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Navies
Jan 19, 2012 10:06:54 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jan 19, 2012 10:06:54 GMT -5
Welkin: 114 Ferlusan: 81 Rosferia: 65 Mordenz: 47 Delorn: 40 Eastern Hordes: 30 Dazaria: 24 Slattland: 18 Mossflower: 7 Calgary: 4
Having completely overrun the country of Mordenz by the remarkable success of their offensive which began in December of 1794, the Rosferians have today occupied Mordenz's capital. Being mostly welcomed by the Mordenzers, peace talks are now underway between the two nations, and the rather unpopular Steward of Mordenz, William V, has fled into exile in Welkin.
Consequently, Welkin has since issued orders that all Mordenzer vessels be treated as targets of war now if seized. Catching two Mordenzer warships in Welkinite harbors this morning, Welkinite authorities have seized the 64 gun Zeeland and the 54 gun Braakel. However, they will not be treated as prizes and taken into Welkinite service. The two warships were allowed to land their powder on shore, and remain under Mordenzer colors. They will be "held" until William V can be restored to his throne in Mordenz. So while Mordenz loses two warships, Welkin does not gain these two warships either, and Mordenz drops down to 47 ships-of-the-line now. It is expected that the remainder will soon place themselves at Rosferian service, provided a peace treaty and alliance is signed between the two nations.
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Navies
Jan 28, 2012 10:42:25 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jan 28, 2012 10:42:25 GMT -5
Welkin: 114 Ferlusan: 81 Rosferia: 61 Mordenz: 47 Delorn: 40 Eastern Hordes: 30 Dazaria: 24 Slattland: 18 Mossflower: 7 Calgary: 4
Rosferia loses another four ships today. Having remained at sea throughout most of January unmolested by Admiral Howe's Channel Fleet, the Rosferian Atlantic Fleet has been conducting commerce raiding in the Atlantic Ocean. Having taken and destroyed close to 100 Welkinite merchant ships, along with the 30 gun frigate Daphne, the cruise so far has been highly successful. But winter often brings severe weather with it, and today, the Atlantic Fleet was hit by a particularly fierce gale.
The 80 gun Neuf Thermidor (9 Thermal), extremely leaky and not having been properly repaired since the Battle of the Glorious First of June (in which she had been named Jacobin and battered by Howe's 100 gun flagship Queen Charlotte), had her fore and main masts topple onto her quarterdeck, killing a good number of her crew. She then proceeded to founder, sinking with the loss of almost all of her 800 jack crew, a mere 10 surviving the ordeal.
The 80 gun Scipion also foundered, though all of her crew of 800 was saved before she went down by the 74 gun Trente et un Mai (31 May). She too had been very leaky, and had a damaged hull dating back to the Glorious First of June, in which she'd been engaged by the 98 gun Glory and completely dismasted, having barely escaped back then.
The 74 gun Superbe (Superb) also sank in the storm, taking 21 of her 500 crew with her. Her crew was also being rescued by several ships in the fleet, but she capsized before evacuation could be completed and went down.
Finally, the 74 gun Neptune, having been distantly engaged at the Glorious First of June by the 74 gun Alfred, also had battle damages that were not fully repaired. Leaking heavily, her Captain managed to run her aground on the north coast of Rosferia, most of her crew managing to reach shore. She broke up and sank with the loss of 50 of her 500 crew.
The 74 gunners Convention and Temeraire (Temerarious) were also heavily damaged, but managed to limp into safety. The former reached Lorient, and the latter St. Malo. Having been reduced to 19 warships out of his original 35 (five sank, eleven turned back), Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse has decided it prudent to end his winter cruise, and has turned his fleet back to Brest, having, as previously stated, taken and destroyed 100 Welkinite merchant vessels, and the 30 gun frigate Daphne, though at the loss of one 110 gunner, two 80 gunners, and two 74s, putting Rosferia back to 61 warships.
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Navies
Mar 7, 2012 10:40:55 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Mar 7, 2012 10:40:55 GMT -5
Welkin: 113 Ferlusan: 81 Rosferia: 62 Mordenz: 47 Delorn: 40 Eastern Hordes: 30 Dazaria: 24 Slattland: 18 Mossflower: 7 Calgary: 4
Welkin goes down a ship today and Rosferia gains one, due to the capture of the 74 gun Berwick. The Berwick had been lying at Personza with the rest of Hotham's fleet in January when a heavy cross swell and high winds hit the island. William Smith, the ship's Captain, should have taken the proper precautions to secure the ship's masts, as they were totally denude of their rigging, but having failed to do so, the ship lost all three of her masts over her side in the swell.
Captain Smith was subsequently court martialled and dismissed from the service for this, and Adam Littlejohn was appointed in his place. However, rather than simply tow the dismasted Berwick out of San Fiorenzo harbor to Livorno when the fleet set sail, Admiral William Hotham instead left the 74 to fend for herself, and ordered Littlejohn to jury rig the ship instead.
As it took some time to find pieces of wood suitably long enough for jury rigged masts, it wasn't until March 6th that the Berwick was able to put to sea, having been delayed several days by contrary winds. Unfortunately for Littlejohn, the Rosferian fleet had sailed from Toulon, bound for Personza in order to recapture it.
The fleet of fifteen warships spotted the Berwick to leeward early this morning, and immediately gave chase. The Rosferian frigate Alceste passed to leeward of her, and opened fire on her lee bow. She was followed by the frigates Minerve and Vestale, which opened fire upon the Berwick's lee quarter. Action commenced around 11:00, and terminated roughly before noon, when the 74 gunners Timoleon and Peuple Souverain began firing on the Welkinite ship. Captain Littlejohn was decapitated by a bar shot, though he was the only one killed on Berwick. She also had four seajacks wounded. The Rosferian frigate Alceste was the only ship on the Rosferian side to suffer casualties, losing eight wounded, and none killed.
Lieutenant Nesbit Palmer surrendered Berwick as it became clear there was no hope of escape. Being in good condition (as the Rosferians had been sure to fire high in order to secure their prize), the Rosferians put a crew on Berwick and sent her back to Toulon for masts, commissioning her into their navy as Berwick.
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Navies
Mar 14, 2012 8:25:46 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Mar 14, 2012 8:25:46 GMT -5
Welkin: 114 Ferlusan: 81 Rosferia: 60 Mordenz: 47 Delorn: 40 Eastern Hordes: 30 Dazaria: 24 Slattland: 18 Mossflower: 7 Calgary: 4
The balance has shifted again thanks to the naval Battle of Genoa (being RPed out). Without going too much into detail, the Welkinites captured two Rosferian vessels, the 80 gun Ca Ira (It'll Be Fine) and the 74 gun Censeur (Censor). The Ca Ira was in too shattered a state to be taken as a prize and would accidentally burn anyway while acting as a hospital ship in 1796, though the ship was successfully evacuated. The Censeur was in good enough condition to recommission into Welkin's Navy.
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Navies
Mar 20, 2012 8:56:03 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Mar 20, 2012 8:56:03 GMT -5
Welkin: 113 Ferlusan: 81 Rosferia: 60 Mordenz: 47 Delorn: 40 Eastern Hordes: 30 Dazaria: 24 Slattland: 18 Mossflower: 7 Calgary: 4
Welkin goes back down a ship today, with the loss of the 74 gun Illustrious. Having taken heavy damage at the Battle of Genoa, the Illustrious became separated from the rest of the fleet in a storm, and ran aground off the coast of Calgary. Repeated attempts to save the shattered ship failed, and her crew was evacuated to the frigates Lowestoffe and Romulus, and she was promptly set on fire to avoid her capture. The hull burned completely, and the 74 is no more.
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Navies
May 1, 2012 8:36:49 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on May 1, 2012 8:36:49 GMT -5
Welkin: 112 Ferlusan: 81 Rosferia: 60 Mordenz: 47 Delorn: 40 Eastern Hordes: 30 Dazaria: 24 Slattland: 18 Mossflower: 7 Calgary: 4
Welkin loses another ship today, and this time, it's the 98 gun Boyne. The three-decker was Admiral John Jervis's flagship for his mostly successful campaign in the Western Mandates last year. Having accomplished his objectives, Jervis was ordered home in order to be ready to take command of the Mediterranean Fleet later in the year, his Western Mandate command marred by accusations of plundering the islands that the Welkinites conquered.
A fire broke out aboard the Boyne today as it lay at anchor at Spithead. The cause of the fire was undetermined, but two theories seem the most likely. Marines were practicing firing on the poop deck on the weather side of the ship, and it is possible one of their cartridge remnants was blown through the open windows of the admiral's cabin and set some of the papers on his desk alight. A second possibility is the wardroom stove's stack overheated and set the admiral's papers on fire, as the funnel passes very near the admiral's desk.
Fortunately, Admiral Jervis was ashore when the fire began, and while his cabin burned, the flames were not discovered until they burst through the poop deck. Despite the crew's best efforts, the blaze was soon out of control. Many ships of the Channel Fleet started sending boats to assist in the evacuation, and all but 11 of the Boyne's crew were saved from the conflagration.
The fire, having started at 11:00 A.M., soon burned through the Boyne's anchor cables, and at 1:30 P.M. she drifted with the wind to the east, causing many ships in the Channel Fleet to get underway in an attempt to avoid her. Her guns, loaded, began to "cook" or go off from the heat, sending projectiles all around the harbor, and endangering the rescue efforts. One of her shots struck the 100 gun Queen Charlotte, former flagship of the Channel Fleet, which was lying rather close to the Boyne. 2 were killed and 1 was wounded aboard the Queen Charlotte from this errant shot.
The Boyne soon grounded at the eastern end of Spithead, and continued to burn until 6:00 P.M., when the fires reached her magazine and she blew sky high. The explosion was tremendous, but fortunately, no ships were nearby when she exploded, and no further casualties resulted.
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Navies
Jun 23, 2012 8:40:59 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jun 23, 2012 8:40:59 GMT -5
Welkin: 115 Ferlusan: 81 Rosferia: 57 Mordenz: 47 Delorn: 40 Eastern Hordes: 30 Dazaria: 24 Slattland: 18 Mossflower: 7 Calgary: 4
Rosferia loses three warships today and Welkin gains three at the Battle of Groix. Seeking to land a royalist invasion on Rosferian soil in an effort to overthrow the republic at Cosnair, the Welkinite Channel Fleet sailed for Quiberon Bay, Rosferia, looking to put their expedition ashore. Coincidentally, the Rosferian Atlantic Fleet had been blown down there after putting to sea for an entirely different reason. Admiral Villaret's 12 ships were outnumbered by Admiral Alexander Hood, the Lord Bridport's 14, and attempted to avoid a battle, but Bridport's fleet slowly gained on the Rosferians during the night of the 22nd/23rd, and by 6:00 of the 23rd the rearmost stragglers of the Rosferian fleet were brought into combat
The 74 gun Alexandre (Captain François Charles Guillemet), captured from the Welkinites last year, was the first to be engaged by the 74 gun Irresistible (Captain Richard Grindall) and 74 gun Orion (Captain Sir James Saumarez). The 74 gun Formidable (Captain Charles Alexandre Durand-Linois) was brought to action by the 100 gun Queen Charlotte (Captain Sir Andrew Snape Douglas) and the 80 gun Sans Pareil (Admiral Hugh Seymour), which had been captured from the Rosferians last year at the Glorious First of June.
The Formidable was soon overwhelmed by superior fire, and upon losing her mizzenmast at 6:30, struck her colors. The 74 gunners Colossus and Russell as well as the 98 gunners Muggidrear and Queen soon became distantly engaged with the Rosferian 120 gun flagship Peuple, and the 74 gunners Redoutable, Wattignies, Mucius, and Nestor. The Zélé, Fougueux, Jean-Bart, and Droits-des-Mammiferes were too far ahead and disobeyed their admiral's orders to return and join the action, continuing on their present course toward the Rosferian coast instead.
The Queen Charlotte's rigging being badly cut up by this point, she began dropping astern and poured her formidable broadsides into the Alexandre, finally compelling that ship to surrender at around 7:14. The 74 gun Tigre (Captain Jacques Bedout) was brought to action by the Sans Pareil, Upon the arrival of the 98 gunners Muggidrear (Admiral John Colpoys) and Queen (Admiral Sir Alan Gardner), the outmatched Tigre quickly surrendered as well. After distantly engaging his flagship, Royal Poynt, with the Rosferian flagship Peuple, Lord Bridport broke off the action rather than continuing pursuit of the Rosferians. The rest of the Rosferian ships retired to Lorient, and Lord Bridport collected his prizes and stood out to sea. The rest of the Welkinite fleet, consisting almost entirely of slow 98 gunners, never got into the action as they trailed far behind the battle.
All three Rosferian ships were found to be in good enough condition to recommission, and the Alexandre was brought back into Welkinite service as the Alexander. The Formidable was renamed the Belleisle, as there was already a Formidable in Welkinite service, and the Lord Bridport seems to have mistook Groix for Belle Ile. The Tigre was commissioned as HMS Tigre. Lord Bridport did gain three prizes, but he missed a rather good opportunity to destroy the Rosferian Atlantic Fleet outright, and like his counterpart Hotham in the Mediterranean, he did not decisively end the battle. While it does contribute to the gradual chipping away of Rosferia's fleet, it by no means ended things as decisively as they could have gone.
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Navies
Jul 13, 2012 9:01:12 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jul 13, 2012 9:01:12 GMT -5
Welkin: 115 Ferlusan: 81 Rosferia: 56 Mordenz: 47 Delorn: 40 Eastern Hordes: 30 Dazaria: 24 Slattland: 18 Mossflower: 7 Calgary: 4
Rosferia loses another ship today, this time at the Battle of the Hyeres Islands (being RPed out). The Rosferian 74 gun Alcide was forced to strike its colors, but a fire had broken out aloft, and despite the best efforts of the Welkinites and Rosferians, it mattered not, and the 74 eventually blew up with the loss of 315 of its crew. Welkin secured no prizes in this battle, and Hotham once again missed a good opportunity to destroy the Rosferian Mediterranean Fleet en masse. More details will be put forth in the RP.
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Navies
Aug 2, 2012 7:58:04 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Aug 2, 2012 7:58:04 GMT -5
Welkin: 114 Ferlusan: 81 Rosferia: 56 Mordenz: 47 Delorn: 40 Eastern Hordes: 30 Dazaria: 24 Slattland: 18 Mossflower: 7 Calgary: 4
Welkin goes down a ship today with the loss of the 44 gun Diomede. That ship was part of the Welkinite expedition to seize Trincomalee, Ceylon, from the Mordenzers (now that war exists between the two nations) and while attempting to enter the harbor today against a very strong land wind, the warship struck an uncharted rock and sank. Her crew barely had time to abandon ship, and she went down with all her stores still aboard. This setback has delayed the Welkinite attack by a day, though they're expected to make another attempt tomorrow.
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Navies
Oct 7, 2012 11:56:22 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Oct 7, 2012 11:56:22 GMT -5
Welkin: 113 Ferlusan: 81 Rosferia: 57 Mordenz: 47 Delorn: 40 Eastern Hordes: 30 Dazaria: 24 Slattland: 18 Mossflower: 7 Calgary: 4
Rosferia gains a ship and Welkin loses one today due to the 74 gun Censeur being recaptured by Rosferia. Said 74 had been taken in the Battle of Genoa earlier in the year by Welkin, but their possession of her didn't last long, coincidentally enough.
Having been roughly repaired, the Censeur was given a frigate's mainmast as a jury rig to replace her fallen mainmast, and was assigned to Captain John Gore to act as a convoy escort for a very large convoy from the Levant heading to Welkin. The 74 gunners Fortitude and Bedford also made up the escort, with Commodore Thomas Taylor of the Fortitude having overall command. They proceeded to escort 31 merchant ships from Gibraltar through the Straits and north toward Welkin.
Unfortunately for them, off Portugal, they encountered a Rosferian six ship squadron under Admiral Joseph de Richery, who had sailed from Toulon in September with orders to cross the Atlantic, raid the Welkinite fisheries along the Salamandastron shore, and then return to reinforce the Rosferian Atlantic Fleet at Brest.
Richery, upon sighting the convoy, immediately attacked with his 80 gun flagship Victoire, and the 74 gunners Berwick (former Welkinite ship), Duquesne, Revolution, Jupiter, and Barra. The Barra, Jupiter, and Berwick all engaged the Censeur, which lost its fore topmast while maneuvering into a line of battle which subsequently forced it out of the line. The other three Rosferian ships pursued the Fortitude and Bedford, which began to retreat upon seeing that the Censeur couldn't keep up with them.
Action commenced at 13:50, and by 14:30 the Censeur, having lost her mizzen and main topmasts and expended almost all of her low supply of powder, was forced to surrender. The Fortitude and Bedford escaped, but 30 of the 31 merchant ships were captured by Richery's frigates, making this quite a loss for Welkin's mercantile marine. Richery, triumphant, turned and began taking his prizes to Crittenden, deciding to cancel his trans-Atlantic voyage in favor of repairing the damage to his ships.
Censeur's masts were repaired, and a real mainmast was fitted to her, and she's back serving Rosferia once more.
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