derekticus wrote:


After Action Report from the Commodore’s State Room aboard H.M.S. Thunderess, Frigate of 40 guns:

On 27th July, 1777, I received my orders to head out to sea to Search & Destroy a small squadron of French Frigates who have been harassing His Majesty’s Shipping interests around and between the vicinities of New York & Boston harbor.

Placed under my command were the following contingent:
H.M.S. Mars Minor, Frigate of 40 guns
H.M.S. Active, Frigate of 36 guns
& H.M.S. Lively, Frigate of 36 guns.

We sailed forth from Boston and spent two days at sea in a fruitless search of the waters towards New York. I then took the initiative to extend our cruise to the North-East, and it was then that late in the afternoon our keen-eyed look-outs, who are always up to the task, spotted four of sail approximately one hundred and twenty nautical miles out from Port.

We were in under a light fog, and I immediately ordered the squadron to beat to quarters, make Sail and maneuver aggressively to gain the weather-gauge. The H.M.S. Mars Minor led the formation, with the Flag following close behind, and H.M.S. Active and H.M.S. Lively following forthwith on my stern. Our squadron obliged handsomely, as the French held course to the South, apparently unawares of our presence. They consisted of four Frigates, two heavy and two light; odds on these are the Ships we were searching for! And it looked to be quite an evenly balanced affair. Holding the weather-gauge might be the little edge we would need to profit from the encounter.

By the time the French managed to spot us, we were already upon their starboard beam; and they broke their line-ahead formation and beat upwind towards us in a make-shift line-abreast. I ordered H.M.S. Mars Minor and my Flag to drop to Battle sails; with H.M.S. Active and H.M.S. Lively remaining at Full until they caught up to our position in a very tight line-ahead.

Hostilities were initiated with H.M.S. Mars Minor executing a superior, very tight right-handed turn that caught the most upwind, and overly exposed, French light Frigate: She brought down the Frenchman’s fore-mast smartly. I then laid H.M.S. Thunderess along-side her, with H.M.S. Active and H.M.S. Lively advancing on my stern to join the fray in short-order. It appeared we would make short work of her! Both my Flag, the H.M.S. Active and H.M.S. Mars Minor inflicted heavy damage on the smaller Ship.

At this very moment, the wind switched cruelly; slamming our line-ahead formation into Irons!!
As the Frenchman desperately tried to take advantage of this unfortunate turn of events, and make good his escape; I ordered our column to stay in Irons and drift with the damaged Ship as long as we could. In the meantime, H.M.S. Mars Minor pulled ahead and turned downwind to double on her. In the end, this was enough, and the Frenchman struck her colours!! Huzzah!

However, during the excitement, H.M.S. Mars Minor found herself being set-upon and doubled by the second French light Frigate AND their Flag!!! They had her from both Bow and Port, as she valiantly blasted away in response; her rigging and hull both suffered tremendous damage - escape was now impossible for her! Her valour, and that of her Captain Anderson, must be duly noted; as she, alone and exposed, under took withering enemy cannon fire from two separate quarters for upwards of half an hour: and the worst was yet to come…

The heaviest of the fire upon H.M.S. Mars Minor came from the French Flag, a particularly heavy Frigate; and her fore mast had been blown clear away. Then, during a particularly savage and wicked broadside, H.M.S. Mars Minor burst into an incredible flame and blazed nastily. Our entire fleet paused and held their breath, awaiting the inevitable striking of her colours...
Yet, throughout the troubles, Captain Anderson stood resolute upon his Quarter Deck, with fire and brim stone raging all around him - an inspiration to us all, and most of all to his crew!! A lesser man would have struck the colours in desperation.

With our spirits raised by this sight, our response was even more enthusiastic and effective than I had expected: H.M.S. Lively and H.M.S. Active had been ordered to make sail and close on the French Flag, they each made their own way out of Irons and set upon the Frenchman, who found himself forced to turn to beat upwind, only to be raked across his bow repeatedly by H.M.S. Active - who managed to destroy her Helm!

The decisive blow of the action came when I wheeled the H.M.S. Thunderess counter-clockwise through Irons while raising sails to full. The heavy French frigate on our starboard side saw our stern just briefly, but was caught by such surprise that their half-loaded broadside went errantly over our tops - perhaps a timely rogue wave caught them in the act of firing. In any case, I brought my Flag sharply down upon the French Flag by way of sweeping past, and within a hair’s breadth of, the stern of the sinking Frenchman. This dashing maneuver worked splendidly, both leaving the second heavy French frigate to the North and out of the action, and placing us along-side the French Flag. As we unloaded our starboard broadside into her, she realized she was surrounded and undone; she sent a few hasty message flags aloft, and then promptly struck her colours!!

If I could wish anything in the world, it would be that you could have been present upon our Quarter Deck and heard the tremendous cheer that arose simultaneously from the crews of all four of our Ships, including the crippled and burning H.M.S. Mars Minor!!!

The remaining two French ships beat a hasty retreat into the thickening fog, and I elected to dedicate our crews to the task of saving H.M.S. Mars Minor from the inferno that engulfed her, rather than attempting a potentially fruitless chase in to the coming darkness. Our combined crews were able to put down the blaze in excellent time. After this, we took the French Flag as prisoner and towed her and the crippled, H.M.S. Mars Minor back into Boston for repairs - the light French frigate we were unable to save, however. I ordered triple Rum rations for all, and quadruple for those on the well-deserving H.M.S. Mars Minor.

I will end with a recommendation that Captain Anderson of H.M.S. Mars Minor receive Special Commendations for his heroic efforts in this decisive action.

Yours In Service,

- Commodore D. Whipple, H.M.S. Thunderess