Bombardment of Klensagrad

Bombardment of Klensagrad Sahren front of the Sahren Civil War
File:Klensbombardment.png
Location		Klens peninsula
Result		Zokesian victory
Territorial Changes		Klensagradina Stahlduga damaged
Belligerents
Klensagrad Commune			Zokesia
Strength
Shore batteries KC Midzha motor torpedo boats			baskien? schrschnell? supporting ships?
Casualties and Losses
21 howitzers destroyed 35 structures damaged KC Midzha heavily damaged 4 torpedo boats destroyed 50~ killed unknown wounded			Schrschnell minor damage Baskien heavy damage

The Bombardment of Klensagrad took place on the 29th of Tience during the Sahren Civil War. The battle began when a Zokesian anti insurgency task force was diverted to engage Anarchist assets in Sahrland. In the course of the battle Klensagrad and its citizens were subjected to artillery and fires, with the Klensagradina Stahlduga falling short of its pre-bombardment production for a decade. The battleships Schrschnell and Baskien were damaged but not sunk, while the Klensagradites lost four torpedo boats in their night raid.

This battle also marked the first naval conflict between Sahrland and Zokesia

Course of battle

Action on the 29th of Teince

On the 29th the Zokesian task force arrived at the Klens peninsula during a thick fog. Both sides claim the other fired first but regardless it is known an artilery match between Anarchist forces and the two Morser class battleships. The bombardment continued for a total of 30 minutes in which the city was subjected to gun fire of varying calibre and fires. As the news spread the Commune appealed to Phoenia, Arcadia, and Orion, all of which refused to respond as they did not recognize the existance of the Klensagrad Commune

Three critical hits were recorded on Baskien, one exploding in or near the bridge, another astern damaging the screw shafts, and one amidships which started fires and caused Captain Vanagas to lose consciousness. The steering was also unresponsive, driving Baskien unwillingly closer to the Klensagradina Stahlduga. Schrschnell followed this maneuver to distract the anarchist artillery. At the closest point Schrschnell was roughly 2000 yards from the shore. The anarchists retreated from range having taken significant casualties, and Schrschnell then moved to assist firefighting on Baskien.

Night of the 29th

By the time the fires were extinguished on Baskien there was only one hour of daylight remaining. Frantic efforts continued to get the machinery running again as the Anarchists prepared a torpedo boat attack for the coming night. Among these was the Blokha class destroyer KC Midzha, and five other boats called TBD-17, 18, 21, 25, and 26 respectively.

TBD-21 exploding as seen from Schrschnell.

After the sun set an Anarchist counterattack began as Midzha led the five torpedo boats toward the Zokesian force. Hugging the terrain to reduce visibility, the boats began an attack on what they thought was Baskien, but was actually the mostly undamaged Schrschnell. At least five missiles were fired at the battleship, all of which were either destroyed, lured away by countermeasures, or striking areas which the armour was too thick for their small charge to penetrate. When Schrschnell opened fire on the assailants Midzha realised they were attacking the wrong target, and ordered the force to attack Baskien. TBD-21 and 26 either did not follow this order or did not percieve it as they did not break off from Schrschnell, which continued to fire at them. TBD-21 was shortly after blown apart by a nearby 16 inch shell and lost with all hands. TBD-26 fired off three torpedoes and all of its remaining missiles in an effort to retreat early, but was also stuck down by fire from the secondary battery of Schrschnell. Of the few of these which hit the ship their damage was mostly negated, with the only meaningful damage being a few disabled secondary batteries.

TBD-18 and 25 as seen from TBD-17.

As the first shells from Midzha landed around Baskien the ship was quickly made to go as fast as the damage would permit, and the batteries opened fire on the marauding torpedo boats. Midzha turned to get a full broadside and in the confusion the escorting torpedo boats broke their formation piecemiel. TBD-18 and 25 fired a majority of their munitions early in a similar bid to retreat early like TBD-26, the distance launching resulted in only two torpedoes striking Baskien, both striking right where the torpedo protection system was the strongest. TBD-17 continued it's attack in the opposite direction as Midzha as TBD-18 was struck by three secondary shells within the span of 30 seconds, resulting in its loss. At such a short range the Baskien then began to be raked by 30mm fire and FLIR guided anti-tank missiles from TBD-17, eventually ramming bowfirst into it and instantly discintegrating the boat.

Withdrawl

Now with four of the torpedo boats destroyed and Schrschnell free to fire on Baskien's assailants, (anarchist leader) ordered Midzha and TBD-25 to abort the attack. Sources of the damage on Midzha vary wildly but it is known at least two shells struck the water near Midzha and landed underneeth the waterline, along with dozens of smaller shells striking the superstructure. TBD-25 withdrew in the chaos severely damaged from nearby shells, leaving only Midzha slowed to around half speed near the two enemy battleships. However the Zokesians already made the decision by this point to withdraw to prevent more torpedo boat attacks from both Sahrland and potentially Grestinian insurgents. By the second hour of darkness the Zokesian task force had slipped out of the viscinity of the Klens peninsula.

Aftermath

After news of the incident reached Phoenian high command the Phoenian navy was ordered to take more direct action in the Sahren Civil War. Later the Phoenian blockade of opposing sides and various naval skirmishes aided the Republican cause greatly.

During the battle 200~ shells of varying type were fired at the city of Klensagrad killing around 30 civilians and injuring 40. Twenty one of the best Anarchist cannons were destroyed in the attack and the Klensagradina Stahlduga was significantly damaged, only returning to pre-war productivity by 2155.

Although Midzha was able to make it back to port, the damage was so severe it would later be intentionally sank in port and converted into an artillery platform. This had a significant impact on the later Operation Tetraethyllead in which it was one of the last Klensagradite positions to fall to the Republicans.

ZNS Baskien's damage was so severe she was brought to Crytil for an extensive refit, adopting a Crytillian style superstructure and armour increased in critical spaces.

The commander of TBD-25 Kian Aiken was arrested for abandoning the Midzha but would end up being freed by the Republicans in 2146 before his sentence ended.

Casualties

too many of them