Wooden Captains and Iron Balls

A heavily modified tabletop variant of Wooden Ships and Iron Men. And played on a square grid rather than hexes and what appears to be more detailed ships than the Avalon Hill original.

Honourable French Republicans: Colin and Tel.
(Flagship)
Timoleon
Guilliame Tell
Heureux

Perfidious Rosbifs: Matt and Martin.
HMS Dreadnought
HMS Swiftsure
HMS Caeser
HMS Amazon

The first thing I did as commander of my vessel was to order the last letter of the ships name be painted over; Guilliame Tel is much more appropriate! This 80 gun 3rd Rate (Crack crew) made up my section along with the Heureux, a 74 gun 3rd Rate (Average crew).



At the start the French managed to gain a small advantage by getting the Weathergauge. (Wind is blowing from bottom left to top right). The green crewed French flagship gets first blood as it hits the leading British ship, the Caeser, and kills its Captain. Ships from both sides then start trading blows.



An already badly damaged french 3rd Rate (Timoleon) is about to get fouled with its British equivalent with terminal consequences. The British are later forced to tack as they turn to face\chase the French. The Heureux (in foreground below) managing to get a bow rake against the already chipped Caeser as it turns.



The Amazon gets its self isolated and end up getting fouled, pounded and stern raked by the remaining three french ships. The Dreadnought finally gets into a position to shoot but get a bow rake for trying to do so. The other English ships go to Full Sail to catch up.



And then it ends; with the second of Colin's Ships heading into deep trouble (the Dreadnought lining up a bow rake), but with one British Ship (HMS Amazon) now totally crewless and dead in the water, and both my relatively undamaged ships ready to scarper.

The British might of got the better of the battle but ended up with a depleted command staff as no less than three British ships had their Captains removed by cannon balls (3 sets of double 3s).