"Origins 2009 showdown: Victory vs Constitution+Congress" Topic

A pair of our GM crew fought this nifty battle on Sunday that I thought I'd share with you folks.

See
blog.sailpowergame.com/?p=315

Brian Carnes,
Designer, Sailpower
sailpowergame.com
blog.sailpowergame.com

Fascinating scenario.

At first glance I thought Victory would always prevail until I saw the weight of metal from the broadsides.
Victory: 1,148 lbs
Constitution: 704 lbs
Congress: 572 lbs
Weight of Metal makes this a nearly even match. I looked this stuff up today: 32 pounders carried by Victory penetrate 42 inches of solid oak at 400 yards, 31.5 at a 1,000 yards and are effective out to 2,400 yards at 10 degree elevation. Constitution's tough sides were cross braced seven inch planks. That's a lot to ask of the Constitution to put up with Victory's fifteen 32 lb'ers per side. I'll happily serve aboard frigate, HMS Falstaff where descretion is the better part of valour. Run!

But southern live oak is quite a bit stronger than european oak. The Constitution did have to get 32lb cannonballs dug out of the sides, which had failed to penetrate the 7" planks + 16" frames placed 16-18" on center. That's 23" effective.

But at what range were those 32 lb cannonballs fired at Constituion? Constitution is not completely invulnerable. With its masts gone and a 1st rate sitting on its stern, she could be in trouble.

I would give that scenario a go. I'm up for a dare. There is a way to win this fight with the big frigates. You have to knock down some Brisish masts rapidly in the first two turns, and put each frigate in position to rake the 1st Rate at length to liquify its crew without losing your own ability to manuever. You could probably get this situation one or two times out of ten. With the first bad thing to happen to one of the frigates, I would cut and run. These frigates were built for speed and running down their equals or smaller. I'd be much happier doing that. Except for Cheasepeake, they won every fight. Also, reasonably, you could never catch Victory alone like that. Matching 5th and 1st Rates just ain't policy.

Not sure (and they were probably carronade, not cannon). As far as I know, none of the US Frigates ever went toe-to-toe with even a 64-gun ship-of-the-line (although I'd put that down to skill of captain), so no heavy cannon-fire to test the theory. And I know that 'Old Ironsides' isn't invulnerable, but to still be afloat and to go under sail after 200 years is nothing to sneer at!

First-rates versus superfrigates sure isn't policy, but it makes for a great test of the Frigate captain's abilities.

Hi

A better scenario was a planned but didn't happen. First week of the war, the jamacan station fleet was supposed to sail to Chesepeake and blockade, without looking it up, it was Asia 64, Guerrier and Java and two sloops.

The US fleet was supposed to sail as a group: United State, Connie, I think one of the 38s and two small(nautilus and enterprise). Jamaca was late.

I have played this out with "Heart of Oak" a few times with friends, and it is usually a close run.

IF you accept that Heart has the sums right.

Rocky

Cool battle report! I'd like to hear how this one played out under various systems.

(Side note: The Chesapeake wasn't the only one to lose; the President also lost to the Endymion.)