repeen who has since gone on to command a 74
(3) What was an initial problem with the design of the American 74's?
Overgunned which led to a deeper draft and gun ports very closer to the waterline, this was corrected in lator ships

(1) What was Sir Harold's last command prior to achieving flag rank? =HMS Gilmore (74) also acceptable was Euryalus. When he was a Commodore at Trafalgar

(2) Who was the first Captain of the Watcher? =Capt. Drowd Repeen

(3) What was an initial problem with the design of the American 74's? = The first problem with the 74’s was money, congress allocated it but the big ships where not built. The issue with the design was the fact that is was revolutionary design.

fromSHIPS-OF-THE-LINE

Though the 74s were never completed, construction materials were gathered at six seaports and much design work was done by Joshua Humphreys. His son, Samuel, redrew the design which called for a length between perpendiculars of 183 feet, beam of 48 feet, 6 inches; and depth in hold of 19 feet 6 inches. It was planned to make all guns 32-pounders.

William Doughty, destined to become a leading 74 designer, assisted in making copies of the revised plan which represented the most advanced American ideas on what a ship-of-the-line ought to be at the turn of the 19th century. They would have ranked with the most powerful ships of their class in the world. If these 74s had been in commission or fitting out, their mere existence might have caused second thoughts in England, preventing some of the major incidents at sea that contributed to the causes of the War of 1812. Their planning helped Benjamin Stoddert to lay the foundation of a strong Navy. Acting on the advice of Joshua Humphreys, he acquired property for their building that led to the development of navy yards and docks along the Atlantic seaboard.

Watcher and Janna have some prize money due to the Trivia test

Buffonia has some prize money due to web site link search