Destroying the Houat shore battery

Fearless has received intelligence that a ship has been seen off the Northern point of the Isle Houat.  Capitaine Jules Cazu of the Marzu, a Mediterranean merchantman, has his ship under the guns of a new shore battery, having seen Fearless batter two French Naval vessels a few hours ago.
Cheese enthusiasts will see what I did there, although I'm not sure I would be so enthusiastic about that particular cheese.

Marzu is carrying vital supplies for the French Fleet blockaded in Brest.  She also has dispatches from the Rochefort Squadron.

Second Dog Watch 
1900, Hex 36. Wind Southerly Force Two.
Fearless encounters a French fisherman, Petit Billy a proud Breton, who reveals that "La Commission mixte d'armement des côtes de la France, de la Corse et des îles" de 1794 commandé la création d'une batterie à la pointe d'Er Vachif, sur Isle Houat."

A Historical note
In the mid 1790s the French Coastal Armaments Commission established a shore battery on the northern Cape of Houat Island.  This was part of its defence of Quiberon bay against British Naval involvement in the ongoing Vendean rebellion.


On the northern cape of Houat Island the "Benuiguet Redoubt" is a reminder of the battery, but in 1794 it would have been a work in progress.

Citizen Camembert, now a "guest" aboard Fearless works, for La Commission mixte d'armement des côtes de la France.

Captain Farthingdale orders a boat action.  He will send Midshipman Whitemoore and the Marines against the battery on Point d'Er Vachif.  The gunner will accompany him and will destroy the French cannon.  At the same time Farthingdale will lead two boats in an attempt to cut out Capitane Cazu's Marzu.  (What is that smell aboard?)

Petit Billy, not so Petit!

As thanks to Petit Billy for his information we take his boat for the action against the battery, and press him aboard Fearless.  Midshipman Whitemoore will take Billy ashore as a guide.

Commanding the Coastal Commission's battery is Lieutenant Etienne Saint-Paulin, and supporting him the redoubtable Sergeant Merzer.   These pungent worthies have sixteen men and three guns.  Saint-Paulin is a heated shot expert, so Fearless better be gone by dawn!
Old Ma Finnigan's Almanac reveals that tonight is the full moon (guess what... I rolled a one!)  The French may well see us coming!  The sea state is calm.  Fearless moves into position at dusk and anchors down.

Houat looking towards
 the battery

"Flash" Harry Farthingdale ensures all muskets and pistols are unloaded.  The boats are lowered and crewed.

Fearless might be biting off more cheese than she can chew here.

I select Gurc beach beside Île Gurc as my landing point.  legend has it that this is the ancestral home of the Gurc clan and that only heroes of the Gurcs may be buried on the Île.  I may have exaggerated this since locals now insist that this island is Île Guric, but that's Breton pronunciation for you!

The satellite image clearly shows the strength of the current running from the Beniguet passage.  The bay behind Isle Guric is the only sheltered area.  Marzu is directly under the guns of the redoubt. 

Midshipman Whitemoore and the Royal Marines have a straightforward row due East to the beach.  The captain has a long hard pull North East around the Île Gurc, to the Marzu, but scurrilous lower deck humour asserts that the Captain is more accustomed to a short swift pull.  The current from the Beniguet passage runs at 2 knots to the south-west.

Gurk Island appears to be made from felt!

Whitemoore steers for the beach whilst his Captain heads for the Prize! 

Lieutenant Etienne Saint-Paulin in his best wig has a tryst with local girl Fleur Bonqué on the cliff top.  He spots the British boat approaching.

Sergeant Merzer brings up his men as the Marines form up.  It is the midshipman who gets the first volley, only two hits, but one is a kill, and I roll a 1.  Lieutenant Etienne Saint-Paulin falls with a ball to the leg.  Fleur Bonqué will be inconsolable but Sergeant Mecer will try his best.   

Sergeant Merzer fights back.  His Militia get a few shock onto the Marines. 

Out on the water the Captain fights his way aboard.  A bloody business. 

The Marines batter away at the French Militia.

I use the Marine Sergeant to remove shock.

And a bayonet charge sees them off.  

After the Tiffin break the crew of the Marzu fight back.  Three tars die, but six crew are killed.  Farthingdale now holds the stern and bow. 

 Capitaine Cazu's crew hold out in the waist, but it is looking bad.

The Ancient McTurk, Fearless' Gunner needs a 6 on two dice to blow up the guns.  One gone!

Captaine Cazu's "Niece" appears on deck and entreats him to surrender.  To avoid a massacre he strikes the colours and Marzu is a prize.  He only had three men left and six shock!

The guns are blown and the Marines withdraw.

Whitemoore returns to the beach.  

The McTurk blows up the Garrison house for good measure.

I roll over the seven required to get Marzu under way.  

And the Ships Gunner is the last man to leave

A victory then, but the French were not in any position to stop Fearless crew.  The fighting for the Marzu could have been touch and go but the tars won the day in fine style.

And that was the final game of my Quiberon campaign.  Fearless can now return to Lord Howe, having captured two valuable prizes, as well as recaptured two Royal Naval ships held by the French.  Lord Howe will receive the French dispatches with caution , but welcome Fearless as an additional scout for the French fleet he has been chasing.  

The recaptured ships are unlikely to attract prize money, but Captain Farthingdale is soon to receive his first epaulette and be promoted Post.  It seems that the HMS Ariel, a 20 gun ship sloop,  has become available and he is to be sent out to the Bahamas next year.  I will put forward both of my former Midshipmen to the Lieutenant`s examination, and keep as many of Fearless Warrant and Petty Officers as possible.

It is not lost on me that I have two Midshipmen Whitemoores to deal with however.  Quigly did rather well against the shore battery, but his cousin Quentin was by far the better Officer, and probably recieved his promotion for the prize he sailed back to Portsmouth.  Quigly must therefore continue as my Senior Midshipman.

An enjoyable series of games using only a handful of 1:700 ships, and a few dozen 10mm figures.

Link : The Complete Quiberon Bay Campaign 

I complied a record of the campaign as a Doc file, essentially the book of Quiberon Bay and have uploaded it for my own reference.