The Macau Incident

The game was a scenario I’ve written for The Macau Incident (1799) which see’s a combined French and Spanish squadron engaged with a smaller British escort squadron. In reality neither side wanted to fight, the British being heavily outnumber and the Spanish not exactly up for it with the Allied Squadron eventually withdrawing into a nearby Archipelago.
The scenario twists reality slightly for the sake of gameplay and played out really well with plenty of ups and downs along the way with some great moments.

The allied squadrons aim is to move diagonally (long ways) across the table, to win 3 ships must escape (including a larger 3rd rate), meanwhile the British aim is the cause as much damage as possible to deter further attacks and must Sink, Capture or cause the surrender of 3 allied ships.

The game started off as expected with both forces closing in but devastating Spanish gunnery (and very lucky dice) soon crippled HMS Virginie, setting her on fire and with steering lost running aground.

After some long range gunnery exchanges favouring the British things got up close and personal as the Allied Squadron entered the archipelago. Sensing the oppotunity to cause chaos in the allied line HMS Arrogant attempted to grapple the lead Spanish ship Europa, but alas this failed resulting an a spectacular collision and the ship becoming entagled.

With the Allied line now stalling Montañés in a fine display of Spanish seamanship collied fullspeed into her sistership. With Europa and Arrogant now firmly entagled the crews began boarding actions with the veteran British crew swiftly causing the Europa to Strike her colours.

Fortunately the Santa María de la Cabeza and Preneuse managed to evade and soon became engaged in a gunnery duel with HMS Intrepid which successfully caused multiple fires on the allied ships but a sudden change in wind saw her in irons and facing two successive point blank rakes by the allied frigates.

Meanwhile the smaller allied ships began to escape having avoided the main battle with Santa Lucía making a successful getaway, the French corvette Brûle-Gueule was less fortunate being torn stem to stern by the now free Arrogant’s full broadside.

The game was now very much in the balance with the battles in the archipelago causing chaos and the two larger allied frigates now out of sight of the Arrogant but still afire. Having freed herself from the earlier collision the Montañés now began to engauge the becalmed Intrepid.

Both of the Allied frigates managed to escape while still ablaze, with three ships off the table the game now hung in the balance.

With Intrepid still beclamed but slowly coming around Montañés decided to pass her stern in a hope of escape and a few lucky raking shots. Having weather the storm Captain Hargood order the plucky British ship to board, grappling irons being thrown at the passing Spanish ship which had ventured just a bit too close.

What ensured was a tense boarding action, with the smaller British 3rd rate taking her larger Spanish adversary, superior British crews soon showed their worth however with another successful capture drawing the game to a conclusion.

All in all a cracking game, with 3 ships off the table for the Allies but non of their 3rd rates and 3 ships sunk or captured for the British we felt this was an effective draw. The allied forces crippled enough to not pose a challenge but equally enough of a force to continue harassment of the East India mechant convoys.

In reality the actually incident saw very little if any action, with both fleets forming line of battle before the Allied Squadron withdrew to the Archipelago (hence the direction of the scenario, being an allied “escape”). The Spanisih would retrun to Manila where the 3rd rates would litterally rot away a few years later while the French retruned to the Île-de-France.

Big shoutout to @NapoleonicWargaming (on youtube) a fellow club member for suggesting the Macau Incident a few weeks ago and also being a willing victim of the first test run.