The Hunt for Task Unit Barracuda

The Conflict

Prelude

In the months leading up to the Twelve Years War, both the Republic of Nydonia and the Holy Kingdom of Stanna could see the coming conflict as plain as day. As such, both began stockpiling ammunition and supplies in addition to mass producing many new military vehicle designs. Nydonia began importing supplies such as wood from allied countries to supplement the war preparation effort. Naturally, this was not in Stanna's best interests, as they quickly took discreet action. For them, this manifested in the sinking of these supply shipments before they could reach Nydonian shores, all while leaving as few survivors as possible and taking measures to stay unidentified or appear as pirates. In spite of these efforts, Nydonia quickly caught on

Deployment

Just shortly after the Great War had officially begun, through the thorough questioning of survivors as well as extensive aerial reconnaissance, it was deduced that the culprits of this string of economy damaging attacks had been performed by a task group of 3 Stanni light cruisers, painted differently than other vessels in the Stanni navy as well as flying no flags. This miniature fleet was later uncovered to be named "Task Unit Barracuda". Quickly, Nydonian leadership devolved a plan to take down this task force, its main component consisting of tracking down and eliminating it without ever alerting the enemy that their ruse has been exposed. To accomplish this, fake broadcasts were transmitted claiming a notably large (though not suspiciously so) shipment of wood and aircraft grade aluminum was to travel through the edge of the previously deducted danger zone, knowing it would be intercepted by Stanni codebreakers. What was not broadcasted however, was the presence of the two Nydonia Class Heavy Cruisers that were following a few thousand meters behind the phantom vessel and her alledged escort of 2 destroyers.

The Engagement

After several tense hours of worrying that the Stanni vessels hadn't taken the bait, the NSV Nydonia Class Heavy Cruiser finally spotted a single unidentified on the horizon. Immediatly both heavy cruisers opened up with their main batteries upon entering range, mostly missing the smaller vessel but scoring a few hits with impressive accuracy for the distance. After only a few more minutes the enemy vessel was visibly in flames, and no sooner had the blaze been spotted than two more smoke plooms were spotted off to the east. The other two cruisers had come to the aid of their comrade. After 2 opening volleys the light cruisers quickly realized they were outgunned and began to turn, attempting to use their superior speed to sail past the Nydonians to their east and make it back to Stanni waters. Shells flew between the two small groups, having very little effect either way until a lucky Nydonian 10" projectile penetrated into the boiler room of the tailing Stanni cruiser, killing its engines instantly in a large plume of black smoke. The further cruiser swiftly realized the situation and choose to take the admirably valiant action of turning sharply towards its hulking Nydonain combatants instead of abandoning its friend. Shells cratered her sides and set fires in several areas, but the Stanni ship still managed to close with the Nydonians and fire a volley of 3 torpedoes in a last ditch effort. Unfortunatly for the Stanni, 2 torpedoes missed entirely with the last one glancing off of the NSV Nydonia's bow, possibly being a dud. The Stanni light cruiser did not have time to launch a second volly as Nydonians' many 7, 5, and 3" secondary guns came within range and opened up in unison, bolstering the main batteries in a thick blanket of hot metal.
 

Outcome

The last Stanni vessel was obliterated almost instantly by the withering fire, her ammunition detonating in dazzling turrets of flame that shot many yards into the air as debris splashed down into the water all around. The ship she had been trying to save was also observed sinking as the 2 Nydonian vessels left, while the first was never seen again but presumed to be sunk as well due to the damage it had visibly sustained. From this point on, neither side would use the same strategy again, the Nydonians sending their own more heavily armed escorts with shipments in and out and the Stanni favoring more direct attacks on Nydonian forces or throwing away such cloak and dagger tactics in exchange for much larger scale assaults on the now heavily defended supply fleets.

Included under Conflict

Twelve Years War

Conflict Type

Skirmish

Battlefield Type

Naval

Start Date

4/13/1943

Ending Date

4/30/1943

Conflict Result

Decisive Nydonian victory

Location

Tandara

Belligerents

Task Unit Barracuda

• The Holy Kingdom of Stanna

Task Unit Hunter-Seeker

• The Republic of Nydonia

Strength

3 light cruisers.

2 Nydonia Class Heavy Cruisers.

Casualties

2 sunk, 1 lost at sea presumed sunk. 1,923 crewmen assumed lost.

28 crewmen lost.

Objectives

To disrupt the Nydonian war preparation effort by intercepting shipments of important respoircss and supplies off of the Nydonian coast before they could disembark their payloads.

Seek and destroy the enemy vessels that had been plaguing the area without altering them to their presence beforehand.