Galleys & Galleons in the East Indies: Submersible Warfare in the Maluku Strait

We return to Mark now with another dispatch from the East Indies:

*****

It’s some time in the middle third of the C16 - as usual - as we return to the East Indies and find the Ming Chinese piracy-suppression squadron hard at work. An-te Hai has positioned a wolf pack of submersible rams (total 183 points) in ambush in the Maluku Strait, through which many of the Portuguese spice convoys pass. They are commanded by Huang Ju, on the Silver Carp.

3 x Submersible rams (62) (186)
Fecui Liyu (Emerald Carp), Jin Liyu (Golden Carp), Lian Liyu (Silver Carp)
Q3 C3: Ramming, Sluggish, Submersible, Unarmed, Unorthodox

They didn’t have long to wait, as a convoy (total 190 points) soon appeared, commanded by Francisco Alvares on the Sao Martinho.

2 x Frigates (60) (120)
Sao Jorge, Sao Martinho
Q3 C3: Chaser guns, Galleon rigged, Master gunner, Trained guncrew

1 x Merchant brig (18)
Moscato (Nutmeg)
Q3 C2: Lateen rigged, Merchantman, Master gunner

2 x Large merchant junks (20) (40)
Ginger Jar, Hainan Trader
Q4 C3: Merchantman, Reinforced hull, Square rigged

1 x Small merchant junk (12)
Green Eyebrows
Q4 C2: Lateen rigged, Merchantman, Reinforced hull

Here is a high level photo (looking N) of the Maluku Strait as the convoy begins to sail on. At upper L the Green Eyebrows and Hainan Trader have appeared. The three submersibles are all on the surface , spaced across the middle of the passage. The other items (a large sea monster, and a Chinese long range reconnaissance airship) are only there to add colour (Photo #1).

The convoy has initiative so Alvares gets to activate first each turn. The wind is coming from more or less the SW, blowing from the lower L to the Upper R corners. The blue cloth is about 1200x1800mm (4x6’).

  

After three turns the convoy is fully on the table, in three columns, belting along (broad reaching) with the wind just abaft their starboard beam. The frigates form the weather column, with Sao Martinho leading. The large merchant junks form the centre column, and the small fry are in the lee column. The submersibles have all moved towards the approaching convoy but have now stopped moving and submerged (Photo #2).

Turn 4: The convoy held formation and continued on the sane heading. The submersibles all popped to the surface and began their attacks. Golden Carp tried to ram Green Eyebrows, but its unorthodox propulsion wasn’t up to the demand placed on it, delivering only 1S, so its move ended short of the target. Emerald Carp did better, ramming the Hainan Trader on its starboard bow and inflicting 1 hull damage. Silver Carp also experienced propulsion problems, and after sufacing only managed a short move forward (Photo #3).

Turn 5: The convoy opened fire, scoring 2 damage against the Emerald Carp and 1 damage to the Golden Carp. The Moscato didn’t fire because it had to quickly shorten sail to avoid colliding with the Green Eyebrows which had unexpectedly changed course to port. The Sao Jorge didn’t fire because its bow chasers could not bear on the Emerald Carp (Photo #4).

In the Chinese bound, the Golden Carp rammed the Moscato (1 damage) and backed away. The Emerald Carp, activating on all three dice, got two successes & an All at Sea roll of Hard to Starboard. It then moved through the gap between the two big junks, 1S + 1M, and rammed the Green Eyebrows (2 damage). The Silver Carp rammed the Hainan Trader (1 more damage) (Photo #5).

Turn 6: This time the convoy had less shooting success, partly because some ships masked others, but also because of poor activations and the need to do some course changes (see next paragraph) to successfully navigate the exit from the Maluku Strait. The Silver Carp took 1 damage, and the Emerald Carp moved up to critically damaged (3 hits).

So far the convoy has been on the heading ESE which, with the wind from the WSW, more or less, is the best point of sailing for all the vessels, enabling them to make 1L per bound. But to exit the Strait they’ll need to come to full E or even ENE by E, which will take action points and also reduce their sailing to 1M moves for the square and galleon rigs, and 1S for the lateens. But once they have cleared Maluku Head, the land on their starboard bow, they’ll be able to resume the faster course.

In the submersible bound the Emerald Carp submerged, in accordance with standing orders to break off action if heavily damaged. In doing so another Hard to Starboard roll occurred, so obviously this vessel has rudder problems. The Silver Carp rammed the Ginger Jar, (2 damage) and then submerged. The Golden Carp rolled 3/3 activation fails, so seems to be experiencing a serious machinery breakdown (Photo #7).

  

Turn 7: The convoy is making its course change now. All went well except for the Hainan Trader, which, rolling more activation dice than it needed in a moment of inattention by the Officer of the Watch, Garbled Orders and changed course to head directly for Maluku Head (Photo #8).

For the submersibles, Silver Carp popped back to the surface and rammed Sao Jorge (1 damage), while Golden Carp turned to port and moved 1S & 1L, over the submerged Emerald Carp, towards Ginger Jar. Emerald Carp stayed in position, and stayed submerged, while the damage control party (carpenters & surgeons) repaired a damage point.

Turn 8: the Hainan Trader avoided immediate danger and begun to turn away from the rocks at Maluku Head. Elsewhere the convoy moved uneventfully, for the most part … but there’s always one, isn’t there. The captain of Sao Jorge, who claimed to be still in base contact with Silver Carp after being rammed last bound, decided to grapple the submersible and ordered Boarders Away! There were two rounds boarding action, one win to each vessel, and they now have 2 hits each (1 hull damage, 1 boarding defeat) (Photo #9).

Emerald Carp tried fixing another damage point but failed. Golden Carp altered course a bit and came forward slightly. Silver Carp (I thought maybe not submerge in the middle of a boarding fight) successfully risked a triple activation and captured the Sao Jorge after both vessels were taken to 3 damage. I ruled the frigate foundered from the ramming hit + excess damage as the fight came to an end. The Chinese would have scuttled it anyway (Photo #10).

Turn 9: Disaster for the convoy, as the Hainan Trader, activating on 2 dice (1 coloured) failed both. The All at Sea roll was Strike Colours, which didn’t apply as the nearest ships are friends. But unable to continue turning away from the rocks, the big merchant junk, crammed with valuable spice cargo, ran onto Maluku Head under full sail and was wrecked (Photo #11).

The rest of the convoy activated successfully.

For the submersibles, Emerald Carp’s damage party continued their work and reduced her to only 1 damage point. Golden Carp altered course and began to chase Ginger Jar, but the vagaries of unorthodox propulsion left her far behind. Silver Carp got her own damage control crew to work and repaired 1 hit (Photo #12).

I ended the game there, as the convoy has nearly weathered Maluku Head. I’m calling it a win for the Chinese. They destroyed the frigate Sao Jorge and their damage to the Hainan Trader contributed to its wreck too. The only convoy vessel to entirely escape damage was Sao Martinho. Two of the submersibles were crippled (Emerald Carp, Silver Carp) but both will be able to do running repairs at sea (Emerald Carp has already done so) so they should all get back to their base safely.

Strategically, the operation has shown that submersibles operating alone can intercept and damage surface convoys at suitable choke points, and the Maluku Strait in particular will be a high-risk route for Portuguese vessels for now. There is a school of thought that bomb-armed aerials might be the answer. Perhaps we shall see.

Cheers from Thailand,

Mark