Sir Robert Calder Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 (edited) Here recorded are the humble thoughts of a loyal Spaniard to the Royal Spanish Navy. --- February 3rd Ave Maria! I finally find myself present within the walls of Habana off the coast of Cuba. The trip across the Atlantic still refuses to relinquish the smell of sea and salt from my nostrils, though I am thankful I did not succumb to the sickness that plagued half of the crew within transit. My station as a Capitán, albeit lowly, still has put me in position for the first time to lead men of my own and prove my worth as a marinero de España. I will pray at the local mission for the safe journeys of my crew around the extent of Habana's waters as I establish a lay of the land, and then begin enforcing Spain's Treaty de Tordesillas. It is God's will that Spain control these waters, as is my King's; truly a noble cause if there ever was one. February 11th It seems that the plague will not let the sea contain it, as I now find myself the head of a much larger ship known as the "Snow" with its previous Capitán laid to rest in Habana's cemetery. The ship is nimble, yet strong, and has aided me well in the pursuit of Spain's ambitions within these waters. I've also tried to establish myself amongst my peers, keeping in close contact with the post, letters, and even a trip to the tavern or two to accustom myself to their customs and activities. The Spaniards here are much different than those I knew at the ranches in Hispania. They are tougher, grittier, even cynical at times, though undoubtedly each of them still has a love for the Spain in their hearts so I cannot fault them. Perhaps their cynicism grows from the massive loss of colonies within the Caribbean, the entirety of Florida lost to the Americans with the British an ever winding serpent in the south, even piercing the veil of Cuba itself. I hear of as many victories as I do defeats, so I know that my brothers are not incompetent soldiers without a mind for strategy, but our numbers are spread very thin amongst Spain's massive claim to these waters. I will think on what to do. February 13th I have received word that my mother has passed. I grieve as deeply as I pray. February 19th A grand strategy of sorts has been made aware to me from la tenientes españoles. Many of my peers have been actively directing many of our Capitáns to the southern reaches of Panama, and even I have established a personal outpost within the region of Canalete to assist their plights when need be. Unfortunately, that is not enough for some of the more expressive tenientes of the Spanish fleet in this region, wanting a vast portion of our ships located in the Panama region to assist against the brigand threats and a possible Scottish incursion into the colonial scene. Others find themselves on the opposite spectrum, citing the former as cobardes and accusing them of treason as they abandon Cuba's defense. I find myself torn as the trip to Panama is not a quick one to make and with the loss of Mantua unsafe as vile Americans have begun to harry even Habana itself from the port of Key West. Many of the new Capitáns who are being sent from the homeland much as I was are targets for the larger and more organized hordes of ciudadanos de hamburguesa in the north. The divisiveness on this issue has lead to even personal insults amongst my peers, ingraining the divide as a personal vendetta in which only Spain herself suffers. I will try to be the voice of reason as much as I can. I've also been put in command of a larger ship on par with a frigate. February 22nd The Americans grow bolder with every passing day. I've resigned myself to defending the coast of Cuba whilst others try to enforce Spain's claims elsewhere. I find it a personal duty to protect and cultivate the newer Capitáns so that they will know our cause is not hopeless as the Anglos encroach closer to our capitol each day. It is my hope that they will grow emboldened under my display of stalwart vigil in the face of adversity, so that they will stay and fight instead of descending into degenerate piracy in face of a hopeless war. I sunk this one in particular lurking right off the coast of Cuba, whilst other prizes I've claimed have become so emboldened to hunt just outside the port of Montanzas and Mariel. My luck did not hold out forever, as a patrol deep into the Keys with a favorable comrade known as "olo" resulted in my defeat and near capture. To attack near Key West is to stir a hornet's nest, even as we muster up dozens of Spanish ships under "Bentguruissimo" and "NeoG's" leadership we were ultimately outgunned, though I am a firm believer that our skill at arms far surpassed their own. The Americans accuse me in particular of attacking those engaged against piratas or even at times the British, leading to the justification of their overwhelming numbers being brought down upon my ship. They would not be wrong, though I wonder if they would not feel threatened as I do were the situation reversed, and their home port of Charleston were under threat of the Spanish each passing day. It is my hope to instill fear and uncertainty amongst the Americans, so they know that they at least cannot sail these waters without harassment. Despite our best efforts however, two more major ports on the west coast of Cuba have fallen into American hands and I doubt their recapture will be any time soon. Their massive weekly raids are nearly unstoppable, and I pray that reinforcements from Hispania come soon or else we may share a dismal fate in the New World. If there is any good to be said about our situation, it is that we are not without a fight and any man who actively seeks such violence out would do well to join la flota española. Edited February 25, 2016 by Federico Gravina 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. Rice Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Sad to see one of my clan member sink but great job....this is a game of pvp after all....And in your situation i would also do the same as in the art of war when an enemy far out numbers yours, your best tactic is to resort to Guerrilla warfare. Hit them where it hurt quickly and leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Robert Calder Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 (edited) February 25th As I listen to my peers speak at length on España's dire situation in the Caribbean, it seems that is all I do. If the Spaniards in this region could load words into their cannons I daresay the combined forces of the Anglos would fret for their very existence. The topic of España's armada garrisoning in the lands of Panama have lead to continuous inner strife, displeasing both sides as inaction has ultimately ruled the debate with only minor victories in the south. Some battle-hardened Spaniards have even renounced the colors of our King, swearing to fight in Spain's best interest with those who will take the initiative. I have no doubt our King's inner circle would have all these marineros hung high in the square of Toledo as traitors, but I find myself sympathetic to their plight. The most organized remnants of Spain's royal fleet I have been made aware to are la Armada Española de la Florida, which given their namesake's current political status has shown to me the demoralized state our nation is in. To make matters worse, those who advocated Panama were subject to the untapped might of the Dutch in the region, once thought to be a mild oversight have proven to be very capable and well equipped sailors. Yet, even as I write this, I see in the hearts of every Spaniard sailor a burning desire to put an end to our constant misfortune. Yes, we are outnumbered, outgunned, and simply outmatched on nearly every front as both our enemies and supposed allies steadily pick apart our rightful empire, but tonight I write with a burning passion in my heart. Tired of the relentless attacks on our ports, I put out a call to arms amongst what is left of our kin in these waters. I will not lie that anxiety filled my heart, expecting only skeleton crews, but apparently my words attracted even the distant la Armada Española de la Florida in their Panama holdings and with them their experienced crews. Many of my compatriots closer to Habana such as "olo", "Silfarion" who had sailed with me days prior accompanied me on this personal crusade which swelled my heart with joy. Our flotilla was also joined by the likes of the silver-tongued "Surathani" and his compatriot "Ryions", and it would not be long before our impromptu group discussed brief strategy. To my dismay, though a personal gripe, my original thought of scourging the British's latest incursion near Barcos faded after I was made aware of the intricate 'treaty' that a large portion of the gathered armada had with the British. My inexperience with siege also lead to a miscalculation on liberating some of the Cuban ports I had originally intended to target owned by the Americans, and with a force impatient for the blood of our enemies I plotted a course to Alacranes. The small island, once in Spanish hands, marked the beginning of the Americans' influence deeper into the Gulf than ever before. With a narrow timeframe and the navigation skills of "TooHigh4tv" we arrived at our target after evading an American Trincomalee. Another mark of my inexperience showed when I neglected to factor in the time needed for a "conquest purchase", though a sharp Capitán known by "ContraStorm" acted on his own intuition, taking the initiative along the Yucatan and linked up with our force at Alacranes with minutes to spare. The port itself was undefended, bar a single showing from an American capitán known as CHEATOS who could do not but jeer us, though I do respect him making a token appearance. In truth, we were fully aware that this port may yet be in American hands once again before this week passes fully, but bestowing the feeling of hopelessness onto one of our numerically superior foe showered me in exuberance. I had not seen so many flags of Spain flying simultaneously since my assistance of "NeoG" and his battle-hardened flock, but I would like to think we did an honor to our nation by proving that we too can be numerous once in a blue moon even now. It would not be long before our forces consolidated our claim to the region by enforcing the neutral town of Triangles to pay taxes to our mighty empire as well, the denizens of whom often felt our presence simply no longer existed in the region. This victory will undoubtedly pale in comparison to those factions taking huge swathes of land within days, though to those of Spain it shows we are not simply giving up without a fight. Even as some of our more vocal dissidents may kick and scream over our situation, that we will not simply roll over and watch as we are stripped to pieces with no hope of reclamation. We know we do not have the manpower to fight our major foes head-to-head, but just as the Moors swarmed our homeland centuries ago in overwhelming numbers, we will do as Spaniards do and remain as resilient and stubborn as a Castellian ox. We will harry, we will harass, and we will not abandon our denizens whether they sail in Cuba or the fringes of our territory. Edited February 25, 2016 by Federico Gravina 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VictusB Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) Such to tyrants. Good luck petitioning your despotic rulers to move your capital city to a more defensible location... Would make sense, but no one accused the Peninsulars of comprehending logic. It is just a matter of time before the Crillos understand freedom as a territory of the USA is worth fighting for over slavery to the Dutch or the cruelties European powers would impose to finance their wars with eachother. It is our destiny manifest that the entire region is becoming free from the tyranny of Europe! Edited February 26, 2016 by VictusB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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