A Bloody War or a Sickly Season - A British AAR

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Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - Jan 1805

What with the landing bug and the ship captures now in place is there a better time to play Britian? We shall see.

House Rules:

Game settings are Very Hard Difficulty and High AI Aggression.
No reloads (unless I crash the game with too many screenshots).
No ending the game at war.
No ship building.
No African conquests.


Set up phase: We have a free idea to start the game so let's start with Press Gangs, this gives -33% maintenance modifier and +100% range to naval units.

We start with the following.

Our navy is 13 transports, 17 frigates and 26 1st and 2nd rate man of war.

We have a 86,500 militia, we're going to get rid of all of them. They go back into the manpower pool for more useful things like infantry, cavalry, artillery and guards.

At Gibraltar and on Malta we set the armies to retreat into fortresses/cities.

In Ireland we march all the troops to Dublin to await transport to the mainland. With the seas under our control who will be able to land there?

We commence depot construction at Glasgow, Newcastle, Yarmouth and Cardiff. Every depot is a little more manpower and we'll need lots before the end.

All troops in the mainland are ordered to Norwich and London.

We get British India Holdings +25% tax income, rich and no navy to spend it on. A lot of coalition and building works in store for us.

The Ottomans start the game by withdrawing from the Military Access pact they had with Egypt. We guarantee Egyptian independence, I'm not remotely interested in Egypt but lets see how far the Ottomans want to take this. They do have a navy and I'm interested in that.

Spain declares war on us.

A shocking start to the war with France!

Sir Robert Calder may soon be the new Admiral Byng!

The natural order restored. The Lizzard looks like it will be seeing a lot of action.

Off the Spanish coast Nelson goes into action.

Lord Keith starts the naval build up.

And he keeps on building and learning!

The Battle of Trafalgar, nothing to write home about. But we shalll have to have a fleet stationed here to avoid Gibraltar being blockaded.

1 month down and we have 2 new 1st rate man of war, much quicker than building. A month in the docks and they'll be good for battle.

 

[Seelmeister]

Added to the librAARy, and also to my list of subscriptions!

After your experience with the Austrian navy in your last AAR, this will undoubtedly be a refreshing change of pace, at least in terms of the navy. Good move disbanding that militia early though, you will have to make limited manpower go a long way if you are to succeed.

Regarding the naval landings issue, this topic on the forums suggests that far better results for gameplay can be achieved through editing the 'UNLOAD_SPEED' variable in the defines.lua file, increasing the value from 1 to 10. You might want to give that a shot

 

[Willum]

Well, it seems the mere threat of shooting an admiral was enough to encourage the others this time. Good to see that you haven't been permanently disheartend by the Austrian debacle. Judging from the rather unimpressive capture rates against the French navy compared to the AI's bonanza of free ships, your lack of admirals really seems to have been the root of the problem.

 

[Avindian]

Whoa, no ship building? What if you lose a ship?

In any case, subscribed!

 

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Added to the librAARy, and also to my list of subscriptions!

After your experience with the Austrian navy in your last AAR, this will undoubtedly be a refreshing change of pace, at least in terms of the navy. Good move disbanding that militia early though, you will have to make limited manpower go a long way if you are to succeed.

Regarding the naval landings issue, this topic on the forums suggests that far better results for gameplay can be achieved through editing the 'UNLOAD_SPEED' variable in the defines.lua file, increasing the value from 1 to 10. You might want to give that a shot

Thank you, the Militia disbanding will certainly help the manpower issue through the next year at least. As for fixing the Austrian game I fear my lack of IT skills is holding me back in case I break something important

Judging from the rather unimpressive capture rates against the French navy compared to the AI's bonanza of free ships, your lack of admirals really seems to have been the root of the problem.

Thanks for following again Willum. I think that you may have found the major root of the Austrian problem, but I suspect there may be a game difficulty factor involved too.

Whoa, no ship building? What if you lose a ship?

In any case, subscribed!

Sir, I shall simply steal some more Thanks for subscribing.

 

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Cut and Run Feb and Mar 1805

Lord Keith continues his winning ways defeating a Dutch fleet under Verhuell but neither sinks nor captures any enemy.

However Sir John Jervis keeps the supply of ships going.

Lord Keith wins another battle in the Channel driving a French transport from the seas, lots of battle not much sinking going on.

Denmark joins France in their war against us.

The Spanish contribute to the cause again.

The Channel is a hotbed of activity. French, Dutch and Spanish ships all heading somewhere and not quite making it.

The Spanish even try some weird tactic of sending a ship round the coast of Britain.

Lord Keith goes back on the offensive.

5 more minor victories follow, but no sinkings or captures on either side.

Lord Keith breaks the duck, who needs Nelson?

Sweden declares war on Denmark and Spain declare war on Sweden in defence of their coalition ally.

So if this war is going to be prosecuted we need troops on the continent. With this in mind Lancaster Force under Robert Ross sail to Denmark and start landing at Esbjerg. A small fleet of 3 warships moves in to the Aarhus Channel to block the Danes from sending a relief force.

Sir John Jervis pounces on some French transports.

The Danes start to deliver.

While chasing the Danish fleet back to Kobenhavn a Danish army of 46,000 is spotted at Helsingborg.

Sir John Jervis's fleet are ordered to the Oresund channels to restrict Danish movement across the straits.

Back in the Channel the string of victories continue, 2 more but again no losses on either side.

Not paying much attention I finally notice both Malta and the Faroe Islands are being blockaded. Unescorted Spanish and Danish transports at each, landing troops.

Nelson dispatches half his fleet to Malta.

The Danes are driven off from the Faeroes landing, no sinkings but no troops on the ground either.

Denmark offers to accept our surrender, if we concede defeat they will leave us alone.

Sir John's fleet arrive to give our response.

Two frigates captured.

Nelson's un-admiralled navy drive a Papal fleet from the seas off Tunisia.

Strachan's India Squadron are in action closer to home.

Nine enemy ships captured in 2 months of naval activity.
Running total of new Royal Navy vessels = 11

 

[Willum]

It still feels really odd to hear about anybody landing in Esbjerg, even though it isn't all that farfetched. I guess that is just how strong the "Denmark-doesn't-matter" sentiment is among the Danes these days. Even the notion that someone would divert any number of actual fighting men to invade us seems absurd. Well, there is the Swedes, but they are almost as much of a comic relief rump state at this point, and our eternal rivals.

It's good to see Sir Dicky finally get a piece of the action. Seems your "no ship building" rule won't hamper you too much.

 

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It still feels really odd to hear about anybody landing in Esbjerg, even though it isn't all that farfetched. I guess that is just how strong the "Denmark-doesn't-matter" sentiment is among the Danes these days. Even the notion that someone would divert any number of actual fighting men to invade us seems absurd. Well, there is the Swedes, but they are almost as much of a comic relief rump state at this point, and our eternal rivals.

It's good to see Sir Dicky finally get a piece of the action. Seems your "no ship building" rule won't hamper you too much.

At this point Esbjerg makes the best place to land on the continent, far enough away from the French, close enough to threaten a dash for Odense, Aarhus or kick off besieging Fredericia.

The only way that the no ship building will hamper me is that other nations will be building when I'm not, so they will have the ability to put ships to sea at a steadier rate, I will then try and make off with them

 

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Landlubbers Apr, May and Jun 1805

The Spanish challenge Nelson off Gibraltar.

Off Malta the un-commanded half of the fleet captures the Spanish transport, I'm not sure what happened to the 9,600 troops.

The Danes challenge the might of the British and Swedish fleets, being magnanimous I let the Swedes take home the prize.

The French try the Spanish tactic of "round Britain" with less success.

At Malta the captured transport goes in for repair and Sir Alexander Ball assumes command of Nelson's un-commanded detachment.

Strachan keeps the French at bay in the Channel.

The French manage to slip 2 transports up to Dublin which Lord Keith drives off.

Ross's army are finally ashore, leaving half to guard the landing he marches to lay siege to Aarhus.

The English Home Army under Wellesley are quickly transported to Esbjerg and land much quicker. They march south straight into action against a combined Franco-Danish force.

At Aarhus Ross recombines his army and assaults

Two more quick naval victories are scored against the Danes, only the second proving a bloody affair.

A new ship for the Swedes and for us.

Ross makes the crossing to Odense but sends half his army back to Skanderborg to drive the Danes back to sea.

The tactic works but the Danish manage to avoid losses.

Wellesley ignores besieging Fredericia and marches south to Hamburg and Kiel.

4 ships captured these last 3 months.

Running total of new Royal Naval vessels = 15


We've taken 4 transports, 3 frigates and 8 first and second raters.

If we'd tried to build that it would have cost us almost 1400 ducats and the 1st raters would still not be ready.

 

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Scuppered Jul and Aug 1805

The depots we began in January are commissioned into service.

At Yarmouth upgrading to major port status begins.

The lone trasport in the Mediterranean is ordered up to Norwich.

Our manpower pool sits at 143,000. Recruitment begins for a new field army. A mix of everything.

Sir John Moore takes command of the remaining forces in Britain and sails to Denmark.

In Denmark Ross is laying siege to Odense, Wellesley has half his army besieging Hamburg while half roams up the country.

Moore arrives at Kiel.

Lord Keith sails south to rescue the lone transport.

He then moves to blockade duty as the transport continues on.

Before moving back to lend support again.

The transport makes it's way to port without further issues.

It's August and we have a new idea, Repair at Sea as there are a few blockades going on.

The French appear to be massing in Brittany.

Ross takes Odense.

The Danes take the offer laid before them and a fateful mistake is made.

How stupid. Another island! Kiel should have been taken to allow land access to French territory.

Oh well, mistakes must be corrected!

Some people seem to take exception to this.

As we take Rostock the Prussian's take the offensive!

Wellesley wisely decides to take refuge in the newly conquered town.

A very poor couple of months with no vessels captured at all.
Running total of new Royal Naval vessels = 15

 

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German Bight Sep and Oct 1805

France expands the scope of it's coalition by coaxing the Tripolitanian's to declare war on us.

Denmark uses it's peace with us to declare war on Sweden.

Sir John Moore reaches Bremen and catches the French outside the walls.

Robert Ross marches his army to relieve Rostock, however by the time he arrives the Prussian army has been reinforced to 79,000 men.

Moore marches his troops east to link up with Ross.

The Swedes attack a combined Anglo-Danish fleet.

Fortunately the Danes take the loss.

Port construction begins in Odense, having a better repair facility in the Baltic may be a good investment.

Time to gather allies, if there are any left out there. We offer Russia a place in an anti-French coalition.

They accept.

The Tripolitanians demand our surrender.

Moore and Ross link up at Schwerin the Prussians send 50,000 men to attack. The remaining 28,700 prepare to march into the battle when Wellesley sallies forth from Rostock and stops their intervention.

Tunisia joins the French coalition.

A costly victory!

Moore marches his combined army to Lubeck, Wellesley marches south to Berlin.

Russia insults Austria and Tunisia declares war on us.

The drive on Berlin is slowed.

Wellesley decides to bypass Berlin and march on Frankfurt instead.

The Prussians march on Rostock.

In all the confusion poor Russia had been forgotten, they now declare war on France.

The Tunisians demand we surrender.

Prussia annexes Oldenburg.

The army that was being built back home takes ship for Mecklenburg, the guard units are not yet complete but the troops are needed at the front.

Wellesley is stopped on his march to Frankfurt.

He then marches north to counter Prussian reinforcements.

Russia guarantees our independence.

Another poor couple of months, no captures.

Running total of new Royal Naval vessels = 15

 

[Willum]

Even with the lack of captured ships of late it still seems like you're capturing them faster than they can build them.

Seeing the British alienate two possible coalition parthers in order to gain a port in the Baltic makes me think they are not really scared of the French at all.

 

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Seeing the British alienate two possible coalition parthers in order to gain a port in the Baltic makes me think they are not really scared of the French at all.

I had originally thought about making the game totally absurd and have Britain declare war on all the major powers just to see the result. The only navy not in the war in one way or another now is the Ottoman's, and if they move on Egypt that may come too

 

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Safe Haven Nov and Dec 1805

The Tunisians appear off Malta, Ball's fleet is ordered from blockade duty at Toulon to stop the landing.

Wellesley absorbs the fresh troops from Britain and relieves Rostock.

Ball's fleet drives the Tunisians away from Malta and turns to face the Tripolitanians.

Wellesley marches to Lauenburg where the French are massing troops.

Ball dispatches the Tripolitanian.

While Wellesley deals with the French.

The Prussian navy strikes.

Wellesley turns back into Mecklenburg to counter more Prussian moves.

His army retreats once more into Rostock.

The Prussians drive on for Lubeck where the Mecklenburgers sally forth to join with them.

Lubeck falls the next day.

Mecklenburg becomes a satellite, the Swedes are driven to sea. We have our port access.

Moore inflicts another defeat on the Prussians.

Jervis on the Swedes.

We get the Nautilus event giving us 25 idea points.

We accept an offer of White peace from the Tripolitanians and Tunisians.

Moore marches west into what was once Oldenburg.

Only 1 ship captured.

Running total of new Royal Naval vessels = 16

 

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Blockade Running Jan and Feb 1806

In the Mediterranean Ball chases and defeats a Papal then a Tuscan fleet but fails to sink or capture anything.

Moore storms Minden.

We adopt Naval Supremacy.

There are blockades stationed all along the French coast. We have fleets at Quiberon, Pointe de Grave, Pas de Calais, Ouessant, Golfe de St Malo and Baie de Seine.

Moore overruns Oldenburg.

Sir Edward Gardner takes advantage of the fleeing Prussians.

The Prussians appear to have given up on Mecklenburg and now fight on Swedish soil.

Surely the Prussians must be close to breaking now.

The Dutch try to blockade run.

Moore reaches Prussian held Munster but finding it too strongly defended to assault and too close to France for comfort he falls back towards Hannover.

The Dutch attempt another blockade breakout.

Off Gaeta Ball finally sinks the Tuscans.

Then adds to his achievements west of Sardinia.

At Hannover Moore catches Marmont outside the safety of city walls once more.

The troops settle in for a siege.


Three ships captured these last 2 months.

Running total of new Royal Naval vessels = 19

 

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Moore's Marches Mar, Apr and May 1806

Marmont sallies out from Hannover.

Moore marches north into Verden to attack the Dutch.

Falling for Moore's cunning plan Marmont breaks out and races for Bremen.

Moore returns to claim his prize.

In the Med Sir Alexander Ball is becoming quite the naval genius.

While in the Baltic the Anglo-Danish fleet is together again.

Our coalition partner attempts to make peace with France!

From Hannover Moore has marched his army back into Prussia.

Frankfurt falls without a single British casualty!

The Saxon relief attempt causes only a few more.

Moore races back west to drive a French force from besieging Hannover, however the French desert en mass rather than fight.

The latest of our field armies arrives on the continent, General Hill with 36,363 guard, infantry, cavalry and artilley lay siege to Bremen.

Austria, who has done nothing against us offers a white peace which we accept.

Moore, always on the march, strikes the Dutch on his way back to Munster.

Wellesley accepts the surrender of Stralsund <missed the screenshot>

Admiral Jervis encounters the fleeing Swedish navy.

One ship captured these last 3 months.

Running total of new Royal Naval vessels = 20

 

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Raising the White Flag Jun, Jul and Aug 1806

Sir Edward Gardner, having much enjoyed his time off Oldenburg, decides to visit Prussian home waters.

The Koenig Wilhelm our new 1st rater is sent for repairs to Odense.

Wellesley begins a long march through Prussia to strike at Posen.

Minor naval victories continue against the Swedes and Prussians.

Wellesley storms Posen as Moore storms Munster.

These two events prove the final straw for Prussia.

Oldenburg will be another useful port entry onto the continent and we need Munster for land dominance.

Our major port in Yarmouth is finished.

Freed from a tiring war with us the Prussians turn east and declare war on Russia.

Berg has barely existed a week when the French storm Munster. Moore marches back and liberates it.

Marmont, who appears to be claustrophobic sallies forth from Bremen.

Sweden too has grown tired of war.

Depot construction begins at Yarmouth and Leicester. We also start work on a port at Stralsund.

The war at sea which had appeard to be fading to nothing sparks back into life.

Denmark rejoins the French coalition.

The recently captured warship on it's way to Yarmouth to repair suffers a reverse when a Dutch transport beats it at sea, it is not sunk but a blow to our naval pride!

Cornwallis sails to the rescue and drives the victor off.


Two ships captured these last 3 months.

Running total of new Royal Naval vessels = 22

 

[Belgiumruler]

I am subbing!

 

[Willum]

As Marmonts forces mostly consisted of light infantry, I am not entirely certain I like that casualty ratio.

I can't help but wonder what went through the Prussian AI's circuits...

 

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Prize Ships Sep, Oct and Nov 1806

Our port in Odense is complete, depot construction begins.

Horse Patrol in London event occurs giving a +5% local tax modifier.

The French launch a series of break outs in the Channel. Over the next 3 months 10 different attempts are defeated without loss on either side.

Denmark declares war on us again and immediately demands our surrender.

Hill who has been replaced at Bremen marches for Kiel and meets Marmont, who just can't stay in cities!

Sir John Jervis thrashes the Danish fleet.

3 transports and a frigate off to repair at Odense.

Hill storms Kiel

And finishes off Marmont.

Gardner is now in the Med.

Since we are more active on land now than at sea our latest idea is Volley Fire.

The Elgin Marbles event happens we build the British Museum around them and gain an extra idea point each month.

Another French break out attempt and finally a result.

Moore breaches and storms Bremen.

But to the south poor Munster has fallen to the enemy once again and this time they are around in force!

Gardner sinks another unescorted French transport off Malta.


Six ships captured these last 3 months.

Running total of new Royal Naval vessels = 28

We have increased the size of our navy by 50% in just under 2 years, our total fleet now stands at 84 vessels of all classes.