Little Great War - Prologue

Tensions throughout Europeia had been tightening as the Settee Empire of Turcowaz found itself under increasing pressures from all quarters. They began with the Ruberian expedition up the Pardis River that was only barely defeated a short distance from Sakhdad. There followed a desperate war (First Blacklands War) against former territories whose nascent independence proved insufficient to assuage their hostility towards their former overlords. More recently, a border war against the forces of the Czar, had, after a fine start, stalled after a sharp defeat that wrecked one of the main Turcowaz columns. Accounts of these campaigns may be found elsewhere in this blog spot.

Meanwhile Turcowaz had found a powerful ally in Azuria, itself having a long history of conflicts against its mortal foe, the Kingdom of Ruberia. Certain rivalries of trade, manufactures and primary production had long threatened to tip the Pax Europeia into all out war. We need not here go very far into the immediate causes, except to suggest that the rapprochement between the President of the Republic and the Sultan did much, if not to light the match, then to fan the flame.

Azuria and Hellenic scout ships approaching a
strait between islands Serifos and Snifnos

One of the first acts of Azurian goodwill was to send a great part of its Mesogesian fleet to visit Ionople. It was in this little mission that a 'bit player' in the recent conflicts chose to show its own displeasure. Any attempt, quoth the King Constantine's ambassador to Lutetia, by the Azurian fleet to contact the Supreme Door, would be opposed by the Hellenic fleet authorised to use force to prevent it.

Signals and warning shots unavailing, Georgios 
Averoff tries a more forceful argument.

Disinclined, as usual, to accept the dictates of any power, let alone the yapping of a newly created nation of no great size, wealth or strength, Azuria went ahead with its expedition. Rounding the Peloponnese without incident, the fleet entered the Aegisean Sea, the ironclad battleship Amiral Duperre scouting ahead. About to pass through the strait between the islands of Serifos and Snifnos, observers aboard Amiral Duperre discerned smoke upon the northeast horizon. The approaching smoke resolved itself into a steamship, a warship, withal, and finally to the formidable armoured cruiser Georgios Averof.

Ouch: Amiral Duperre takes a hit in the bows.

Ignoring the Hellenic vessel's signals to stop and/or turn about, the Azuria vessel ploughed on. At last, Georgios Averof loosed its final warning: a well aimed salvo that struck the Duperre in the bows. At once, the battleship swung off 60 degrees to starboard and began to engage the Hellenic vessel with its entire main armament. The battle was on.

At long range, Amiral Duperre 'crosses the T'.

Before continuing further, we'll outline the comparative strengths of the war ships. Although quite disparate classes, and Amiral Duperre was a much older vessel, they were something of a match.

Azuria:
Amiral Duperre - Ironclad Battleship
Flotation: 12FP, withdraw when FP reduced to 4.
Main armament 13.4", range 6 hexes:
Broadside - 5/4/3/2/2/1/-/-
Forward only - 3/3/2/2/1/1/-/-
Aft only - 2/1/1/1/1/-/-/-
Secondary armament 6.4" and 5.4", range 4 hexes:
Broadside only - 8/6/4/2/-/-/-/-
Torpedoes: 4TT

Hellenia:
Georgios Averof - Armoured Cruiser
Flotation: 12FP, withdraw when FP reduced to 4.
Main armament 12", range 6 hexes:
Broadside - 6/5/4/3/2/1/-/-
Forward or Aft: - 3/3/2/2/1/1/-/-
Secondary, 7.5", range 4 hexes:
Broadside only: 4/3/2/1

Superb gunnery on both sides, but the Azurian is 
formidable! Averof takes a hammering.

As the range closed, the fire grew deadlier with increased accuracy. But, formidable as the battle cruiser's gunnery was, the training aboard the ironclad would have won prizes. Georgios took a terrible hammering; its speed reduced by damage to its screws.

The tale of damage: four criticals on Averof to one
on Duperre. The damage to the former's motive 
power is the most serious.

With such a 'passing of honours', the combatants drew somewhat apart. Amiral Duperre completed a turn about to bring it closer to its own fleet, and in the hope of drawing Georgios Averof after it. After a bit, and spotting dense smoke far to the southwest, the latter vessel rather thought better of it. Georgios Averof began to reverse course, but, its speed badly impaired began to apprehend that its retrograde move had begun too late.

Averof takes a second hit to its drive shafts and screws

This was not helped by a second hit received under its counter that reduced its speed still further. 

It was very fortunate that the rest of the Hellenic fleet was also in the offing. Would it arrive in time to haul Georgios Averof out of the maelstrom - or, indeed , to exact a revenge upon the Azuran fleet? 
We'll leave the narrative here for next time... 

The main fleets arrive at the same time. How that happened
will be accounted next time...