Caribbean: Shipyards re-open...

I wanted a couple of extra smaller ships for my pirate games; so I bought two from the same toy range that my large pirate ship came from - these need a bit of a rebuild for better decks for guns and figs.

I've finished the initial rework of the smaller one, still have to add a couple of cannon etc

India: English IR39 Arrives....

I've completed the last of my currently planned English european troops - IR 39 Aldercrons; will have to get the rest out for a little parade some time.

(IR39 figs are all JacDaw, the two separate on foot officers are Foundry)

Caribbean: Tussle on St. Bernadine....

The French have been having trouble with a nest of pirates on the island of St Bernadine in the Grenadines, a small expedition has been mounted to clear them out ...

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The pirate stockade north of the harbor inlet on St Bernadine, a couple of natives are telling the occupants of some ships they sighted near the other side of the island ...

The french infantry has been disembarked and is heading across the island towards the pirate stockade ...

The natives occupying this part of the island decide to attack the french ...

Volley fire from the french soon sees them off ...

The french move off to continue their advance ...

A small number of pirates with a couple of natives head inland to see whats happening ...meanwhile the pirates in the stockade are getting themselves organised ...

The french have to deal with another native attack ....

The french continue onwards, while the pirates sent to have a 'look see' enter a patch of jungle ...

The french are sighted by the pirate gun battery on the hill by the stockade, the pirates in the jungle are fighting the french column's small flank guard ...

The pirate battery caused some casualties in the french columns, but short of ammo the pirates retire to their companions at the stockade, who have set up a line of defense ...

The pirates exhange fire with the french troops, the french vollies are galling and the pirates take heavy casualtties ....

The pirates have no stomach for any more fighting and make a run for the harbour and their ships ...

The french set about burning the stockade, most of the pirates have gone. Steady fire on the harbour inlet is kept up by the battalion gun..

The french are content with holding their ground - a few set out to weed out the pirate stragglers. Some of the pirates have got away; the french ships finally get to the harbour inlet about and hour later. The french have achieved their objective of clearing out the pirates.

French Colonial troops and some Natives

I occasionally see what's available at Hinds Figures, on my last visit I spotted some of useful items - a 24 fig unit of white coated SYW and 2 x 15 fig units of natives (approx £2 a fig). So I bought them - as they filled a couple of gaps in my colonial collection.

The SYW unit on arrival, not too bad condition (a few bent muskets)

All that needed doing to them was straightening the muskets/bayonets a little touch in and rebasing. I changed the existing spontoon carrier and standard bearer to carry similar spontoons and  painted a few spare figures to bring up the numbers to my usual battalion size.

The native indians, these just had some sandy/grass mix added to the bases plus afew minot repairs; I also converted a few to slingers/archers.

New building and some palm trees

Some new plastic palms trees plus a donated resin building which I painted up and based, I think the building is more suitable for India than the Carribean.

Nice to get some work done on this project. Have a new european colonial unit and some indian/natives too - posts to follow.

Carribean: The Treasure of Capitain Bonnard ...

Red Jack has got a line onto the whereabouts of the treasure of the dead pirate Capitain Bonnard. He has found one of his ex-crew who say he knows where they buried the treasure and on which island.

Red Jack and his crew have been navigating the island chain of the Bahamas about 10 days sail from Jumeida. They are being followed by Blue Bess and her crew who also has one of Capitain Bonnard ex-crew who knows where the treasure is buried but not which island.

[Blue Bess - daughter of a failed sugar plantation owner, dab hand with a pistol and an expert swordsmen. Known for her ruthless insistance that her crew are reasonably dressed - no bright colours allowed - only blue (or grey, and maybe green) being permitted.].

---oXo---

Red Jack and his men land on the abandoned island of Saint Martin at one of the deserted settlements

Blue Bess and her men land on the other side of the Island ...

Both sides work their way into the jungle towards the rocky outcrop at the centre of the island where the treasure is supposed to be buried ..

Red Jack and his men have arrived at the rocky outcrop first, with Blue Bess and her men closing in..

Fighting breaks out between them ....

Red Jack is hit by a pistol shot and is carried off quickly towards a boat that was sent ahead round the island to a nearby inlet ..

The boat is made ready to take the injured Red Jack back to his ship ...

Red Jack's men have dug up the treasure and prepare to defend it ....

The treasure is moved down from the rocks as they fight off Blue Bess's men ...

The fighting intensifies as Red Jack's men try to get the treasure away ...

Blue Bess collects up her men and sets off in pursuit

Having lost Red Jack's men in the jungle Blue Bess's men start to squabble ..

Red Jacks men load up the treasure onto their boats and prepare to return to their ship ...

Caribbean: Burying Treasure ?

Red Jack and some of his crew are burying empty chests on an island. They keep a weather eye on the horizon at the other ship they can see in the distance. It would appear that 'Blue Bess' has been following them - a diversionary ploy ??