On the King's Sea Service: A John Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 1) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Richard Testrake
with people and stores and report her readiness to go back to sea, weeks after her arrival.
It was a bitter, cold day in the Halifax winter when she sailed again. She had missed the admiral when she arrived as the fleet had sailed south again after the hurricane season had finished. The dispatches meant for her to deliver to London, had already left on a different ship, but the Royal Navy was always able to generate new paperwork and now she had a new collection of pouches in the miniscule captain’s quarters.
In the difficult winter crossing of the North Atlantic, encountering one howling storm after another, the Vixen slowly worked her way across. Realizing Jenkins was a much better navigator than himself, he let the master handle the task.
Days would go by without sight of the sun or stars and it was a most wearing job to attempt to predict where they were at any point in time. Finally, Jenkins was able to get a sun shot at local noon and assuming their chronometer wasn’t too far off, there was a rather good guess at their possible location.
Entering the Channel, they were spotted by a brig, which Jenkins was sure was American. Phillips thought they could take on the brig, but he was wary of the instructions he had received regarding avoiding prize-chasing. However, the brig ended up chasing them for two days. Normally the cutter would have been the faster, but in the present gale conditions, the lightly built Vixen had to reef canvas to keep from losing her gear, while the sturdier enemy crept up to them.
Phillips was sure they would lose the enemy brig during the first night, but next morning, there she was, hull down, on her starboard beam. Phillips had been given strict orders to avoid initiating combat and was worried about violating those instructions. He had been warned verbally and in his written instructions he must do his best to avoid combat with enemy forces. He was strictly forbidden to pursue potential prizes. In this position however, if he did nothing, they were apt to be taken themselves.
The brig had ports for sixteen guns, six pounders, Jenkins judged. The cutter had only ten, with the two forward guns being only four pounders. From the speed the privateer took in sail, as the wind increased, Phillips judged the craft had a large crew, well trained at that.
When asked his opinion, Jenkins allowed they would probably be taken if they did nothing. As they scudded along, the lookout shouted a squall was about to overtake them. When fully enveloped by the blinding flurry, Jenkins put the cutter about and as she came out, met the privateer on her leeward side, almost gunnel to gunnel.
The enemy’s gun ports were closed on that side and her guns boused right up, so none could break loose in the squall. Putting double crews on his guns, Phillips got four guns on his weather side ready to fire. As they came alongside, he gave the order to fire. The gun captains did not attempt to use the flintlock firing mechanism, but used the old tried and true slow match in the linstock.
One of the guns got a dollop of water in its touchhole and that one did not fire. The other three guns did, at almost the same instant. The enemy lee gunnel was almost under water, but a wave heaved the brig up for an instant. Two balls hit the same strake, at short pistol shot.
In calmer weather, this strake would have been above the water line and the damage not immediately dangerous. In this case though, that strake was plunged a fathom under water immediately after being struck and the vessel began to settle. Dozens of men manned the sides of the enemy and grapnels flew to bind the ships together.
Phillips called ‘All Hands’ to try to repel boarders, but before the enemy could get across, a wave swept over the deck of the privateer, over a combing and down into an open hatch. Instantly, the vessel began to settle, their would-be boarders waist deep in surging water. Axes were busy aboard the Vixen, cutting the
It was a bitter, cold day in the Halifax winter when she sailed again. She had missed the admiral when she arrived as the fleet had sailed south again after the hurricane season had finished. The dispatches meant for her to deliver to London, had already left on a different ship, but the Royal Navy was always able to generate new paperwork and now she had a new collection of pouches in the miniscule captain’s quarters.
In the difficult winter crossing of the North Atlantic, encountering one howling storm after another, the Vixen slowly worked her way across. Realizing Jenkins was a much better navigator than himself, he let the master handle the task.
Days would go by without sight of the sun or stars and it was a most wearing job to attempt to predict where they were at any point in time. Finally, Jenkins was able to get a sun shot at local noon and assuming their chronometer wasn’t too far off, there was a rather good guess at their possible location.
Entering the Channel, they were spotted by a brig, which Jenkins was sure was American. Phillips thought they could take on the brig, but he was wary of the instructions he had received regarding avoiding prize-chasing. However, the brig ended up chasing them for two days. Normally the cutter would have been the faster, but in the present gale conditions, the lightly built Vixen had to reef canvas to keep from losing her gear, while the sturdier enemy crept up to them.
Phillips was sure they would lose the enemy brig during the first night, but next morning, there she was, hull down, on her starboard beam. Phillips had been given strict orders to avoid initiating combat and was worried about violating those instructions. He had been warned verbally and in his written instructions he must do his best to avoid combat with enemy forces. He was strictly forbidden to pursue potential prizes. In this position however, if he did nothing, they were apt to be taken themselves.
The brig had ports for sixteen guns, six pounders, Jenkins judged. The cutter had only ten, with the two forward guns being only four pounders. From the speed the privateer took in sail, as the wind increased, Phillips judged the craft had a large crew, well trained at that.
When asked his opinion, Jenkins allowed they would probably be taken if they did nothing. As they scudded along, the lookout shouted a squall was about to overtake them. When fully enveloped by the blinding flurry, Jenkins put the cutter about and as she came out, met the privateer on her leeward side, almost gunnel to gunnel.
The enemy’s gun ports were closed on that side and her guns boused right up, so none could break loose in the squall. Putting double crews on his guns, Phillips got four guns on his weather side ready to fire. As they came alongside, he gave the order to fire. The gun captains did not attempt to use the flintlock firing mechanism, but used the old tried and true slow match in the linstock.
One of the guns got a dollop of water in its touchhole and that one did not fire. The other three guns did, at almost the same instant. The enemy lee gunnel was almost under water, but a wave heaved the brig up for an instant. Two balls hit the same strake, at short pistol shot.
In calmer weather, this strake would have been above the water line and the damage not immediately dangerous. In this case though, that strake was plunged a fathom under water immediately after being struck and the vessel began to settle. Dozens of men manned the sides of the enemy and grapnels flew to bind the ships together.
Phillips called ‘All Hands’ to try to repel boarders, but before the enemy could get across, a wave swept over the deck of the privateer, over a combing and down into an open hatch. Instantly, the vessel began to settle, their would-be boarders waist deep in surging water. Axes were busy aboard the Vixen, cutting the
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