Tuesday 9 February 2016

The Channel Islands Patrol Campaign Setup

The Marshal Petain Gentleman's Club Winter Game 2016

The Channel Islands Patrol

The Petain's once again go into action in a Naval game.  Since I am the Umpire in this one I intend to blog the course of the game.  For Channel Islands Patrol we will be using the Post Captain rules, and a 1793 chart of the English Channel and the Islands.
Not for the feint of heart!



Admiralty Orders for the attention of
Commander Quincy Whitemoore.
The Snug
Colliery Inn
Pelton.

You are requested and Required by Order of the Board of Admiralty to repair onboard His Majesty's Sloop of War Lark, Naval Dockyard, Plymouth Sound, as Commander, and proceed to sea with all despatch, on 1st April this year of 1793.  You are to look into all ports from St Brieuc westward and then North to Cape La Hague.  Report any French vessels of war you sight, and sink or capture any French shipping abroad in the area of the Channel Islands.
Any Captures will be sent into St Hellier, Jersey, and you will follow the orders of the Governor.
You will find secret orders aboard, to be opened only when your vessel stands out into the English channel.
You may appoint any Officer you see fit as your Junior, and select a sailing master from those now available.  Crewing and Supply will be your responsibility, to occur at Naval Dockyard, Plymouth Sound. 
God Save the King
Uriah Quilp, Naval Clerk for
Vice Admiral The Hon Quincy Whitmore, RN, MP, Kb, Txs Rgr.

Admiralty Orders for the attention of
Commander Christmas Quilp.
The taproom
Colliery Inn
Pelton.

You are requested and Required by Order of the Board of Admiralty to repair onboard His Majesty's Sloop of War Hornet, as Commander, at Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth, and proceed to sea with all despatch, on 1st April this year of 1793.  You are to look into ports from Cape La Hague, to St Brieuc.  Report any French vessels of war you detect, and sink or capture any French shipping abroad in the area of the Channel Islands.
Any Captures will be sent into St Helier, Jersey, and you will follow the orders of the Governor.
You will find secret orders aboard, to be opened only when your vessel stands out into the English channel.
You may appoint any Officer you see fit as your Junior, and select a sailing master from those now available.  Crewing and Supply will be your responsibility, to occur at the Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth.  
God Save the King
Uriah Quilp, Naval Clerk for
Vice Admiral The Hon Quincy Whitmore, RN, MP, Kb, Txs Rgr.

You begin the game with 30 guineas to spend on attracting Officers and recruiting your crew. You may also generate some influence that would help in the crewing by taking Officers with connections, or Officers others just don’t want.  Unspent guineas and unused influence may be useful in the cruise you have been ordered to take.

These will cost guineas and influence according to the table below.  If you take only a few Officers, the Admiralty will appoint as needed, but then you will have no choice but to accept whomever the Admiral appoints.

A Cormorant Class Sloop of War requires a complement of 121 Officers and men.   1 Commander, 2 Lieutenants, 1 Ships Master, ten Warranted Officers, and 108 men.  You will need some Prime seamen to work the ship, but can fill up on Landsmen, hoping to train them to be sailors during your cruise.
You can apply to the port Admiral to embark two files of ten Marines, One Sergeant, and One Officer.  If you do not appoint the Sergeant or Officer the Admiral will send you a random Officer who is bound to have some issues.

You must also actively recruit your crew, by various means.  Choose any of:

  • Handbills for volunteers,
  • Recruiting parties, under a Naval Officer
  • Press gangs, under a Naval Officer
  • Warrant to remove prisoners from hulks,
  • Impressment from merchant ships,
  • Admirals Authority for transfer _ other ships,
  • Local Magistrates Assises.
  • Admirals Authority for a Marine Detachment.
Select the recruiting methods you will use, using cost in guineas or influence.

1.    Naval Officers and Warranted Officers seeking employment, and the cost of recruitment.

Mr Kit Barrington, Naval Lieutenant    5 Guineas add 2 influence
a well connected socialite, and dancer of the Spanish fashion.
Mr Berjerac Nettles, Naval Lieutenant    5 Guineas
A Guernseyman, who knows the waters and is a qualified master too.
Mr David Milliband, Naval Lieutenant   3 Guineas, a raconteur.
M. Jean du Picard, Naval Lieutenant, an Emigre and St Malo man.  1 Guinea  1 influence.
Mr Horatio Pipesmoker, Naval Lieutenant    5 Guineas  An earnest young gentleman who has a reputation as a firebrand as well as luck. 2 influence 
Mr Josiah Pickwick, Naval Lieutenant    1 Guinea, has a reputation.

Mr Ed Milliband, Marine Lieuteant, 1 Guinea, a ditherer.  3 Influence.
Mr Richard Bean, Marine Lieutenant    3 Guineas.  A sportsman.
Sgt Patrick Finnigan, Marine Sergeant 1 Guinea, keeps discipline well.

Josiah Mudge, Trinity Qualified Ship Master  2 Guineas.  The Oldest man in King George’s Navy, he can smell weather.
Anthony Bookbinder, Qualified Ship Master  2 Guineas.  A channel coaster
Dick Talbot, Master Gunner   1 Guinea
Brags he can shoot the whiskers off a Spaniard with his 12pdrs
Mathias Wigg, Surgeon  1 Guinea  An Oxford University Doctor and cellist, fascinated by bugs.

William Hood, Midshipman Admiral’s Son add 3 influence
Jack Farthingdale, Midshipman Politician’s son add 3 influence
Judas Quilp, Midshipman  add 1 influence
Charles Furious. Midshipman. One of Admiral Quincy’s illegitimate by-blows.  Add 2 influence.

Mr Gordon Brown  Ships Purser
Mr Edwin Balls, Ships Purser
Mr Georgio Osbourne Ships Purser

Crewing.

Crewing the ship
Costs
Will recruit 6D6:
May also recruit 1:
Handbills for volunteers,
2 Guineas
Officer Material, Prime seamen
Idle Criminal
Recruiting parties, under a Naval Officer
5 Guineas
Warrant Officers
Prime Seamen
Landsmen
Press gangs, under a Naval Officer
5 Guineas
Trained sailors, landsmen, idlers
A woman posing as a man
Warrant to remove prisoners from hulks,
2 Guinea bribe
Landsmen, idlers
Brawler, Criminals
Impressment from merchant ships,
2 Guinea bribe
Prime Seamen
Seditious Irishman
Admirals Authority for transfer _ other ships,
Requires 3 Influence
Trained sailors/Jacks
A mutinous dog
Local Magistrates Assises.
 Requires 3 influence
Transfers only landsmen.
A troublemaker
Admirals Authority Marine Detachment.
Requires 5 Influence
Section of 10 plus Sergeant
 Two or more sections add 1 Lt. of Marines


NAVY BOARD RETURN
Officers Offered a Position aboard HM Sloop of War
Lark/Hornet
Cost in Guineas
Influence
Name:


Name:


Name:


Name:


Name:


Methods of crewing the ship that will be employed





















Once you have a purser appointed complete the fitting out requisition for the Dockyard.  These are the supplies you will need for Sea duty. Select what you want from the list below.  This will be on the Dockyard accounts, but the more you ask for the more it annoys the Clerks.  It is seen as bad form to ask for more than half of the Maximum stowage, since you are on a local patrol not a passage.  You may however spend some of your own remaining cash on higher value items such as a quality Captain’s table wine.  
The Purser will offer you a daily report throughout the game.  These are an amalgamation of the historical reports, such as the Carpenter’s and Sailmaker’s, Gunners, and are in effect the game logistics.  There are 21 shillings in a guinea, but you are dealing with a Purser here!


Purser Accounts in Shillings
Max Stowage space
 Your Requisition.
spare cordage
@10
30

sailcloth
@15
30

yards and spars
@40
Up to 10.

Meat casks
@5
90- at 45 each tier

Ship’s biscuit
@1
90

Animals
@5
10

Rum and ardent spirits
@5
12

Captains wine,
Quality @1 Guinea, @10s, @1s
20 cases

Powder,
@20 in Powder Room
20

Shot,
10@1, in Shot locker
1000

Mixed weapons,
Pistol/Muskets, Cutlass, Boarding pike. @10
50/100 equivalent

Water casks
1 per 50 men per Day  @1
50

Slops
10@5 Shillings
50

Bow or stern chaser 12pdr
5 Guineas each
2

Gold leaf for stern Guilding
20 Guineas
1

Yellow paint for stern
3 Shillings
2 tins


How to sail a ship using a chart and bearings.
Ships have variable speed depending on the sail set, the wind strength and the bearing to the wind.
Ships also have a “Top speed” based on the length of the keel, displacement of water and beam of the vessel.  HMS Victory was reckoned to achieve 9 kn in strong winds.  Smaller vessels could achieve this in lighter airs.

As Commander you can order various sail settings.

Full Sail with Studding sails set.   Basically the lot.
Full Sail     Every sail on the yards in use.
Plain Sail   The heavier sails for stronger winds
Storm sail  The minimum sail, courses reefed up.
Battle sail   Usually only topsails and jib.

The ships speed is calculated in knots – 1NM per hour is a knot.  Taking a reef into the sails reduces speed by 1 kt.  I will generally give you a logged estimated latitude and longitude, but please note that this will not be accurate.  The Royal Navy deliberately calculated a nautical mile short, the idea being that this made running ashore more unlikely. 
I will give you headland sightings, and sea bed composition in the ship’s log where these are available.  A picture of my game on the map will have only the detail that your ship could see, and may therefore be useless for navigation, especially in a squall, fog or at night.
On the subject of night time I would refrain from full sail around these waters in poor visibility.
A lookout can theoretically see about 10NM, but note that around the Channel Islands there are many places ships may suddenly appear from, as well as sea mist and squalls.
I will be on hand to give you advice from the Ships Master on Navigation, the 1st Lieutenant on shipboard matters, the Gunner on firing and the Carpenter on your leaky bottom. (all via the ships log) 
For example the Sailing Master should inform you if your course is likely to run the ship aground.  The First Lieutenant will report disciplinary matters...
The game is played in “watches,” with movement every 4 game hours, but
Orders are daily, as the Commanders orders for the day.


Ships Log

Captains orders for the day of ........................  Wind (Direction wind coming from)  .......................

Course, sail setting, Actions to be taken.

Watch Officers will then report back with Any Item of Interest occurring during their watch.

Further orders may be required if other vessels are sighted, or if the captain intends something like a cutting out expedition. 

Some advice:
Based on the advice Drinkwater was given for the Channel Islands as well as Moore’s observations.
Beware the sudden Squall.  Have at least one good deck Officer. 
An anchor has a 100 fathom cable, measurement is in terms of cables (1/10 NM) and Nautical miles.  The channel islands are shallow water, so don`t be afraid to get the anchor down.
The French have shore batteries that will lob a shot out at least a mile.  The typical Frenchie trick is to anchor off these.
If you sail off the map (ahem...) I have other charts that will allow you to complete a chase, but your patrol area is that of the channel islands and you risk censure for being off it.
If you take a prize you must send an Officer, Warrant Officer or Midshipman with a number of crew, to sail the prize into Jersey.  Don`t forget to pick them up later, or you will have an empty ship.

The Rewards

Pellew was given his Knighthood and later his Peerage for Frigate actions around this area.  As Treasurer of the MPGC I will nominate a Knighthood for your fictional character for a worthy victory over the French. Naval slang in the age of sail was to call any Captains with a knighthood the “Chevalier,” (Pellew, Warren and Sydney Smith were all called this) so I will seek to promote you to a Chevalier of the MPGC.
If there is no great victory against the French I will judge the winner in terms of Prize money.


Class overview
Name:
Cormorant-class ship-sloop
Operators:
Built:
1793 – 1817
In service:
1794 – 1833
Completed:
30
Cancelled:
1
General characteristics
Type:
Tons burthen:
422.7 bm
Length:
108 ft 4 in (33 m) (gundeck)
90 ft 9.625 in (28 m) (keel)
Beam:
29 ft 7 in (9 m)
Depth of hold:
9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) 14ft draught
Sail plan:
Complement:
125 (121 from 1794)
Armament:
Sixteen 6-pounder long guns


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