The League of Augsburg

Darkness and fog - ideal for an escape bid from a potentially hostile harbour

Set up

Tocht's squadron has sailed down the Channel and is approaching Plymouth. Several English warships are at anchor in the open waters south of the Hoe. Tocht has a mind to destroy as many vessels as possible. He has not spotted any sail in the Channel thus far and nothing significant is moving around the squadron at anchor. It is difficult to tell what size and state of readiness the enemy...

March 19, 1689
Scenario name: Schomberg's reinforcements
Baert has word of a troop convoy bound for either Hoylake or Belfast. It is carrying English and Dutch soldiers to Ireland to fight King Louis's cousin James II. His ships left Dunkirk three days ago and are approaching the convoy from the north and windward. He is ordered to sink or capture as many of the transports as possible. The convoy is...

Set up

14th February 1665: Off the Isle of Wight
Scenario name: Sovereign of the Seas

His Majesty King Charles II demands that every foreign vessel passing through English waters acknowledges his position as Sovereign of the Seas. In so doing each ship must lower its colours when an English warship is within sight. Although not at war, tension with France is mounting due to its support for the Dutch...

Here are the first five missions for the chosen fleets in overview. One has already been fought, I have written orders from another and await the instructions of the remaiing Generals at Sea.

In no particular order:




De Ruyter - September 1664 off the Gold Coast/Ghana
Scenario name: Free trade?

It was with interest, pleasure and gamer's curiosity that I opened the mails from participating blog members concerning the construction of their fleets for the occasional games which will be run and retold here.

The first is chosen by a Dutch gamer who will go under his nom de guerre... Jan Baert or as he is known beyond the Dutch speaking world - Jean Bart. 'Terror of the Dutch' and all round...

English: From left: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 5th galley-frigate

I mentioned previously that it would be fun to get some small fleets together chosen/owned by blog visitors and that I would where possible, fight out randomly generated actions and feed back the results. If lots of people participate then the game load may get onerous and your fleet may not see action too often but, we can only...

A representation of Tangier harbour in 1666. The shape is roughly that of the modern port as seen on various pictures

The English colony in Tangier has always fascinated me. I have gamed it on land and am currently in the process of assembling forces for it again in 28mm.

I have gazumped that project with an extension of my Dutch Wars naval adventure. As I always do, I try and stretch any project...

The blue markers indicate ships which have fired and which will need to pass a reload check before firing again.

Firstly I learned that I enjoy naval wargaming as much as I did when aged nine. Then gaming involved hand-drawn and coloured plan views of Napoleonic men o'war which sailed round my blue bedroom carpet using a rule set borrowed from the public library. I have such fond memories of those...

Returning to the Essex coastline to bring you the news from the fleets... whether you align with the Dutch, English or French... here it comes.

The most dramatic moment of the battle seen from the north.

Turn 5 

Many vessels, feeling they had the advantage of opponents in gunnery duels, attempted to back sail and hold position to secure victory. The Ruby, surrounded and taking heavy fire, was shot to...

The war between the English and Dutch intensifies with King Charles' fleet desperate to expunge the shame of 1667 which haunts the navy, torments national pride and the authority of the Crown.

Dutch admirals are brazen and bold and have little fear of probes and forays into the very heart of home waters. One such 'cruise' is moving down the English coast off Essex and appears to be heading into the...