Little Great War: Aithiops Convoy

 

The Azurian convoy intercepted by two Ruberian 
warships.

The hostility simmering between Azuria and Ruberia having broken out into open warfare, the former's government made haste to bring in needed supplies from the Western littoral of its Aithiopian colonies before the much more powerful Rubeian navy closed down the Great Western Ocean approaches. Coming from ports farthest south, and delayed several days by a tropical storm, the final convoy was late reaching the safety of a Bay of Biscuit seaport.

Azurian Convoy ZA13 from Aithiops

Too late. Word had reached the Ruberian Admiralty of the traffic, and a small squadron under Commodore Sir Hailsforth Barrow set out under its orders to intercept any and all Azurian vessels coming up the Iberian coast. He had with him the battleship RMS Royal Sceptre (FP17), and the protected cruiser, RMS Edgar Colle (FP9), under the command of Captain Ulysses Morcroft.
...

Pre-dreadnought RMS Royal Sceptre 

Protected Cruiser RMS Edgar Colle

Convoy ZA13 ran into Barrow's squadron just north of the 41st parallel, and much too far from the Iberian coast to hope to make a run for a neutral port. Commanding the convoy, Capitaine Jean-Paul d'Armagnac at once upon sighting the approaching Ruberian ships, ordered his own ships forward to intercept. At the same time, he directed the convoy to turn shaprly to starboard and make for the Iberian coast. The armed merchant, ANV Asmodeus was to place itself on the vulnerable flank of the convoy as it made off.

As the merchants turn away, the escorts engage the 
intruders

The convoy comprised:
Colonne Tribord (Starboard):

• ANV Duroc d'Asprez (Armoured Cruiser 9FP)
• SS Dubonnet (Merchant 6FP)

Colonne Centrale:

• SS Asmodeus (Armed Merchant 6FP)
• SS Bruillier (Merchant 4FP)
• SS Caramello (Merchant 4FP)

Colonne Bâbord:

• ANV Amiral Ducrot (Ironclad Battleship 12FP)
• SS Equipage (Merchant 6FP)

Battle Stats for ANV Duroc d'Asprez

The opening salvoes by both Ruberian warships were already the writing on the wall, so far as Capitaine d'Armagnac was concerned. Never before had he seen such gunnery! At once Amiral Ducrot took two 9.2-inch shell hits along the waterline, and a 6-inch shell at once knocked out the forward main gun. Captain Ulysses Morcroft had trained well the crew of Edgar Colle. So had the crew of Royal Sceptre proved their mettle: a hull hit below the forward main gun came close to knocking out half of the Duroc d'Asprez main battery as well.

Deeming the pre-dreadnought battleship Royal Sceptre the greater threat, Capitaine d'Armagnac ordered both Azurian warships to engage that vessel more closely, and directed the armed merchant to do its best to keep off the protected cruiser Edgar Colle. The latter was something of an optimistic hope, as its short range 4-inch popguns were hopelessly outclassed by the cruiser's 9.2 and 6-inch ordnance. But if his warships could drive off the battleship and still be able to swim, they might yet drive away the cruiser, and save the convoy.

Unfortunately, the slow speed and puny armament of Asmodeus were far insufficient to prevent Edgar Colle from getting in amongst the convoy. Trying to escape, they turned away to the southeast, whilst Asmodeus, caught wrong footed, found itself drawing away rapidly from the main convoy, with the more powerful cruiser stood in between.

The duel of the big warships didn't last long. Engaging the larger of the Azurians with its main guns, Royal Sceptre slammed in damaging hits, knocking out the main gun astern, and adding to the carnage below decks. Having already taken considerable damage from the deadly opening salvo from Edgar Colle, and despite avoiding a long range torpedo strike, Admiral Ducrot soon went down. Before foundering, its own gunfire landed one minor hit upon Royal Sceptre, and the torpedo just missed.

Such was the outcome of Duroc d'Asprez's own torpedo strike at long range - a narrow miss. But it's gunnery, possibly steadied by the lighter, secondary ordnance coming their way proved the more effective than its consort's had. 

The final duel between raider and escort could have in the end but one outcome. As Royal Sceptre shoved several more shells into Duroc d'Asprez, Edgar Colle set off after the merchant ships. The Azurian armoured cruiser soon left dead in the water and sinking, Royal Sceptre took up the pursuit of the convoy.

Duroc d'Asprez tries to hold off Royal Sceptre
as Edgar Colle begins rounding up the merchants

Edgar Colle sending several shots across the bows of 
the Azurian ships. Well... they aren't scoring any hits,
are they?

Still afloat and determined to make a fight of it, the armed merchant Asmodeus tried to bar the way. Naturally, such resistance was a merely futile gesture, as a single salvo was enough to put Asmodeus under.  Meanwhile Edgar Colle had to fire several shells into the unprotected merchant ships before they began to alter course and mill around in circles. As Royal Sceptre wqas coming up rapidly, neither fight nor flight was left to the convoy. Four valuable ships, together with their vital cargoes, fell into the hands of the Ruberian Navy.

No escape for the merchant ships. Four prizes go to the 
Ruberian Royal Navy

Naturally, this engagement was hailed a great victory by the Trinovantum Tribune, The Londonjon Illustrated News, and the Daily Post. But the Azurians had been not quite a pushover. Having taken some hard knocks during the action, Royal Sceptre was to spend several weeks undergoing repair and replenishment. The Azurian Annals, the Bulletin, and Lutetian Egalitarian heaped praise upon the gallant fight Amiral Ducrot, Duroc d'Asprez and Asmodeus put up against a far more powerful enemy.

A few telling shell hits persuade the Azurian ships' captains
that neither fight nor flight are available options

So the survivors who made it back to Azuria related their story. But the whole action had been decided by the remarkable first salvoes, that knocked half the fight out of the escorts before the action had fairly begun.