G7 - The War of the English Succession & the breaking of the Pirate Brotherhood

Jason wrote:i'm starting to think the only way to have peace in G7 is for one side to completely and utterly wipe the other out, down to the last cat.

Actually, if you do not count all the drowned Russian's (Do Russians actually count as people in this period?) losses in G7 have been fairly light. With a few exceptions amongst captured senior officers and political leaders both sides have generally been willing to take and exchange POW's. Compared to the ruthless Cavalry pursuits of G2 with armies of captives impaled, blinded or sold into slavery the worse most people have done in G7 is offer a POW a job on the other side, sometimes with threats but more often backed up with offers of a pay rise.

G7 has also been shockingly lacking in sacked cities and burning villages. Knocking down canals used for troop movement & the levy of "contributions" based on a town's normal taxes and then handing over a receipt so they can claim it back from own Government seems a bit s lacking compared to old style threats to turn Poland into a Roman Candle.

Personally I think Roy is right.....G10 has too many milk sop Western European Types who spend their time worrying what the Pope & the Vicar General of the Jesuits will say and not enough Asian & African Warlords who know that you end wars by cutting the foe and his cat in half!

The Good news in G7 is that with the Hapsburg's knocked out of the main War of the British Succession its now down to Catholic V Protestant. Thirty years War anyone?

Also the Grand Vizier is starting to spoil for a fight with the Hapsburg's. The youngest generation of the Hapsburg Family now contains four daughters so the slaughter of possible bridegrooms and half the guest list plus upsetting the Pope is not really on........As Louis XIV had a Hapsburg mother and a Hapsburg wife guess even he will have to be sent a invite.

But the Grand Vizier is clearly not on the Wedding List & the Pope is not going to give the Hapsburgs grief.......FREE AT LAST! now were is my Papal Banner? Crusade Bull? The Sword of the Cid?

Stuart Bailey wrote:Personally I think Roy is right.....G10 has too many milk sop Western European Types who spend their time worrying what the Pope & the Vicar General of the Jesuits will say and not enough Asian & African Warlords who know that you end wars by cutting the foe and his cat in half

Not exactly what I was thinking But my Rozwi's attitude to POWs is kill them now so you don't have to worry about them later.

June 1712 Glori du Roi has shown up and for non players in G7 here is the highlights package.  Mind you clearly the highlights package is not enough for some players who have instead taken up minor positions were they can trade, fish, do a little gentile diplomacy with friendly locals and generally eat pop corn in a ring side seat.  My post contained contained letters from a couple of new players - Welcome to the new Russian Department East and also to the new Viceroy of Spanish Africa (Director of the HWIC):  Anyway enough of the Hello's and on with the Highlights package for people thinking about taking a position in G7

1) RODRIGO MARTELLO, Knight of the League of St.George, HWIC Chairman & Director, Officer of the Spanish Guards, Spain's Viceroy in Africa, ex Postmaster General and Chairman of the Bank of Africa, Son (legitimate? or not??) of Charles II of England in exile and a Lady from Flanders.  Gentleman Privateer & Swordsman, Poet and man of Science & Business who is the true Catholic Heir to the Crown according to some......Bloody handed Pirate, Smuggler, a fraud and a Traitor according to others IS BACK!!! spluttering outrage that his relation James III of England has just trashed HWIC shipping in Oran. Even though Oran is a Spanish Port and would have been covered by the treaty of Scotland if the Dutch had signed the treaty on time.

- To mark his return to a more active Social and political life the Bank he set up to help trade in Africa went bankrupt.  No doubt the Spanish Teasury will want to know why?  Rodrigo will blame losses due to being the target of Jacobite action and his distractors will mutter about fraud and the bank being used as a subsidy to support for Rodrigo's high risk "trade" activity (Slaving, Privateering etc).

- For info if anyone asked for minor Trade Company position just to get used to G7 and were not fully aware of the back history of the HWIC a) You need to read this thread from the start & b) If you thought you were getting a minor trouble free position from Richard....you have been SOLD DOWN THE RIVER.

2) The French have joined the War in Scotland.  In a major Naval Battle in the Firth of Forth 101 French Line ships have have driven off the Dutch Fleet which had Jacobite Forces in Leith under blockade/naval bombardment and re-captured a English Lineship which was formerly a Dutch Prize.  Vice-Admiral Phelypeaux is reported to be disappointed not to have done more damage to the much smaller but very tough and well handled fleet of Admiral Callenburgh.  Meanwhile a second French Fleet showed up in the Clyde escorting 36 French Transports but any plans to land or re-capture Dutch Prizes at Dumbarton were foiled when the Dutch decided that the prizes were too damaged to be taken to sea & would not fit into Dutch Harbours anyway and torched the lot of them after allowing local Scots to help strip them of anything of value.

- One wonders how French Elan is going to enjoy spending months being sea sick and breathing smoke, followed by the dreaded Scots Midges & the cold and wet which did so much damage to the Army of the Czar.

- The Dutch have also set free numerous Spanish prizes taken by the English but managed to torch four of them when burning the English lineships.  These ships are now sat on the Clyde wondering if its safe to try and get home, Vice-Adiral Admiral Sir Percival Graves considered that this could be a cunning Dutch ploy....Fireships flying a false flag? Smugglers trying to take Traitors and rebels out of the country? But then decided that after Oran and the Dumbarton the action which would most please the cunning and tricky Dutch would be if he blasted a load of Spanish built merchant ships, flying the Spanish Flag and not carrying any controband to bits.

3) Meanwhile on land a couple of neat Jacobite raid's re-captured Dumbarton Castle after the defenders had withdrawn and another raid at night destroyed 20 Bomb Ketches which had been covering the chain and other obstacles guarding Port Glasgow.  This second boat raid resulted in fairly heavy losses to the Marines when their boats were fired on by carronades and muskets but as well as taking out the bomb  ketches brought back information that Port Glasgow is now well and truely out of action due to scuttled block ships and the only way up the Clyde to Glasgow is by row boat.

Whig and Jacobite forces continue to manover for position in Scotland but with little action.  This is not to say that the dieing has stopped since the Whig Commanders sent the German-Austrian troops of the KGL the short distance to Stirling escorting many POWs in good conditions (for Scotland).  Sadly the dreaded Scots midges were active again and it seems to have turned into a death march for the remains of the Jacobite 4th Army.

4) No doubt the news that the French Navy is sailing further away from India was read with glee by the Persian High Command.  Persian Cruisers continued to destroy French Marine in Indian and the far eastern waters (taking another 17 prizes this month) and the French Station of Chandernagore is now under threat from over 100 Persian War Ships.  The Heroic French Garrison of Pondicherry continues to keep the Bourbon Flag flying but most be feeling rather abandoned.

5) On subject of abandoned French Units the Spanish are feeling just a bit miffed that in total violation of the Treaty of Scotland the French have made no effort at all to move out of Mexico City or Santa Marta etc. While it understandable that the French Troops in question are in no rush to leave the taverns of Mexico City for the mean streets of Glasgow the Spanish probably feel particularly upset as they suffered badly in storms racing to meet the six month deadline and Santa Marta is not exactly like sailing into a war zone to take the Garrison of Ayr.

6) In yet another violation of the treaty of Scotland French troops seem to have violated the territory of the Holy Roman Empire in order to occupy the Dutch City of Breda.  It seems that the French avoided crossing Hapsburg Lands and instead trampled the growing crops, scattered spring lambs and generally spread terror and dismay by trampling their muddy hoof prints all over the lands of the Bishop-Princes.

- No doubt French Lawyers will claim that when then agreed a non aggression pact with the Holy Roman Empire they only ment his Austrian Lands and not the rest of the Holy Roman Empire.  It remains to be seen what the Princes of the Empire inc the two acting as guarantors think about this issue.

7) In Versailles the Dutch Envoy asked for a clause 8 settlement under the exact terms of the Treaty of Paris.........Louis XIV proclaimed he will live and die as a Jacobite, called the Dutch Envoy a liar and closed the Dutch Embassy.  The Peace Talks would seem to be officially closed, ended, finished and the war is BACK ON !!

Looks like the only option left for the Dutch, Scots & English Republican forces is to gird their loins and summon the spirits of Robert the Bruce, Wallace and William the Silent etc and fight, fight to the last musket is clogged, the last sword is broken and then really get mean using broken bottles and the Glasgow while crying FREEDOM!

Last Russians troops seem to be leaving the British Isles & as a favour to the Dutch they envoy seems to be trying to find the bits of King William (executed by the Jacobites).

Meanwhile in other news nothing to do with the War of the British Succession and the Brotherhood we had lots of Court & Social news from Russia and Trade & Legal stuff from Spain.  Finally the Emperor seems to be getting some Good news in that he has started to welcome the return of Captive Austraian Troops to Vienna and has a good Harvest in Hungary.  Is this a reward from God for getting rid of 100,000 of those nasty Protestantant types from his Catholic Kingdom? Since England had a bad harvest I wonder if James also allowed the Dutch to leave the British Isles and anyone who can not face English Conquest and Jacobite rule in Scotland to ship out for the America's, Prussia or the UDP would this work for English Harvests as well?

With the Puritans and Pirates of New England now being reinforced by the worst border bandits, women and vampires from the badlands between the Ottoman's & Hapsburg territory one has to feel really sorry for the poor savages and any one eyed German Swordsman who the Czar makes Governor of the New York Colony?

In all fairness, The Russian Far East is more of a Regeneration than a new player

any news on G7 not seen a turn for a while?

It's here (or in my inbox at least)

yea same here

Jason wrote:It's here (or in my inbox at least)

Does this mean peace & sweet harmoney broken out in G7?

Or have we had more battles and charges of bad faith? Plus totally unreasonable treatment of honest lawabiding Spanish Traders?

Stuart Bailey wrote:

Jason wrote:It's here (or in my inbox at least)

Does this mean peace & sweet harmoney broken out in G7?

Or have we had more battles and charges of bad faith?  Plus totally unreasonable treatment of honest lawabiding Spanish Traders?

Is" Honest Lawabiding Spanish Trasders" something you have to get as a research breakthrough, in a similar way to Russian naval crews who can sail?

J Flower wrote:

Stuart Bailey wrote:

Jason wrote:It's here (or in my inbox at least)

Does this mean peace & sweet harmoney broken out in G7?

Or have we had more battles and charges of bad faith?  Plus totally unreasonable treatment of honest lawabiding Spanish Traders?

Is" Honest Lawabiding Spanish Trasders" something you have to get as a research breakthrough, in a similar way to Russian naval crews who can sail?

No its a result of a loveable Hapsburg Monarch, a common legal code and courts with trained judges & the influence of the Counter-Reformation inc giving the little blighters a damn good thrashing at Jusuit run schools to make sure they learn honesty and fair dealing at a young age!

The fact that the Royal Bank of Africa has just gone bust in Spanish Africa costing over £1.5m to sort out I blame on the influence of a French America's (Jamaica) registered company lead by Englishmen & Americans!!! Think Martel needs to stick to the Slaves, Ivory, Opium, Guns and Gin, since I have serious doubts about him being a fit and proper person to run a Bank.

In view of what King James III did to the bank of England its clearly a family trait. Perhaps for his next trick he can set up the Moscow & Riga Marine Insurance Company? Flogging cheap Marine insurance in Russia.

July 1712 issue of Gloire du Roi has shown up and if anyone was wondering if the War of the English (probably British is a better word) Succession has ended and the Brotherhood has all retired to the Costa Brava........I can confirm that the answer is NO:

1) Only one ship lost at sea to possible brotherhood action (English in West Indies). Probably because its ex (?) leaders are either busy sending "Sorry" letters to the Spanish Treasury and Merchant Guarantee Schemes about the Royal Bank of Africa or have got religion and joined the Orange Order.

2) Orange Order skirmishers started another Battle at Dumbarton. The Orange Men lead a frontal attack on the Jacobite ridge line position by Scots, Dutch & French Protestant troops which also had backing of a mostly Spanish Merc Artillery.

- Either Jacobite Gunners have improved or the Spanish Merc Artillery has lost its edge due to the number of combats they have been in (Higher Sickness level than their foes) since they failed to silence the Jacobite Guns. Even though their advance was hampered by Jacobite caltrops the deadly platoon fire of the Veldmaarsschalk Infantry Infantry however swept the 10th & 12th Regiments and then the Earl of Newcastle foot plus the artillery off the ridge and down the other side of the ridge.

- With Newcastle foot in in retreat Major General Savage (an Englishman fighting for the Scots) who's cavalry had been working round the Northern Flank of the Jacobites now charged the flank of the disordered foot.

- Newcastle's Army was looking total disaster in the face as the Dutch Cavalry swept in for the kill......but was saved by William Mackintosh of Borlum (a Scot fighting for the English) who lead his outnumbered horse in a counter charge. His men lost but they did win time for the English/Foot and Guns to win clear. Its probably lucky for the Jacobites that they faced Dutch Troters who favour a French style Cavalry melee.......than the recently withdrown Spanish Horse who the English carefully avoided in recent years since the gallopers would no doubt have tried to smash through the Cavalry Screen and get their Toledo steel into the vitals of the English Army.

- A day later the retreating English the Army had their backs to the Clyde and there morale was at rock bottom when their Naval support sailed away and the Dutch-Scots were pushing on their way in fine style. But having cleared the road back to Glasgow Nassau-Ouwerkerk showed no further interest in finishing off the battered Jacobites but just marched on to Glasgow. The Dutch Generals caution and need to re-establish his supply lines and get inside the fortified lines round Glasgow showed up a few days later with the arrival from the west of a French Army which has finally struggled ashore in Scotland.

- No reports yet printed on the size of the French force, its commender or what it thinks about its first sight of sunny Dumbarton with its river full of a burnt out English fleet and the Streets and hills around the town covered in dead bodies. WELCOME TO BONNY SCOTLAND FROG EATERS (may be some Frogs but you forget the Garlic and a good Red Wine).

3) Over Edinburgh way.....Lord Fairfax lead 20 Battalions of Foot and 4 Squadrons out of Leith and marched to Falkirk. Which was lucky for the good Major-General as General Opdam shortly after moved up 21 Batteries of Artillery and Light Infantry into range of Leith and started shooting. The snipers were driven back by Jacobite rockets but the Artillery fire had a very nasty effect when it caused a Jacobite Magazine to explode. After repeated bombardments from sea and land the Jacobite base in Leith is probably a bit of a mess which may explain why the French Fleet off the Port took one look at Scotland and decided not to bother with a spot of R & R in sunny Leith.

4) This fleet sailed off and later showed up to bombard the Dutch Port of Den Helder. Which is now looking as big a mess as Leith with no less than 28 small Cruisers and 20 dredgers wrecked by the French attack. Commodore Bradley Robbins (who I think may be an American? Member of Brotherhood?) saved his men by leading them ashore rather than take on French Lineships who oddly did not run aground in Dutch Waters. Looks like the Dredgers they sunk have been doing too good a job.

5) A further French attack has taken Bergen-Op-Zoom..........it is not clear if this attack was from the Sea or like Breda was launched by forces who have violated the territory of the Holy Roman Empire to attack the UDP. Currently the Imperials are up in arms about being treated as a French Door Mat and are demanding the French stop trampling their muddy hoof prints all over the Empire. Emperor Leopold seems to be most upset that after he signed the treaty of Scotland to end the war the French they treat the Empire with such distain. The current Question is does the non aggression and territorial respect clause the French signed with the Emperor mean just lands directly ruled by the Emperor? Or the Whole Empire? Think this is one for the lawyers!

6) On the plus side the French do finally seem to be making a belated effort to leave the Spanish America's. Unlike some other issues this was a clear French violation of the Treaty of Scotland but it seems that Gabriel del Montosa and others are willing to take a charitable view. Since what Gentleman of taste is going to rush away from the many delights of Acapulco with its sun kissed beaches and Latin beauties to sail off to the Clydeside killing fields and live on a diet of Haggis.

On the case of the HRR & Hapsburgs, as I undertand it each member of the HRR can make treaties seperatly to the Kaiser, in a similar way the Reich also declares war seperatly as member states, the Reichstag, can meet to make a unilateral declaration, but states can abstain as well. In a similar way Outside states can also pick a fight with individual member states of the Reich, said states can then appeal for help to other Reich states, but that wasn't always forthcoming. The Reich was unified in name only, often Hapsburg intersts & Imperial interests were not the same, add in the relegious problems & othe family feuds & you basically get a patch work map of states who will, will not, or only for the right amount of money fight for the fatherland.

J Flower wrote:On the case of the HRR & Hapsburgs, as I undertand it each member of the HRR can make treaties seperatly to the Kaiser, in a similar way the Reich also declares war seperatly as member states, the Reichstag, can meet to make a unilateral declaration, but states can abstain as well. In a similar way Outside states can also pick a fight with individual member states of the Reich, said states can then appeal for help to other Reich states, but that wasn't always forthcoming. The Reich was unified in name only, often Hapsburg intersts & Imperial interests were not the same, add in the relegious problems & othe family feuds & you basically get a patch work map of states who will, will not, or only for the right amount of money fight for the fatherland.

Have had another look at the Treaty of Scotland and it says Austria (not the Holy Roman Empire) but its signed by the Emperor (not by the Archduke of Austria). Sloppy drafting and use of titles in my view so I guess the Electors and Princes of the Empire can feel that the treaty covers the whole Empire or they can refuse to be bound by what some Papist in Vienna decides and feel free to join their Protestant Brothers in the UDP.

For players running positions like the Ottoman Sultan and the King of Poland or players dealing with them I think this recent confusion shows the importance of clearly showing which area's the treaty covers ie just Ottoman Anatolia or the whole Ottoman Empire.

Must be something about G7 but the Treaty of Warsaw followed by the Treaty of Scotland !! This is getting Crazy? Have we got too many lawyers in this game or not enough?

Turn has arrived,

Interesting that Russian "Flagged" ships have turned up off the coast of Holland, Especially as Russia lost all it's Lineships to a storm in the Atlantic a few turns back, wonder who is flying the flag fo Russia, if they have Russian crews as well then there should be another disaster at sea to report next month.

Just wondering if historically ships Captains would be happy to fight under false flags, personally would have thought they would find it dishonourable, also shows they are afraid to fly their true colours.

Would any actions done under false colours count as acts of piracy, so that if the nation that they are taking advantage of caught them, surely it would be seen as a hanging offence.

I know in game we can simply issue the order to "fly flag of country....." but historically flags took a while to create, one of the jobs of the court artist was to paint the new flags, so when a lot of regiments or ships were raised in one go their could actually be a backlog of issuing new flags, even if they weren't painted, but stitched instead, once again there is a time frame involved, maybe if a time period was introduced before flying flags of another country to allow for production, or maybe you need a forger to create the flags.

Would maybe stop the unhistorical use of other positions flags.

Given the track record of the Russian Navy, you've think anyone being devious would prefer to fly the flag of a fleet that tends not to sink! And as I command (I think) the majority of the Russian fleet that hasn't sunk, I can assure you all that fleet ain't mine!

So, own up, which of you is being a low-down, rotten deceiver?
And, if your ships don't sink in the next month, we claim them as compensation!

The flying of false flags was a fairly common "rouse de guarre" as the French termed it.

But its a trick used by individual pirates and cruisers trying to take a prize or slip into a harbour on a cutting out mission rather than by whole fleets.

Basically experienced sailors can identify were a ship is from from its lines, the cut of a sails, its rig, plus other factors like its paint work, name plates, design and decor probably well before they are close enough to see the flag. Its a bit like in WW2 sticking a German Cross on a T34....this may cause German Anti Tank gunners to think before shooting one tank esp in company with other German vehicles but a whole Division of the things are going to fool no one and if the T34's are coming from the wrong direction or not expected they are probably going to be shooting at the shape long before seeing the Iron Cross. On the other hand Germans using captured T34 against their former owners and "accidently" allowing their new cross to get all muddy may be a lot more effective.

To fool someone about the were a ship comes from rather than just flying a false flag you either have to use "prizes" or totally re-fit the ship to make it look like it comes from a different yard. A false flag on its own will only work if you approach from head on and do not allow people to get a good look at the whole ship. This is just not going to happen with a whole fleet with the possible exception of being lead into harbour in line lead by some prizes.

Not sure if sailors would be that bothered by flying a false flag, the key point is that its really, really dishonourable to fight under a false flag.......its OK to use a false flag to get close to a target but you have to take the false flag down and fly your true colours before you open fire (even if you are a pirate).

Ref the "misuse" of the Russian Flag of the Dutch Coast.......think proper Sailors would feel like a bunch of plonkers at being ordered to pretend to be a bunch of land lubbers and sea sick serfs. What next? Watering down the Rum? Shooting Albatrosses?

You can tell they are imposters & not proper Russian Sailors,

1) They are still afloat after half an hour
2) they are outside of the Calm waters of the Baltic( Russian Mapmakers don't have access to other parts of the world at the moment.
3) There is no mention of the goat mascot which accompanies each Russian naval unit !

Either a clever move using the Flag of the one Navy in the game that actually cannot build Ships of the Line, or a spelling mistake & it should have been flags of the Prussian yacht club, last made famous in game two for it's grenade attacks upon the Swedish fleet , oh happy days......

August 1712 Gloire du Roi has shown up and for non G7 players here are the highlights:

1) The French Army has landed even more troops in Scotland (45 Cavalry Squadrons in Musselburgh) while their main Army marched out of Dumbarton and into a massive traffic jam with the Duke of Newcastle Jacobite Army marching the other way. When the traffic jam was finally sorted out the French marched down the Glasgow road and round the "Glasgow Lines" but apart from having a look they have not yet started an attempt to force the lines so they can have a go at the Dutch Army everyone assumes is now resting and re-fitting in Glasgow r after its Clyde-side campaign.

2) Other French troops have marched into Eindhoven and a combined operation by the French Army & Navy has stormed the colony of Willemstad on the Island of Curacao. With the support of 26 Lineships and Jean Forbin saying he would shot anyone who retired the French Army spent all day pined down and suffered terrible losses before they finally stormed the Dutch Stockade under cover of Night. Since the defenders were hugely outnumbered and had no artillery support. This is probably not a huge confidence boast to any troops getting ready to attack the Glasgow Lines. Oddly the paper refers to the defenders of the lines as Scots Dragoons and Spanish Merc Regiments rather than Dutch so the French are probably wondering if these units just want to go home and it will be a walk over before they run into the Dutch. Or will the Spanish Troops get all "macho" at the sight of the hated Lilly Banners.

3) The French Navy Bombarded Berwick and badly smashed up its old defenses but oddly the Dutch did not continue their bombardment or attack Leith after the defence was thrown into confusion by a magazine explosion last month. Even more oddly as Lord Fairfax prepared to bombard Stirling he was advised by locals that all the Dutch etc had left and they would be most grateful if he did not.

It is really not clear if the Dutch have gone home to help defend it from the French or the allied commanders in Scotland are getting ready for a offensive against one of the three English and French Armies now on Scots soil in a repeat of their smash & grab Dumbarton campaign.

4) On the subject of the this campaign, Lord Newcastle is busy with proclamation saying that the campaign is not a English Defeat. Overall the world wide situation may look grim for the Dutch but in bonny Scotland they the banks of the Clyde they have destroyed the major English Fleet, destroyed the Jacobite 4th Army, captured the garrison of Dumbarton Castle then avoided a Anglo-French attempt to trap them in Dumbarton by cuffing aside Jacobite 6th & 7th armies and pulling back inside their fortified lines taking their loot and POWs with them. Sadly the paper did not say if English Officers were able to keep smiling when reading out the Duke of Newcastle fine words or if his troops now believe that "They have won a strategic victory and the Dutch Cavalry is exhausted, infantry shattered and their feared Spanish artillery destroyed" or if they believe their general has clearly taken a nasty blow on the head and needs to lie down.

5) At sea 9 French Liners have gone missing in Indian waters.....while in St Andrews the Jacobites have impounded the 10 Spanish Frigates to go with the convoy of 50 plus Spanish Merchantships they impounded last month. One view is that these are Spanish owned and crewed ships sailing under the Spanish Flag in peace time when they were seized and if they are not set free with a full apology its a total violation of the treaty of Scotland and Charles von Hapsburg is going to be really, really upset and throw a fit.

The possible alternative view is that when the treaty of Scotland was signed (and before being freed by the Dutch) these ships were English prizes so under the terms of the treaty all the English have to do is free the crews with £2 passage money each so they can get home and the English Navy can keep the ships and cargo as legitimate spoil of war.

Guess it all comes down to if Sir William Swinburne of Capheaton etc want to really, really annoy Hapsburg No3?

In other news from around the world:

6) Austrian Dragoons troops routed Rebel Hungarian Hussars outside of Kaschau but have had the town gates slamed in their faces....how rude!

7) The Imperial Diet is getting its nickers in a twist due to the violation of Imperial territory by French troops on route for the UDP. But will anyone actually do anything about it ?

A "Russian" fleet has shown up off the Dutch Coast. Either they are flying false flags which is the common theory or they are a sad relic of a much larger Russian Fleet which vanished without trace a few years ago. Off course due to winds and Russian chart reading skills (lack off) they are now totally lost and trying to find their way home.......The Legand of the Flying Russian rather than the Flying Dutchman?!

9) The Czar wants to start Missionary work to spread Orthodoxy. His Churchmen think he should start at home and convert the many Old Believers, Jews, Muslims and Protestants (inc the Commander of his Guards) etc on Russian Soil. The Czar also wants a Congress to consider treatment of POWs and Civilians.......perhaps he should start with getting the Cossacks to attend and agree.

10) The Spanish Govt seems to have solved the financial problems caused to Spanish Trade in Africa by Martel.... by throwing large amounts of cash at it. They also seem to be trying to make sure that Martel supplies the exact amounts of Gum Arabic and Ivory his customers think they are buying by bringing in a common weights and measures system.....anyone would think elements in the Spanish Govt would not be too upset if the Viceroy resigned his post and sailed off to help the Dutch or become a Orthodox Missionary.

11) Finally the arrival of 100 French Galley's at Socotra and in position to threaten Pilgrim traffic to Mecca seems to have caused all sorts of upset. With Al-Mahdi Muhammed bin Ahmed, Iman of Yemen demanding they leave his Island, probably in the hope that Shah of Persia does not nail him to his own gates as a traitor to Islam. Others seem more interested in putting the blame on the Ottoman GV for allowing the French to transit Ottoman Territory and threaten Islamic Pilgrims.

12) Finally the Dutch are still asking to make peace on original terms and on condition that all of their troops can retire from Scotland without being attacked. James III published terms now seem to be demanding unconditional surrender while Louis XIV is saying "I agree with him". The question now seems to be.....will fellow Protestants and esp the King of Sweden rally to help the UDP? Or will the Hapsburg's get so feed up with repeated violations of the Treaty of Scotland such as Oran, late withdraw from the America's, violation of Imperial territory, seizure of Spanish flagged ships that something happens to distract Anglo-French attention from the UDP & Scotland?

Turns arrived & no surprise the Russian flagged fleet has disappeared, probably sunk off the Isle of Man.That will teach them!

Looks like UDP political affairs have gotten a bit sharp to say the least, will the man who killed the Staadtholder be hung or will he be given a title & a large tract of land as a reward?

This is the eleventh turn without Russia having a ship sunk, is this an in game record?

Sept 1712 Gloire du Roi has shown up and oddly its all gone rather quite. For non G7 players here are the Highlights for what they are worth:

1) In events rather like the death of the De-Wit brothers during the 1670's French invasion of the UDP. The Stadtholder has been overthrown and killed in a military Coup. Could just about understand events if Anthonie Heinsius had been replaced by a Dutch Republican but oddly he seems to have been replaced as Lord Protector of the Republic by a Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont. So a Dutch Orangist leader has been replaced by a more extreme Orangist only he is English with a Scots title.

If the Lord Protector is a new player......welcome and good luck. If he is a NPC it all seems a bit Treaty of Warsaw like to me in that King James of England & Louis XIV have got their wish in having Heinsius replaced. Only they probably did not expect to see him replaced by an English Republican exile with Scots links.

2) In the field the French Army prepared to bombard New Port Glasgow but found it abandoned. While the Dutch marched to Ayr and found it occupied by the English. Assume the Dutch can if they so wish wipe out the English force holding Ayr.......but will they risk trying to withdraw via Ayr now the move has attracted attention? If Dutch forces suddenly develop cloaking and the ability to teleport across the North Sea its probably fair to say Bellomont is a NPC only keeping the hot seat warm for anyone our there who fancies himself (or her self) as a Protestant and Republican Hero.

3) English Jacobite Troops attempted to take Berwick by coup de main but had to abandon the attempt when they found the breach made by the French Navy was in a sea wall and could only approached by boat or if they swam. With Sentries shooting at them the 37th decided that this was a job for marines not a foot regiment.

4) The Jacobite English Parliament meet in Warwick Castle (No longer able to meet in Westminster as James knocked it down and replaced it with a Park full of Statues of Stuarts) they condemned the losses suffered by English POWs when they were marched across Scotland and demanded the removal of Heinsius as a obstacle to peace. A wish which seems to have been granted by the Dutch.

Other issues discussed included:

- The English carrying trade in Islamic Pilgrims. Is the Pope aware that the Catholic King of England is doing everything he can to help Muslims make it to Mecca safe and sound from those nasty Knights of Malta?

- A new election

- Reformation of the Bank of England backed by Russian Gold....King James wants a minimium in £5,000,000 in Bullion from the Russians before he will allow the Bank to reform. Russian Orthodox Priests object to the Czar's Protestant Body Guard, wonder what they will make of the Czar giving away Russian Gold to Heretics when said gold could be used for Othodox Icons, Crosses and the Like?

- The French Invasion of the UDP, the Government are all in favour a the French taking over the UDP. They also want to use French Catholic Troops to force Dutch Protestants to convert to the Church of England. Unless the Church of England is now a Catholic Church not sure if French Catholics or the Pope see much difference between one bunch or Heretic and another & what about Dutch Catholics will they also be forced to convert to the Church of England? Bankbench members of Parliament did not seem so keen on the take over of the UDP by the French Army

5) Oddly the Jacobite English Parliament did not mention the propsed wedding of the Jacobite Catholic Heiress of the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland to Louis XIV Grandson & 3rd or 4th (?) in line to the French Throne Charles de Bourbon Duc of Berry.

- Over in France Louis XIV seems far more open about the potential for the House of Bourbon (or would that be Bourbon-Stuart?) to take over three Kingdoms and the UDP. His bakers even made him a cake in shape of the UDP with candles for each Dutch Town his forces have taken.

6) In Stockholm the Swedes seem to be getting ready to abandon the graves of their fallen Hero's, Their Nobles Estates and the Protestant communities in the Baltic States and sale the whole of the Swedish Baltic Empire apart from a few German Outposts to the Russian Czar. Hope they get a good price because it going to cost a fortune in honour! Nothing yet said by the Poles about their claim to Livonia.

7) Russians seem to be getting religion as well as the Baltic States. This is probably bad news from a Ottoman view point but as usual the Grand Vizier was too busy attacking Spain to notice what is going on anywhere else. It seems that the Sultans Mothers favourite Eunach who only got in the Janissary Corp because his Inn Keeping Grandfather bribed the Corp's recruiters with Wine & Pork to take his daughters disgrace with a Peddler or three away has now decided that the French Navy is only in Eastern Waters is no danger to Persian Pilgrims and is actually their to protect them from the Spanish.

The Bey of Egypt and the Doctors of Law and Religion have clearly decided that the GV has been smoking too much opium with the Wine the Janissary Corp is so fond off and have ignored the Grand Viziers delusions to close the Suez Canal to all Warships.

9) In London the Spanish Commissioner for Prisoners appointed a QC to purse a claim that the 51 Spanish Merchant Ships and 10 Flanders Frigates re-taken by Admiral Graves & the Port Admiral of St Andrews after being freed by the Dutch were Spanish owned, flagged and Crewed when they were taken in peace time and should be set free with immediate effect. The Court however found that when the treaty of Scotland was signed the ships passed into English Navy ownership and Graves was only taking back his own property from the Dutch and his fully entited to his prize money.

It is believed that the Spanish were not surprized by this ruling and happy to write off the lost ships but are expecting their crews to be returned ASAP with £2 a man passage money as per the treaty of Scotland. But people are now wondering will King James try and claim that these crews are in some way Dutch allowing him to hold them captive as POWs for the Duration of his War with the UDP? Most people would think that holding Charles Von Hapsburgs men captive would be a total violation of the Treaty of Scotland and a declaration of war on Spain and would not risk it to save £19,300 esp with half the English Fleet now sunk in Scots waters. But with Mad Jimmie Stuart you never can say.......he may think saving £19,300 and getting the French to fight another war for him is good value.

10) The Russians have signed a trade treaty with Spain which gives their traders most favoured nation status. Hopefully this means that the Russian Merchant & Royal Fleet's can buy some decent Spanish charts.......The Russian Navy has just managed to arrive at St Vincent an Island so lacking in rum, brothels, ships stores and all the other joys of a proper American Port like Havanna or Kingston that even the Corsairs have abandoned it to Cannibals and shipwrecked black slaves.

This passes for "quiet" ? !!

Oct 1712 Gloire du Roi has shown up and for non G7 players the highlights with follow shortly.....but first an apology to the new Dutch (?) player and to the player of James III.

- In my account of Sept 1712 I called the new Lord Protector of the UDP a Englishman with Scots title.  It has been pointed out to me that Lord Coote is actually Irish Protestant not English.  The Jacobites would also like it known that the new Lord Protector of the UDP has links with the America's rather than Scotland and is still viewed as a subject of King James and a traitor with a price on his head!  Why do I get the feeling that the new Dutch Government is going to find dealing with King James is not very easy.

I did have one character in Gloiri du Roi who 2nd turn was to surrender himself to the justice of his master the Sultan with a bow string around his neck.  Perhaps Lord Coote may need to do this but considering what happened to King William, Lord Murrey & Prince Eugine of Savoy I would not give very good odds on a Royal Pardon.

As for the actual news itself:

1) Results of English Election now in.......Tories still dominate but have lost 22 seats to the new Catholic Party who now have 29 seats after also taking a few off the Whigs and Kings Friends as well.

2) Marylebone Cricket club founded.  Hints of scrabble here.......in scrabble the Brits like to scent mark their areas of influence by building networks of Schools with cricket pitches.  Perhaps G7 will now see cricket established in Scotland & France?

3) Spain & England continue legal row over the 9650 Spanish/Flanders sailors who when the war ended should have been returned to Spain /Flanders with £2 each passage money.  Unfortunately before this happened they and their ships were "liberated" by the Dutch.  On being taken back the English are now claiming these men as "Dutch" and subject to clause 8 talks while an ever more niggled King of Spain argues that these men are his subjects and should be set free with £2 each passage money.  

- This turn Spanish made a offer of £198,800 to buy the ships back as well which would save the Admiralty the cost of the passage money and also save on the time & cost of flogging the prizes via prize agents.  While Admiral Graves sailors are probably perfectly happy to take Spanish Gold and call it a day will the Jacobite Lords of the Admiralty take same position? Or wish to continue that favourite Jacobite sport of Spanish Bull Baiting?  Hours of fun for all the Family......standing behind a safety barrier marked France is recommended.

3) French Troops march to Glasgow expecting the start of a major battle against tens of thousands of Orange Order, Scots freedom fighters, English exiles, etc, etc all dug in behind fortified lines reinforced with strong points for artillery etc and like Sterling they find the place abandoned!

4) The Dutch have take Ayr and have also defeated an English attack on Berwick with three battalions of the 1st Marine Regiment who landed by ships boats taken captive by the defenders. So it seems that not all the "Dutch" forces have "teleported" back to the UDP.

5) In the UDP itself the French have captured the undefended towns of Middleburg and Flushing.  But oddly nothing reported on the new Dutch Government.  The Dutch also lost Chinsura to the English but defeated a attempt to take Tobago by the French.  

6) In France Louis XIV seems to have developed a interest in Gardening......well he is getting on a bit.

7) In Spain King & Queen spent month visiting Barcelona.......where the King developed his interest in axle loadings while his Queen and Church continue to spend his money on Schools.

In the protestant North: Denmark & Saxony said some nice things about Heinsius and express concern about the invasion of the UDP but seem unable/unwilling to do anything further to help the Dutch without the leadership of the Emperor or the King of Sweden.  The King of Sweden currently being busy dealing with the surrender of his Baltic Empire to Russia (Hopefully for a good price.......well if the Czar paid £27m for a lease hold on English American Colonies how much is getting Saint Petersburg, Estonia, Livonia and Ingria worth?) while the Hapsburgs are tangled up by the Treaty of Scotland...........poor Dutch

9) When not buying up the Baltic the Czar of Russia is busy trying to spead to "true faith".  He has already converted his protestant bodyguard and now the Baltic is finished he is believed to be looking to help the thousands of his subject who every year are taken by Khanate Slavers and the millions of the Orthodox suffering under the Yoke of the Ottoman Empire.

- As a a second step, after dealing with the Baltic the Czar reduced tax on Spanish trade and his envoy in Spain pledged the might of Russia to protect Spain and Catholic States from Ottoman Aggression.  Two possible issues here 1) Does Charles von Hapsburg need to be top of the list of people needing protection? 2) Should the Grand Vizier be worried?

10) In Constantinople the Ottomans did threaten to cut off the head of the Russian Envoy after he tried to recruit a doctor, but have not carried out the threat which could really have caused G7 to blow up.

But basically by G7 standands a quite month and hardly anyone died apart from a few more English & Swiss in Berwick and French trying to land on Tobago by ships boat and getting shot to bits.

Was surprised to read that a single Frenchman waving a silly white flag was able to capture Glasgow all on his own, obviously he chose a good time tomake his enterance. Had it been on a Saturday night just after the pubs ahd closed then I suspect the flagpole would have been used in a way that would have ensired the poor Frenchman would have trouble sitting down ever again.

Obviously New UDP government has been sold a position by a dodgey salesman, country is half overrun by Frenchmen, army is eating Haggis & deep fried chocolate in Scotland, will they actually be fit to fight even if the escape from entrapment in the city of Ayr? Colonial possessions are slowly being put under new management. Plus they have been given a head of government who is viewed as a traitor by their main opponents & has a death sentence for treason hanging over them if they ever set foot in England. apparently he was once or still is head of the HWIC, a company that backed William against James for the throne of England & now has according to intellegence reports from King James, more Spanish shareholders than English ones. Will that count as a breaking of the Treaty of Scotland I wonder. It appears the treaty of Scotland has as much chance of surviving to full term as a Russian ship has of completing a trip circumnavigation of the globe.

Looks like the gloves are off between Ultra- Catholic Hapsburgs( one time backers of Protestant UDP?) in Madrid & neo-Conservative(current backers of Catholic Hungarian Rebel Prince?) elements in Constantinople, who can write the most insulting letter to the other without actually pushing the big red"War" button. Will the Ottomans continue backing the Hungarian rebellion in the hope of splitting Hapsburg power in the East as a precursor to reclaiming Granada for the Muslim faith.Will the Dons look to get their monies worth from the UDP & keep the French & English at war until the treaty of Scotland runs out?

Russia has so far handed over 21 goats & 17 chickens to the Swedish government to secure the return of St. Petersburg, the Tsars estates have been virtually emptied of livestock in meeting this high price. It is hoped that the widespread introduction of the new "Kiev " Chicken breed will enable the price for the rest of the Baltic states to be more easily met.

Interesting that Elector of Saxony feels some sympathy for Dutch, wonder if he realises that UDP had at least two chances to sign the treaty of Scotland & both times used the deadline to execute an attack on the people he was supposed to be making a peace with, so is it any wonder that France & England were a little miffed with him. Maybe sending a box of tulip bulbs to help Louis get his new flower beds all planted up ready for the spring will help improve relations between UDP & France.

Correction to:

Stuart Bailey wrote: 9) When not buying up the Baltic the Czar of Russia is busy trying to spead to "true faith". He has already converted his protestant bodyguard and now the Baltic is finished he is believed to be looking to help the thousands of his subject who every year are taken by Khanate Slavers and the millions of the Orthodox suffering under the Yoke of the Ottoman Empire.

I have not converted yet merely considering my options......