October 21, 1805 (from the diary of Admiral Nelson)
I awakened this morning to the sight of the sun streaming in through the open porthole of my cabin. A beautiful October day at sea, in the approaches to Gibraltar.
French ships, which had hitherto been sighted along the Spanish coast north of us, were suddenly nowhere to be seen. Reports from my picket ships seem to indicate their departure to the north west.
Although two of my squadrons are terribly damaged, and lingering off of Casablanca until escorts arrive for them, it suits me to give chase to the French! I still have four strong squadrons of ships of the line, and the security of knowing that the Admiralty is sending frigates from the West Indies and England to join my forces.
As it happened, a fast courier ship brought me the news that the squadron of frigates from the West Indies had discovered the whereabouts of the French fleet, and they were slowed down because several ships from the damaged squadron were under two. Accordingly, we made sail and headed west and north.
As we converged from the south, the frigates from England converged from the north, and in fact a squadron of frigates bravely (foolishly?) took on the damaged squadron of French ships. The English frigates lost fully 50% of their number, but the French squadron was annihilated!
Soon after the action between our frigates and the French, my ships of the line closed with the remaining French squadrons and destroyed them both.
Rule Brittannia!
Both of the screenies posted so far we done on the first turn.
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