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| The game is underway... Akkerman hugs the coast and O'Brien has to reposition to block the channel at Duncriege. |
Dave O'Brien's nautical Jacobites are once again, all at sea!................
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| Late in the action - Indomitable pounds Komeetster from an advantageous angle. |
King James, newly arrived in Ireland is mustering
his forces to take possession of the entire island and reinforce his loyal
troops assembling in Scotland under Viscount Dundee. A plan to reinforce the Highland
army with regular Irish infantry has been boosted by the arrival of Daniel
O’Brien’s squadron at Dublin.
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| Akkerman's veteran frigate squadron deploys for battle. |
Swift repair work to the captured Oxford has
enabled O’Brien’s ships to be ready for sea. Five transports have been
assembled to carry 1,000 infantry, staff, equipment, powder and ball to
Scotland. A landing point at Dúncreige on the Ardnamurchan peninsula has been
found. In the heart of loyal Macdonald territory, this remote spot has been
deemed ideal to set down the Irish force.
Having left Dublin on the 16th the
troop ships arrived by a circuitous route and immediately began disembarkation
on the 19th. With the operation well underway and O’Brien’s ships
shielding the transports from the seaward side, sail is unexpectedly sighted inshore
and hugging the coast to the south of Dúncreige.
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| T2 Closing on each other. |
A mixed coastal patrol
squadron has been alerted by men loyal to the new King.This force is determined to deny Dundee his
reinforcements.
Although O’Brien’s ships stood to windward of the
enemy squadron each ship faced northward and had to come about as quickly as
was possible. Negotiating passage through the narrow channels between the chain
of islands shielding the coast from the open sea would be difficult. Current
pushing between the steep sided rocky outcrops were particularly strong and
even with the wind, small ships were known to struggle to reach inshore.
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| T2 The action is fully underway and the Irish infntry continue to lnd at Duncriege Point. |
Akkerman, the Dutch admiral in charge of the
inshore squadron of King William’s ships, was still some way distant and out of
sight aboard the 66 gun Komeetster. His swifter frigates were all the
while, closing on Dúncreige Point where the channel narrowed to less than 400
yards and the landing grounds teemed with soldiers, labourers and pack animals.
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| T4 O'Brien's ships re in the neck of the channel and attempting to inderdict the Williamite ships. |
O’Brien’s ships split with Sligo, Limerick
and Loyal Oxford heading straight for Dúncreige point whilst the yacht Kinsale
and the French ship Indomitable struck out for the same narrow channel
between two islands. The current was too strong for Kinsale which could
make no headway and was held at the neck of the channel even with the wind at
her back. The much larger French ship loomed over her and rammed her stern
nudging her into the channel by accident. Both vessels sustained some damage
during this incident.
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| Kinsale is frozen by the strong west flowing current pushing through the channel. Indomitable changes course. |
Two Dutch ships followed Nonsuch up the narrow channel. The
36-gun Brielle and the 50-gun Agatha. Both shot the wounded Sligo
which was forced to strike to the larger Dutch ship. Pushing further north into the narrowing channel Agatha collided
head on with Loyal Oxford scraping down the entire length of her
larboard side and causing damage to both ships. The Dutch ship poured fire into
Loyal Oxford as she passed causing extensive lower deck damage and
casualties. By now most of the Irish troops were safely ashore and the
transport fleet was making ready to reach the open sea.
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| Agatha launches a pinnace to take possession of the wrecked Sligo. |
Just as the five transports weighed anchor the damaged but still
operational Brielle supported by Agatha, broke through and into
the homeward bound transports. Brielle quickly boarded and captured Dublin
Merchant without a fight and this allowed the remainder to make their
escape.
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| The transport fleet weighs anchor and head for the safety of the open sea. |
Indomitable out sailed Komeetster pounding her
from the starboard quarter whilst Kinsale, Loyal Oxford and Limerick made
good their escape down the same inshore route by which their enemies had
arrived. The captured but badly damaged Nonsuch was abandoned being too
difficult to get under tow in the middle of a running battle.
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| The Jacobites make good their escape. |
The Jacobite
ships were thus able to make good their escape with four warships heading south
and inshore whilst four transports headed north and out to sea. The Williamite
squadron was too disorganized to pursue.
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| The troops are safely assembled on Scottish soil although a single merchantman has been captured by Brielle. |
The mission to land troops ad escape was this a total success
although the loss of Sligo and the abandonment of a prize was to be
regretted. O’Brien’s other ships had sustained some damage but in relative
terms they fared well and it was a successful mission and honourable victory.
