"Broadside Off San Domingo" Topic

"Smoke from hundreds of cannon muzzles fueled an ever thickening fog hovering over the Caribbean Sea south of the French-occupied colony of San Domingo on February 6, 1806. It was scarcely four hours earlier that Rear Admiral John Thomas Duckworth's small British fleet discovered the French ships of Vice Admiral Corentin Urbain de Leissegues, igniting the Battle of San Domingo. From rooftops and vantage points, French colonists and soldiers anxiously peered into the smoke, unable to distinguish friend from foe. At last, a strong breeze brushed away some of the smoke. The colonists saw across the water a once proud ship of the line reduced to a splintered hulk, shorn of her masts and rigging. Swept by patriotic joy, the spectators clapped their hands in delight.

At the British victory at Trafalgar the previous year, the loss of 11 French and 11 Spanish ships of the line left French Emperor Napoleon unable to confront Britain's Royal Navy. British blockaders kept most of the emperor's remaining French and Spanish capital ships penned up in their harbors. But the French had by no means given up; instead, they embarked on a new strategy of attacking British colonies and shipping in the Caribbean. At that time, the sugar industry was so profitable that the main sugar-producing islands of the West Indies were among the most valuable colonies in the world. Raiding these British colonies, or capturing the ships that served and protected them, would deal a sharp blow to London's power…."
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Amicalement
Armand

A well-written account of the unfortunate battle. Thanks.

I have run this battle as a scenario (EDIT: without the frigates; just the SOLs) a couple of times. It's not a guaranteed British victory, by any means.

A votre service mon ami!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand