*Oak & Iron* solo. The scenario was “Escape”, with the French attacking the Dutch. This was largely an excuse to use the newly-made table. ![[july_16-1.jpeg]] --- Mon gouverneur, I report victory, at no great cost. We met the Dutch near their island of Saba, where we had heard tell of a slave revolt. The Dutch settlers had fled the island, and were intending to sail south to Saint Eustatius. The wind was unseasonably blowing from the west, and our squadron was approaching from the south. The Dutch squadron was clearly aiming to come past us, and a fog was rolling in which we feared might hinder our guns and aid their escape. As our ships neared, their flagship and a brigantine moved to provide cover for the corvette carrying the settlers. We fired with our chasers and small arms, and they did similar, to no great effect. I directed *La Panthère* to go to lee and through the fog bank, to cut off their corvette should it make a run for it. ![[july_16-2.jpeg]] The engagement looked to be a running one, and I was prepared to wear to keep up the chase as they shot past us, but then fortune favoured us: the wind quartered to the south, directly behind us and directly into their bows. They were caught up short, finding themselves suddenly in irons. We broke formation to bring as many guns to bear on them as we could. ![[july_16-3.jpeg]] ![[july_16-4.jpeg]] I brought *La Sirène* up alongside their brigantine as it worked its way out of the wind’s eye, and we exchanged a fierce back-and-forth of broadsides. A collision seemed inevitable, but our sailors were equal to the task, and both *La Sirène* and *La Railleuse* avoided the crippled brigantine. Under the force of our broadsides, she sank. ![[july_16-5.jpeg]] ![[july_16-6.jpeg]] I directed both of my consort ships to pursue the Dutch corvette as I turned to engage their flagship. *La Panthère* and *La Railleuse* took opposite courses around Saba, intending to offer the corvette no escape. I hoped to cross the bows of the Dutch flagship and rake them, but before my guns were ready, they closed for a boarding action. ![[july_16-7.jpeg]] I have never seen such a close and bloody action. The Dutch fight like furies in close quarters, almost equal to our own marines. I fear that had Lt. Lebeau of *La Railleuse* not seen the circumstances and, under his own initiative, fired a broadside into the Dutchman, we may have lost the ship. But in the end, both crews fell back, bloodied and shaken, and the Dutchman, seeing one ship lost, his flagship’s crew on the verge of surrender, and his settler charges pursued from every angle, wisely struck his colours. The prisoners—both Dutch sailors and the settlers—are to follow this letter. Votre serviteur, Cpt. René Macquer ![[july_16-8.jpeg]]