Napoleonic Naval

A small battle to try out a different damage counting system for our Men o' War.  The old system used 2 dials in 3D printed plastic bases to record hull & rigging damage.  They worked pretty well except that the dials were too easy to accidentally turn while moving the ships.  I'd been thinking about re-designing the bases to fix the problem but then realised that the system we use for WWI naval could be used.  That system uses simple card bases with paper overlay printed with ship data and coloured counters placed on the base.  The problem with needing to count to about 12 leading to too many counters is solved by using green counters for 1 hit, then replacing every 3 greens with an orange counter. 
Chris: British: Squadron 1: 1 1st rate , 2 3rd rates.  Squadron 2: 1 3rd rate, 2 4th rates.  All elite crews.
Jim: French: Squadron 1: 1 1st rate , 2 3rd rates.  Squadron 2: 1 2nd rate, 2 3rd rates.  All regular crews.

The wind is coming straight down the table so the French on top left the weather gauge. 

As the fleets converged the British admiral decided to tack away perhaps expected the French to turn to Por.  But the French turned to starboard where they could pond the British ships as they turned. 

The Brits were fortunate that the French shooting was at long range & not very accurate, but they still suffered many more hits than the French as the French wrapped around their sterns with all ships able to fire. The British ship at the tail of the fleet was blown away.

As the French rounded the island in a ship shape line the British were still getting their ships into a line.

Now toe to toe at close range the superior British gunnery was now hurting the French van & the 2nd ship in the French line has dropped out of the line. 

The 2 leading French ships have now turned away with heavy damage, but the 2nd British ship is also a shambles & has struck it's colours.  The rear squadrons are now fully engaged and the effects of the casualties resulting from the earlier British mistake are beginning to tell as the damaged brits take on fresh French ships.

One of the fleeing French ships has struck its colours as the lead British ship pursues it, but that ship is also in trouble as it is cut off from it's comrades & also heavily damaged.  The tail of the British fleet has turned away with every ship heavily damaged.

The 3 French ships in the rear squadron pursue the British tail as the 3rd ship of the lead squadron forces the other British ship to strike. The British tail has to tack to get away up wind & just can't get away.  All the 5 British ships still afloat strike their colours.  The French ship that struck it's colours has run them back up again.  A rare but glorious French victory.  One turn the wrong way can be disastrous in the age of lines of battle.

The new system for counting hits worked really well.