Naval Battle of Attenheim (Grand War)

The Naval Battle of Attenheim is a minor victory against the Gruvanian Navy by the Forarenian Navy during the Grand War. It was considered a humiliating defeat by the Gruvanian Navy since the Oil War, and the public was even censcored for the first time because it was such a humiliation for Gruvania.

### The Battle

#### Planning

With the invasion of Willow Island going on, the Grand Alliance was sought to reinforce the badly-beleaguered force that was holding off the Ivory invasion force. It was at this time that Grand Admiral Indev planned a battle that none would expect from both sides.

He argued day and night with his staff about destroying the Gruvanian Task Force that was guarding the strait, then withdrawing back into port before the Gruvanians can react. After a few minutes of telling the plan, the naval staffs agree that the Task Force was to be destroyed and troops be transported into the island.

#### Sailing out of port

Under the cover of darkness, the fleet commanded by Grand Admiral Indev sailed out of port and managed to slip away from the Ivory Fleet, which he did so easily. The next day they evaded air patrols by moving into the open sea where patrols are less likely to be there, nearly being detected by an aircraft by just a few kilometers of radar. His next plan was to cross the straits behind the Gruvanian Task Force in hopes of gaining suprise but this was met by misfortune as intelligence suspect a Kaphan fleet sailing by to raid Shadow Ospray. So they reworked the plan so that they would launch from the east as they can probably fool both fleets into thinking that they were land-based aircraft.

After sailing eastwards they met no ships and aircraft there as they were guarding important points far from the Forarenian area of operations. At 04:00 AM, they were ready to launch the strike.

#### The Battle

Grand Admiral Indev soon ordered the launching of a strike group from his flagship, there were 12 F-14As as escort and 36 F-18s for the main punching force. He also ordered 8 F-14s to guard the fleet in case there was any retaliatory attacks by the Kaphan Fleet. By 06:00, all the aircraft have been launched and were now flying to their target.

Problems like mechanical failure forced 2 of the escorts to go back to the carrier so now there was only 6 for escorts. On 06:45 they see the task force on their radar and began arming their anti-ship missiles. Whilst waiting for the missiles to arm, they were detected by a C-2 Hawkeye from the Kaphan Fleet who first thought that it was friendly and they decided to ignore them.

In 06:50, the anti-ship missiles were launched at the task force, the task force detected the missiles moments later from what they thought was friendly turned into hostile in a blink of an eye, the task force still managed to turn on their anti-aircraft guns just in time but it was too late, the missile guided cruiser GNS Hawkings was hit by 7 missiles and all the other ships in the task force was hit by multiple missiles. As soon as the first hits were scored, the strike group turned back to their carrier, reporting multiple ships sunk.

The situation on the Gruvanian task force was dire, the ships were ablazed and hundreds of men have already perished. It was soon given the order for all ships to abandon ship and board the life-rafts. However, most of the life rafts were already destroyed in the opening explosions so many had to stay afloat in the water. Rear Admiral Pealkington, overcome by guilt and knowing that he would be punished for the sinking of an entire task force, stayed in the ship even though its sinking. The final time he was seen was sitting in his captain's chair looking out in the window as hundreds jump into the water.

For around several days, around 10.000 men died, mostly after the sinking as they were drifting in the water for rescue. Only around 450 people would be rescued by the Kaphan Fleet following the Naval Battle Of Chaves.