Battle of the Belitung Islands: a G&G affairs of galleys, mostly

The Sultan of Songkhka is fed up with the piratical activities of the Knights of St Michael of Singapore in the waters around Sumatra and Kalimantan. He sends a strong squadron to suppress them, commanded by his current court Favourite, Lala Mustafa. Clued in by reports from irate merchant shipowners, they catch up with the Christians near the Belitung islands off the SE coast of Sumatra. The Knights are commanded by Don Oliver Starkey, who, it will be remembered, was commander (in the Portuguese service) of Kupang fortress when it fell and subsequently turned up in the service of the Knights of St Michael (go back and check out the SIEGE OF KUPANG here).

Vessels marked * are flagships. Lala Mustafa is a Swaggering commander. Oliver Starkey is a Dashing commander.

The Songkhka squadron (323 points) comprises -

2 x Galeasses (Hat Yai* & Banda Aceh) 72* & 59

Q4 C5: Drilled soldiers, Bow guns, High castles, Square rigged, Sluggish, Sweeps, Veteran NCOs

4 x Galleys (Ayutthaya, Borobudur, Songkhla, Srivijaya) 48 each

Q3 C3: Drilled soldiers, Galley, Swashbucklers, Yare

The Knights squadron (325 points) comprises - 

1 x Galeass (San Miguel*) 89

Q4 C5: Chaser guns, Drilled soldiers, High castles, Master gunner, Square rigged, Sweeps, Veteran NCOs

3 x Galleys (Cervesa, Corona, Stella Artois) 48 each

Q3 C3: Drilled soldiers, Galley, Swashbucklers, Yare

2 x allied wako War junks (Conch Shell, Green Eyebrows) 46 each

Q3 C3: Derring-do, Intimidating, Lateen rigged, Reinforced hull 

*************

The two squadrons met near a chain of smaller islands, each side approaching in rough line abreast. The wind is from the NW, and the view is looking NE, so the wind is blowing across the photo, from R to L.

After 3 turns and a wind shift to N>S (now blowing across the table from far side to near side) the battle seems imminent. With the wind favouring the Songkhka squadron, Lala Mustafa has been able to keep his formation intact by restricting the galleys to only 1M per bound. Starkey has the San Miguel under sweeps, so his galley captains are restricted to only 1S to keep the line.

The war junks are out on the Knights starboard flank, and the recent wind change will make it easier for them to join the fight. Last turn they tacked to starboard and are in course to go for the Songkhka port wing.

The two main battle lines are just over 2L apart, on average.

On turn 4 the Knights line advanced 1S as before, Starkey ordering all vessels to hold their fire until the enemy are closer. Then the Songkhka line also continued its advance, still moving 1M, then all vessels opened fire. In the centre the galeasses each targeted an enemy galley. Two galleys targeted the San Miguel, and two the Corona on the starboard end of the Knights line. 

Much gunnery table consulting, and dice rolling, ensued. When the dust had cleared the results had been devastating. The galeass San Miguel had taken 1 damage and suffered rigging damage. On its starboard side the galley Cervesa had been blown to pieces by shooting from Banda Aceh. Stella Artois had escaped damage, but Corona had taken 2 damage + was taking on water. 

Turn 5. The Knights line staggered, but they’re made of stern stuff and kept coming. San Miguel led by example: giving the galley Srivijaya 1 damage from shooting  (chaser guns) then closing and grappling. Stella Artois focussed on the galley Songkhla. Its shot missed, then it closed , grappled and boarded. The first round of boarding action went the Stella’s way. The heavily damaged Corona, too far off to get a morale boost from the Flagship, stayed where it was, but shot at the Ayutthaya, though causing no damage. The war junks are on the way but still around 1L from the nearest enemy.

In the Songkhka bound the boarding action between San Miguel and Srivijaya got under way as Srivijaya rolled 3 activation successes, and was fully up for it, at first. However, the help she was hoping for, from neighbouring vessels  Borobudur and Banda Aceh was not forthcoming, both ships having enough activations to contact, but not to grapple or board. This seemed to demoralise the crew of Srivijaya, and the San Miguel captured her in two boarding rounds (+ damage inflicted from shooting).

The tokens indicate: Red = damage, Blue = captured, Yellow = Critical damage, Green = grappled.

The other boarding fight, Songkhka v Stella Artois, continued as the Songkhka used 2 activations for this. One was a draw, the other saw the Stella Artois win another round. But, the Hat Yai changed course and came into contact and grappled the Stella Artois on her port side. 

Then the last galley to activate, Ayutthaya, shot at the heavily damaged Corona, but missed, then also closed and grappled.

Turn 6. The Knights war junks are in position to attack next time. But back to the galley & galeass action …

The prize crew that had captured the Srivijaya knocked scuttling holes in the hull, scrambled back on the San Miguel, and cut the grapples. Then the San Miguel fired a full broadside from her starboard guns into the enemy galeass Banda Aceh, which was in contact but had not grappled last turn. The Banda Aceh took 2 damage + Rigging damage. Then the port battery shot at the Borobudur, also in contact but not grappled. Somehow the shots missed, all the best gun captains must have been on the other side. 

The Stella Artois continued her fight against the Songkhka, capturing it on the first boarding round. The other two activation points were used to scuttle the prize and return to the Stella, cutting the grapples. That still leaves the huge Hat Yai, grappled to the port side and ready to board.

And lastly the new boarding fight between the Ayutthaya and Corona. The Corona may be down (2 damage + taking on water) but it’s not out. It rolled 3 activation successes despite the coloured dice. Ayutthaya has thoughtfully done the grappling work, so Corona “seized the initiative” and boarded, winning the first boarding round. 

Here’s the position at the end of the Knights bound of turn 6. In the whole game we haven’t had any early turnovers at all, yet. The two smoke markers show the Songkhka galleys that were captured then scuttled and abandoned by the Knights. The gunnery smoke markers from San Miguel are also still in place.

Lala Mustafa isn’t happy with how his vessels are performing at close quarters. After an excellent opening salvo from the guns, he’s now lost 2 galleys, against 1 for the Knights. 

His flagship, Hat Yai, gets 2 successes and boards the Stella Artois. Each side wins one round. Then Borobudur gets 2 activations, and grapples and boards the San Miguel, winning a foothold on her deck. The Banda Aceh gets only 1 activation, so also grapples the San Miguel, which frankly looks overmatched now. Ayutthaya gets 3 activations, so ought to be able to capture the Corona easily enough. And does, tho not before taking a second boarding damage.

So at the end of turn 6 …

Turn 7 and the Knights get a lucky break as the wind turns two more points, now blowing from the NE, so obliquely from upper R across the table. This helps the war junks, which turn, move, and contact the Ayutthaya and Hat Yai, but don’t have the activations to grapple or board. 

The galley Stella Artois initiated boarding against the Hat Yai, where Lala Mustafa is personally swashing his buckle at the head of his own close quarters crew.  The first two rounds are one win per side, so both vessels are now on 2 damage. The third round is a draw. Nail-biting stuff. 

The San Miguel continues its increasingly one-sided fight against the Banda Aceh and Borobudur. It gets only 1 activation, and uses it to carry on with the boarding fight against the enemy galeass, but loses, takes a third damage, and is captured. The fate of Oliver Starkey is currently unknown (contingent roll). He may be under the pile of bodies on San Miguel’s quarterdeck.

Now it’s the Songkhla bound. Lala Mustafa and his exhausted crews can see the enemy flagship has been captured, and are inspired to a final heroic effort.

Ayutthaya cuts grapples with the captured Corona, which backs away, and prepares for a boarding attack from Green Eyebrows. Hat Yai (2 activations) tries to finish off the Stella Artois before a fresh wave of boarders from the Conch Shell intervene. This succeeds, Stella Artois is captured, and then the Hat Yai gunners fire a broadside (not a full broadside) into the Conch Shell, but cause no damage.

The Banda Aceh and Borobudur don’t get to activate because the former failed 3/3 activation dice. Our first early turnover.

Turn 8. The crew of the war junk Green Eyebrows grapple Ayutthaya, swarm on board, and capture the already-damaged galley though not without taking 1 damage point themselves.  The Conch Shell crew also swing aboard the Hat Yai. This is a tougher nut to crack, but they manage to gain the deck, and this takes Hat Yai to 3 damage. 

In the Songkhka bound, the crippled Hat Yai still gets 3 activations thanks to Lala Mustafa’s swaggering leadership, and it continues the boarding fight. The first round is drawn, but the Conch Shell wins the second and captures the Hat Yai. Both flagships are now crippled captures. Mustafa was killed fighting at the head of his men (contingent roll). The Borobudur backs away from San Miguel and turns. The Banda Aceh fails to activate.

So. At the end of turn 8 the Knights  squadron has lost: 1 galeass flagship captured, 1 galley sunk, 2 others captured. Only the allied wako war junks are in good condition (1 unharmed, 1 with 1 damage). The Songkhka squadron has lost 1 x galeass flagship captured, and the other heavily damaged (2 hits + critical), 2 galleys sunk, 1 captured. The only intact vessel is the galley Borobudur.

I’ve run out of Red damage markers and am using Brown as well.

Removing all crippled captures simplifies the picture. None of them are seaworthy enough to get to port. Knights losses are parked to the R, Songkhka losses at the back.

The four surviving vessels represent 92 points (Knights) and 107 points (Songkhka), not discounting for damage. I believe I’ll call it a very bloody draw, advantage Songkhka all things considered.

Cheers from Pattaya (ca2,000km N of the battle site),

Mark