The Sea Wolf contemplates Hampshire

Simon had asked Rob to organise a Black Seas game and I decided to join in as the club seems to be exceptionally busy at the moment with full tables every week. This time we were back in the Caribbean as the Sea Wolf's small flotilla having repaired in Jamaica were on the lookout for a notorious French privateer/pirate (Rob), this rascal had lately captured a large merchantman reputed to be carrying gold bullion and was enroute to Port Royal. A small Spanish fleet (Simon) were also at sea looking for the same ship.

The Sea Wolf arrives.

We came upon the Frenchie sailing close to shore, sadly the weather gauge was against me and it was taking a long time to catch up with the prey, the Spaniards on the other hand closed quickly, I at first thought I would let them engage the pirates while I would sail to cut them off and pick up the pieces as we were not yet at war with Spain. Rob then decided to sail through the sandbanks to throw off pursuit, I therefore turned Achilles and Ajax towards the rear of the French while Nubian and Tartar continued with the intention of getting ahead of everybody.

I move towards the rear of the pirates.

 Simon now sent his brigs into the fray while his frigate stood off and pounded a large privateer, this ship was losing the fight and grounded on a nearby sandbank where her captain surrendered, very shortly after a pirate brig also ran aground and struck her colours. I meanwhile was still fighting the wind. The Spanish attack now broke up, but had another success on boarding the remaining ship escorting the large merchant, now however Ajax entered the battle, aggressive as ever she began to pound both the Spaniard and the pirate while Achilles fired at long range into the merchant.

Ajax delivers her devastating and winning broadside.

More confusion in the sandbanks followed as the merchant could not clear the two brigs and the three ships now sat entwined giving one large target, as the fire from Ajax continued the Spanish brig went to the bottom, a devastating broadside from close range into the rear of the merchant caused chaos and mayhem, the privateer's flag came down. Ajax was now too close to the stuck ships and she too now found herself locked to the merchant, a fortuitous move as it turned out as her crew now began to transfer the gold to the holds of Ajax.

The end is nigh.

 Elsewhere the Achilles had sunk another Spanish brig but their flagship, the frigate, now moved on Tartar and Nubian and managed to sink Tartar, she then turned back towards the melee in the sandbanks and kept a weather eye on the Achilles bearing down towards her. This was a dangerous moment for the Sea Wolf, neither Ajax nor Achilles by now could probably withstand a successful broadside, if Ajax went down so did the gold, if Achilles my reputation. The Spaniard was in the same boat so to speak but did manage to get a broadside off as she closed with my flagship, it was weathered by Achilles (Simon threw terrible dice) and the return fire sent the last Spaniard to Davy Jones' Locker. Nubian meanwhile had won her fight but too successfully, the enemy first caught fire then blew up spectacularly causing damage to the Nubian, which she thankfully weathered.

Although I had caused an international incident by firing on my Spanish 'allies' I had sunk them all so hopefully no word would seep through to Whitehall or the Palacio Real Madrid before the real war started, and besides who is going to turn down a ship full of gold. I must mention the Captain of Ajax who in the last two battles has shown incredible aggression in the face of overwhelming odds and been quite instrumental in the British victories, well done that man. As for the Sea Wolf, although his ships were battered once again and Tartar had been lost the rewards are enough to contemplate a new estate in Hampshire, now where did I put that latest copy of Country Life

As I said we had a full house, Age of Sigmar, several LoTR games, Chain of Command and Black Seas. Not sure about next week, Dan wants to delve once more into IABSM but I cannot remember which Tuesday. On the home front I am nearing the end of my second Volksgrenadier squad and have started the third and last. I looked at my Waffen-SS and only need two more LMG's for a full platoon, for some reason Offensive Miniatures only include LMG's in with full squads, so I shall have to look elsewhere.