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Post by Sophie on Sept 25, 2023 18:55:45 GMT -5
Rear Admiral Tim Lee was young and violently ambitious. If no one else bought into every piece of Galran propaganda, Lee did. Being forced to share a planet with subhuman trash like the Odaru was a constant and burning irritation that Lee needed to cleanse. However being just a Rear Admiral he wasn't trusted with much. He was given command of a small fleet with a simple, yet explicit mission. Surround and starve Ashinara, and only engage when threatened. Return them to their isolation where they belonged. Once the more important threats have been handled the foxes could be erradicated with ease.
To Lee's extreme irritation, his fleet was tiny. Comparative to the rest of the Galran fleet at least. He was in direct command of a single fast battleship, 12 battlecruisers, no heavy cruisers, 18 light cruisers, and 50 destroyers. They were dredges from Galra's older fleet. To save on time refueling and rearming he was given explicit instructions not to seek out a fight and patrol slowly for any vessels trying to sneak in. This irritated Lee, he was hungry for the blood of his lessers. His eyes were wide open for any excuse, any reason, to slaughter the foxes like dogs.
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Post by aimway921 on Sept 25, 2023 19:50:11 GMT -5
It was not long before the Coast Patrol service spotted vessels flying the Galran flag on the horizons. Reports came from all directions - it was clear that this was a blockade. Or, an attempt at one, at least. With the whole chain of islands they had to cover, the Patrol boats haven't counted nearly enough vessels to cover the whole area. Still, the situation was far from favorable, with the Ashinaran fleet being 50 years out of date, there was not much they could do to lift this blockade. But at least it seemed that the undersea telegraph cable connecting Kyograd directly to Perau still operated, so Ashinara would be able to transmit through Franerre to the rest of the Allies a call for help.
Meanwhile, the Royal Admiralty began working on a plan on how to deal with the blockade. Command was given to Rear Admiral Vinneamin Gavrilov. While not the highest ranking, he was the most experienced officer having commanded the Ashinaran Flagship during the Battle of Noscovo Shore, being a strong advocate of developing new types of vessels, and having observed closely foreign naval operations whenever the chance presented itself.
Obviously, his first decision was to forbid any direct confrontation, for it was deemed to be unwinnable. Instead, he would exploit the hotheadedness and elevated sense of superiority of the Galrans that they were known for, demonstrating it time and again on the international stage.
They had to lure them into the range of coastal artillery. The best location was deemed off the coast of Saipan and Iwo-Jima (OOC note: I've still yet to change those names lol). With a number of much smaller islands scattered about around those two already small islands, many of which having coastal forts on them, it was practically a killzone, as long as the enemy ships could be baited into range. The coastal forts would be camouflaged as best as possible with foliage and nets, and were ordered to hold their fire until they were confident that will be able to get a guaranteed kill. 2 Ironclads and 3 Light Cruisers would also be hidden behind the islands, ready to assist if need be. 5 Submarines would wait at periscope depth along the expected path of the enemy once they are baited, ready to pick off stragglers once they realize what's up and begin retreating.
They would wait until this sector of the blockade had no more than 2 Light Cruisers and a handful of Destroyers. The fastest ships in Ashinara's disposal - 10 Patrol Boats, 4 Destroyers and 3 Transport Ships head out towards the Galran vessels. Once within range, they would open fire. While they did aim to hit, their primary goal was to get the Galrans to move towards them. The moment it would be confirmed they did - they would turn around and scatter towards the hidden trap.
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Post by Greywall on Dec 3, 2023 14:09:30 GMT -5
Admiral Lee received reports of the Ashinarians firing on his fleet, his eyes beamed with lustful intent to gain the glory he desperately wanted. The bulk of the Galran detachment was ordered to the sector where the reported firing had occurred.
The Galran ships closed in looking for their prey, "Be aware these walking winter coats have coastal artillery, I want the heavy ships to decimate anything that so much resembles a flash from their coastal defenses." As the Galran fleet began their hunt they would close in where the Ashinarians made contact, they found one of their light Cruisers the IGS Domtar, it had sustained minor damage from the Ashinarian raid but were still able to stay afloat and keep in the fight.
"This is IGS Domtar, we're experiencing minor issues. Please send us engineering support to hasten our repairs."
"Confirmed Domtar, we're sending some teams over."
The Galran fleet would slowly encircle the cruiser to assist in its repair. The fleet awaited a response from the Ashinarians, if they didn't make a move it would anger Lee greatly for wasting Staol.
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Post by aimway921 on Dec 3, 2023 14:44:41 GMT -5
Gavrilov observed the Galrans from his position hidden on one of the islands. They seem to have taken the bait but only partially. Stopping by the damaged ship, they did not proceed further. At least yet. He now had a choice, wait and see what happens next, give the signal to open fire from all batteries, or try and bait them again.
His thinking however was interrupted by ARS Navka, a destroyer, that seems to have taken upon itself to further bait the enemy. Coming out from it's concealment behind an island, it headed at full speed towards the cluster of Galrans ships, using it's small size and maneuverability as a Destroyer to dodge incoming fire. All the while, the operator of the signal spotlight was transmitting a flurry of insults at the Galrans.
As the lone Destroyer got decently close to the swarm of Galrans ships all clustered in one spot, it swung around revealing it's side - along with all of it's torpedo tubes - 6 of them. Launching the torpedoes, the Navka immediately turned around and proceeded to hightail it out of there, both toward safety but also hoping the Galrans would once again take bait and proceed moving after it, closer to the coastal batteries.
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Post by Greywall on Dec 3, 2023 14:54:54 GMT -5
An observer from the IGS Diongle Bess would react all too slowly as the enemy destroyer fired its salvo of torpedoes.
"CONTACT! PORT TO STAR-"
Too late.
The torpedoes ripped the ship apart in a wall of fire as the Galran light cruiser bellowed up in a tower of smoke and began to sink. Admiral Lee ordered his ships to open fire at the Ashinarians who despite their speed wouldn't stay safe for long against the massive volley of enemy fire. It would be struck and destroyed quickly.
"They're nearby! All hands prepare for battle! All ships assume defensive measures!"
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Post by aimway921 on Dec 4, 2023 1:11:08 GMT -5
"Kurwa..." Gavrilov said to himself as he watched the Navka go down. One Destroyer traded for a Light Cruiser. Not bad, if you disregard the fact that Ashinara had less Destroyers than Galra had Cruisers deployed just to this blockade.
The situation was bad. The Galrans barely in coastal artillery range, and now he was down a vessel. He needed a new plan. Or, at least, to amend the current one. It was then when he remembered one thing that was not part of the plan originally - the ground attack aircraft. The 1st Air Corps of the Royal Army has spent a whole year drilling the art of dropping bombs on ships. And they were damn good at it, as the only targets they could afford to destroy over and over were quite small, meaning they have mastered the pin point accuracy needed to hit even the smallest of military vessels. The only issue was however that it would take them about 8 hours to redeploy from the capital - so they would have to be used later, should the enemy fleet decide to directly attack the capital.
All 3 remaining destroyers and all the 10 patrol boats would head out towards the Galrans, engaging in evasive maneuvers at all times. As soon as the firing starts, the submarines would fire off their torpedoes. As the chaos begins, the coastal batteries that are in range would join the fray. Everyone had the order to focus their fire on the Galran flagship, the fast battleship that the enemy fleet commander was suspected to be on.
This would be Gavrilov's last stand. He realized that his small outdated force stood absolutely no chance of coming out of this engagement alive. All he could hope for is to do enough damage to the Galran fleet to enrage their Admiral enough to try and swim into the crossfire of multiple coastal batteries in his attempt to prove himself superior to the Ashinarans, as he so absolutely believes.
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Post by Greywall on Dec 4, 2023 7:24:57 GMT -5
Lee was still fuming with anger losing a cruiser when another Galran ship alerted the approaching Ashinarians, "They look slow and outdated, are they really doing this?" Lee murmured. Whatever he thought, it would be a victory he could embelish to the other Galran Admirals.
"Full salvo and fire."
With that all hell rained down on the Ashinarian fleet, patrol boats would be utterly deleted from all existence, reduced to splintered wood and mists of blood and fur. Two Ashinarian destroyers received extensive damage as the Galrans were easily out ranging them, "All too easy." Lee thought, as the massacre went underway an explosion rocked the Galran ships. One of the Galran destroyers, then another, "Where is it coming from!" Lee would yell.
Radio reports finally chimed in, "Goddamn submarines" Lee muttered. "Order counter measures."
Who would have thought these damn foxes even had submarine tech. Not Lee, he assumed the Ashinarian nation would be drastically behind in terms of naval development but here they were sacrificing a naval force to allow submarines to strike.
The Galran fleet would shift in formation and begin counter submarine warfare.
Casulaties
Ashinaria: 8 PT boats, 2 destroyers
Galra: 2 destroyers
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Post by aimway921 on Dec 4, 2023 20:51:44 GMT -5
It was a complete disaster. While thankfully far from the entire Ashinaran fleet, the bulk of the deployment has been annhialated.
Gavrilov ordered the submarines to fire off one last salvo of torpedoes before immediately turning around and retreating towards Kyograd Bay. Luring the enemy fleet towards the capital was, while incredibly dangerous - the last chance to stop this onslaught. All they had to do is get the Galran ships inside the long and narrow bay that has the bulk of Ashinara's naval defenses. Gavrilov himself, after leaving the order to all the local coastal batteries to fire upon the enemy until they ran out of ammunition - then hold out until relief arrives - if it arrived. Every Ashinaran service member knew the Galran rhetoric. They knew that trying to surrender would only leave them alive to be tortured. If the Galrans decide to land boots on the ground, they would have to fight for every inch of every island.
Gavrilov himself would get on the ARS Boyko, the fastest ship in Ashinara - which was a rather small unarmed transport ship - and headed to the capital to prepare the defenses. But not before dispatching orders for the rest of the fleet: All military ships were to clear out of the bay and lay in hiding. The Galran navy is to be allowed into the bay - and then the exit out of the bay would be blocked. If needed, ships would be scuttled to make passage through the mouth of the bay barely possible. The bay itself is to be mined at a distance just beyond max range of Galran guns from the capital.
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