From Ushant to Scilly

Part 1: The Scenarios

by Rob Morgan

Well, where to start?

The Baltic cruise of the British squadron can of course be wargamed from a purely traditional naval ship-to-ship point of view. This would involve not merely the French privateers, and multitude of merchant vessels, but the strong Swedish, Russian and Danish fleets as well. This would serve as a map game developed with 1/1200th scale ships on the table if need be. The encounter with Blanchfleur lends scope for a 'chance' option during any cutting out attempt, with a possibility of Swedish intervention in her defence, from the battery and the town of Stralsund. With the exception of Nonsuch the participating ships can all come from 'Peter Pig' with the schooner, no. 7, providing both the privateer and converted by moving the foremast aft, and omitting the fore and aft sail, with a 1/300th small mortar from either 'Irregular' or 'Langton' placed in the old foremast position. She needs a big bowsprit too, but looks well enough to serve.

Perhaps the best of the solo possibilities is the penetration of the Frisches Haff by four British boats, the passage of the boom, its defence by gunboats, the random sailing and barge traffic found within, and the length of time Lt.Vickery RN goes marauding up and down the lagoon all make for interesting scenarios, with ships fed in randomly. Not forgetting the possibility of encountering an armed sailing ship like the Weece Ross with some French or Prussian troops on board, making for a much stiffer scrap.

Or maybe the Commander at Pillau or Konigsberg will have the presence of mind to send out some gunboats after Hornblower's men. A French naval officer in either garrison will recognise perhaps how the perfidious Anglais intend to escape after creating a graveyard of supply ships, and offer a solution. The long sand spit could easily see a couple of squadrons of cavalry or even a few substantial infantry posts, and maybe a battery or two of horse artillery waiting for Vickery to come ashore.

The Siege of Riga is probably the least suitable of the scenarios from a naval point of view, though the Russian raid makes an interesting 'combined ops' game, and the attack by the British boats on the big troop barges with the involvement of the French shore batteries are appealing too. If Macdonald doesn't withdraw early enough and the weather card gives a cold snap, then Hornblower might find himself suddenly frozen in or threatened by ice floes. I’ve never wargamed cavalry against immobile ships, but it does have a certain penchant, though as Hornblower had a decent broadside and 200 Royal Marines on board, Nonsuch would give a good account of herself.

The Commodore By C. S. Forester was written in 1945, and has never been out of print. ISBN 0-1400-1116-1. Penguin £4.95. A rattling good yarn, and well worth the price.

From Ushant to Scilly Part 1: Hornblower for Lone Wargamers

Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior # 147
Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Magazine List
© Copyright 2004 by Solo Wargamers Association.
This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com