"The Nelson Touch!"

 

Ebor Lard Games Day 2023 took place on Saturday 2^nd September. Having had my pass signed, my missus dropped me of at 9:00am and after a hearty breakfast of black coffee and bacon butties I was ready for a day’s gaming.

 

The event followed the usual format whereby attendees are offered a choice of two games from the list that are being played that day.  This year the list included the perennial favourites Chain of Command, Sharp Practice and Dux Brittaniarum but also featured a couple of variants of the newly published What a Cowboy along with some lesser known titles such as Flashing Blades and Kiss Me Hardy. Unusually the big Chain of Command game was run as a single event across both morning and afternoon sessions.

 

I played “The Nelson Touch!” during the morning session my ships were HMS Avoir Dupois and HMS Firkin.

 

Having just embarked troops for the invasion of the Caribbean Isla del Muerta the French and Spanish squadrons were tasked with running the British blockade of the Rio Riviere and escaping off the western board edge. The French squadron (La Decimale, La Centimale and La Metrique) entered the board at the north east corner of the estuary and the Spanish (La Chongo, Arbusto and Rastas) sailed from the south east.

 

Opposed to them were two British pickets. Approaching from the north west were HMS Imperial and HMS Badger.  From the south west came HMS Avoir Dupois (a captured French vessel) and HMS Firkin. 

 

The Spanish flagship El Chongo was quick to take up a firing position in the centre of the board and opened fire on the fast approaching HMS Imperial. 

 

HMS Avoir Dupois ran north to avoid the shallows around the island to the south west of the estuary, closely followed by HMS Firkin.  Seeing the British move to engage the Spanish in the centre of the estuary, the French admiral decided to sail through the narrow channel along the northern bank of the estuary.

 

 

Having spotted the danger of the French slipping past him through the northern channel the Captain of HMS Imperial turned north east to present his broadside to the Spanish flagship and intercept the French squadron.

 

As he cleared the shallows to starboard the Captain of HMS Avoir Dupois led his small force directly towards the Spanish line aiming to cross their T in best naval tradition. 

Despite receiving fire from El Chongo HMS Imperial opened fire with a devastating broadside dismasting the Spanish flagship and causing her crew to lose way as they struggled to cut free the damaged mast and rigging.

 

 No sooner had El Chongo cleared her decks than Imperial struck her once again collapsing a second mast.  El Chongo was now drifting northwards out of control with the crew fully occupied clearing the remains of her rigging. 

 

Imperial was now also receiving fire from La Decimale.  

 

Signalling independent action to Firkin, Avoir Dupois raced towards the Spanish line.  After taking her first hits from Arbusto, Avoir Dupois turned to starboard and delivered a devastating broadside into Arbusto clearing the gun decks and causing multiple fires to break out.

 

Not content with the smashing blow dealt to Arbusto, Avoir Dupois pressed on to deliver her starboard broadside directly into Rastas. Despite bravely responding in kind Spanish morale plummeted. Following close on the heels of Avoir Dupois and in tandem with Badger, Firkin added to the destruction wrought against Arbusto.

 

Having taken continuous fire from La Decimale and La Centimale HMS Imperial was now in dire straits with rudder damage and a loose cannon she too was now drifting North out of control.  Having miraculously avoided the sand banks on her port side she was drifting directly towards the trailing French ships.  La Decimale having cleared the Northern channel was now making full speed towards the open sea.

 

On the Southern edge of the estuary all was not well aboard  Avoir Dupois the crew morale was wavering and the fire from Rastas had cut loose a cannon which thundered around the gun deck.  Following Avoir Dupois, Firkin pressed on to engage Rastas.  Giving as good as she got Rastas spotted her opportunity to escape the British onslaught and headed for the narrow southern channel out of the estuary and into open water.

 

As Avoir Dupois turned North in pursuit of the escaping French squadron she continued to mercilessly pound Arbusto.  Arbusto her guns now fully disabled struck her colours.  Firkin delivered yet another broadside into Rastas causing her morale to fail and the crew to strike.

 

 

On the Northern edge of the Estuary La Centimale and La Metrique, trying to avoid the drifting hulk that was HMS Imperial, collided and fouled.  La Centimale continued to pour fire into Imperial setting her alight.

 

Having extinguished her fires and brought herself under control El Chongo was now back in action but barely moving due to the rigging damage she had sustained.  Seeing the threat La Chongo now posed the captain of Avoir Dupois raced the length of his ship rallying the crew and steadying his vessel for action.

 

HMS Badger seeing La Decimale escaping the estuary turned North to intercept her.

 

 

Missing La Decimale by a whisker Badger delivered a stern rake into the French ship as she scraped past.  Calamity! Badger now found herself out of sea room and heading for the beach where she promptly ran aground.

The fires continued to rage aboard Imperial and provided the climax of the action when she blew up taking La Centimale and La Metrique with her. 

 

La Decimale had escaped the British blockade but at heavy cost. The British gains amounted to two Spanish prizes and two French ships set alight for the loss of HMS Imperial and HMS Badger run aground. Although the crew of El Chongo had regained limited control of their vessel the Avoir Dupois and Firkin were now moving to engage El Chongo and deliver the coup de grace before departing in pursuit of La Decimale.  The game was declared a British victory.