[ETW Fiction] Captain Gabriel - Alternate History

[Warclaw]

(As this is fiction, there will be no reference to turns and the like. I will not provide screenshots, even if I wanted to, my naval forces in ETW get so bugged that clicking them means a crash anyway. I hope you enjoy reading this anyway.)

HMS Archer, November 1777
His Majesty's Ship Archer, a 44 gun frigate of the Royal Navy cruised along in the bright waters off the coast of north-east Brazil. She had been on patrol for two weeks in the area between the mouth of the Amazon and the Windward Islands.

Onboard Archer, the crew were busy rigging a new fore topsail and fore topgallant, as the last had been carried away in stormy weather the previous day. Men wearing faded blue coats sat around on the deck, their needles and knives at work. Able hands were skywards to repair damaged rigging and untangle a mess of cable that had fouled the fore staysail and jib. It was only by the grace of the steady hand of the coxswain and timely commands from the ship's Captain that prevented Archer from turning against the wind and broaching.

The Archer's Post-Captain was one John Gabriel. A man of 30 years age with 20 of those years in the Royal Navy, Gabriel had seen his share of warfare and bad seas, which is what had earned him his rank at a relatively young age. He had made Post at 23 but a lack of connections and decisive action had left him there ever since. The list of Post Captains ahead of him was still quite long, although it had been shortened considerably during the war with Spain that had been waging for the last 9 months. Spain had come out of winter swinging at the Royal Navy with full force. The harsh spring had seen two major trade fleets off the coast of Africa attacked, many of them sank and many more captured.

Archer had been in refit at the time at Nassau most of the summer and had missed out on the fighting up until now. The Lord of the Admiralty had felt confident enough to order that Archer and other ships in North America and the Caribbean remain in place to protect against the increasing numbers of pirates roaming the trade routes. It felt to Gabriel like Archer had no sooner arrived on station at Brazil than his ship had been damaged yet again and nearly lost. It was frustrating for a man looking to shine his name in battle and serve His Majesty to the fullest. Now, rated ships were doing battle in the Channel and off the coasts of France and Spain, leaving Gabriel out of the fighting.

Gabriel stood on the poop deck with his hands clasped at the small of his back. The cool air blowing from the stern caused his greatcoat to flap somewhat and tumbled his long dark hair over his shoulders and down his chest. A tall man, Gabriel was athletic and ruggedly handsome. He had not yet married, as naval life could be very hard on women and some inner demon whispered into his ear that it was not fitting to cause such suffering.

Gabriel watched as the crew moved about on their business, carrying out tasks. Unseen through the drooping foresail, he heard the giggles of the midshipmen and then the slightly louder rebuke of Archer's First Lieutenant, Henry Capps. Gabriel allowed himself a private smile. Poor Henry had been saddled with a gaggle of youngsters for midshipmen for this patrol. A couple showed real promise, the others were definetly on the brink of earning Capps' wrath.

At around midday there was a cry from the tops, "Sail to east, hull down!" This caused the landsmen to look that way, while the experienced crew merely continued their work with the knowledge that they would see nothing with a 'hull down' sighting from the decks.

Gabriel was up the rigging in a moment and the sailor who had shouted pointed, "There sir," at just a speck of pale white. Gabriel produced his spyglass and took a look for himself, steadying it on the mizzeltop spar. At this distance, it was little more than a scrap of sail above the horizon. He called down to the Master, "Mister Barton, set course due east, one point north."

"Aye aye sir." He turned to the coxswain and together they turned the wheel. The ship bore eastwards. The sails were adjusted to best take advantage of the wind. In the fore of the ship, the repaired sails were going up and soon Archer was making a decent 10 knots.

[Sebasv]

Keep it coming

[Warclaw]

HMS Archer continued to sail along on its course to intercept the distant ship. After half an hour, Captain Gabriel had come down out of the rigging and now stood on the deck alongside Lieutenant Henry. The unknown ship was now more visable and when viewed through a spyglass, details could be made out.

Holding his spyglass to his eye, Gabriel spoke to Henry, "It is a brig. Two masts, perhaps eighteen or twenty guns." Henry nodded in agreement while looking through his own glass.

After another half hour of sailing, the ship was within a thousand yards. Men could be seen moving about on the deck as Archer closed in. An English flag could be seen flying on the mainmast of the brig. Gabriel telescoped his spyglass and tucked it into his pocket. "It is one of ours. Run up a signal in code asking them to stop for a mail packet."

A moment later signal flags were run up the lines,

RN ARCHER. STAND TO FOR MAIL

The two ships closed to 500 yards as they stood waiting for a reply. Lieutenant Henry frowned. "Sir?"

Gabriel stepped over and Henry pointed across, "Sir, her signals are gibberish. She seems to have an outdated codebook?"

Captain Gabriel reached for his spyglass again but before he could take it from his pocket, a sudden spark of activity onboard the brig showed the port covers coming down and guns running out. A few seconds later, it fired its 9 broadside guns at Archer at the range of 400 yards. This first salvo was high and they heard the whizz of solid shot passing overhead. Ripping sounds announced shot passing through the sails. A line was clipped and it flopped about on the deck.

"To stations!" Gabriel roared as men ran to their guns. Guncrews assembled with practiced ease. He looked aside to Henry, "They have nine pounders would you say?"

Henry nodded, "Aye sir."

The two ships neared to 200 yards and the brig fired again. Archer shivered slightly as several shot hit the hull, stoving in timber. "Fired at the ready." And the call went down the gundecks. A half second later Archer released a broadside from its 21 broadside guns, 12 pounders sending their shots racing across the waves.

As they watched, a dozen shots slammed home in the brig. Splinters flew thirty feet into the air, and two gunports were smashed in, forming one long, ragged port. At 75 yards the brig fired again and sent a half dozen shots across the waves, but only two shots hit Archer no doubt, the crew of the brig were in disarray.

"She must surrender now. Hold!" Gabriel stood expectant, watching the brig for a moment. He could clearly see men on the gundeck working their guns, reloading. "Fools!" he spat in disgust and then, "Fire!"

Archer cut loose with with broadside, rocking the brig. The mizzenmast was snapped in half and went crashing through the deck as it fell. The side of the brig was smashed to pieces and bits of deck were tossed skywards. The brig staggered, the wind gone from its sails and it slowed to a stop.

Five minutes later Archer was alongside. Lieutenant Henry led across a party of marines and armed sailors and as he set foot on the deck, Henry saw motionless bodies lying in heaps and heard the groans of wounded. A few haunted looking men sat on the deck, staring at Henry and the boarding party with vacant eyes.

Henry sheathed his navy sword and asked, "Where is your captain?" a few of the men pointed towards the ship's wheel where a body lay. The roll of the ship caused the top half of the body to slide back and forth across the blood drenched deck, completely detatched from the legs and hips which lay tangled in a coil of rope.