Random Battles Consisting of One Broadside

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sgtfox
Warrant Officer
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 1:05 am
Location: Idyllwild, California

Random Battles Consisting of One Broadside

Post by sgtfox »

Random Battles Consisting of One Broadside
Cases where only one broadside was fired in an engagement were rare, but they do illustrate the power of guns of the period to cause casualties at various ranges. Years ago, I tested several sets of rules on these four examples. Most, including a very old set of my rules, fell very short of reality. That’s why I’ve always sought out an accurate, but fun system. When compared to the data of the sloop and brig engagements of the War of 1812, the picture of the ratio between guns, tonnage, range and crew casualties becomes a lot clearer.

August 13, 1812- East coast of the United States. The U.S.S. Essex (32) 850 tons (B.M.), 40-32#c, 6-12# encountered a Royal Navy sloop, H.M.S. Alert (16) of 393 tons (B.M), 100 crew, 16-18#c., 2-9#. Both being principally armed with carronades, Alert was able to come in close to Essex, fire a broadside at the rigging, then attempt to retire. Because of her superior turning ability, Alert had moved to Musket Shot Range before Essex could return fire. When she did, she forced Alert to strike her flag after one broadside. In Captain Porter’s revised report on this incident, he reported 5 casualties on the Alert, with none on Essex. “The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History, Volume 1. William S. Dudley, Washington: Historical Center, Department of the Navy, 1985.

November 27, 1813- Wassaw Sound, on the coast of the State of Georgia. The American letter of marque (schooner) Pilot, 206 tons (builder’s measure), 27 crew, 4-6#, was chased into a shallow anchorage by H.M.S. Doteral, 16-32#c, 2-6#, 386 tons (B.M.) a Cruizer class brig-sloop. The British first tried to cut out the Pilot, but the boats retreated after grapeshot sunk one. In desperation, Doteral fired a broadside from Musket Shot Range. It wounded one man on Pilot and tore up some sails. Doteral then retreated. Pages 113-114 of “Men of Marque: A History of Private armed Vessels out of Baltimore During the War of 1812,” by John Philips Cranwell and William Bowers Crane, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1940.

January 16, 1813- Provincetown, Massachusetts. In a blue on blue incident, the American privateer (brig) Anaconda (18-9#) fired on the schooner U.S.S. Commodore Hull. In actual fact, she was hunting for the legendary Canadian privateer Liverpool Packet, and mistook the U.S. Navy vessel for the same. Commodore John Rodgers, in a report to the Secretary of the Navy, described the Commodore Hull as being about 100 tons (American), with 4-6# and 51 men. The real Liverpool Packet was a very tiny schooner of 67 tons (B.M.). Anaconda’s gunners were told to “stand down,” but one battery, of 3-9# guns, “didn’t get the word” and fired into Commodore Hull at Close Hailing Distance Range. Three men were wounded. When figuring the actual tonnage of Commodore Hull, I take the difference between 100 and 67. Rodgers had not seen the schooner when he wrote the report. “The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History” Volume 2, by William S. Dudley, Washington: Historical Center, Department of the Navy, 1985.

June 30, 1815- Straits of Sunda. U.S.S. Peacock (22) 540 tons (B.M.), 20-32#c, 2-12#, came upon the Honourable Company’s brig Nautilus (14) 185 tons (B.M.), 10-18#c, 4-9#, 100 crew. Reportedly not knowing that peace had been declared between Great Britain and the United States, Captain Lewis Warrington demanded the surrender of the tiny Bombay Marine cruiser. The honour of the service dictated that Nautilus should not strike her flag. From Close Hailing Distance, Peacock fired a single broadside. 15 men were either killed or wounded. “The Indian Navy,” C.R. Low, 1877.
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