If you haven’t seen the new series of ” Look who’s back”, subtitled on YouTube, then where have you been? This Easter Monday we hark back to another of history’s great bogeymen, the Turkish Imperialists. Those croissants aren’t crescent shaped without reason, they warn Christendom to be watchful………

In our scenario the papal envoy is being escorted back to Venice by a small flotilla and there is an Ottoman fleet hot on their tails. Luckily a Spanish fleet from Sicily has sighted the threat and together the two Christian fleets intend to make a fight of it.

The crafty Ottomans have enlisted the services of the Barbary pirates as scouts and it is these galleys that the Venetians first encounter. The Venetian galleys have the advantage in firepower and hope to overwhelm the corsairs before the rest of the fleet leaves the coast.

The Ottoman admiral is more circumspect. The Pirates beat a hasty retreat and the Venetians can see the Ottoman line forming. The Castilians hug the coast looking to gain position behind a small island.

My inexperience was beginning to show. The Grand Vizier was keeping his galleys close whilst mine were on a broad crescent. The rules had been tampered/ amended with before hand to give the galleys more crew. My gunfire was not to be the battle winner I had hoped.

My Sicilian fast galleys sprang a trap from behind the island but the wily Turk countered with his own faster craft. I had two rounds of cannon fire before the Turks were ramming both Spanish ships. The Spirit of Sicily fought well but the Santa Merde dropped her colours and surrendered. The two fleets were now joined in a desperate struggle. Seven Turkish vessels were on fire but their numbers were beginning to tell. Two gaps opened up and the Turkish craft were through, a cannonade and then a boarding action…..

The Turks were taking losses but the loss of the Castillian flagship meant that the Pope would not receive any mail from Rhodes this month. My thanks to Mike Lane for another thrilling game and a new branch of wargaming to me.

I will be revenged! 😖 I shall prepare the fleet!