1600 – Something: Galleys and Galleons

As you are probably painfully aware by now, the final action of the Spring 1606 campaign turn features a raid by the Barbary Corsairs on the coast of Portugal. This caused a bit of head scratching here at Polemarch Towers, because I have little idea what the forces involved might be. Not that I let that put me off, of course.

I could have taken the easy way out and fought out a land action, claiming that the raiders had landed. But that might have constituted cheating, and I have had to cheat myself enough in this campaign move. So, dice rolling was pursued, with the result that the game was to be all at sea. This caused some further head scratching, as I have no rules for mixed oared and sail ship actions. On that basis I am also concerned that the Koreans and Japanese might have at each other next turn. I’ve got the models, just not the rules.

Anyway, nothing (or not much) daunted, I sat down and added to my extant naval rules so bits of galleys, galleasses and galliots. Galleys turn out to be much like 17^th Century 4^th rates, at least in these rules, and galliots are fifth rate equivalents. This is of course arguable, but it should be borne in mind that a fifth rate in the 17^th Century threw a much lighter weight of shot than an equivalent at the end of the Eighteenth Century. Galleys and galliots are restricted to only firing forward, of course, and are highly manoeuvrable, at least by comparison with sailing ships. They also pack a punch with heavy cannon; sailing ships of the era tended to be much lighter in terms of shot.

Anyway, the cards were drawn for two random naval forces. The corsairs got four galliots, two unclassified scout ships, and six galleys. The Portuguese got a galleass, a 4^th rate, two 5^th rates, three unclassified scouts, and five 6^th rates. The dice told me that the corsairs were escaping south with their loot.

The corsairs got four turns head start. They started in the top right-hand corner of the picture, and need to exit from the diagonal corner. The wind is blowing from right to left (south) and is a force 6. This is unfortunate for the corsairs, as galleys and galliots are at half speed in such circumstances. So they are going to be crawling across the table.

The corsair unclassified ships made a break for the corner (left), pursued by the Portuguese scouts (bottom centre). With the main fleets, the Portuguese 6^th rates have just come into range of the galliots, and have opened fire, without much success.

While the scouts chase on, the galliots have turned to face the Portuguese sixth rates and opened fire, without noticeable effect, although return fire has slightly damaged the leftmost galliot. The galleass and fourth rate are aiming for the galley lines behind. The dynamic has also meant that the Portuguese fifth rates are now behind the sixth rates, and a bit out of the action.

Things started to warm up with the main fleets. The first line of corsair galleys turned and opened fire on the Portuguese 4^th rate and galleass. Three of the sixth rates took on the isolated galliot, while the rest tackled the rest of the galliots, one of which has taken damage from a broadside from the galleass. Smoke was starting to get in the way of the shooting in some places on the table, in spite of the wind.

On the left of the picture, the scouts have come into contact. Sailing on opposite tacks, they only got one shot at each other, and all of them missed. In the centre things are hotting up. The Portuguese sixth rates are still harassing the damaged galliot, while the other galliots are undamaged and starting to slip away. The rest of the corsair galleys have turned and attempted to blast the rest of the sixth rates, without result, while the fourth rate and galleass are shooting at anything they can see, with limited effectiveness.

Next move and disaster has struck the corsair galleys, as the fifth rates have come into action. A lucky broadside forced the leftmost galley to shear off, meaning it fouled the next galley along, which in turn fouled the other one. All of the galleys took some damage, the central one being the worst hit.

While the other galleys attempted to shoot up the galleass, the rightmost of the fouled galleys managed to break free. The fifth rates, fourth rate and galleass, however, continued to take pot-shots at the fouled galleys, which struck their colours. However, the Portuguese were now on the wrong tack to have another go at the corsairs, and, as they cannot turn across the wind (shear) to change tack because it is still force 6, they would have to wear, and the mobile galleys would probably get away. So, the wind which hampered the galley fleet in evading the Portuguese eventually managed to save most of it.

I have not had many naval battles, and the scribblings on my rules attest to that. Still, they do seem to work quite well. There is lots of shooting and not much damage. When you consider that the English shot at the Armada for days, and that Anglo-Dutch Wars actions went on for hours, it seems to get the balance about right. Galleys at this period, incidentally, were not built for ramming. Shooting and boarding was more the tactic, and the corsairs in this action had no interest (or, probably, ability) to board.

So, that completes the Spring 1606 turn. The games ranged from the Far East to the Far West, and a lot of fun it has been as well. Now I will have to sit down and work out the implications of the results and, of course, what happens in the summer. I could be some time.