The first offensive launched during the war was not at land but at sea when the US Navy sortied from its base in order to take the war upto the British. Got across the Atlantic, had a rethink of their strategy and turned round and sailed home again.
From a wargaming perspective it is a boring campaign as there no actions or battles at all. But from a strategic perspective it interesting and it is that viewpoint and what could have happened that makes it worth exploring.
Historically the nicest thing most historians most say about the Adams cruise is that it forced the British to start protecting their own merchantmen thereby allowing the American merchant fleet to get home safely. This then allowed for American privateers to then go to sea to give the British a headache at sea.
But what else could have happened to the squadron that could have impacted on the course of the war. Firstly and perhaps the most interesting was that Rodgers set sail before an order arrived that would have tied the fleet to harbour defence duties at New York. This at the very least would have led to the blockading of the fleet by a larger British squadron. Probably meant no offensive actions until 1813 at the earliest and possibly broken up those elite crews that the Americans have.
Secondly there was the strategy behind the cruise in the first place. While the senior officers of the navy including Rodgers had favoured this expedition across the Atlantic. The long lonely sail across the Atlantic caused a rethink of this strategy and they turned around and arrived home safely. So while they lucky enough to avoid contact they were also clever enough not to push their luck. So there is plenty of room to explore the squadrons adventures in Europe if they had not turned back. Though I think the most likely outcome is either sunk or bottled up in a French controlled port.
Most options seem to involve the early demise of the the American fleet. So what would this have meant to the war. Well the first is no victories over single British frigates, except for the USS Constitution over HMS Guerriere. These victories were pretty much the only good news for the Americans until 1814, so the war may end quickly as the American will to fight collapses. Another point to consider is that many of these crews would eventually make their way to the Great Lakes to assist in winning the battles of Lake Erie and Plattsburg while also ensuring a stalemate on Lake Ontario. So if they are not available? Though if they are on the other side of the Atlantic they may encourage a French naval adventure.
So there are many options to explore as we recreate the adventures of Commodore John Rodgers.
