In my own slapdash Mauritius campaign, the French have done just a little better than their historic counterparts, and the British have responded with a much more measured counter. Striking at the soft underbelly of Reunion Island, they managed to sneak a large Force ashore without a single casualty; however, the port of St. Pierre makes for a much smaller prize than that of Saint Paul. Instead of the 4th rate Bellone, the best they can hope to capture is the little brig, the sweet Caroline. On the plus side, their target is even further away from the capitol of the island, and any potential relief forces, and the same guy is in charge of the defenses who would irl delete himself over his shameful conduct on behalf of Napoleon’s outpost. Instead of burning the warehouses, the Brits should be able to carry away anything not nailed down.
But this post is an eye candy post.
I’m really pleased with how well my little urban terrain cam together. Initially set-up for the Brits to come on from the East, it was only during deployment that I realized East was at the bottom of the map. This shortened the hike for the Brits, and reduced the French chances of reinforcements, which my lizard brain rationalizes as somehow being “more historical”, but between you, me, and my forebrain, it was a happy accident.
Happy for the British because seizing the cannon on the west side of town proved a lot harder than expected. In “Rebels and Patriots”, a half-sized unit that has formed line in an elevated position is a tough nut to crack.
You can’t see it, but behind the church is a rise on which the shore battery is mounted. The guns can’t be turned to the left as you look at this picture, but they do prevent the boys in town from seizing the Caroline. I had to use a yellow sailed xebec as a proxy, but you get the idea.
This was a very fun scenario because, despite the foregone conclusion of a British wind, it was impossible to predict the results. Sometimes the question to be asked is one of degree. In this case the fighting was stiffer around the docks than expected. The British had a harder time taking the port defense battery, and casualties were pretty high.
Interestingly, not being able to enter the town proper may have saved the admiral a considerable chunk of prize money. Having access to just the one little warehouse for most of the night, the arsonists among the Redcoats could not fully slake their ardour for the flames. The spirited defense of the French guns saved the town, but only for the looting. Admiral Rowley will make a pretty penny on this adventure.
What it means for the crown remains to be seen.