Cut and Run! Battle of San Juan de Ulua (1568)

Philip staged a colourful 16th-century naval game at the club on Friday 8 May, using lovely 1:300 scale ships from Old Glory, painted by John Lander, rigged by Steve East, and based by Chris Cornwell.

The battle of San Juan de Ulua (modern Veracruz in Mexico), took place in the southwest Caribbean. It was fought between English privateers Hawkins, Drake and Hampton who suffered a surprise attack in port by the Spanish ships of Don Luis de Lujan and Martin Enriquez de Almanaza. The game was a test of Philip’s simplified version of the Armada ruleset.

Table

Open harbour with two shore batteries, depicted as buildings (see below).

Spanish

The Spanish consisted of the ships San Pedro (Almanaza), Santa Clara (Don Luis), Santiago (or ‘Barque’), and the Santa Maria. Richard controlled the ships, while Simon manned the shore batteries (which had been seized from the English).

English

The English privateers included the ships Jesus of Lubeck (Hawkins), Minion (Hampton), and The Judith (Drake), Angel, and Swallow. Chris and Doug manned them. The English ships were faster and more manoeuvrable than the Spanish. Their aim was to escape from the harbour.

The Game

The game began with both fleets moored. Hawkins and Drake had acquired slaves during their cruise, but were diverted by a storm to San Juan de Ulua. The Spanish Viceroy initially left them alone, but then decided to ambush the English ships. Two shore batteries had been set up by the English to protect their ships, but the Spanish captured them and turned them on the English.

T1: Spanish Boarding Attempt on the Minion

An initial boarding action attempt from the ‘Barque’ on the Minion by Richard was unsuccessful, as the Minion cut loose. However, Richard killed 3 crew and damaged the port side of the Minion with gunnery.

Both the English and Spanish pushed off from shore on mooring cables.

Simon’s left shore battery bow-raked the Jesus of Lubeck, causing some damage. His right battery killed 4 English sailors and damaged the sail. Given the relative speeds of the two fleets, damaging the English sails was the only realistic chance for the Spanish to approach or catch the English ships.

Chris fired back at the Barque from the Minion, causing 30 points of damage, a lost gun, and a fire that was quickly extinguished.

T2-T3: Fleets Pull Away from Shore

Richard backed out of port with his ships, as did Doug. Chris performed a Speedway-style U-turn with the Angel!

Richard destroyed one battery on the Minion from fire by the San Pedro.

Simon’s shore batteries bowraked the Lubeck, damaging rigging. His right shore battery killed a crew man and damaged the rigging on the Minion.

Chris moved away with another couple of ships, as the Swallow fired on a shore battery. The Spanish ship Barque fired on the Minion, but was soon down to 1 battery after Doug responded in kind.

T4: Shore batteries vs. Lubeck

As Simon continued to damage English rigging from the shore, Richard tried to board the Minion from the Barque but was unsuccessful.

Chris successfully turned the Lubeck (avoiding a collision) and the Judith. Doug’s Lubeck also killed 4 gunners of Simon’s four shore batteries. Simon fired on the Lubeck again, which had already lost its mast.

Chris now sailed away with the Angel, Swallow and Judith. The English appeared to be getting away.

T5: English Move Away

Chris’s Angel, Swallow and Judith continued to move away. The Spanish were very slow, however Simon wreaked 4 dead and 24 damage points on the unfortunate Lubeck (which fired back, killing 4 gunners on the shore battery).

T6-T7: Barque Immobilised

Richard began creeping along the shore with the San Pedro.

Simon’s lively fire inflicted 4 crew deaths on the Lubeck. Doug fired back, but the Lubeck had only 1 battery left, and missed the right battery.

Richard’s Barque had taken 49% casualties and was driven away by the Minion’s firing, due to a failed morale test. The Barque was immobilised.

T8: Lubeck and Minion Turn to Exit

The Angel, Swallow and Judith were well clear.

Richard continued inching along the shore with the San Pedro, but was too slow catch the Lubeck and Minion, which Doug turned successfully.

Despite this, Richard’s San Pedro fired on the Minion. Yet Doug’s Minion killed 6 sailors and caused 30 hull damage to the San Pedro.

T9: English in Clear Blue Water

Simon kept up his fire on the Lubeck (which had now lost 20% of its strength). But both the Lubeck and the Minion were pulling away.

Chris’s three ships were effectively safe. Nevertheless Richard pursued the Lubeck with the San Pedro.

T10-T12: Late Charge by the Santa Clara

Chris turned the Angel, Swallow and Judith to begin to sail away from the harbour.

Doug sailed towards Chris with his Lubeck and Minion.

Still, Richard mounted a pursuit of Doug’s ships. Richard’s Santa Clara stern-raked the Lubeck, causing some casualties and halting the Lubeck’s fire for a turn.

Chris’s ships were now getting in the way of Doug’s attempt to escape, but he then make space for the Lubeck and Minion. Richard finally inflicted 3 crew casualties and 15 on the hull of the Lubeck.

Conclusion

Despite not actually getting off table, the English had won (and lost no ships) and disabled 1 Spanish ship (the Barque).

Historically, the Spanish had 13 ships and the English had 6. The Spanish actually won the battle, losing 1 ship and 20 killed to the English losing 4 ships and 320 killed. Our game (4 Spanish ships vs. 5 English) was thus clearly a test of the rules than a literal depiction of the historical action. Even so it successfully represented its essence. According to some players present, the English turning circle may need adjusting, and the shore batteries were much less effective than they were historically. Nonetheless, Philip’s ships were very nice indeed. Thanks for an interesting game!